Birthdays Are Murder: A Spindrift Cove Mystery

Sierra Sullivan, the protagonist of this lighthearted series launch from Sample (the Laurel Mckay series), has relocated to Spindrift Cove, Wash., to be near her daughter, Melanie, a member of the Spindrift Cove PD. Sierra, a versatile performer who danced and sang in her previous position as a cruise director, is reduced to accepting any remotely suitable gig to support herself. One such job—dressing up as Elsa from Frozen for a children’s birthday party—ends badly when she finds the corpse of Derek Davenport, the birthday girl’s stepfather, in the bouncy house set up at Davenport’s home for the event. Not long before, Sierra happened upon Derek in a compromising position with a woman who wasn’t his wife, and their fraught encounter ended with Sierra scratching Derek’s arm to get away, thus potentially leaving her DNA on the now dead man. This connection complicates Melanie’s subsequent investigation of the crime. After Sierra becomes a suspect, she must find the real murderer to exonerate herself and preserve Melanie’s career. Wry humor buoys the plausible premise. Cozy fans will look forward to the sequel. (Self-published)