Lucky Day

By: Chuck Tingle

Narrated by: Mara Wilson

“An existential masterwork that, like life, is equal parts atrocity and delights."—Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of Masters of Death

Lucky Day is the latest from Chuck Tingle, USA Today bestselling author of Camp Damascus and Bury Your Gays, where one woman must go up against horrifying odds to save the world.

Four years ago, an unthinkable disaster occurred. In what was later known as the Low-Probability Event, eight million people were killed in a single day, each of them dying in improbable, bizarre ways: strangled by balloon ropes, torn apart by exploding manhole covers, attacked by a chimpanzee wielding a typewriter. A day of freak accidents that proved anything is possible, no matter the odds. Luck is real now, and it's not always good.

Vera, a former statistics and probability professor, lost everything that day, and she still struggles to make sense of the unbelievable catastrophe. To her, the LPE proved that the God of Order is dead and nothing matters anymore.

When Special Agent Layne shows up on Vera’s doorstep, she learns he's investigating a suspiciously—and statistically impossibly—lucky casino. He needs her help to prove the casino’s success is connected to the deaths of millions, and it's Vera's last chance to make sense of a world that doesn’t.

Because what's happening in Vegas isn't staying there, and she's the only thing that stands between the world and another deadly improbability.

"Wilson narrates with emotional depth, conveying all of Rose's intelligence, inquisitiveness, and fear as she's hunted by otherworldly beings."—AudioFile on Camp Damascus

Also by Chuck Tingle:

Bury Your Gays

Camp Damascus

Straight

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Nightfire

©2025 Chuck Tingle (P)2025 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Tingle’s latest is an absurd romp, but underneath the off-the-wall mayhem lies his most sophisticated work to date.”—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

“Sparkles and shines as bright as the Las Vegas strip! Lucky Day fearlessly explores existence, absurdity, and love as only Chuck Tingle can do it. It will shock, thrill, and unlock new fears never even dreamt of. This is Tingle at his strangest and bloodiest.”—CJ Leede, USA Today bestselling author of American Rapture

“A transcendent bisexual fantasia. Prepare to be astonished, unnerved, and ultimately, delighted. Lucky Day is groundbreaking, surrealist horror like you’ve never seen before.”—Liz Kerin, author of Night's Edge

Unique Premise

The narrator sounds like AI, and it makes the main character only more unlikable than she already is. For as intelligent as she’s supposed to be, shes also willfully obtuse. None of what is happening in the book is normal. She also refers to “paranormal events”, and creatures making “eldritch” noises, yet when asked in the last quarter of the book whether or not she believes in alien life, she says no? Parts of the book involving the main characters reflections like that bothered me, and yet theres no denying its an entertaining premise with plenty of gore for physical horror enthusiasts.

I love Chuck Tingle

Everything about this book is perfect to me. Even the stuff that would normally creep me out (hello creepy crawlies), I don’t even care it just works. The emotions those moments evoke in me fit perfect with the vibe of the book. I don’t know how he packed so much story, heart, and understanding into a book under 230 pages but he crushed it. The audiobook narration is perfect and truly made me feel every part of this lucky day ride.

Love

I went in totally blind. First reaction: what the actual **** is happening?.. Finally I paused to read the blurb and was able to continue. It's chaotic and wildly imaginative. There were scenes I found myself thinking "only Chuck Tingle could write this" there was even a meta line where he sorta pokes fun at his own imagination. One of my most favorite devices in his horror novels is the "bad guy" is a manifestation of concept, examples from previous bks - traumatic religious ideology & capitalism. This time it was just as inventive & poignant. It's Chuck Tingle - so in the end no matter the foe it's about hope, caring and absolutely always about love

Interesting, Weird, and Violent

I a fan of Tingle's horrors. This, however, was my least favorite. It was gory, that was the horror part. The plot was strange, otherworldly, and nonsensical (which was rather the point). However, I could never feel invested in the plot. I just found the whole concept of 'luck' as a force to be odd. Ah well, I will still read Tingle's horror in the future. This one was just didn't hit the target for me.

It kept me interested.

The obscenities were so distracting. I don’t talk or think that way. You’re a good writer Chuck-you didn’t need to put those words in the woman’s mouth. They were just awkward.

Another stellar horror book from Chuck Tingle

Chuck Tingle is one of my favorite authors currently publishing. Cinematic, tight writing with clear themes and messages is his MO, and Lucky Day is no exception! Lucky Day starts strong, stays interesting throughout, and ends with a bang. You will have a great time with this story!

Mara Wilson provides exceptional narration yet again. What a fantastic listen!