Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Shaw and Romeo were passing through town. They stopped at a truck stop to check their tires. Shaw overheard the clerk discussing the lottery. Seems a local had won the jackpot of over 300 million dollars. A plan began to form in his mind.

The men held the Boatwrights hostage. If they did not cooperate they would murder their relatives.

My summary is short because I do not want to spoil this book for other readers. Green successfully combines humor and suspense to create an unforgettable thriller. The characters come to life on the pages of this book. I was amazed as Shaw became almost a folk hero among not only the people of the town but his captives. He was obviously a sociopath yet he convinced people he was their savior. Each character had a distinct voice. I found myself rooting for the sheriff. I wanted him to be successful in capturing the villains and with Miss Nell. Miss Nell was a delightful character. She was feisty and interesting. Tara was the most intelligent one in her family. The Boatwrights were a stereo type peek into the life of a southern lower class down on their luck family. They were an exaggeration of a way of life. Patsy was a heavy drink lottery playing wife/mother. Mitch was a husband/father; he seemed to lack confidence in himself. Romeo was the villain with redeeming qualities.

The ending of this book was surprising. I wanted more. I wanted to know what happened to the family.

Raven is well done. My husband and I listened to this book while on vacation. More than once we sat in the car a bit longer than necessary so hear what would happen next. Raven not only held our attention, it captures listeners. The readers are excellent. Do not miss this audio book!