What a knock out debut for Ms. Hix, I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us regarding the headstrong ex-cop, Willa Pennington, and her sexy childhood crush, Seth Anderson. Willa left the local police department after a tragic event left her re-evaluating her career path. She had all the makings of being a great cop, but her heart wasn’t in it anymore. She decides she’ll go for her P.I. license and apprentice for her father until she can strike out on her own. Her parents are away on an extended vacation, so she's holding down her father's agency as well as keeping her eye on her 17-year-old brother, Ben. Willa once introduced him as the only "forty-year-old newborn." He's a child genius, responsible and mindful of the family rules. Willa and Ben just pretend that since she’s the oldest therefore that makes her the wisest. Willa agrees to do a simple favor for her elderly next-door neighbors, which turns out to be anything but simple. She's not one to back away from trouble and boy does she ever find it. She finds herself slipping back into "cop mode," but that works both ways for her, she finds it helpful in some areas and others not so much. While she’s up to her eyeballs in trying to help her neighbors, she receives a mysterious call from her old friend, Seth Anderson, who wants to see her that evening. Willa’s not sure where their relationship stands because when they were last together they left a lot of loose ends. She’s not looking forward to the extremely awkward evening out with Seth, especially after the day she’s had. Could Seth mysterious appearance while she’s working on this case simply a coincidence or something much more menacing? This is a fast-paced mystery with believable characters and witty dialogue. I liked the witty Willa; she's a strong woman who can hold her own and then some. As I stated earlier, I'm already looking forward to the next installment in the series. DISCLOSURE: I received this e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions I've expressed above are my own. ( )

Thank you so much to netgalley and to Midnight Ink for providing an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I am blown away by this book. It contains all that I look for in a thriller. The main character, Willa, is strong but flawed. She's an ex-cop who is starting down the path of becoming a private investigator. Her new life is complicated by Sean when Willa can't determine if Sean is a good guy or evil, whether she can trust Sean during a time when attempts are being made on her life, and desperately needing to figure out out what exactly their commitment is to each other.

Sean is the brother of her long time friend, Michael, who was killed in action just days before Michael was set to return home from deployment. The passages that deal with Willa's sense of loss are incredible, and Aimee Hix has captured so clearly what it's like to lose a loved one. The back story on the relationship amongst Sean, Michael, and Willa is curious. Why was Michael so adamant that Willa and Sean couldn't have a relationship? Will there be fallout between Willa and Sean if they remember their promises to Michael? And what is lurking at the home of Michael and Sean's parents that has Sean apparently estranged from his grieving parents?

This book had action galore, humor, interesting relationships, and a strong female main character. Even better, there is more action to come in 2019 and 2020 with subsequent books. I'm not sure that I will be able to wait that long!

Thank you to Aimee Hix for writing such a strong novel and for the promise of more interesting novels! ( )