Book Review: Windfall by Wendy Corsi Staub

Lisa Jackson once proclaimed: “If you like Mary Higgins Clark, you’ll love Wendy Corsi Staub.” That endorsement—which rightfully graced the covers of Staub’s earlier titles—is as true now as it was then. With nearly one hundred books to her name (and others, including Wendy Markham), she remains both prolific and dependable. Best known for her adult psychological suspense novels, Staub returned to standalones with 2022’s The Other Family after having penned five trilogies over the last decade-plus. This July, she offers another singular title, Windfall, which revisits a familiar theme: women in jeopardy.

Leila, J.J., and Molly—known collectively as the “September Girls” for their shared birth month—were once college besties, their inseparable bond now tested by time, distance, and pretense. Having committed to celebrating milestone birthdays together, they recently reunited in Vegas for the big 4-0, where they bought a lottery ticket to commemorate the occasion. It’s only after having returned to their separate lives and families that they realize their whim purchase has won them a billion-dollar prize! But what should be a dream come true escalates into a nightmare as the women realize just how dangerous getting rich quick can really be.    

Leila, the holder of the ticket, convinces the others to join her at a secluded mansion in the California hills, where “sudden wealth manager” Shea Daniels promises to help teach them how to navigate their newfound status; appropriately, the house is called Windfall—and it also happens to be the former residence of famed actress Chantal Charbonneau, who disappeared without a trace in 2001. As wildfires rage outside, tensions begin to smolder within. Perhaps these women don’t know each other as well as they thought—and their suspicions only grow when Leila vanishes, along with the winning ticket. Was it an accident? Did she run away? Or could something far more sinister be afoot? Finding out just might prove deadly for those left behind.  

Staub ably alternates perspective between the three friends and Shea, which highlights the conflict between what each outwardly projects and the reality of their day-to-day lives, struggles, and vulnerabilities in areas that include career, marriage, motherhood, and romance. Short transcript excerpts from a podcast called Disappearing Acts are interspersed throughout, checking the trendy box while also allowing for an exploration of facts and rumors surrounding the Chantal Charbonneau mystery (which adds a component of foreshadowing). Then, there’s the eerie backdrop, complete with remote setting and conflagrations, that emphasizes the characters’ sense of emotional and physical isolation. These elements play off one another like a spark to an accelerant.

Wendy Corsi Staub’s Windfall starts with a flame’s flicker that soon ignites an inferno of action, emotion, and suspense. Propelled by a once-in-a-lifetime event, a cast of conflicted characters, two mysterious disappearances, and nature’s awe-inspiring powers, the story reminds us that money doesn’t always solve problems; rather, it often creates them. So forget taking your chances on the lottery and remember this instead: a Staub book is about as solid an investment as you can make. There’s always a payoff—and for the price of a paperback.