‘The Lottery Winner Widows Club’ by Elly Vine

Published by Wildfire,
26 March 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-0354-2850-2 (HB)

The main character in this funny and surreal novel is Paula who has just lost her husband in a car accident in Austria.  Two days after this tragic accident Paula discovers that she has won 21 million pounds on the Lottery (ticket bought by John her late husband).  Paula is struggling to come to terms with all that has happened to her when she is approached by a trio of women of various ages and types who are also Jackpot winners with dead husbands!  

They tell Paula that they understand what she is going through and clearly believe that Paula like them killed her husband.  Paula tries to convince them that she did not in fact kill her husband, but she finds it hard to resist their friendship and their lavish and thrilling worlds.  

Paula's jackpot win leads to difficulties with online trolls and loan sharks.  She also finds it difficult to relate to her two grown up children who can't really understand why Pauls does not appear unduly distraught by her husband's death.  

The novel leads us through some unbelievable but enticing events involving the group of unconventional friends who may or may not have murdered their husbands.  The friends help Paula come to terms with the emotional abuse she suffered for most of her marriage and allow her to reflect on how this has impacted on her life and her role as a mother.  

Although in many ways this appears to be a light-hearted novel there is in fact a really important message about the emotional and physical abuse many women experience in their marriages and how difficult is for them to acknowledge this abuse.  

I really enjoyed this book and was quite happy to suspend disbelief in much of the content simply because it is very well written and the author ensures the reader really cares about all the characters.  I'd love to hear more from this group of Lottery Widows!
--------
Reviewer: Toni Russell  

Elly Vine is the pseudonym of bestselling author Lucy Vine, who is a journalist and started working in magazines in 2005. Writing and editing for Cosmo, Stylist, Marie Claire, Women’s Health, Look, The Mirror, The Sun, and The Telegraph. She also writes a weekly newsy column for Grazia Daily. Lucy lives in London. 

Toni Russell is a retired teacher who has lived in London all her life and loves the city.  She says, ‘I enjoy museums, galleries and the theatre but probably my favourite pastime is reading.  I found myself reading detective fiction almost for the first time during lockdown and have particularly enjoyed old fashioned detective fiction rather than the nordic noir variety.  She is a member of a book club at the local library and have previously attended literature classes at our local Adult Education Centre.