We are unbelievably excited to announce that Rachel Edwards’ second novel, Lucky, will be published by 4th Estate in May 2021. World English rights (including Film and TV) were sold by Joanna Swainson.

Rachel’s gripping debut novel Darling was published by 4th Estate in 2018 and was described by Adele Parks as ‘dark, deep, thought-provoking’. Bernadine Evaristo also recommended Darling on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour as one of her top three lockdown reads. Rachel recently spoke to Jenni Murray on Woman’s Hour to talk about writing her thrilling debut which you can find here.

Rachel is currently writing a column for Sunday Times Magazine, you can read the first article here.

Lucky is the story of Etta, who is in her mid-thirties and keen to nudge her loving but commitment-phobic partner Ola towards marriage and children. Ola is worried about money and reluctant to get engaged before they have enough saved for a house deposit, so Etta quietly begins to make money on an online gambling site – until she begins losing.

Soon she has secretly lost their entire savings. Luckily, Etta has made a friend on the site, a friend who has recently won big. Perhaps she can persuade him to give her a loan, just until she wins the money back. What could possibly go wrong?

Anna Kelly, Editorial director said: “Lucky explores issues of race, money, immigration, power and privilege through a fast-paced, suspenseful story that will keep readers as hooked as Darling did. Rachel is a master of the killer plot twist and creates characters who are as compelling and intriguing as they are messy, flawed and human. I am so excited to be working with her on this new book and I can’t wait to share it with all those who loved Darling – and new readers too.”

Rachel said: “Lucky is a book that is incredibly important to me, dealing with societal factors that can turn lives upside down: from the increasingly popular online gambling to migration and the movement of people. It is a book that examines the risks we all take to survive. I am delighted that my hugely supportive publisher, 4th Estate, is bringing Lucky out into the world in May 2021 and am thrilled to be able to share my second novel with readers. Can’t wait!”

Rachel Edwards enjoys life in rural Oxfordshire with husband Peter and university age twin step-children. Born and raised in the UK by her Jamaican mother and Nigerian father, she read French with English at King’s College London. She is delighted to have been ‘born on three continents at once’ and feels about as British as a rain shower during Carnival.

After a graduate stint in publishing, her break into fiction came in her twenties when she was engaged to craft literary sauce for her first editor Rowan Pelling. She then won a national fiction award from The Arts Council which comprised mentoring from acclaimed novelist Catherine Johnson. She has written for Marie Claire and many other publications while focusing on her fiction. Her former writing group of five women self-published two collections of short stories, The Leap Year and Ten Past Eight.

Read the full article Bookbrunch here.