Lucky Thing by Tom Baragwanath

Lucky Thing is a page-turning literary mystery set in Masterton, where family and class tensions threaten to erupt after a brutal attack on a girl.

“The nights aren’t too cold yet, lucky thing. Otherwise we’d be having a different conversation.”

Jessica Mowbrie is beaten and dumped in the bush, left for dead. But after being discovered by locals, she’s now lying unconscious in hospital and considered lucky to be alive. Lorraine Henry doesn’t think Jess is so lucky and thinks whoever hurt her needs to be held accountable! She works for Masteron’s isolated police as a records clerk and knows they are notoriously under-resourced. She decides not to wait for the system to catch up. 

Lorraine’s lived in Masterton for a long time and knows as much about who hates who as anyone in town. She’s also used to being underestimated and is quietly determined. With police records at her fingertips and a lifetime of local knowledge she starts unravelling the mystery, with justice clearly in her sights. 

Even though this is the second instalment in the Lorraine Henry series, I hadn’t read the first and didn’t feel lost. Fans will be delighted to discover the latest mystery and first-timers will enjoy meeting Lorraine. What I enjoyed most about Lorraine is her pragmatic approach and relentlessness. 

The investigation is authentic with door knocking, cross-referenced files and awkward favours, while momentum builds from pressure points within families, workplaces and long-standing feuds. Tom also expertly explores class and power: who gets believed, who gets protected and who is left to carry the fall out. Fans of character-driven crime will race through this and hope Lorraine doesn’t wait too long to take on her next case! 

Tom Baragwanath is originally from Masterton, New Zealand, and now lives in Paris with his young family. This is his second literary crime novel, following his acclaimed debut, Paper Cage.

Reviewer: Andrea Molloy

Text Publishing