Searching for Dime Box

What Doesn't Kill You #12

by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

A drug-dealing defendant. A hospitalized grandson. A deadly new strain of murder.
After lonely months spent writing her true crime novel, Michele Lopez Hanson reconnects with her community by offering pro-bono legal counsel. When an open-and-closed drug case takes an unexpected turn, she’s determined to shake off the rust and hit the books. But after a mysterious sickness sends her infant grandson to the hospital, she worries she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Searching for the source of his sickness, she discovers strange parallels between her legal case and the baby’s suspected poisoning…


When Michelle's investigative attempts are blocked at every turn, she realizes the sinister cover-up goes far deeper than she had ever imagined. To save her grandson, she must connect the dots and expose the culprits before the deadly sickness claims another victim.


Searching for Dime Box is the third standalone book in a trilogy featuring protagonist Michele Lopez Hanson from the addictive What Doesn’t Kill You romantic mystery series. If you like nerve-racking suspense, courtroom drama, and shocking plot twists, then you’ll love Pamela Fagan Hutchins’ award-winning series.


Buy Searching for Dime Box to get your next fix of this addictive mystery series today!


˃˃˃ See why Pamela’s novels have won contest after contest.


2017 WINNER Silver Falchion for Best Adult Mystery
2016 WINNER Best Book Awards Cross-Genre Fiction
2015 WINNER Best Book Awards Cross-Genre Fiction
2014 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're going to 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 Michele reviews are in, and they're good. Very, very good.


“Immediately hooked." — Terry Sykes-Bradshaw, Author of Sibling Revelry


"Spellbinding." — Jo Bryan, Dry Creek Book Club


"Fast-paced mystery." —Deb Krenzer, Book Reviewer


"Can't put it down." — Cathy Bader, Reader


"LOVED IT!" — Marcy McKay, Author of Pennies From Burger Heaven


˃˃˃ Catch more adventures with Michele and her friends in the What Doesn't Kill You world.


Scroll up and grab your copy of Searching for Dime Box today.

Genres: Mystery, Contemporary

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2018

About the author

I'm a USA Today bestselling mystery/suspense/thriller author and a big horse and sled dog enthusiast.

My hunky husband and I ride our beloved draft cross horses way up in the frozen north of Snowheresville, WY, where we run a rustic, off-the-grid lodge on the face of the Bighorn Mountains. When I'm not writing or riding, I'm passionate about wilderness sports, always with a couple of rescue dogs, bear spray, a mountain lion knife, and my Judge. NO ANIMALS HAVE BEEN HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS LIFE ADVENTURE (but don't sneak up on me).

I've made some lists and won some awards, yada yada. Amazon Charts Top 25 bestseller. USA Today Bestseller. The Silver Falchion for Best Adult Mystery WINNER (Fighting for Anna), the WINNERS for USA Best Books Fiction: Cross Genre (Hell to Pay, Heaven to Betsy), and others. With books "in print" of over 3,000,000, readers seem to enjoy the books—I think they have exceptionally good taste. {insert goofy grin here} Lots of them follow my show Wine Women & Writing, too, where I fangirl my favorite authors and interview them for your listening and viewing pleasure. Subscribe free at http://bit.ly/PamelaWWWR <--case sensitive.

You can read my series in any order or as standalones, but they're a lot of fun if you do them like this:

* Detective Delaney Pace (coming soon!): Her Silent Bones, Her HIdden Grave, Her Last Cry, Her Forgotten Shadow, Her Burning Lies, and Her Cold Heart.

* Patrick Flint Wyoming-based series (PG):
Switchback, Snake Oil, Sawbones, Scapegoat, Snaggle Tooth, Stag Party, Sitting Duck, and Skin & Bones. #9 coming in 2026.

* The Jenn Herrington Wyoming Mysteries (PG-13):
BIG HORN, WALKER PRAIRIE, and RED GRADE coming in 2026.

* What Doesn't Kill You Super Series:
1.Caribben-based Katie Connell (PG-13): Saving Grace, Leaving Annalise, Finding Harmony, and Seeking Felicity
2. Texas-based Emily Bernal (PG-13): Heaven to Betsy Earth to Emily, Hell to Pay
3. Texas-based Michele Lopez Hanson (PG-13): Going for Kona, Fighting for Anna, Searching for Dime Box
4. Wyoming-based Maggie Killian (R, language): Live Wire, Sick Puppy, Dead Pile (plus shorts Buckle Bunny and Shock Jock)
5. Caribbean-based Ava Butler (R, sexual situations): Bombshell, Stunner, Knockout

I also have a children's book series featuring Poppy, the world's best grandfather, and Petey, his blind Boston terrier.
Free starter library https://pamelafaganhutchins.com/maili...

If after all that you still want to learn more about my books, my podcast, or me, then God Bless Ya.

There are many ways: My website and its blog. The aforementioned newsletter. Email me: Pamela at PamelaFaganHutchins dot come. And you can follow me around the web:

Website: https://pamelafaganhutchins.com
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pamel...
Pamela's Posse for Readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pamel...
Facebook http://facebook.com/pamela.fagan.hutc...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/pamelafa...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamela_faga...
Twitter http://twitter.com/PamelotH
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/pamelafaganh...
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pamelafaganhu...
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@pamela_fagan...
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pamelafaganhu...

And, finally, to learn more about my fellow SkipJack Publishing authors, visit: http://skipjackpublishing.com/.

Reviews

[Karen Forcum · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third in this trilogy. When I read Hutchins books, I neglect such duties as housework, exercise, and sleep.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Searching For Dime Box - a review by Rosemary Kenny

Michele's a hard-working writer and (re-training) lawyer, who's got a widowed father with a new 'lady friend', a son, Sam, recovering from injury, who works away from home, a daughter-in-law, Jillian, a nurse and seemingly reluctant mother of Michele's beloved grandson, Charlie and an on/off relationship with Rashidi.
What two cases is Michele working on and are they linked? Who is behind the racehorse-doping?
When does Michele realise Charlie's been babysat by the same sitter as the dead child?
Why were Tess and Charlie able to steal from their other workplaces?
Where did the drugs come from and how is Sam involved?
How does Michele uncover the truth and who else does she save?

Pamela Fagan Hutchins' latest thriller will seize you by the throat and take your breath away, as feisty grandmother Michele puts her courage and safety on the line to protect her loved ones.
Don't delay - grab your copy today!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Pamela Fagan Hutchins. She is a master at writing books that are part of a series yet stand alone. I love the way she weaves a mystery through her characters "real" life problems. As a widow myself, I especially appreciated the honest way she showed the guilt Michele felt at coming alive again after the loss of her husband. Put this on your "must read" shelf.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

GoodReads really needs to start letting readers give ½ stars. Because this is really a 3½ star book.

Paula Hutchins Fagans has built a wide world with her interconnected series of books. I’ve read a couple of other spokes in the series but the Michele stories are by far my favorites.

In this story Michele is finishing building her house a couple hours outside of Houston. She still hasn’t really started dating sexy Rashidi, and she’s doing pro-bono public defender work rather than working on her next book. And all of that is complicated by the fact that her son and daughter-in-law keep dropping her grandson Charlie on her.

I enjoy Michele most when she’s juggling all the various aspects of her life. I definitely can relate to that. In this story, her dead mother keeps interrupting her thoughts with criticisms and advice from the Great Beyond. That and her own insecurities continue to mess things up for her and Rashidi. Frankly, 2½ years after her husband Adrian’s murder, I was getting a little tired of her putting the brakes on. She’s a strong, independent woman, and I think by this point she could have moved on without the intervention of her dead mother or husband.

Of course there’s a bit of a mystery here, one that Michele more or less solves. I would’ve liked some sort of hint that Warren was bad. When we meet him he seems earnest, honestly trying to get by and do the right thing. There was one clue when Claude calls him Killer, but there was an explanation for that, too. Oh, and having a severely weakened Michele kill him with a fork? That was not believable. It would’ve been much more satisfying if he remained alive. Hunh, and would Michele have still been his attorney? Now that would’ve been an interesting plot twist!

And in the end she finally connects with Rashidi, or will be once her infection is cleared up. But now she’s talking marriage! Now that’s too soon.

I hope this isn’t the end of the Michele series. I’ve read one of the Emily books which I liked well enough but not as much as the Michele series. And I recently started and abandoned an Ava book. I’ll try to go back to it after a while, but I was really looking for the same feeling I get from this series. Michele is really identifiable for me. Paula, if you’re reading this, please, more Michele!

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michele's son, Sam, barely turned 18, cheated on his girlfriend and now has a wife and baby. As baby Charlie's mother has very little interest in him, and Sam is busy working and trying to secure a baseball scholarship, Michele finds herself frequently babysitting. This on top of her return to legal work, providing free legal services to those who cannot pay.

Everything bad happening in town revolves around drugs. Michele ends up having to defend a despicable young drug dealer, a black baby dies and Michele learns that her sitter also babysat for little Charlie, and Michele's father finds himself checking into fraudulent insurance claims on livestock.

Michele is finally allowing herself to get closer to Rashidi, the Rastafarian botany professor from the islands, and she if finally successful in locating the brother who her parents gave up when they were very young and unmarried - only to find it is someone they have already met.

The fun thing about this series is the visits from characters in Hutchin's other series. I hope we will see more of Michele, because it feels like her story was unfinished. What happens to Sam and baby Charlie? Do Michele and Rashidi get married? Will Papa take over the veterinary practice? Let's see how Michele's new brother fits into the family. After reading 3 books and getting to know and like these characters, I would like to see all these threads neatly tied.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, but I do LOVE this series!

The story in this one is, as always, complex, layered and enthralling.

There are various threads running in here: a baby's suspicious death, that might be related to Michele's grandson health; the strange behaviour of Sam and his wife; Michele's sinister client; the dubious death of valuable cattle; Michele's health, her search for her brother and her relationship with Rashidi. I told you: COMPLEX!

The plot is seamlessly woven, and the end is filled with suspense and danger. but it is oh! so satisfying!

I love that we get to see Michele struggling with her feelings for Rashidi, trying to balance her cases as a pro-bono defender with her writing, her duties as a friend and as grandmother and mother, and her attempts to dating. It's fun and sad and very real.

As always, the characters are great and one of the main reasons this series is always a fabulous read. Michele's family and her friends are full and interesting people and by now, I love them all.

Natalie Gray does a fantastic job with the narration.

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book it had just the right amount of mystery and romance that it was interesting. It was nice for Michele to finally find a happy ending and I was rooting for the man of her dreams. The writing was good and you really felt what Michele was going though along with her. She is such a strong and yet vanuable character. I think some of the credit should also go to the narrator.
Michele had returned to practicing law, doing pro bono work. However a tricky case in court takes on a deadly turn when her client begs for a ride. But that is just the start with babies and bulls dying Michele battles to prove there is more going on than the police can see and only before her own grandson falls down as a victim. Is it a illness or is someone deliberately hurting the children? In order to save her grandson Michele puts everything aside but at what cost to her son, daughter in-law and even herself?
As I said the narrator was excellent and I hope to hear more of her books.

[Cherye Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #3 Michelle


I really enjoy reading this author's work. But her swing to the left is getting so strong. The storyline is great. The characters personalities became clearer with every book.
Another BUT. I was going to give this book a bad rating because it brought out a negative impact to my thoughts. They are still there, but as a book club friend told me " if a book makes you cry, laugh, smile, say aahhh or makes you want to bonk the author on her head with my kindle....then they are writing a good book. " That is what Pamela Fagen Hutchison did.

The following quotes irked me the most because it was implying that It is okay to say something negative about one group but not another? Bias? Uninformed? Pushing propaganda on readers? Blacks vs Law enforcement officials. Sorry I will pick LEO every time. Does that make me a racist? No. It makes me smart. The police will come when I call to help. Please, your books are great but don't attack our LEO's.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the main character. She is a smart, lonely widow. She is still grieving for her husband and her son and step-daughter have flown the coop. Michele Lopez Hanson has become a writer and is now financially secure so she's doing pro bono work as a lawyer in her small town. She gets assigned two felony cases. The defendants couldn't be more different.

Meanwhile she has a new grandson and he may have something wrong with his health. Her son's marriage is rocky and Michele is fending off suitors while still missing her husband terribly. And she's moving into a brand new house.

There is so much going on in this book, but it's all tied together beautifully. I really enjoyed it. I think it can be read by most readers, although it covers the drug epidemic raging in this country.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

After months being by herself writing her book, Michele Lopez Hanson decides to help out herself and her community by doing some pro bono work. Unfortunately for Michele and her family, the case she takes has some terrible consequences. Her grandson get a mysterious sickness and it is tied to the case Michele is working. The more Michele digs for information the more she is blocked by someone. This could cost her her grandson's life, and Michele isn't going to let that happen without a big fight! I enjoyed this story very much and highly recommend it. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of it.

[Trudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michele Lopez Hanson’s life has changed so much since she lost her husband Adrian. Her son now has a son of his own and he is married to boot! Bell is off at college and Michele’s new house should be ready any day. The one thing she thoughts she could count on, her growing friendship with Rashidi, is changing too! Now all of a sudden there has been one terrible tragedy after another with a deadly twist and things are just not adding up!

This latest installment had my heart breaking but by the end it started to heal!

[Margery Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful read
I love the familiar Texas landmarks that remind me of the state’s beauty. The continuation of some of elements from the previous books in the series gives the reader a sense that all is well. However, in true Hutchins fashion the peace is soon shattered, and Michelle’s life is thrown for a loop with the sudden tragedies. Things don’t make sense and she just can’t “keep her nose out of it”. Another delightful read in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[Suzette · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great end to this trilogy. Michele solves another murder mystery where babies are dying. She also gets her second chance at love with the handsome Rashidi. The author does such a remarkable job with the characters. It is difficult to stop reading once you start. The history lessons given by Rashidi draw you in as he guides Michele on a tour of the Texas countryside. As Michele fights for her family and her community you feel her pain and her sorrow as they battle racial issues, illness, and other personal problems. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this series.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grief stricken that this is the last book of three!
The intrepid Michele just can’t sit still! Still writing, returning to pro bono work, and now has a new grandson. Love may even bloom at last. Unfortunately, her worlds swirl and collide with the poisoning of an innocent that is too close to home. While Michele comes perilously close to evil, she has the righteous anger to prevail. A superb ending with hope for the future!

[Linda Stabile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Michele keeps getting stronger and stronger. The Rest of the characters in this book are very real and the storyline is great. Can’t wait to read the next book. I love the way that Pamela Hutchins intertwines the characters from her other series into each book. Makes you want to know more about them and thus want to read every series. Highly recommend all books by Pamela Hutchins!

[Kenneth Lingenfelter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michele is recovering from the loss of her husband. It has been 2 years and she finally relents and goes on a date. She is friends with Rashidi and starts to get greater feelings for him. Babies are dying and her grandson, Charlie, is sick and taken to the hospital. Cattle are dying, murder, attempted murder, drug deals. A conclusion to bring everything together. This is another great novel in this series.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s a lot of stuff going on in this one. But somehow, they all tie together.
Michele is looking for her brother that was given up for adoption as a baby. Her son is trying to locate his wife and the mother of his son. Papa is trying to court Charlotte. Rashidi is trying to win Michele. Michele is trying to find Alicia’s murderer and it goes on and on. It will suck you in on the first page.
Good job!

[Paula Sindberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Michele has her quirks and blind spots, she is one of Pamela Hutchins’ most enjoyable characters. Life in a small Texas town is anything but boring if Michele is around. There will be plenty of crimes and lots of difficult relationships but lots of love and family, too. Highly recommended.

I received an ARC copy of the book in return for an honest review.

[Kathy Schouten · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting ending to this trilogy. The drug problem in Michele’s part of TX hits home when it involves her son and grandson. She has so many roles in this book I was tired for her - daughter, mother, grandma, widow, friend, author, lawyer, home builder, detective, patient, and finally lover. Rashidi has the patience of Job!

[Debbiebooknerdyoung · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read every book in this series, and absolutely loved every single one of them.
The books can be read as standalone, but oh my gosh.. the first I read was actually out of order, so I went back, snapped up every one of them and read them in order.
Outstanding series!

[T Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really busy story, with lots going on, but still a very easy book to read. The best aspect of the book, as always with this author, is the characters. You will really get to know them all, especially if you read the whole series.

[Denise Cosper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little series.

I am so enjoying all of the What Doesn't Kill You series. I love that we get to meet new characters and that Pamela Fagan Hutchins brings old characters (family at this point) in to each new storyline.
If you have yet to read any, what are you waiting for?!

[michael frye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Searching for Dime Box

This was an easy book to read but the story just didn't grab my attention. The main character is an attorney so there are a lot of people to keep up with.

[marianne w ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know more about the interconnected lives of those characters. Looking forward to the next series.

[Lindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read them all!

I read the What Doesn't Kill You Series in a rather haphazard order, but it didn't matter. They are all outstanding. Thanks, PFH!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic story with lots of suspense to keep you wondering what will happen next. Michelle is mourning her husband but life will change for her soon. A murder to solve and more.

[Kimberly Stinnette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't stand Michele

I love PFH but this one didn't do it for me. I found the female lead, a successful attorney and author, highly unlikable. It's hard to believe that s

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful ending to a terrific trilogy

Searching for Dime Box: A What Doesn’t Kill You World Romantic Mystery by Pamela Fagan Hutchins features a female lawyer, a blogger, who writes True Crime novels. Now if that doesn’t beat all, she is a petite, attractive woman with two grown children and a new grandson and still grieves her husband’s death three years ago. Michelle Lopez Hanson has just built her and her deceased husband’s dream house in Nowheresville, Texas, and is about to move in when she is assigned two pro bono cases which involve drugs and reckless driving when she walks in on an emergency and finds her son’s friend babysitting a baby who has just died. And that’s just the beginning.

A series of unrelated events begin to coalesce. Meanwhile her attraction to Rashidi grows deeper, her grandchild seems to be in danger, she becomes suspect herself, and the line of tragedies grows .

The suspense builds to a heady climax which made my heart race and my eyes fill. I recommend Dime Box to you. It can be read as a stand alone or as a finale in this series. I have read all of Pamela’s books and can honestly say that her characters will keep you reading all through the night.

[Angie Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! A well-crafted tale of love, loss and grief in all its guises. Pamela tackles thought provoking and difficult issues that are pertinent to current society of late.

Michele, Texan-born defense attorney and author takes on pro bono law work, representing some shady characters from the wrong side of town. She becomes embroiled in a series of events that soon spiral out of control. Coupled with her deepening feelings for the gorgeous Rashidi, will Michele find the peace and happiness that she deserves?

Several engaging plots and sub-plots, interesting characters all culminate in a gripping climax.

Searching for Dime Box is the final book in the Michele trilogy. Although it can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend reading the previous books for continuity.

Highly recommended.

[Linda Ackelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t think it was possible, but Pamela Fagan Hutchins has outdone herself with Searching for Dime Box. The intertwining of all the characters kept me captivated. It was hard to put down!
I was excited to finally have the 3rd installment n the Michele trilogy. I was anxious to see how she was dealing with Adrian’s death and where her budding relationship with Rashidi would go.
In addition to the romance we, as readers, enter a world of mysterious deaths, Michele’s return to practicing law, pro bono, her 2 new clients she must defend and becoming a grandmother lends itself to a fantastic read.