The Sound the Sun Makes (Ballads of Paradise #2) by Buck Storm

 Literary Americana with humor, heart, and a whole lot of twists to keep readers guessing

Detective Early Pines loves his southern Arizona desert, often thinking he could stare at it all day long. But now that he's forced to do just that, the truth is the view from his back porch is getting old. He's on mandatory leave from the police department, simply for punching a wife beater who had it coming. Early is in dire need of a distraction from his own loud thoughts. So when an old friend invites him to tag along to a rodeo down in Old Mex, it seems like just the ticket.

But if there's one constant in the world, it's that life always throws a guy curveballs. With a flat tire, a roadside bar, and a beautiful woman with trouble on her hands, Early's distraction takes a hard right turn--straight to Los Angeles, six hundred miles west.

Hammott Lamont is waiting there in his own personal hunting ground. The reclusive filmmaker is a veritable cult leader to Hollywood stars--and he's sure his latest project will redefine art history in his image. He's got a plan for a brutal, modernized version of the Christ story, and he's ready to trample anyone who stands in the way of his colossal vision. That is, until big, loud Early Pines hits the coast for a clash of two titans who never saw each other coming.

Quirky, lyrical, and unexpected, The Sound the Sun Makes offers a warm and sunny side trip for fans of Jimmy Buffett, Carl Hiaasen, and Barbara Kingsolver who long for more of a Christian worldview in their fiction. 

My thoughts:

This is the first book that I’ve read by this author and the premise seemed interesting, so I decided to read it.  I liked Early Pines; a detective who has recently been suspended from his job due to an unfortunate incident.  There are parts of the storyline I really enjoyed, such as the road trip he and a friend set out on, but after that the storyline became less interesting to me in some places.

I thought the writing was good although, I didn’t care for the majority of the characters, but I kept reading and finally managed to get more interested in a few of the characters we meet as the story progresses.  It was a nice change of pace from what I normally read so that was a plus and there wasn’t a starry-eyed romance which I appreciated for a change.

A pleasant read and one I recommend.  I received a copy of this book from the publisher.  Opinions are my own.