Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saving Grace | 2012 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 2 | Leaving Annalise | 2013 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 3 | Leaving Annalise (Katie #2): A What Doesn’t Kill You Romantic Mystery | 2013 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | N/A |
| 4 | Finding Harmony | 2014 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 5 | Finding Harmony (Katie #3): A What Doesn’t Kill You Romantic Mystery | 2014 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | N/A |
| 6 | Going for Kona | 2014 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 7 | Heaven to Betsy | 2015 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 8 | Earth to Emily | 2015 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 9 | Earth to Emily (An Emily Bernal Texas-to-New Mexico Mystery): A What Doesn’t Kill You Mystery | 2015 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | N/A |
| 10 | Hell to Pay | 2016 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 11 | Fighting for Anna | 2016 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 12 | Act One | 2017 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 13 | Bombshell | 2017 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 14 | Stunner | 2018 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 15 | Knockout | 2018 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 16 | Searching for Dime Box | 2018 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 17 | Shock Jock | 2019 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 18 | Live Wire | 2019 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 19 | Sick Puppy | 2019 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 20 | Dead Pile | 2019 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 21 | Buckle Bunny | 2019 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 22 | Seeking Felicity | 2021 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 23 | Wasted in Waco | 2022 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 24 | Maggie Prequels | 2019 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
| 25 | The Essential Guide to the What Doesn’t Kill You Romantic Mystery Series | 2019 | Pamela Fagan Hutchins | Buy |
What Doesn’t Kill You began with Saving Grace (2012), the first Katie Connell novel, and grew into a multi-protagonist super series as Hutchins introduced additional characters whose stories overlap and intersect. The unifying idea is a world where strong women — mostly based in the American South, Southwest, and Caribbean — keep finding themselves in the middle of murder investigations whether they want to or not. The tone varies across sub-series: Katie’s Caribbean adventures are warmer and funnier, while the later Wyoming books push toward harder thriller territory.
The shared world allows Hutchins to develop a cast of recurring secondary characters who show up across sub-series and provide continuity for long-term readers. A romance thread runs through most of the books, giving them a different feel from straight crime fiction: the protagonist’s personal life is at stake alongside the mystery. That blend has found a broad audience, with the series placing on Amazon Charts and the books translated into ten languages.
The super series also includes companion volumes and an essential guide, which map the world and collect background material for readers who want the full picture. The 25 titles listed here represent the core sequence.