In Wendi Corsi Staub’s Windfall we explore the idea that having your wildest dreams come true might not be quite as wonderful as you hoped.

They call themselves the September girls. Three college friends, all born in the same month, who are close as sisters. They may have graduated from the university where their friendship was formed, but over a decade later, J.J., Molly, and Leila still get together as often as they can; which, given failing relationships, tough financial situations, and difficult children, hasn’t been as often as they’d like. Still, this trip to Vegas to celebrate their fortieth birthdays is meant to be a fun, relaxing, break from the disappointment their everyday lives have become, and the ladies plan to make the most of it.

They don’t win anything at the tables but agree to try their luck one final time by pooling their last few dollars to buy a lottery ticket. Then they head home, back to reality and monotony.

When Leila checks the lottery numbers the next day after the drawing is done, she’s in for a shock. They’ve won a billion dollars. Being a ruthlessly organized person she quickly finds out what should come next, and after contacting her friends to get their agreement, hires Windfall, an agency that specializes in helping people deal with sudden wealth. Shea Daniels, the company owner and president takes their case personally. She flies them out to California, to the estate from which her company draws its name, to teach them all about managing their money.

Leila is the first to arrive. She is ecstatic about her burgeoning bank account, seeing it as a solution to her present problems. Estranged from her adoptive family, living with a man she doesn’t love but who is all that stands between her and homelessness, and the mother of two moody teenage daughters, Leila views this fortune as her ticket to escape. Her on-again off-again married lover of many years has made it clear he has no desire to keep their relationship going but Leila thinks her new financial status might just make him change his mind.

Having a baby solidifies some relationships and implodes others. Molly’s husband warned her it would be over if they ever had a child and true to his word, once Dawson was born, he moved out and filed for divorce. Fortunately, Molly has a kind, loving, supportive family who is helping her through it all, but it doesn’t change the fact that she and her baby were facing abject poverty before the news about the winning ticket. Still, Molly has her concerns about Windfall, the agency that will supposedly help them, and especially about Windfall, the house. The mansion has a dark history, the most recent victim being a beloved movie star who disappeared from the premises leaving not a single trace as to where they might have gone or what might have happened to them.

J.J. feels her whole life has been a tragedy. Her problems aren’t going to be fixed by money but her intuition tells her she needs to be at Windfall, be a part of whatever is going to occur surrounding the fortune she and her friends are about to gain. Her instincts have been wrong a lot lately, though, and J.J. is torn as to whether the California coast is really the best place for her to be.

When the denizens of the house discover they're trapped by the wildfires raging throughout the local area and no amount of money can save them, they become terrified and desperate. Then one of them, who has the lottery ticket in her possession, suddenly goes missing. Has the house claimed another victim? Has their good luck turned bad? Or in the face of new riches, did temptation prove to be too much for one of the September Girls?

Windfall is told from four different points of view - Molly, Leila, J.J., and Shea. It is a very ‘in the moment’ story, giving us short paragraphs about the past and about how that particular PoV character felt at that moment, but it doesn’t give much detail about prior events such as how the friendship between the very different September Girls was born, nor does it tell us much about the intriguing events that led Shea to where she is today. This is probably the book’s only main flaw. The author does an excellent job of introducing us to four unique, interesting women and giving us a vivid understanding of their singular personalities. Molly is sweet, caring, and cheery; Leila is driven with a dark side; J.J. is rather helpless and downtrodden; and Shea has a tough exterior that may (or may not) hide a generous and caring heart of gold. Given the disparity between the three friends, I would have liked to see a bit more of the missing history to explain what drew them together and had them work hard to maintain that connection. Given the role Shea and the history of her property play in the tale, I would also have liked to see more about how her past informs her present.

There is another character who winds in and out of the story with great impact whom we could have used more detail on. Stef ‘s influence had strong repercussions for all three September Girls and it would have been nice to know more about how and why he had such power.

That said, Staub paints an excellent picture of just what it means to live the dream many people have; while most assume winning the lottery could solve all their problems, this story highlights that age-old wisdom about money not solving everything. It is clear these gals will still have some serious issues even when the cash starts rolling in.

I appreciated the standard human frailties that bog Molly, Leila, J.J., and Shea down rather than it being the typical dark psychosis common in thrillers today. No one is overtly evil - this is simply a case of people who really need a second chance at life recognizing that a lot of the problems in their first chance were caused by them and the folks they chose to surround themselves with.

The mystery is low-key but excellent. Windfall’s unique location, haunting history, and the current situation with the wildfires that surround it give a slightly gothic feel to the tale. The author does a nice job of walking us along that fine line between the macabre idea that a house can carry some sort of curse and reminding us that a place is just a place but the people within it can be a problem. I liked that everything that happens in the narrative has a probable reasonable explanation and a possibly less logical one.

Brisk pacing, a unique concept, and interesting, relatable characters make Windfall a good choice for fans looking for a mystery that explores how common human weaknesses can turn any situation from victory to failure. I would recommend this to those who are looking for something suspenseful that isn’t too dark or deep.