Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Hammers and Homicide (A Hometown Hardware Mystery) by Paula Charles. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Hammers and Homicide (A Hometown Hardware Mystery)
by Paula Charles
Hammers and Homicide (A Hometown Hardware Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Oregon
Crooked Lane Books (January 16, 2024)
Hardcover : 280 pages
Perfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Victoria Gilbert, when a body is found in a hardware store, will Dawna Carpenter’s sleuthing measure up to find the killer?
Recent sexagenarian widow Dawna Carpenter thought running her own hardware store after the death of her husband was hard enough. With her adult daughter, April, moving back into town, and Darlene, the annoying boutique owner next door to her shop poking around, Dawna has her hands full. But when she finds a dead man in the bathroom of her store, with a framing hammer by his side, she’s in way over her head.
The victim, Warren Highcastle, was a land developer who was looking to purchase the old theater in town to build a new hotel. Dawna and April, worried about the implications of the crime scene at the hardware store, put themselves on the case. They soon learn that Warren had made quite a few enemies in his short amount of time in town. As the suspect list starts growing, so too do the threats against Dawna and April. Can Dawna and April nail the killer before they strike again?
My review of Hammers and Homicide
Hammers and Homicide (Hometown Hardware Mystery) by Paula Charles is the first book in what promises to be a very enjoyable cozy mystery series. It’s filled with small town charm and likable characters.
After her husband’s death, Dawna decides to keep the family hardware store and now runs it with only one other employee. Dawna is a fun character. She has loyal friends and a daughter who has recently moved back to their hometown. I loved her daughter April’s personality as well as the fact that she’s close to her mom. April also has a possible love interest who is a great guy, and it’ll be fun to see how this goes in the following books.
There’s a little bit of a paranormal in this cozy, and I haven’t decided how I feel about it. I mean I’ve read paranormal cozies, but having lost my own husband, I feel a little uncomfortable with the paranormal that involves him. That’s not something that affects everyone, obviously, but it did affect me. Just a heads up for anyone who thinks it might be a trigger for you.
I loved the small town in which Dawna lives. Their picnics in the park complete with music sounds like a fun event where you’d feel mostly safe…except when there’s a murderer running around town! I grew up in a pretty small town, but we didn’t have frequent events like that. However, we did have lots of people in town we knew and where kids could ride bikes and walk around town safely. But those were the old days! Speaking of the picnics, you’re going to crave pie, cake, watermelon, potato salad…you get the picture!
The mystery in Hammers and Homicide takes lots of twists and turns, so you’ll have to pay close attention to the clues if you want to solve the case!
I really enjoyed Hammers and Homicide and recommend it for its cozy, small town feel, well-written characters, and puzzling mystery! I look forward to the next Hometown Hardware Mystery.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
About Paula Charles
When Paula Charles isn’t writing under the towering trees of the Pacific Northwest, she can be found in the garden with her hands in the dirt or sitting on her front porch with a good book and a glass of iced tea. She has a love for small towns, ghost stories, and pie. Paula lives on a small farm in Southwestern Washington with her patient husband and a handful of furry and feathered critters. Paula also writes cozy mysteries under the pen name of Janna Rollins.
Author Links
Website: Cozy Mystery Writer | Paula Charles Cozy Mystery Author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jannarollinsauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulacharles_jannarollins/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show41170333.Paula_Charles
Purchase Links – PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org
Enter the giveaway
Hammers and Homicides TOUR PARTICIPANTS
February 5 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
February 5 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
February 5 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 6 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
February 6 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
February 6 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
February 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
February 7 – Maureen’s Musing – SPOTLIGHT
February 7 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
February 8 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
February 8 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
February 8 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
February 9 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
February 9 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 10 – Angel’s Book Nook – AUTHOR GUEST POST
February 10 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
February 11 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
February 11 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
February 12 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
February 12 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
February 12 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Want to Book a Tour?
Click Here
I’m delighted that you enjoyed Hammers and Homicide, Christy. Thank you so much for the lovely review and for featuring Hammers on your blog today!
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping!
This sounds like a unique cozy with an interesting setting!
Sounds like a great cozy. I like the cover.