Each stand-alone book in this multi-author crime novel series is set in the fictitious, beautiful little Texas Hill Country town of Magnolia Bluff. Each author writes in their preferred sub-genre to allow readers to experience humor, dark dilemmas, suspense, romance, thrills, and spills — told through good storytelling that will keep readers awake past their bedtime, trying to find out whodunit.
BOOK INFO:
Mystery / Crime Fiction / Amateur Sleuth
CWH Books
April 6, 2022
208 pages
BOOK DESCRIPTION: Death Wears a Crimson Hat
Secrets, gossip, and a murder that could reveal all.
Harry Thurgood just wants a quiet life and to leave his past in the past. And he thinks he’s found the perfect place in sleepy Magnolia Bluff, Texas, until the murder of a prominent citizen threatens to let the skeletons out of his closet.
Quiet and unassuming, the Reverend Ember Cole wants nothing more than to be a good pastor to her congregation. And when her friendship with Harry threatens her job, she has to choose between friendship and the church.
However, when a murder is pinned on Ember, Harry decides he and Ember have to find the real killer to keep Ember out of jail and Harry’s past in the past.
But when Harry and Ember are almost killed in a hit-and-run, they realize the killer will stop at nothing to avoid being found. Even if he has to kill again.
“All I know is that there are good people, bad people, and a whole lot in between.”
Death Wears a Crimson Hat by CW Hawes is part of the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series. This modern Texas crime fiction has a bit of an old-fashioned vibe typically found in noir detective stories, with an occasional Holmesian flair. Harry Thurgood often spends late evenings smoking a pipe and sipping a Corpse Reviver No. 1 while ruminating on the facts of the current mystery and his ‘just friends’ relationship with the good Reverend Ember Cole.
“There’s nothing wrong with being old-fashioned. In fact. I think it’s rather charming.”
Magnolia Bluff, Texas, is filled with the standard small-town hijinks, including plenty of gossip and backstabbing, but it does have a women’s club that seems to have gone off the rails. The Crimson Hat club consists of several ladies who seeming do more conniving and gossiping than anything good for the community, especially with malevolent Mary Lou Fight at the helm. When one of the ladies is brutally murdered and another lands in the hospital after a hit and run, newcomer to the town Reverend Ember Cole finds herself in the hot seat.
“As I see it, Ember Cole is the epicenter of this little earthquake. Everything flows back to her.”
The author keeps the reader guessing, all while introducing more layers to the overall mystery. Both Harry and Ember have pasts they want to remain hidden, but as the mystery heats up, Detective Reece Sovern does what he does best: He asks a lot of questions.
In this wildly entertaining whodunit, the author introduces some interesting characters and a plot that is not so easily unraveled. While the murder and attempted murders are eventually solved, that plot aspect is often surpassed by a few underlying subplots, such as with Effie Snyder and John Paul. As with any noir fiction, the dark side of humanity kicks in with a vengeance, with the occasional violence, sexuality, covetousness, and spite providing the necessary secrecy and motive for murder.
If you desire a cozy mystery that often crosses over to the dark side, Murder Wears a Crimson Hat will be a perfect choice, and then check out all the other books in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles while you’re at it.
Enter the giveaway below on or before December 8, 2023, for a chance to win some fabulous prizes.
I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.
CW Hawes is a storyteller who spins yarns in many different formats: novels, short stories, stage plays, screenplays, and poetry. He’s authored a bestselling novel, and he’s won several awards for his poetry.
His love of fine food, interesting places, philosophy, music, art, and history can be seen in each of his tales. He writes in many genres: horror, mystery, science fiction, post-apocalyptic, decopunk, occult detective, and weird. CW makes his home in Katy, Texas with his wife and cat.
You can connect with him on his website: https://www.cwhawes.com
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10 Million Ways to Die |
Review |
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11/27/23 |
Death Wears a Crimson Hat |
Review |
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11/27/23 |
Series Spotlight |
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11/28/23 |
Death in the Absence of Rain |
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11/29/23 |
The Great Peanut Butter Conspiracy |
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11/30/23 |
You Won’t Know How…or When |
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12/01/23 |
The Flower Enigma |
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12/01/23 |
The Killer Enigma |
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12/02/23 |
Men Lying Dead in a Field |
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12/02/23 |
The Shine from a Girl in the Lake |
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12/04/23 |
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12/05/23 |
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12/05/23 |
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12/06/23 |
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12/07/23 |
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12/08/23 |
A Chance of a Ghost |
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Awesome review! And partnered with Boys’ Mom Reads’s review of book two in this series, this sounds like an author I must read. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
CW, I’m glad to read about Ember and Harry. We’ve happy to see them in two of your books.
Thank you for hosting this and providing such an outstanding review.
Loved the first in the series. CW Hawes captured the essence of the fictional town. His characters jumped off the pages, making the reader feel like they were actually in that Texas hill-town.
I’m dying to taste Harry’s wood-fired coffee. Oops, wait, it’s a fictional place!
Terrific review! I agree that CW Hawes’ Death Wears a Crimson Hat is a fabulous read! Great book to start off this wonderful series! 🙂
This the remarkable first book in a winning series. CW Hawes cuts to the dark heart of a small town in central Texas. People are talking about the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles for good reason. This is where it all begins…
Great review. This is a wonderful read and the introductory volume of the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles. The tale of Harry, Ember, and the dark hearts of a small town in central Texas compels. Highly recommended.
Thanks for the fabulous review! It was a rather daunting task to be the lead off batter for this series. Especially knowing the great authors that would be following.
I had great fun writing the book, and I think that’s the secret. If I enjoy writing the story, it usually means the reader will too. And I’m glad you did!
Yeah, CW, but we knew you could handle it!
CW Hawes captures the small town community of Magnolia Bluff in such a way that you want more–more about the town, more about the characters, more mystery. Great read.
An amazing read! Can’t wait to tap into more of CW’s books as well. – Rob
An amazing author and an amazing story, filled with red herrings. When I read about Harry Thurgood’s Really Good Coffee Shop, I can smell the aroma of his special blend.
Good Stuff!
My hat’s off to CW. Not only is this a really good read, but CW was the impetus to getting this series off the ground. A double thanks – for the book and the series. For those who haven’t gotten into the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles yet, Death Wears a Crimson Hat is a great way to start.
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