Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed Hammers and Homicide (Hometown Hardware, Bk 1) on + 660 more book reviews
Dollycas's Thoughts
Dawna Carpenter never thought she would be running her hardware store, Carpenter's Corner without her husband in her sixties. She lost her active husband to a heart attack a few weeks ago and is still adjusting to life as a widow. Her youngest daughter April has moved back to town saying she was "tired of the corporate world, city life, and city men". Dawna believes her siblings decided "she was the best candidate to keep an eye on her nutcase of a mother" but she has taken over Dawna's design and furniture restoration business so that Dawna could work full-time at the hardware store. Dawna never imagined she would find a dead man in the bathroom she shares with the store next door.
The deceased Warren Highcastle had come to Pine Bluff to turn the town's old theater into a fancy new hotel which was a huge blow to the Women's Service Club which wanted to restore the theatre. With Highcastle's death, that option may be viable again but it could also land some members on the suspect list. Dawna and April are worried about the future of the store now that a murder has happened on the premises and that the police have made them close the store as their investigation continues. To hurry that up they decide to try to hammer out the path to the killer themselves. But with the body count on the rise, they know they could be next. Can Dawna and April catch the killer before the killer catches them?
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In this first Hometown Hardware Mystery, the author introduces a large slate of characters. Dawna Carpenter is a strong mature woman with a huge heart and a lot on her plate. She is mourning her husband who she often thinks is nearby, she talks to him often, and when she gets in trouble he just may be around to help her. I loved the way she talked to him even though her kids thought she was crazy. Dawna uses the phrase "Good Night" like I use the phrase "Good Grief" and she is a bit klutzy like me so I was able to identify with her quickly. She has a great relationship with her daughter April. Their interactions reminded me of those I have with my daughters. Sweet, funny, sometimes trying, and sometimes only things we understand.
We also meet J.T. Dallas, Pine Bluff's chief of police. He's all business when working on a murder but otherwise is fun and caring and may be a good match for April. Darlene Lovelace owns Lipstick and Lace next door to Carpenter's Corner and is Dawna's least favorite person in Pine Bluff. We meet several other residents of the small town throughout the book. They all feel like folks you would meet in any small town, except one of them is a murderer.
Ms. Charles has written a compelling mystery. Our protagonist is still working on her sleuthing skills so all the clues didn't all fall into place for her before the reveal. I did figure it out a little quicker but the showdown was fantastic. "What in the name of Zeus is happening?"Â I loved the way everything played out.
There was a lot of humor throughout the story. There was an incident in Steam Engine Park that had me laughing out loud and in tears. Described so well, that I pictured it clearly, and then just a few pages later I was giggling again. Karma will get me back, I am sure.
Hammers and Homicide is a delightful start to the Hometown Hardware Mystery Series. I love that the lead character is my age and that the author has surrounded her with genuine true-to-life characters. The paranormal sprinkle was unexpected and appreciated. There is a subplot still open that has me concerned but excited to see what Ms. Charles has in store for her characters next.
Dawna Carpenter never thought she would be running her hardware store, Carpenter's Corner without her husband in her sixties. She lost her active husband to a heart attack a few weeks ago and is still adjusting to life as a widow. Her youngest daughter April has moved back to town saying she was "tired of the corporate world, city life, and city men". Dawna believes her siblings decided "she was the best candidate to keep an eye on her nutcase of a mother" but she has taken over Dawna's design and furniture restoration business so that Dawna could work full-time at the hardware store. Dawna never imagined she would find a dead man in the bathroom she shares with the store next door.
The deceased Warren Highcastle had come to Pine Bluff to turn the town's old theater into a fancy new hotel which was a huge blow to the Women's Service Club which wanted to restore the theatre. With Highcastle's death, that option may be viable again but it could also land some members on the suspect list. Dawna and April are worried about the future of the store now that a murder has happened on the premises and that the police have made them close the store as their investigation continues. To hurry that up they decide to try to hammer out the path to the killer themselves. But with the body count on the rise, they know they could be next. Can Dawna and April catch the killer before the killer catches them?
____
In this first Hometown Hardware Mystery, the author introduces a large slate of characters. Dawna Carpenter is a strong mature woman with a huge heart and a lot on her plate. She is mourning her husband who she often thinks is nearby, she talks to him often, and when she gets in trouble he just may be around to help her. I loved the way she talked to him even though her kids thought she was crazy. Dawna uses the phrase "Good Night" like I use the phrase "Good Grief" and she is a bit klutzy like me so I was able to identify with her quickly. She has a great relationship with her daughter April. Their interactions reminded me of those I have with my daughters. Sweet, funny, sometimes trying, and sometimes only things we understand.
We also meet J.T. Dallas, Pine Bluff's chief of police. He's all business when working on a murder but otherwise is fun and caring and may be a good match for April. Darlene Lovelace owns Lipstick and Lace next door to Carpenter's Corner and is Dawna's least favorite person in Pine Bluff. We meet several other residents of the small town throughout the book. They all feel like folks you would meet in any small town, except one of them is a murderer.
Ms. Charles has written a compelling mystery. Our protagonist is still working on her sleuthing skills so all the clues didn't all fall into place for her before the reveal. I did figure it out a little quicker but the showdown was fantastic. "What in the name of Zeus is happening?"Â I loved the way everything played out.
There was a lot of humor throughout the story. There was an incident in Steam Engine Park that had me laughing out loud and in tears. Described so well, that I pictured it clearly, and then just a few pages later I was giggling again. Karma will get me back, I am sure.
Hammers and Homicide is a delightful start to the Hometown Hardware Mystery Series. I love that the lead character is my age and that the author has surrounded her with genuine true-to-life characters. The paranormal sprinkle was unexpected and appreciated. There is a subplot still open that has me concerned but excited to see what Ms. Charles has in store for her characters next.
