Ravens by George Dawes Green

Shaw McBride and Romeo Zderko are on their way to Florida for a much-needed vacation. While stopped at a gas station in Brunswick, Georgia, Shaw overhears the clerk on the phone gossiping about a local family who won the lottery. The winning lottery ticket of $300+ million dollars was purchased at that store but the family was still unknown. As is common with most small towns, the news of who the family is begins to spread and due to some clever detective work, the internet and that ever popular MySpace, Shaw is able to find out everything about the winning family, the Boatwright’s.

The Boatwright’s are down in their luck. They are stressing over bills and living week to week on their paychecks. Tara their teenage daughter is working and putting herself through college just to flee the ‘Wick’ and her crazy parents. Her mother Patsy is an alcoholic who tends to take her anger out on her - she plays the lottery religiously on a weekly basis - and when they hit the jackpot they expect all their prayers to be answered... little did they know that their happiness would be short-lived.

That night Shaw visits the Boatwright home and holds the family hostage. He threatens all the family’s relatives and loved ones (everyone from the grandmother to Tara’s BFF). He has Romeo driving around town from home to home and tells the family that if something goes wrong with his plan of taking half their winnings, Romeo is instructed to stop at the nearest home in his list and kill whichever loved one resides there. While the news of their win is made public they must act normal and hope that Shaw’s plan comes to fruition without anyone getting hurt.

For some reason this hit a nerve with me. I was frightened and at the same time couldn’t put it down. I just had to know what would happen next. This was a roller coaster ride for me. There were times where I laughed and times were I just wanted someone to fight Shaw and Romeo back. I was frustrated and then there were times where I was plain scared for them. It brought out the best and worst in me I guess. All in all, I enjoyed it. I can see where this would make a great movie. The fact that Shaw was was able to do all his research on MySpace totally blew me away. It’s amazing how much information is made public on the world wide web. Scary!

If you are in the mood for a chilling, edge of your seat - can’t put it down thriller, then check this one out.