Hammers and Homicide (A Hometown Hardware Mystery)

Dawna is still grieving her husband’s death and trying to keep her hardware store afloat but there is one bright spot: her daughter April has returned home. Things get even more difficult when Dawna discovers a land developer’s body in the bathroom. As she runs over a list of suspects, including her own employee and the boutique owner, she works alongside April to uncover what really happened in her store and who would possibly have a motive.

Dawna has developed a routine after her husband’s death though her grief is an important component of the story and his loss can still be felt. She uses his memory as a source of comfort; in doing so, his presence is constantly felt, and you get a genuine sense of how lost she feels. The cast of characters is met first through the hardware store as a location which adds more conflict for Dawna to uncover who would have a motive for murder. As the mystery goes on, surprising twists will keep you on the edge of your seat. Hammers and Homicide features an incredible mother-daughter team-up as a charming sleuthing duo that sets the lighthearted tone, driving the mystery forward and applying plenty of heart to the story.