A hookup turned lethal. A spurned, angry cowboy. Can rebel Maggie turn the tables before a killer adds her to the list of lost causes?“Hutchins’ Maggie is an irresistible train wreck—you can’t help but turn the page to see what trouble she’ll get herself into next.” Robert Dugoni, #1 Amazon Bestselling Author of My Sister’s GraveWashed-up alt-country-rocker-turned-junker Maggie Killian is pulled … Grave
Washed-up alt-country-rocker-turned-junker Maggie Killian is pulled to Wyoming by an irresistible force . . . former bull rider Hank Sibley, the man who broke her heart fifteen years before. When she unexpectedly meets his Sunday school-teaching-girlfriend at a saloon, Maggie seeks liquor-fueled oblivion between the sheets of a younger man’s bed. But after her beloved vintage truck breaks down and leaves her stranded in the Cowboy State, she learns her hookup died minutes after leaving their rendezvous. Suddenly surrounded by men with questionable motives, Maggie searches for the murderer while fighting the electricity between herself and her old beau and her new penchant for local whiskey.
When the police zero in on Maggie despite a disturbing series of break-ins at her guest cabin, she realizes she’s got no one to rely on but herself. To keep herself happily in bars instead of behind them, she must stop the killer before the cops realize the man she really suspects is a jealous, angry Hank.
Live Wire is the first standalone book in a trilogy featuring sharp-tongued protagonist Maggie Killian from the addictive What Doesn’t Kill You romantic mystery series. If you like nerve-racking suspense, electric characters and relationships, and juicy plot twists, then you’ll love USA Today best seller Pamela Fagan Hutchins’ Silver Falchion award-winning series.
˃˃˃ See why Pamela wins contests and makes best seller lists.
USA Today Best Seller
#1 Amazon Best Seller
Top 50 Amazon Romantic Suspense and Mystery Author
Silver Falchion for Best Adult Mystery
USA Best Book Awards Cross-Genre Fiction
Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, Romance, Quarter-finalist
˃˃˃ Once Upon A Romance calls Hutchins an “up-and-coming powerhouse writer.”
If you like Sandra Brown or Janet Evanovich, you will love Pamela Fagan Hutchins. A former attorney and native Texan, Pamela splits her time between Nowheresville, Texas and the frozen north of Snowheresville, Wyoming.
˃˃˃ The reviews are in, and they’re good. Very, very good.
“Maggie’s gonna break your heart—one way or another.” — Tara Scheyer, Grammy-nominated musician, Long-Distance Sisters Book Club
“Hutchins nails that Wyoming scenery and captures the atmosphere of the people there.” — Ken Oder, author of The Judas Murders
“You’re guaranteed to love the ride!” — Kay Kendall, Silver Falchion Best Mystery Winner
˃˃˃ Catch more adventures with Maggie and her friends in the What Doesn’t Kill You romantic mystery series.
Scroll up and grab your copy of Live Wire today.
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Not my cup of tea
Well written and edited – it’s a pleasure to read a book that has been proof-read and is free of errors. That said, I couldn’t put it down, literally – did nothing but read all day. I thought I’d figured out the killer early on, but then got caught on “he doesn’t have a motive to do X (or Y, or Z)” so that threw me off til the end. There isn’t a happily ever after, yet. I hoping #2 holds one. I don’t normally read sequels, prefer books that I don’t have to keep purchasing to get to the end of the story, but I will be following this one to the end. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
A disturbing and surprising ending. A book with many twists and turns. Not what it appears to be at first. Read it and find out!
This is a cliff hanger! I was disappointed that I have to buy the next book to complete the story.
loved it!
Funny and fun, just couldn’t stop reading.
While this was a good book, it needed a bit more editing and making sure that it was synced together. There were times when I wondered if I missed something and went back to see and I hadn’t missed, the editing had.
Easy, fast-paced read. A little surprised by the ending but I liked it!
One of the best books I’ve read lately. Loved it!
The story ended but continuing books. I just did not like that the main character was constantly drinking and drunk; had so little respect for the main female character.
Did not finish it because of language and content.
Trash
Page turner
Live Wire was only the second book by this author I had read. I received and email from the author and decided to renew my acquaintance with a new series. I read “Live Wire” and loved it so much I immediately purchased “Sick Puppy” to keep on with Maggie’s story. So this review is really for both books but with no spoilers. These books held my attention for several reasons. I am in the music industry and found myself listening to the songs as Maggie experienced them through the book, had to look up the liquor she bought, the car she drove, everything! I love the “flawed” but lovable persona of Maggie. It is difficult to balance rough living and still inspire reader sympathy and love and Ms Hutchins does in well. All the characters in the books immediately become pictures in your head as you follow the plot line. The books were well edited against mistakes. I often read other ebooks that are so full of misprints that my copy is full of highlights( as I mark mistakes in the copies I read). I am off to look for more books by Ms. Hutchins.
Nadine McQuillan Haarsager
I’ve read this author’s Caribbean books…really good writing, so picked this 1st in a new series up when it was free, and I’m glad I did. This is unputdownable!
LOVED it. Wyoming never looked so good…and I’ve been there.
Horses, ranching, and a kick ass woman who’s a pain in the ass for everyone.
But wait…there’s more! By the end of the book, I was rooting for Maggie. Yes, she’s such a pain in the ass and you don’t want to miss a word! Smart, funny, profane, sexy until the very end…then you’re gonna want to pick up the next one!
HIGHLY recommended!
Maggie’s a hot mess, but she stole my heart! When Nashville had-been, re-hab’d, Maggie, rolls into the wilds of Wyoming in her magenta truck to track down her one and only love, Hank, my heart broke in two when she discovers he is involved with another woman. You can’t keep from hating Sheila. And, that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Tack on a hook-up-gone-really-bad, truck troubles, cowboys coming at her in all directions, and crazy accusations thrown at her, Maggie’s life goes from bad to hellish in a matter of days. It was all I could do to hold onto my hat while reading this fast-paced novel.
There is something about Maggie that struck a chord with me (and not just because she’s an ex-singing star). She’s old enough that she knows exactly who she is and what she wants–even if she can still really misread the signs. She’s had some real curve balls in life, has some real scars, but is still standing, and tough as steel-toed boots. She’s edgy and she makes mistakes (boy does she), but she makes no excuses for them, just carries on. And a dog loves her, which means she must be a good person at heart, despite the mistakes and the somewhat thick skin.
See how I’m talking about her like she’s real? Like she’s Holly Hunter’s next-starring-role-real? (Seriously, the dialogue was a dead ringer, pitch perfect). Or like many women my age I know? (Or like me?) That’s because Hutchins wrote her so true. Maggie is layered and likeable and I’m rooting for her like she’s a best friend.
I also love the setting. Maggie, a Texas girl through-and-through, has followed her heart up to Wyoming where the rugged men just keep showing up. And danger. And cow dogs and horses. Its very obvious that Hutchins knows her setting as well as she knows how to deliver a story and characters that stay with you. I also loved the small jam sessions.
My only complaint (besides the cliffhanger ending that left me smiling), was that I didn’t really get to know Hank. But here’s hoping that I’ll get that opportunity in the future when I read the next books.
If you like a story with a strong female lead (a bit of a rebel female lead), in a gorgeous setting, with a nice mystery and romance to it, this one’s for you. Don’t be afraid to jump in despite the fact that it has grown out of the overall series, it definitely stands on its own. Oh and, you won’t be able to put it down.
Thank you Pamela for sending me the ebook in exchange for this honest review. I was a fan of your writing before, but now I’m positively groupie status. And thanks for Maggie, she made me smile!
“Welcome to Wyoming. Consider everyone armed.”
If you live in Texas or like all things Texas, you’ll want to read this book because Wyoming is Texas in the North. I found myself laughing throughout the whole book whether it was Maggie’s antics or the references to Wyoming and its citizens because I swear they are just like Texans.
“Wyoming is an eat what you kill state.”
While the wildlife might be more plentiful in Wyoming since they have fewer residents, Texans do love to hunt and eat what they kill…whether it is a deer or a squirrel, so this line resonated with me because of the people I know and their love for hunting.
“Revenge sex only makes her feel better until it’s over.”
Maggie is caught in a whirlwind now knowing what she wants or thinking she might know what she wants (aka Hank) but does he want her? And will having a one-nighter with someone else be in her favor or not? Sadly, this time it ended in murder. So not sure it was worthwhile.
“The sun is rising. Red. Orange. Yellow. Pink. Sedimentary layers of flame glow above the dirt and rock, like a Technicolor stage set.”
It’s descriptions like these that paint a picture of Wyoming, the towns and the people that make me want to visit (maybe not move there) and capture these images for myself. We have some spectacular sunrises in Texas too.
“Riding Lily sounds Zen. Or as close as she can get to it, with her life like a swarm of mosquitos in a bug zapper.”
Lily is a horse (if you couldn’t figure that out) and a pregnant mare at that! I loved all of the interactions between Maggie and Lily and felt that a bond was forged over cookies….after all, what woman doesn’t enjoy a good cookie, even if she is a horse?
I have to admit this is the first book by this author that I have read but it will not be the last. Each page pulled me further into the story, rooting for Maggie and hoping she would get together with Hank again, wondering who killed Chet and is causing other problems, and wondering will Maggie want to stay in Wyoming or return home to Texas. I love when there is a mystery embedded in the story (who killed Chet) and is with most mysteries, the small town sheriff wants to point the finger at Maggie which forces Maggie to investigate the crime. We all know how this is going to end – Maggie will put together enough clues, give it to the sheriff and they will arrest the killer. Now what I’m not telling you is that the killer is someone I NEVER suspected! Heavens! The killer was hiding in plain sight and kudos to you if you figure it out before they are revealed.
The interaction between Hank and Maggies is riveting. There are times where I thought they might get back together, times when I was surprised Maggie was still in Wyoming, and times when I wondered if either of them would get on the same page. Since there are two more stories in this series about Maggie, I have to suspect that it is a possibility but with certain events near the end of this book, I do wonder if I am right or wrong.
Run (don’t walk) to your nearest bookseller and grab a copy of this book or even all of the books she has written, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
We give this 5 paws up and will be reading some of her other books that I already have on my Kindle!
This book is fantastic! I just started reading the Maggie series and I don’t want to put it down. This book has everything. Love, heartbreak, betrayal, murder, mystery. There’s a new twist at every turn and I highly recommend you check it out.
Washed-up? Maybe, but not down for the count. She’s got grit you’ll admire, and she’ll steal your heart. Plenty of mystery, suspense, and steam. 5 Star read !