From its opening sentence, “I should never do anything pre-coffee.” to the closing sentence “But I’m working on that too.”, every word of The Sound of Murder by Cindy Brown was delightful.  This gem of a cozy mystery was courtesy of Net Galley and was so enjoyable that I’ve already purchased the first book in the series Macdeath to read later this year.

Set in Phoenix it features familiar settings that all local inhabitants of the Valley of the Sun recognize, the Posse, golf carts as transportation, and  retirement communities.  Ivy Meadows part time actress and part time aspiring PI is a twenty something delight as the protagonist in the series.  She’s funny and flawed.  She sees the value in people despite their age and truly cares about her castmates, most of whom are over seventy.  Truly refreshing to read a book where some of the best character studies are of senior citizens and flawed heroines.

Cindy Brown has created a great protagonist who is loveable and recognizes her own shortcomings.  One that doesn’t have airs and who learns throughout the book.  I couldn’t put this one down, an easy five out of five stars.  The book releases on October 6, 2015 from Henery Press.