I enjoyed this book. This is one of my favorite genres!! I read this book in one sitting! It was a quick, fast , interesting read! I would definitely recommend this book.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery series in which a widow is running her own hardware story and getting involved in solving a murder even when she didn't want to be.

Apparently a debut and the first in a the Hometown Hardware cozy series, the story is narrated in first person, past tense, by one Dawna Carpenter. Widowed a few years prior, this sixty-plus woman owns and runs the only hardware store in her small Oregon town, and is finally–sort of–coming to terms with living alone, when there’s a murder–right on her business premises.

Beware: hint of paranormal; obsessing over food choices; copaganda.

The narrative aims to paint Dawna as a zany grandmother, and for the book to have a generally campy tone with the lightest whiff of paranormal elements; I am not a fan of camp myself, though I can see its good points when done well, which I didn’t feel was the case here.

There is a lot of repetition, a lot of inane, tiresome detail, and a lot of page space devoted to Dwana’s musings on food, guilt and ghosts.

We learn what everyone is wearing, how long they take to change clothes, every item they buy on a trip to the market, possibly the story of the shop, store or diner, and even how Dawna and her daughter carry their purchases from market to car.

Dawna exclaims “good fright”, “good night” and “son of a biscuit eater” in lieu of swearing, and everyone in town apparently says “noggin” rather than “head”, along with other peculiar word choices. (Including equating someone filing a civil suit with “bringing charges”.)

Romance-adjacent small-town cozy mysteries, right? If there’s no cupcake shop in Main Street, then we have some other quirk to make them special among the sea of other special small-town cozies. Meanwhile, I still find Saint Mary Meade, where the only quirk is the utter ordinariness of both people and place, a lot more memorable than any of them.

Back to the book at hand.

There are a few glimmers of realism; this is clearly a small town, where small businesses struggle to survive during the off-season (winter for most industries). The police department is something like three people, and depends on help from a larger neighboring town when dealing with bigger crimes–such as two murders in two days. Both Darlene–the town’s femme fatale wannabe (and yes, there are hints of slut shaming here)–and Dawna are worried about the loss of income when the cops close both their stores–as the scene of the crime is the toilet they share–for an unspecified number of days.

The narrative meanders off constantly into irrelevant scenes; pages are wasted on Dawna falling on her face while sitting on a camp chair during an open air concert (the night of the murder, mind you), and on the history of the town’s early 1900s chuck wagon-cum-food truck that doesn’t actually appear in any scene.

As for Dawna, kooky is one thing; vapid is another entirely. I can put up with the former if there’s substance behind it, but the way she’s written, she’s willfully oblivious.

If your one employee is always in your business premises before you, his car is on the lot literally at all hours, and there are blankets and a pillow in your warehouse/storage area, how does it not occur to you that he’s likely homeless and making do on site? If you get a legal notice of default on a loan bearing your business’ name, would any reasonable person assume that someone else is in trouble, because “she didn’t apply for a loan”, or would they conclude someone stole their identity, and take immediate action to avoid eviction and bankruptcy?–especially if they’ve been the one in the marriage keeping the businesses’ books for decades, and if we are supposed to believe they are smart enough to investigate murders.

Which, it turns out, they really aren’t.

As narrator, Dawna relates what she sees or hears, but she doesn’t connect many of the obvious dots, and the ones she does connect are all, conveniently, unrelated to the murder or obvious red herrings. And so we have another amateur sleuth bumbling her way into the crosshairs of the killer’s gun, and calling that “solving” the case.

I found the solution contrived, the killer’s motives weak, and the lack of resolution to the rather large question of the defaulted loan highly annoying–more even than Dawna’s kookyness.

I wanted so much to like this book–or rather, the writing and the protagonist. Alas, it was not to be; I doubt I’ll seek out anything else by this author.

Hammers and Homicides gets a 5.75 out of 10

Eaten up with guilt and missing her deceased husband to distraction, Dawn lets her imagination wander a bit too far in the realm of what-ifs, imagining that her late husband was still with her. She and her daughter became involved in a murder mystery that had them running foul of the law. Never one to give up, Dawna continued her investigations in search of the truth and justice. It was an entertaining, intriguing, and engaging read.

Nice start to a new cozy mystery series. Lots of potential for more adventures for the mother and daughter, including a romance. Not thrilled with the tiny bit of woo woo, but easily overlooked. People cope with death of loved ones in various ways. Who am I to judge. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Hammers and Homicide is book #1 in the Hometown Hardware Mystery series by Paula Charles.

I really enjoyed this book. My favorite part of cozy mysteries are the characters and I really like Dawna and April. I liked how they worked together to investigate. Dawna’s interrogation skills need work but it was realistic since she is a hardware store owner. Warren Highcastle was not a nice man and so plenty of people had a motive to kill him. I figured out who the killer was when Dawna did. I look forward to the next book.

Thank you to the author, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Hammers And Homicide is the first book in the A Hometown Hardware Mystery series by Paula Charles.

Dawna Carpenter Has continued the family business, Carpenter’s Corner Hardware store in Pine Bluff, Oregon, after her husband’s death. One morning, as she arrived near the store, she heard a loud argument from a nearby real estate company. Arriving at work, Dawna is surprised to see that her lone employee, Steve Harrison, has not arrived as yet. Later in the morning, she goes to use the bathroom, and to her horror, she finds a dead body with severe head injuries caused by a framing hammer lying next to his body. The bathroom is shared with Darlene Lovelace, who owns a pricey boutique next door. The body is quickly identified as Warren Highcastle, a real estate developer in town trying to buy the old Emery House opera theatre and convert it into a hotel. A women’s club in Pine Bluff had attempted to buy the opera house, but the offer was rejected. Dawna is a member of that club. With the murder happening in the hardware store and with easy access to the weapon, Dawna will become the prime suspect.

Dawna and her adult daughter, who recently moved back to Pine Bluff, will set out to clear Dawna's name from suspicion. But when the owner of a construction company that was going to work on the project is arrested, Dawna and April will also start to work to clear his name. Dawna will soon find many other suspects to clear her name.

I enjoyed this first book in a new series. I particularly liked how well Dawna and her daughter worked together. Also, I enjoyed how Dawna sensed her late husband's presence and how talking to him helped her in her investigation. The book is well-written and plotted. The characters are all well-developed, engaging, and entirely believable. There were plenty of red herrings that kept me guessing until the end of the book.

I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

I thought it was cool that Dawna could sense her late husband’s presence but it wasn’t in a creepy or scary way. Bob definitely came in handy at one point and Dawna’s special ability (that her daughter kinda sorta embraced as far as her dad was concerned) made for the sweetest scene toward the end and even helped her with a clue in the case.

I love the mother/daughter relationship these two have! Their dynamics are great and the banter was so funny sometimes especially with Dawna being such a klutz but the kind who was easily able to laugh at herself. My kinda people. 🤣

What a crazy showdown this one was! I loved how it played out and hearing Dawna and April’s future plans for the store was pretty exciting. I’m sure Bob heartily approved! Can’t wait for the next book—maybe April and JT can get together.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

This is a great first book in a new series. I found myself flying through it. The setting was great, the characters were likeable and the storyline was fast paced. I loved the relationship between Dawna (MC) and April, her daughter. It was really nice to see a good relationship between the two, where they actually enjoyed spending time together and had fun.

Since her husband's passing, Dawna has assumed the responsibility of the hardware store they owned together. She is learning how to manage everything when she finds the body of a real estate developer in the bathroom she shares with her neighbor, Darlene. The local detective will not let her open up her shop until the murder is solved, which gives Dawnya some serious incentive to solve the murder.

I was not expecting the ghost presence component of her late husband and cat. It was a nice addition to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hammers and Homicide by Paula Charles is the debut of A Hometown Hardware Mysteries. I like the fact that Dawna Carpenter is an older protagonist (I wanted to start with something positive). I did not understand why the author made her extremely clumsy (it seems to be the standard to make a cozy mystery protagonist clumsy). We get to all the details of Dawna’s life. I understand the author wanted to establish the character, but we really did not need to know so much about Dawna’s past (and not in such detail). Nor did we need to know so much about the hardware store. I am surprised that Dawna is managing to keep the doors of the hardware store open considering her lack of knowledge and her failure to update her stock. Dawna’s daughter, April, has moved back to town. There is too much attention focused on the mother daughter duo (it overshadows the whodunit). The mystery is simple. It was obvious who would die and who would end up at the top of the suspect list. The police chief is viewed as competent (mostly) by Dawna until he arrests a friend. Dawna along with April investigate the crime. I rolled my eyes more than once at their investigative skills. The suspect pool is miniscule. The clues are obvious (there might as well be a giant noon arrow pointing at the killer). The pacing was leisurely and there were repetitive details. There is humor sprinkled throughout the story. One plot point was left unresolved at the end of the book. My curiosity is not sufficiently aroused to seek out the next A Hometown Hardware Mystery.

A fun and engaging cozy mystery! This has all the bits you expect from a cozy: nice small town, lots of whacky characters, a small business and a woman who is at loose ends after the death of her husband. It's a little slow going at the beginning but eventually gets going. I look forward to the next in the series.

If you enjoy cozies set in small towns with a quirky main character, you will enjoy Hammers and Homicide, the first book in a new cozy mystery series.

Dawna Carpenter is around 60 and has been widowed for a few years. She now runs the local hardware store in Pine Bluffs, Oregon, with just one other employee. A land/real estate developer, Warren Highcastle, has come to town to renovate their historic opera house into a hotel. When he is found murdered in the bathroom connected to the hardware store, Dawna decides to “help” the police in their investigation.

I enjoyed the character of Dawna, who is a bit clumsy and not exactly a model housekeeper or cook. She feels a bit guilty over the high fat convenience foods she used to feed her husband (he died of a heart attack), but she hasn’t changed her eating habits yet. There is a smidge of possible paranormal activity, in that she senses her husband’s presence sometimes, smelling his scent of sawdust and coffee. She also sees visions of their former cat, Lilac. Perhaps this aspect will be further developed in future books in the series. Another nice aspect was April, Dawna’s youngest daughter, who has returned to live in Pine Bluff and restores old furniture. Their banter was fun and it was nice to read about a positive mother-daughter relationship.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was nicely narrated by Petrea Burchard, a new-to-me narrator.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Hammers and Homicide by Paula Charles is a well-written mystery with a touch of paranormal.

Will Dawna figure out who is killing people at her hardware store before the culprit comes after her?

Dawna Carpenter
Our sleuth is Dawna Carpenter, a recent widow, small business owner, and prominent citizen in town. Dawna is upset by the recent murders in her hardware store and town. Then, when her longtime friend is arrested for the deed, Dawna is asked to figure out whodunit. With the help of her daughter, April, they get down to questioning their friends and neighbors.

I like Dawna. She misses her husband and talks to his spirit, or perhaps she needs to fill the silence without him there. Either way, she believes he is there and can hear her. It is sweet that she cares about him so much. Dawna has a good business, but like any small town, it is hard to compete with the big box stores in the next town. She and April are working on a plan to improve the store. However, there may be a kink that Dawna isn't aware of yet. I would be friends with Dawna and April if they were real.

The Mystery
Ms. Charles got me. I thought I had figured it out, but it was someone that I dismissed due to lack of access. Anyway, someone is killing people at the hardware store—first a customer and then an employee. What is the motive, though? So, the initial guy wasn't the nicest or even good, but to murder him seems a bit extreme. However, there are many things that only a few people know, even in small towns. I felt the mystery was well written, with clues that were obvious once I knew who the culprit was.

I enjoyed the town and townsfolk. The concert was cool, I am not a big Johnny Cash fan so, I probably wouldn't have gone.

Five Stars
I was highly entertained by Dawna and her friends. My rating for Hammers and Homicide by Paula Charles is five stars. I highly recommend this book to all you cozy mystery readers. It is definitely worth the time.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Hammers and Homicide by Paula Charles.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

I love the hardware store. I love the mother daughter relationship. The murderer was obvious to the reader, but the detail was missed by Dawna, a first time sleuth. So it increased the tension while reading. I am anxious to see how these characters develop in further books. This is a great first book.

Hammers and Homicide is a delightful, cozy mystery set in the fictional small town of Pine Bluff, Oregon.

Our sleuthers are a mother-daughter duo. Dawna, the mother in our duo, is a 61 year old widow. Her and her husband owned a hardware store together, called Carpenters Corner. When her husband passed, Dawna continued running the store. After finding the body of a real estate developer in the bathroom of her store, Dawna, with the help of her daughter, April, is determined to help the local police chief solve the case. But, as often happens in a cozy mystery, our sleuther duo end up in grave danger themselves.

I loved the mother-daughter sleuther dynamic in this story. I found it made the story very unique. The small town setting of the story added to the coziness of the mystery. And there was a ghost story element to this cozy that I absolutely loved.

I found the mystery compelling. I was suspicious of a character but didn't ever figure out the mystery. The story was fast-paced, I read through it very quickly. It was simply an enjoyable cozy mystery, and I'd definitely recommend for cozy mystery fans.

An excellent start for a new cozy series: lovely small town vibes, likeable and relatable characters, and entertaining and solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Can't wait for the next story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is the first book in a new series. In fact I believe it is the author's debut novel.

The main character is Dawna, sixtyish years old and recently widowed. She is still running her husband's hardware store and her adult daughter, April, has come to live near her. Dawna presumes this is the family's way of keeping an eye on her, but in fact it turns out to be a real blessing when Dawna discovers a dead body on her bathroom floor. April is a big help in the subsequent investigation.

One thing I did not expect but did enjoy was the presence of ghosts! Dawna chats to several in the course of the book and even April is aware of one of them. I thought it was a fun touch and I look forward to more of Dawna, April and the ghosts in the next book.

Paula Charles has penned what seems to be the first book in a new cozy mystery series set in a small town,Pine Bluff, Oregon. The lead character, Dawna Carpenter, currently owns Carpenters Corner Hardware and Building Supply after her husband passed away.
All of the characters and the setting are developing organically for a first book and the story is told at a comfortable pace. Pine Bluff and the secondary characters were charming and added the cozy atmosphere to this story. There are several red herrings that did their job and led me astray as I tried to figure how who committed the murder of a real estate developer. The twists were woven in well and kept me turning the pages and the dramatic conclusion took me completely by surprise.

This was a unique cozy mystery setting in terms of the hardware store but the small town, evil developer, protagonist is main suspect trope is a bit tired. It was a cute introduction to set up a possible new series. I enjoyed some of the mother daughter banter as my own mother and I have had similar exchanges. It was an okay story but needed some fresher starting material.

My thanks to Crooked Lane and Netgalley for this ARC.

Really loved this unique spin on a classic cozy mystery. Love that the main characters is older and is so quirky.