When Kellen Adams is offered a job to take an artifact to an art restorer, she figures it would give her a respite from trying to bond with a daughter she doesn't really know, and the girl's father, the man she can't quite remember loving. It soon becomes obvious that the job would not be a piece of cake, as unexpected events and people keep getting in Kellen's way. Would she even live long enough to recall what had happened during the year she had "lost"?

Christina Dodd does such an amazing job at recapping the events of DEAD GIRL RUNNING, the first book of the Cape Charade series, that anyone can pick up WHAT DOESN'T KILL HER and jump right in. Considering all the backstory, this is truly remarkable. And jump is the operative word, as we're thrown into the thick of things from chapter one. WHAT DOESN'T KILL HER is your typical action thriller with some major differences, notably a welcome role reversal. The seemingly indestructible lead is a woman; she is a protector and not particularly in touch with her feelings. Maximilian Di Luca, Kellen's one-time love and their daughter Rae's father, is a nurturer, and the one with a "soft" job. I'll admit that some suspension of disbelief is inevitable, as is often the case with this type of story, but who cares when it's so well done, when the characters are so interesting, and the plot is riveting. While I usually gripe about being taken momentarily away from the mind-blowing action, it's never a problem with this novel, as the relationships are explored in great depth.

The cast of characters is wonderful: little Rae comes across as your typical seven-year-old; she is even the source of several laugh-out-loud moments, as well as being the main factor in Kellen's emotional growth. Verona - Max's mother - is absolutely fabulous, and Max is the embodiment of what I consider the perfect romantic hero, particularly for someone like Kellen. The dialogues are often brilliant, and even if the prose is occasionally a bit stiff, the story flows well. The latter third of the novel drags a little, as we get caught up in some domestic stuff but it also gives the reader a breather before the shocking conclusion, and.to set the stage for the next installment. Stay tuned for STRANGERS SHE KNOWS. Why aren't we there yet?