The Winning Number

By Stephen DeCesare

Claire Mercer came to Alder Ridge looking for a quieter life.

The picturesque New England town seems almost too perfect: rolling apple orchards, friendly neighbors, a bustling harvest festival, and a yearly tradition that has made Alder Ridge famous. Every autumn, one resident wins the Harvest Lottery, a prize worth two million dollars.

Claire has lived in town only a few weeks when she buys a ticket on a whim.

Then her number is drawn.

Suddenly, everyone knows her name. There are photographs, receptions, paperwork, congratulations, and traditions that every winner is expected to follow. Claire is told that former winners usually take their money and leave Alder Ridge behind.

At first, that makes perfect sense.

But as the celebrations continue, small things begin to feel wrong. Questions about her family. Stories about winners no one seems to hear from anymore. Old orchard customs that people dismiss as harmless tradition.

And one final gathering that Claire is expected to attend before the money becomes hers.

In Alder Ridge, the harvest has always been good.

The lottery has always produced a winner.

And some traditions survive because no one dares to discover what might happen if they stop.

The Winning Number is a slow-burning Gothic suspense novel about luck, tradition, and the terrifying price a community may be willing to pay to preserve its prosperity.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HH9CRZZT
• ISBN13: 9798170938506
• Release Date: August 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 136 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"