After the first book in this series I was very much looking forward on reading how the charachter of Ivy Meadows would develop. Cindy Brown does a nice job here. In this book, we not only learn more about what drives Ivy to be an actress/PI, but we see that she is learning from her 'mistakes' and trying to be a better actress/PI/person.
A nice cozy mystery although sometimes it went all so fast I had a little trouble remembering who was who and why people were killed when they were killed. In the end, however, everything comes together nicely and the reader is left with wanting to read more books in this series.

Struggling actress Ivy Meadows gets hired to look into the accident-plagued Gold Bug Gulch Western Theme Town, where plumbing backups, snake releases, and even an “accidental” killing have plagued the ghost town-turned-tourist attraction. Ivy plays Annie Oakley and some other characters as part of the entertainment, but her real job is to sniff out what’s really going on.

While I didn’t enjoy Ivy Get Your Gun, the fourth novel in this series, as much as author Cindy Brown’s first two books in the series, MacDeath and The Sound of Murder, author Cindy Brown certainly made a big improvement over No. 3 Oliver Twisted. Ivy got to show off both her acting and her private investigator chops, as her PI uncle Bob Duda was gone for most of the novel. Flawed but with a heart of gold, Ivy Meadows is a heroine you can’t help but adore! While I found her inexplicably flaky relationship with her boyfriend Matt frustrating, that wasn’t enough to put me off this novel. I loved learning about the real Annie Oakley (as opposed to the Hollywood caricature dreamed up in the musical Annie Get Your Gun), and I simply enjoyed the other characters, who were much better realized than those in Oliver Twisted. In addition, Ivy Get Your Gun boasts a very fine mystery that will keep you guessing until almost the very end. Nice comeback, Ms. Brown! And kudos for spreading the news about the real Annie Oakley.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Henery Press in exchange for an honest review.

Ivy is still working on figuring out her life. I missed one of the books in the series but I didn't feel like I missed too much of the story.
Still working for her uncle's detective agency but also working as an actress, Ivy is trying out for "Annie Get Your Gun." She is somewhat sidetracked by the appearance of Arnie's son (supposedly). Nathan has borrowed money from Arnie (actually, it was Marge's money) to start a live-action Western town. Add to that, Arnie and Marge's pug, Lassie, has recently run away to run with a pack of feral Chihuahuas.
So, Ivy's working at the town, trying out for a play, searching for Lassie, and trying to figure out how to keep her relationship going when her boyfriend live an hour away. It's a good book, much in keeping with the first one. A fast, fun, and fluffy read, it's perfect for a summer pick.

Four stars
This book comes out May 16

I had a hard time getting through this latest installment in the series. For the first half of the book I didn't really care about what was going on. Once the second half of the book rolled around I was definitely more interested in the book. Usually I've been a big fan of Ivy but for this one I wasn't. She seemed especially bad with her P.I. skills in this one and I wasn't a big fan of her relationship with Matt in this book. I am still interested in seeing what happens next in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the galley.

Ivy Get Your Gun: An Ivy Meadows Mystery
By Cindy Brown
Henery Press
May 16, 2017

Review by Cynthia Chow

When Ivy Meadows (Olive Ziegwart’s stage name) receives a panicked call from her friend Marge, it’s not Timmy in the well who needs rescuing, but Lassie. Marge’s beloved pug Lassie has gone rogue and joined a feral pack of roaming Chihuahuas, and “Arizona’s Ethel Merman” is begging Ivy to bring him home. Ivy may be a full-time aspiring actress, but she is also a part-time detective trainee at her Uncle Bob’s Private Investigative firm. Before Ivy can start tracking down the rogue pug though, shots ring out at Marge’s boyfriend Arnie’s Western theme park. This is expected during the old-fashioned, staged gunfight, but the gunfighter remaining dead is not. Encouraged by his newly discovered son Nathan, Arnie – or more accurately, Marge –invested in the Gold Bug Gulch, a tourist attraction built out of the remnants of a deserted mining town. Although Arnie refuses to question Nathan’s legitimacy, Marge pressures Arnie into hiring Ivy to discover whether the bullet-swapping was an accident, sabotage, or the result of Arnie’s feared family curse.

Working undercover as an actress in dual roles for a Gold Bug Gulch Arnold Opera House stage production, Ivy blusters through her investigations with her forthright questions and inquisitive mind. The old West becomes a recurring theme in both her professions, as Ivy is auditioning for a regional theater company production of Annie Get Your Gun, in the hopes of portraying the legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley. No one is more devastated than Ivy to discover that the stage and movie adaptations ignore Annie’s trailblazing feminism and acts of charity, choosing instead to showcase her as a ditz who could never catch her man. It’s a concept Ivy is determined to correct, even as she confronts the continuing ideology that women can only fit into one of two roles; Madonna or Whore. At least Ivy is able to use this to her advantage, playing the bimbo in order to investigate the deceased Mongo’s family history, a bat-crazy environmentalist, and connections to the rest of the cast.

This novel excels at operating at several different levels. While it is endlessly entertaining and full of humor, the author is not afraid to tackle serious topics and confront contemporary issues. Ivy continually finds herself juggling between two roles; actress and detective, independent woman and insecure girlfriend, young woman and mature adult. One of the greatest joys of reading this series is watching Ivy grow up before our eyes. Ivy definitely has her comical moments of klutziness, which include falling into cholla cactus, disguising as a nun, literally butting heads with Arnie’s son, chasing down Chihuahuas, and displaying hunger-induced scatterbrain. Yet at the same time Ivy steadfastly proclaims Annie Oakley’s true character as a woman who challenged the precepts of her time. A tragedy from childhood that led to a neglected childhood continues to impact Ivy, and despite her nimble tap-dancing around the issue it is coming to a breaking point with her secret boyfriend. Ivy’s use of humor to deflect uncomfortable situations may be frustrating for Matt, but it is a treat for readers. This being a true novel of dualities, the fourth in the series is a masterful blend of mystery and the entertaining fun of the theater world.

Setting: Gold Bug Gulch, Arizona

Characters

Ivy Meadows - aka Olive Ziegwart, theater actress, P.I., narrator
Matt - Ivy's significant other
Cody - Ivy's brother
Arnie & Marge - husband and wife, friends of Ivy's
Plot: Arnie and Marge's pug has escaped his yard and run off with a rogue band of chihuahuas. The pet parents are devastated and ask Ivy, an actress by night, but private investigator by day, to help them find their beloved dog. In the course of her search, Ivy is roped into another investigation - this one much bigger and more deadly. Arnie's son has pulled his father and stepmother into investing in Gold Bug Gulch, a wild west tourist town out in the middle of nowhere. During one of the town's "gunfights," an actor is shot through the heart - and now everyone is wondering just who is to blame. Working undercover, Ivy infiltrates the old west town, making friends - or are they enemies? - along the way. In true Ivy Meadows fashion, nothing goes according to plan. Her cover may be blown, her relationship with Matt is on the rocks, and she just might ride off into the sunset prematurely thanks to a bad guy in good guy clothing.

Pacing: Quick

Predictability: Low

Wild Card: This is one of my favorite series. Ivy is such a fun character to spend time with! I always find it difficult to put down one of Cindy Brown's books. The wild, wild West may not be my particular cup of tea, but I'll gladly follow Ivy into trouble wherever she goes.

Hit, Miss, or Draw? Hit!

Good mix of emotions throughout this cozy.

Inspired by Annie Oakley, Ivy Meadows, aka Olive Ziegwart, takes on an acting gig at Gold Bug Gulch western theme park in order to investigate Arnie's investment and his recently announced son Nathan.

Lassie The Pug has escaped Marge & Arnie's yard to join a pack of roving feral Chihuahuas who roam the desert around Sunnydale, outside of Phoenix AZ. Dog-sitter Ivy is on the investigation at all hours.

As a P I Ivy has a lot to learn, with logic and common sense in short supply her reliance on Uncle Bob is tested.

Cindy Brown is expert at combining humor with tough mysteries and a touch of romance. 'Ivy Get Your Gun' is just another in a great series that perfectly reaches the mark! Ivy is going through an emotional crisis in her relationships with family and her boyfriend Matt, along with efforts to elevate her acting career. Marge and Arnie have lost their beloved pug and enlist Ivy's help to find him. They also hire her to investigate Arnie's 'supposed long lost son' and their investment in his new venture Gold Bug Gulch, a western themed adventure experience. Throw in her new crush on Annie Oakley, who she portrays in performances at the Gulch after a staged gunfight turned out deadly, and you have a riotous yet suspenseful Ivy adventure. I was grateful to be along for the ride. Please, please don't ever stop.