Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published by: Viper Books
Publication date: 6 August 2026
Content warnings: blood, murder, dementia

“Murder is her masterpiece.”

God this was what my soul needed! A fun, hilarious crime novel with a serial killer MC that has quickly become one of my favourite characters of all time. This not only cheered me up big time, but it’s also a fantastic crime book that will have you guessing to the end. It was excellent. I’m a Jo Wallace fan for life after this! I’m so happy to be sharing my review of The Art of Getting Hammered by Joanna Wallace!

About the book

What use is a part-time serial killer who doesn’t want to kill people? No matter how many rude or irritating potential victims cross her path, Claire can’t seem to get her mojo back. Not even the overly chatty woman in the supermarket or the man who stole her neighbour’s dog can motivate her to get out the zip ties.

Then a lucky break and a new job in the local pub gives Claire the perfect someone is spiking drinks and causing mayhem. But as Claire starts to close in, punters start dropping like flies – and for once she’s not the one doing the killing. Is someone else murdering on her patch? Claire has questions. And she’s not afraid to use her hammer to get answers.

The beginning

I love a serial killer MC that you can really connect with (ha), the kind you’re actually rooting for, the kind you’re unlikely to forget in a hurry – and I got all that and more with Claire! There’s a fantastic introduction to her character, and even though I didn’t know this was the second book in a series before I started it, I sank into it so easily. Claire is a part-time serial killer who has lost her mojo. Once loving a kill, these days she can’t quite bring down that hammer as much as she used to. She wants to, as her hilarious inner monologue suggests, but there is always something stopping her. She’s also well into her art which seemed a very zen hobby for a killer, but worked brilliantly! We’re introduced to more characters, including her old neighbour, Mrs Davis, and the staff and punters at the local pub, each so entertaining with their own quirks you can’t help but laugh at. I did find there to be a lot of people to keep track of right away which always trips me up a bit if they’re all shoved in at the start, so I was hoping I could keep track of them all as things progressed!

“I have to admit, it’s not a terrible idea. It might be just what I need to get my mojo back – for my painting, but, most importantly, for my kills. Because, let’s face it, most of the people in this place are queing up to get hammered.”

I compared Claire to Dexter (and I bloody love Dexter!) Her inability to comprehend human emotion, her awkwardness around others, that urge to kill, even when she physically can’t. She was an excellent character and I continued to love her more and more as time went on. When she lands herself a job at the pub, surrounded by the kinds of people she loathes, things just became even funnier. The humour in this book was so me and I couldn’t get enough! The characters were slowly finding their place and it didn’t take as long as I feared for me to slot them into their roles which I was very happy about. I loved learning more about them and seeing how they interacted with one another, and I particularly loved Claire’s friend she’d nicknamed “The Heron”. It’s just all chaos and I adored it! There were references to things that had happened in the past, things I assumed had happened in the previous book, but I never felt lost and it was super easy to feel up to speed with it all. And a few shifts into her new job, something feels off for Claire as she scouts out her next kill…

The middle

Two pub regulars end up dead, one after the other, and of course, Claire is suspicious. Something feels off. Is someone murdering on her turf?! It was too much of a coincidence that these two people had died so close together, who had also been seen in the very same pub. Someone was taking them out. But who? Claire has her suspect tied up in her house because she does NOT mess around. I loved her ability to look beneath the surface of all these people and she just knows how these kinds of people think and act. I have to say, I found myself learning so much about how a killer operates reading this! Claire is clever, the way she takes Angus down after he follows her was so well thought out. She will get the truth out of him! As a campaign gets underway to find Angus, Claire does have some concerns that it could lead the police to her doorstep, but she wasn’t panicking just yet. He’d tell her the truth soon. And then she’d bring down her hammer. The book was so easy to read and such a delight, one of those books where time just disappears as you read!

“All those faces I saw – all the secrets they keep – it’s exciting, and I can’t wait to get started. Not because I care about ordinary people or the masks they choose to wear. But because painting emotion is the closest I’ll ever get to feeling it.”

Even though there is humour, even though there is blood and murder, the author absolutely nails the emotional side too. Claire lost her dad and regularly visits his grave, but swears she will kill whoever is stealing the flowers from it. That’s until she finds out it’s a child, and she doesn’t kill children. It’s one of her rules. It was here where we also learn more about her past, her childhood, and what really happened to her mother… there was certainly some darkness there and I really wanted to read the first book at this point to see if this was explained more! I quickly started to wonder if there was anything this author couldn’t write and despite the contrast of this emotion and love, to the reality of her serial killer persona, it all worked so well together. There was another perspective added to the mix, someone watching Claire from the shadows. Someone who trespasses into her home, someone who discovers her secret. The other killer. But it’s clear this person is known to us, known to Angus, to Claire. Who is it?! I was desperate to know, but I also had a theory. I wonder if I’d got it right?!

The end

Turns out I was very wrong with my prediction, but how the real killer was revealed was very clever and brilliantly plotted! And it was the perfect person to make us shocked which I was thankful for. Claire and this person have such a great conversation and how everything is revealed felt so satisfying. Too many times in a book, we’re hit with a reveal we have guessed or one that has an underwhelming twist, but that wasn’t the case here. Not only was it surprising, but the author has kept that consistent humour there which I thought made it so unique. It was just so fun to read (aside from the murder, obvs, that’s a very serious matter…) I was so surprised by everything we learn about this character here. This killer has a fascinating history (despite quite a random one) and I found myself wanting to know more about them, about everything they’d been through, what had led them to kill this time. But there was something that made me think this wasn’t the end of everything. Now these two people know each other’s secrets, how would this end? A truce? Would one have to kill the other?

“He isn’t a full ghost yet, of course. Not quite. Still tethered – temporarily – to this world. Still warm. Still breathing. But he’s flickering. Almost constantly. And it’s thrilling. His translucency is what makes me feel alive.”

I really enjoyed how the ending played out. Of course, we can’t kill our Claire off, can we?! But what does happen was not only entertaining and satisfying, but it was thought-provoking too. So well plotted with most of my questions answered so well. The ones that weren’t answered… well I hope we get to know more in a third book! The ending certainly paves the way for another book and I am so eager to read it now (also, note to self, read You’d Look Better As A Ghost ASAP!) There were some characters such as Mac who became very interesting in those ending chapters in particular, and I am very interested to see if Claire can give a relationship a go whilst also continuing her extra-curricular activities now she’s got her mojo back. I am desperate to see Claire on full form and I am curious to see how this book compares to the first! I’ve heard this book is great for those who loved Sweetpea, but I can also say that if you love Jo Middleton’s books and humour, this will also be right up your street! I really enjoyed this and I’m quite sad it’s over now, but very excited to see what Claire gets up to next 🥳

Overall thoughts

The Art of Getting Hammered is a humourous crime novel with heart and I just didn’t want to put it down! Claire is a part-time serial killer who has lost her mojo. She longs to bash some heads in, but she can’t quite bring down the hammer like she used to. And despite meeting some very irritating people, she just can’t take them out. But a lucky break and a new job in the local pub give her the perfect reason to hunt that kill… someone is spiking drinks and causing mayhem. And there’s another killer on the loose… Who is murdering on her turf?!

The dark humour in this book is everything I love, and I especially loved Claire’s hilarious inner monologue; it’s clear she wants to kill someone, no matter how difficult she’s finding it. I compared her to Dexter, how she can’t seem to comprehend human emotion, her awkwardness around others, that urge to kill. But I guess they’re big traits of your standard serial killer! She is an excellent character that you can’t help but love, despite what she does.

There are quite a few characters to keep on top of which always muddles me up, but as time went on it became easier to place them. They are quite a mad bunch and so entertaining, and Claire’s nicknames for them, her thoughts and how she sometimes disassociates when they talk was just brilliantly done! It’s witty, so clever, and (dare I say it?) relatable. I would never bash someone with a hammer, but some of Claire’s thoughts about people have definitely passed through my head too 😂 A brilliant read, one I’d definitely recommend if you need a lighter crime novel or something a little different in the genre!

Huge thanks to the author, Joanna Wallace, and the wonderful team at Viper Books for my proof and place on the blog tour! You can grab your own copy of The Art of Getting Hammered on Amazon* or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following Joanna on Instagram for more updates.

* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks so much for your support!

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