Birthdays Are Murder

A Spindrift Cove Mystery, Book 1

De: Cindy Sample

Narrado por: Meghan Kelly

After Sierra Sullivan is furloughed from her cruise director position, she moves to Spindrift Cove, Washington, to be closer to her married daughter. She soon discovers that gigs for middle-aged entertainers are scarcer than good hair days in the Pacific Northwest. With her bank account sliding toward zero, she swallows the indignity of donning a ten-pound wig and elaborate costume to perform at a child’s birthday party. Little does Sierra know she’ll soon be upstaged by a corpse and become the leading-lady suspect. As the bodies pile up, the entertainer adlibs her own crime-solving gig, a performance putting her in the crosshairs of a killer, and a finale that truly may be final.

©2022 Cindy Sample (P)2025 Cindy Sample

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Sample's story is perfect for readers who want a fun mystery that's big on small, close-knit communities, limited in violence, and has family at its heart." BOOKLIFE REVIEWS

"Five stars to Cindy Sample's latest protagonist, Sierra Sullivan. Sleuth, performer, and all-around enterprising gal, she hits the cozy mystery scene in a fabulous new whodunit series. If you are a fan of Ms. Sample's work, you won't want to miss the first book in the Spindrift Cove Mystery Series. I loved it!" - Heather Haven, award-winning author of the Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries

“There are characters that will stay with you long after you put the book down. Sierra is one of those who will leave a smile on your face. Cindy Sample has crafted characters and a storyline that brings both enjoyment and cozy mystery fun.” - R. Franklin James, award-winning author of the Hollis Morgan Mystery Series

Great story

As always Megan Kelly did a great job telling the story. It was a fun story but also kept you guessing till the end. I would definitely recommend it. Also if you can find other books Megan Kelly narrates you will not be disappointed.

Perfect! Absolutely Perfect! I Loved Everything About This!

Sierra Sullivan’s a soprano with a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time! When she sashays her way to stumbling over a fresh corpse, Chief Boxley’s sure he’s found his prime suspect! Hilarity ensures when Sierra tries to un-brine THAT pickle in “Birthdays are Murder”, one of the best series starters I’ve listened to in a long time! This story is proof positive that if anything can go wrong … it will, AND at the worst possible moment! Not for us, fellow listeners, oh no, definitely not for us! The writing is absolutely inspired genius! The flow of this story is perfect! I could not stop listening. I lost sleep because I did not want to stop! The flow is smoothly cohesive, everything makes perfect sense and along the way I had no “huh?” moments! Just pure joyful entertainment and the thought that I could ABSOLUTELY see this entire scenario happening! I’m not giving plot details - I don’t want to spoil ANYTHING for future listeners - but I will say that there are PLENTY of viable suspects, no, I didn’t guess correctly, and everything makes perfect sense at the reveal! This one really is PERFECT in every way! Now, the characters, WOW, Beautifully done! I really felt for Sierra! Her interactions with her daughter reminded me so much of interactions I have with mine. In fact the interaction of ALL the characters feels very “art imitating life” REAL, and every beautifully defined and developed, character resonates as AUTHENTIC. I swear, I KNOW a few of ‘em … and just like the folks in my life, I love a few, can take or leave a few, and would be brought up on charges if I acted on what I’d like to do to a few … and these are the same feelings I felt with THIS crew! They are that lifelike, that REAL, and thanks to beautifully BRILLIANT narration they really came ALIVE for me! I could FEEL every emotion! The vocal nuances were so subtle yet so resoundingly clear! I knew when a character was frustrated, angry, at a loss … every emotion! I’m not naming characters or situations to avoid spoilers but believe me when I tell you, the vocal performance was so authentically genuine that every character was made beautifully and breathtakingly REAL for me as the authors vision came breathtakingly alive! Easily five stunning stars across all categories! The one thing I can say for certain is I want more!

STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMEN MAKING A LIVING

STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMEN MAKING A LIVING is what stood out in this fun mystery but that's not all. l admired the actress, singer trying to get on her feet and putting her curiosity before caution while creatively snooping for motive and means, one step ahead of the professionals. Nicely narrated by Meghan Kelly.
Recommended, clean and entertaining mystery.

Wonderful mystery!

This is a wonderful mystery with nice character development. I liked the storyline and the author does a good job keeping me guessing. I was even suspecting a couple people that were not on the author's radar. Well done! I did listen to this on audio. Meghan Kelly is a remarkable narrator who does a great job on all the different voices needed for this story. She is always pleasing to the ears and easy to understand.

Unique and entertaining

When an aging actress snags a role in the Frozen theme at a children's birthday party, what can go wrong? Turns out plenty—including a dead body! The rest of the story had me laughing as Sierra Sullivan plays amateur detective. The narrator did a great job with the various characters.

mysteriously good

I was all over the place with my guesses on this one. I never came close to the real killer with my guesses though. I enjoyed the main characters" spunk in investigating on her own and with Lucinda. Lucinda warmed her way into my heart by the end. I was heartbroken at who the killer was. They had their reasons, but vigilante justice is illegal. An engrossing compelling story I recommend. I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest review. The narrator did a great job bringing the characters and story to life. I especially liked Lucinda's voice and expressions. Kudos author and narrator.

What an exciting new beginning!

After being furloughed from her position as Cruise Director, actress and singer Sierra Sullivan relocates close to her daughter. New to town and needing to work, she restarts her acting career playing in a troupe at a girl’s birthday party. Unfortunately, she finds a dead body and gets pulled into the investigation. This causes a conflict of interest for her daughter a local police Detective. Sierra needs to clear her name and get her daughter back on the job, but bodies keep falling! I enjoyed this first book in the series, which is a spinoff of Cindy Sample’s Laurel McKay series since Sierra is Laurel’s cousin. I love the cultural references, including the book club’s selection! The characters are funny, relatable and their interactions are realistic. The narration by Meghan Kelly is fantastic. She creates unique voices for every single characters with different accents and tone etc. She is a wonderful narrator and this book showcases her talents with this tremendous performance. I hope there are more books in thus series.

Who committed the crimes

The plot keeps you guessing on who committed the murder. As you are introduced to the potential killers and learn more about them, there is a second murder. Are they related and if so who committed them.

The plot keeps you reading to try and solve the cases. Great plot and character development. Looking forward to more by this author and narrator.