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    WHATEVER DOESN'T KILL YOU by Gillian Roberts (see her website)

    AN EMMA HOWE AND BILLIE AUGUST MYSTERY

    Thomas Dunne, St. Martin's Minotaur, May 2001

    It isn't much of a case, but the money is good so Emma Howe grits it out. Everyone knows that mentally challenged Gavin Ridock killed his friend. But why can't they at least find some friends who will stand up for him? Finally, she turns the case over to her assistant Billie August and tries to get on with some real detective work.

    For Billie, things aren't quite so obvious. The dead woman had been in the middle of a divorce. Aren't husbands the usual suspects? People who knew him said Gavin wouldn't hurt a fly. And someone is making phone calls to the woman who just might be the dead woman's lover. Could the real killer be still at large? If he (or she) is, a motive would be nice, but neither Billie nor Emma have a clue what it might be.

    Private Investigators, Emma and Billie both cope with personal as well as professional problems. Single mother Billie worries about Gavin and her young son Jesse. Emma has lived longer but wonders whether her search for the unrelenting truth has really helped those around her, or could it have destroyed her relationship with her daughter. Somehow, the two detectives must cope with both there personal crises and survive a possible killer on the loose.

    Gillian Roberts (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of mysteries by Gillian Roberts) writes an fine mystery with engaging characters. The sensitive Billie and gruff Emma complement one another perfectly. A couple of minor quibbles. First, I would have liked to see the two mysteries pulled together more completely, thematically if not actually. Second, the frustrated romance between Billie and lawyer Michael Specht doesn't really add a great deal to our understanding of Billie or the case. Minor points aside, WHATEVER DOESN'T KILL YOU will keep you turning the pages.

    Three Stars

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