A favor for a friend turns into a murder investigation, drawing apprentice PI Willa Pennington into a labyrinth of lies and deception in the shadows of Washington, D.C. Willa Pennington thought that becoming a PI would be better than being a cop. She thought she’d never have to make another death notification or don a bulletproof vest again. She thought she could move past the pain of losing her … losing her best friend. She thought she’d be safe.
But she couldn’t have been more wrong.
Now, agreeing to do a simple favor has brought her to a dead body, a missing person, and a battle of wits with an old friend who has dangerous secrets. If Willa can keep her focus, she could solve the murder, find the missing girl, and figure out if the person she’s trusted with her life is the one trying to end it.
Praise:
A 2019 Lefty Award Nominee
A 2018 Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel
“One of the best debut efforts I’ve ever seen. Tight plotting, edge-of-your-seat suspense and a protagonist in PI Willa Pennington you’ll want to read about again and again. I couldn’t put this book down.”–Maggie Barbieri, author of Once Upon a Lie
“A debut that saddles tough-girl noir with the heart of a cozy.”–Kirkus Reviews
“This is a solid beginning to a character and setting that could go on to very good things.”–RT Book Reviews
“Aimee Hix is an up-and-coming author everyone should watch.”–Crimespree Magazine
“The book has plent of twists and surprises, but what stands out is the tight writing and fast narrative of the author’s debut novel.”–Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
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A 28-year-old ex-cop, Willa Pennington, investigates a neighborhood murder only to discover an old flame, Seth, is also involved. A reluctant romance is rekindled with Seth. Willa’s investigation soon goes beyond a simple murder and some truly sinister people become suspects. Then, as Willa develops more evidence, someone tries twice to kill her.
The characterizations in “What Doesn’t Kill You” are realistic, deep and three-dimensional. Willa is strong, smart and witty. And she’s grieving the combat death of her best friend. Seth is quiet, confident and charming. The plot is believable, fast-paced and appropriately complex. The writing is polished.
Highly recommended for readers of private investigator mysteries. Also recommended for readers of romantic suspense.
What Doesn’t Kill You is Aimee Hix’s debut novel. She now has a second out in the same series (Willa Pennington, PI Mysteries), Dark Streets, Cold Suburbs, which I am eager to read. If you like strong female protagonists in detective/mystery series such as Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski or Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone, you’ll enjoy Hix’s Willa Pennington.
Willa retired from the police department in her late twenties to apprentice with her father as a private investigator. A neighbor asks her to help their daughter move from the apartment she shares with her abusive boyfriend. Willa arrives just in time to find no daughter, just the boyfriend’s body.
This is a lovely debut book. Hix has impeccable timing in her plotting and manages to keep all the plot balls juggling until the reveal. Hix manages to blend cozy mystery domesticity (scenes with Willa’s family add to this ambiance) and noir. Hot/cold scenes with Seth, a one-night stand/old friend who’s reentered her life provide a sizzle of sex appeal and add to the twists and turns of the plot. The reader can look forward to great characterization, a tense storyline, and a first novel that provides a good underpinning to the sequels to come.
2.5 stars
I’m always on the lookout for a good mystery or thriller and the blurb for this one sounded quite promising. Unfortunately, the reality didn’t quite live up to that promise. The story starts out mysterious enough with our main character finding a dead body, but it quickly becomes more about Willa and Seth’s relationship than anything else. I like romance and may have been okay with that part had I cared enough about these characters to want to see them together. Willa turned me off from the beginning when she views finding the body as more inconvenience than anything else and seemed to only use the I’m sorry, this is my first time finding a dead body and I’m upset reasoning when it suited her. I can appreciate sarcasm and even gallows humor. In fact, I often like it in a story, but it just didn’t work here. Willa comes off more crass and uncaring than anything else. I also realize that this is fiction and a certain amount of leeway can be given, but the idea that an ex-police officer would be allowed to walk through a crime scene and be that involved in an active investigation was a bit much for me. We do get a decent bit of action toward the end, but it just wasn’t enough to save this one for me. The author does show some potential, but in the end, this character and story just wasn’t for me and I don’t think I’ll explore the series further.