Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tour: Hard Headed Woman by Howard Gimple (review & giveaway)

Posted on by

Hard Headed Woman by Howard Gimple Banner

HARD HEADED WOMAN

by Howard Gimple

February 2 – 27, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Hard Headed Woman by Howard Gimple

  No one but Hannah Johansson believes her father was murdered. Not even her mother. The doctors say he had a stroke, but Hannah knows he was poisoned. She just doesn’t know who did it or why. One thing she does know is that the answers can be found at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a pristine 9,000 acre nature preserve where her father was superintendent. When she goes back to the Refuge, instead of answers, all she finds are more questions. Ominous questions. Where are all the birds? Why is there a heavily armed guard at the gate? What’s in the mysterious bundles being dropped off there in the middle of the night? When the police won’t investigate, Hannah is determined to find the answers herself, and she won’t quit until she learns the truth. Not even after she is shot at, thrown in jail, and beaten up by a 300-pound lesbian biker.

Praise for Hard Headed Woman:

“A gamesome detective story, dramatically absorbing and intelligently wrought.” ~ Kirkus Reviews “Hard Headed Woman is a refreshingly original story, free of many of the tropes often associated with mystery novels. That alone makes it deliciously difficult for the reader to guess who did what, and that makes this story one of the better mysteries we’ve read recently.” ~ The Mystery Review Crew “The writing was exquisite, with vivid descriptions of all the events. It was a gripping read, especially with all the changes happening in the wildlife refuge. I found the story thoroughly enjoyable and was engrossed until the final page. The conclusion was a major surprise, and I did not expect it at all.” ~ Readers’ Favorite

Book Details:

Genre: Mystromedy (a mystery comedy) Published by: MYSTROMEDY BOOKS Publication Date: June 22, 2024 Number of Pages: 416 ISBN: 979-8990761513 Book Links: Amazon | KindleUnlimited | Goodreads | BookBub

Read an excerpt:

Hannah Johansson stood at the lectern in front of 300 people staring at her, waiting for her to say something heartfelt and meaningful. She looked around the room. A room that was unfamiliar to her even though she’d been in it thousands of times. But that was when it was the multipurpose room at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. She played in the large barn-like structure as a child with her dolls and toys and electric trains. She practiced her jumpshot here when her father put up a hoop after she made her junior high team. And when she was a little older, it was where she came when she needed to be alone with her thoughts and her guitar. But the room that Hannah knew was gone. It was now the Axel Johansson Memorial Auditorium, renamed to honor her father’s memory. Every seat was filled. The first two rows were reserved for relatives and VIPs. Hannah’s aunt Gilda and cousins Catherine and Phillip were sitting in the middle of the front row, flanked by officials from the Mayor’s Office, the New York City Parks Department, the National Parks Service and local assemblymen and state senators. The second row held representatives from a half-dozen environmental organizations including the Sierra Club, the National Audubon Society and the World Wildlife Fund. The rest of the packed hall was crammed with children from neighborhood schools, birdwatching enthusiasts from all over the city and beyond, and men and women of all ages and ethnicities who loved the beauty and tranquility of the Refuge and wanted to show their appreciation and gratitude for the man who created and nurtured it. Michael Leigh, the president of the east coast chapter of the National Environmental Conservancy and the organizer of the event, had just finished the last of a dozen tributes to her father, the man who transformed a rat infested, garbage strewn swamp into one of New York City’s environmental treasures. Before Leigh left the stage he said, “Our final speaker, Superintendent Johansson’s daughter Hannah, would like to say a few words.” On one side of the podium an easel held a portrait of her father in his khaki superintendent’s uniform, surrounded by a snowy egret, a great blue heron and a glossy ibis, painted by the celebrated wildlife artist Arthur Singer. On the other side was a wrought iron plant stand, but in place of a plant it held a hand-enameled aluminum urn containing her father’s ashes. Tiny pearls of sweat formed on Hannah’s forehead. She gripped the lectern for support. “Thank you all for coming,” she said, fighting to maintain composure. “I know my father meant a lot to you. He meant everything to me. He was my hero. My mentor. My best friend. I loved him more than I could ever possibly say.” Her face contorted. Her eyes welled up. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I killed him,” she wailed. *** Excerpt from Hard Headed Woman by Howard Gimple. Copyright 2024 by Howard Gimple. Reproduced with permission from Howard Gimple. All rights reserved.

 

My Review

“In this life, you have to fight for what you know is right, no matter what other people think.”

Hard Headed Woman by Howard Gimple is a caper-filled fiction that will leave you bemused with everything going on, in a good way, of course.

Hannah Johansson has just lost her father, seemingly from a stroke. Out of work and out of a relationship, Hannah is now living with her mother, Olivia, and living with a mysterious health condition. Hannah’s father built, developed, and tended the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge near the JFK Airport, but when Hannah visits the refuge to spread her father’s ashes, she is confronted with armed guards. What exactly is happening at the peaceful refuge where she spent her childhood? The tender, heartbreaking moment to honor her father’s last wish quickly turns into a dangerous quest for answers.

This novel is quite the mosaic of storylines; however, they are mostly related, easy to follow throughout, and make for a captivating odyssey of a young woman trying to get her life together. Gimple has created several compelling characters to go along with the overall plot and subplots. My personal favorite is Hannah’s friend, Bette, who is also currently out of work and embarking on her own self-discovery journey. Bette is the perfect foil to Hannah as they develop an informal investigative partnership and work to make sense of the covert activities at the refuge.

As the title implies, Hannah is indeed a hard-headed woman, as well as hot headed. She often jumps into situations headlong, leading with her heart and her temper to get answers to so many questions. While Hannah is no bounty hunter, it is easy to compare her penchant for finding herself in sticky predicaments to Janet Evanovich’s main character, Stephanie Plum. Hannah’s situation, however, is no laughing matter, even if some of the scenes are quite humorous.

Hard Headed Woman is fast paced and offers a good mix of family dynamics, friendship, adventure, corruption, revelations, and a fair amount of sleuthing. By the end of the story, Hannah does find the answers to her questions, albeit with significant danger and the realization that not everyone she trusts is trustworthy. Gimple’s writing style keeps the reader engaged in both the protagonist’s exploits and her character arc, as well as in every single event that unfolds.

As an added bonus, this story ends on a note of more to come. How exciting if that is the case. Hannah and Bette make a great team and are thus worthy of another storyline. Either way, Hard Headed Woman is a must-read mystery that will keep you entertained and on the edge of your seat.

Author Bio:

Howard Gimple

Howard Gimple was a writer at Newsday, the editor of a newsletter for the New York Giants football team, and a copywriter and creative director for several New York ad agencies. He has written English dialogue for the American releases of Japanese anime cartoons, reviewed books for the Long Island History Journal, and written movie scripts for a pay-per-view television network. Howard was Chief Creative Officer at TajMania Entertainment, a film and TV production company dedicated to creating socially conscious programming. He wrote the award-winning documentary, ‘The Garbageman,’ about a waste management executive who helped save the lives of more than 50,000 children with congenital heart disease. He was a writer and sports editor for the Stony Brook University alumni magazine. He also taught two seminars at the university, ‘Rock & Relevance,’ about the political influence of 60’s rock & roll and ‘Filthy Shakespeare, ‘ exploring the dramatic use of sexual puns and innuendos in the Bard’s plays and poems. He grew up in Brooklyn, lived in Manhattan and Long Island, and now lives in Glendora, California, with his wife and goldendoodle.

Catch Up With Howard Gimple:

howardgimple.com Amazon Author Profile Goodreads BookBub – @howardgimple Facebook – @authorhowardgimple

 

Tour Participants:

Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss reviews, insider interviews, exclusive guest posts, and more chances to win! Click here to view the Tour Schedule  

 

Giveaway: Murder, Mayhem, and a Hard Headed Heroine

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Howard Gimple. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

HARD HEADED WOMAN by Howard Gimple | Book & Gift Card Can’t see the giveaway? Click Here!

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

Follow me on social media

2 Replies to “Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tour: Hard Headed Woman by Howard Gimple (review & giveaway)”