Book Review: If I Had a Hammer by Teresa Trent (Swinging Sixties Mysteries #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Dot, good mystery

Cons: Sub-plot wraps up too quickly

The Bottom Line:

Murder at first job

As Dot reels from history

Combine for good book.

Dealing with History and Solving a Mystery

In my efforts to read more historical mysteries, I picked up the first Swinging Sixties Mystery last year and enjoyed it, so naturally, I was going to return for If I Had a Hammer.  This was another good trip back in time.

This book opens in November of 1963, and Dot Morgan, our protagonist, and her cousin, Ellie, have taken a Friday off work to go witness history – President Kennedy’s visit to Dallas, Texas.  When the unthinkable happens, she is devastated and quickly returns to her hometown in the Dallas suburbs.

While Ellie really reals from what the two witnessed, Dot tries to get on with her life, which includes her first job now that she’s graduated from secretary school.  She’s working for the biggest construction company in the area, which is run by two step-brothers.  The one boss she actually likes has a mysterious accident at a construction site.  Can Dot figure out what is going on?

You really can’t write a historical series set in 1960’s Texas without bringing in the assassination of JFK.  I knew that was going to be a part of this book, and I was wondering how exactly it was going to fit into the plot.  I actually respect the way it was handled, with the aftermath of that being a strong sub-plot behind an unrelated compelling mystery.

However, I feel like that sub-plot turned out to be the weakest element of the book.  I could definitely understand Ellie’s reaction to things at first.  But I felt like they were taken to extremes, and the resolution of this particular storyline felt rushed.

The main mystery was strong.  I was kept guessing as to what was going to happen next the entire time.  Dot gets herself into plenty of trouble while investigating, which I appreciated.  And yes, the climax was a page turner.  The resolution answered most of my questions, although I do still wonder exactly why the victim did a couple of things he did.  Still, these are minor issues.

I enjoyed getting to visit Dot again.  I’d liked her in the first book, and that continued here.  I would have liked to see more of her parents, but I enjoyed their appearances.  And her potential boyfriend is a great character as well.  The suspects did their job of making us care about the outcoming and keeping us from figuring things out.

Much of this book takes place in December, which means we get some Christmas trappings added to the story, especially in the second half.  I enjoyed that, especially getting to see how things were different back then.

Overall, I really did enjoy my second trip back in time to visit Dot.  If I Had a Hammer will appeal to anyone who is looking for a good mystery set near a major event in American history.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Mystery
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: March 2023
Number of Pages: 230
ISBN: 978-1685123017
Series: The Swinging Sixties Mystery Series, Book 2 | Each is a stand alone
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

About the Author:

Teresa Trent is the author of over 15 books. She started writing cozy mysteries with the Pecan Bayou and Piney Woods Mystery Series. She sets her stories in different geographical areas of Texas and The Swinging Sixties historical series is set just north of Dallas, starting in 1962. You might think with so many books set in the Lone Star state, she was born there, but no. She has lived all over the world, thanks to her father's career in the army. After living in Texas for twenty-five years, she's finally put down roots.

Teresa is a hybrid author, self-publishing early in her career, which led her to traditional publishing with Level Best Books and Camel Press. She is the author of several short stories that have appeared in a host of anthologies. Teresa publishes the blog and podcast, Books to the Ceiling at https://teresatrent.blog where she loves to read the book excerpts of other writers and share in the writing community.

Teresa is a member of Sisters in Crime and lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and son.

Catch up with Teresa Trent here:

TeresaTrent.com
Books to the Ceiling Podcast
Goodreads
BookBub - @TeresaTrent
Instagram - @teresatrent_cozymys
Twitter - @ttrent_cozymys
Facebook - @teresatrentmysterywriter

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