A killer is calling, and Ellison’s life is on the line. Ellison Russell is planning the event of the season-and she’s stressed. Why not yoga?Because the yoga instructor gets murdered during class-and Ellison’s stress level rises exponentially. Now, in addition to raising a ridiculous amount of money, she’s babysitting a deranged cat (named after the devil himself), taking ten million phone calls … calls (most of them from Mother), and finding more bodies (they’re popping up like dandelions after a spring rain).There’s no such thing as balance when the killer makes it personal. Can Ellison catch a murderer or will her next namaste be her last?
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
I was warned that I may want to skip this book because the manner of death may trigger feelings about my son’s suicide. That is why I didn’t read and review it when it was released back in June. I have enjoyed every book in this series so recently I decided to give reading it a shot. One scene did make me uncomfortable and the image has stuck with me but I forged on and am happy I did so.
Ellison Russell is stressed – her mother is pressuring her to raise an obscene amount of money for an upcoming museum fundraiser and she really needs a break. Yeah right, when Ellison needs a break she usually runs to the love of her life Mr. Coffee. But this time she has been roped by her friend Libba into attending a yoga class at Winnie Flournoy’s house.
The class is ensconced in the last relaxing moves when they realize the instructor Marigold Applebottom is gone and she has locked them in the attic studio. Ellison comes up with a plan to alert a neighbor but that person leaves quickly and soon thereafter the police arrive and make a horrific discovery. Marigold is dead and there is much more drama to follow involving Winnie Flournoy and her husband, plus one of Grace’s friends is assaulted and Ellison and Grace have some new neighbors.
If Ellison wasn’t stressed before she sure in now. The question seems to be could her deceased husband’s dirty deeds have anything to do with the deaths and drama. Hopefully, Ellison can stay alive long enough to find out.
I am always excited to flashback to the ’70s with the latest book from Julie Mulhern. This time it is with Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) and Telephone Line.
Technically Ellison didn’t find the body this time but she identifies the body and she soon is wrapped right up in another murder investigation and her mother is apoplectic. (The Kansas City grapevine is stellar with its direct line to Frances.) She wants Ellison to focus on raising money and spending time with lawyer Hunter and not Detective Anarchy Jones. Ellison is fine being friends with Hunter but more and more her heart belongs to Anarchy. She also needs to carve out time for her daughter as a hard anniversary rolls around and to help her deal with what happened to her friend.
Ellison has grown so much over the course of this series. Her relationship with her mother continues to make me laugh, I really do see just a little bit of my mother in her mom. Ellison’s housekeeper, Aggie is a gem and is not afraid to voice her opinions. Libba continues to delve where others won’t and again keeps me laughing. The characters all come across as believable and the dialogue is perfectly written.
The murder mystery is complex especially when another person dies and another lands in the hospital. A possible connection to Ellison’s late husband Henry, adds a really nice twist. I did have a guess as to who the guilty party was but didn’t really mesh everything together until closer to the end. I did find myself reading faster and unable to put the book down as clues starting showing me I was on the right track.
Julie Mulhern writes a story full of charm and humor. She also takes on some serious topics. Topics that were hot in the 70s and still hot today. That is not to say she takes these issues lightly. She always strikes the right tone. I was very impressed with the way Ellison handled things. I hope I would be able to do the same if any of my family had to deal with similar situations. The author has a unique voice and a keen knowledge of the time frame. From the country club to Jello molds she has everything down pat. Humor does fill many pages. The scene with Libba and the cat is absolutely priceless.
It is always a treat to escape into the books in this series. This entire series is excellent. You truly can’t go wrong with anything written by Julie Mulhern. They are all “Must Reads”!
I love this series and this book did not disappoint. I love the characters and the 70s setting. Ellison finds another body much to the chagrin of her mother. She sets out solve the crime while also organizing a museum Gala and helping Grace deal with the issues of sexual assault. In all the books there are laugh out loud scenes while still dealing with serious issues. In this book the Jello scene is hysterical. The mystery was good even though I was able to solve it. There were a few twists and turns. This series should be read in order. Grab a glass of TAB and enjoy this fun book
Julie Mulhern has the magic formula for the perfect mystery. They are smartly written and infused with humor, while also dealing with issues that cause you to stop and think. I always look forward to Julie’s books and this one was no exception. I hope this series has no plans of ending anytime soon, because it is one of my favorites!
If you live through the ’70’s or enjoy reading about the time, Julie Mulhern’s mid ’70’s mystery, Telephone Line, is a must read. If you enjoy humor with your mystery, you have to read this book. If you love a heroine who stands against the norm. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK.
Every book in The Country Club Murders holds us in its grip with tears, laughter, and suspense, andTelephone Line stands out as awesome even in this amazing series. Ellison has finally accepted that she a strong woman and, watching her journey into that place of acceptance been one of the highlights of the series. There have been so many memorable moments as she stood for the underdog against the narrow mindset and blindness of the mid-’70s. She doesn’t fight big public battles, she stands for individuals, individuals who too often have fallen to the double standards of the time. Readers will recognize, and identify with, many of those battles that are still being fought today.
On the lighter side, seeing the styles and the aspects of life specific to the seventies is a blast for this reader whose whole life counts as history, but younger readers who love retro will delight in the signs of the day as well. I laugh until tears roll over Ellison’s love affair with her amazing Mr. Coffee and have almost as much fun watching her deal with her very proper mother. That is one uptight lady, but she is getting a little better.
Oh, and that salad, oh my. Once you read the book, that salad with stay with you forever.
I love this book! I am so lucky that Edelweiss and Henery Press approved my request for an ARC! I still can’t wait for my personal copy to arrive!
My favorite mystery series, live the 70’s setting.
Yoga should relax you right? Wrong, not when your instructor locks you in the studio and then is found hanging from the bannister! Ellison is back and funnier than ever with more murders, mishaps and an overbearing mother that is determined to rule her life! This series is a particular favorite of mine since it is based in KC, just down the road from me so I am familiar with the landmarks and locations mentioned in the book. My only issue is that now I have to wait for the author to write the next book..….hopefully very quickly….so we can see what happens next! If you are an audio book fan, then this series needs to be on your must read list as the reader does a fabulous job of bringing the characters to life! I so need my next fix of Ellison and gang already!
I found Julie Mulhern’s books and have enjoyed them all. While reading this one there was a scene with a cat, the main character, a friend, and an exciting surprise that had me laughing out loud. When a book can do that it is a keeper. I can’t wait until the next adventure!
The Country Club Murders series is terrific. Telephone Line is the ninth in the series and it keeps getting better. Ellison Russell, dead bodies and hunky Detective Anarchy Jones…a combination that makes it hard to put the book down. This time Ellison is locked in a room when the first body is found. But that doesn’t stop her from finding more dead bodies along the way. And of course, she is chairing a gala where her Mother wants her to raise a ridiculous amount of money. Very well thought out plot with great characters, some laughter, a little romance and definitely mystery right to the end. I enjoy the dynamics between Ellison, her daughter Grace and her Mother. These are set in the 70’s with no cell phones, but lots of coffee. And what about Detective Anarchy Jones for her love interest? Things seem to be heating up. Looking forward to the next one.
As with each book in this series, I loved the story line. It was fast-paced, action-packed, and had me on the edge of my seat with each turn of the page. Julie Mulhern has such a fantastic cast of characters in this series, there is only one bad thing about reading latest installment in the The Country Club Murders as soon as it’s released – wondering how long I’m going to have to wait before Ellison and crew are back!
I just love these books. Set in the 1970s it’s a fun mystery series with a great main character!
Another book I couldn’t put down. I try not to read in one day, managed to last two full days. I also enjoy Julie Mulhern’s book and Telephone Line is number 9 in a great series. I have enjoyed reading the books, getting to know the people and pulling for Ellison as she discovers the deadly secretes of the Country Club Set in Kansas City. Ellison has a bossy mother, loving father, daughter, sassy friend and one hot conservative detective boyfriend. What’s not to love
Another hit from Julie Mulhern in this 9th outing of the Country Club Murders! As with the others, the author has a clear and entertaining style of writing. Her main character, Ellison Russell, and assorted family members, friends, enemies, etc. are all well rounded and interesting. Set in 1975 Kansas City, MO among the Country Club set these installments never fail to entertain and make you laugh out loud! Eagerly awaiting #10!
Bodies, Bodies, and More Bodies
Telephone Line is the ninth book in Julie Mulhern’s Country Club Murders series. Ms. Mulhern’s writing style is crisp and clear, the storyline is well plotted, and the three-dimensional characters are entertaining, fun, and a little quirky. The setting for this series is the country club society in Kansas City, Missouri, in the 1970s, and all the details are right on target for that era. The complex mystery is interesting, with witty statements and humor dispersed throughout this steadily paced book. There are lots of twists and turns, red herrings, and enough suspects to keep readers engaged. The final reveal came as a surprise to me. I highly recommend this series to readers who enjoy well-crafted and clean mysteries.
Ellison Russell, who lives in Kansas City, Missouri, is a widow, an artist, the mother of a teenage daughter, she loves Mr. Coffee, and much to the dismay of her mother, Francis, has the unwanted talent of finding murder victims. Ellison and Detective Anarchy Jones continue to pursue a relationship; Grace, her daughter, is pleased, but Francis and Ellison’s housekeeper, Aggie, aren’t and both wish she would become involved with Hunter Tafft, a local lawyer. Against her better judgment, Ellison agreed to be the chairman for the museum’s gala for the unveiling of a Chinese exhibit. Ellison is pleased when their donation goal was met, but her mother puts pressure on her to match the million dollars that two other tour cities raised. At her friend, Libba’s, insistence, Ellison takes a yoga class at Winnie Flournoy’s house. When they realize the instructor, Marigold Applebottom, had locked them in the attic yoga studio, Ellison is able to attract the attention of a neighbor, but when that person enters the house, she finds Marigold’s body. Anarchy and his partner, Detective Peters, are overwhelmed with murder victims and the poisoning of one of the victim’s wives. The bodies keep piling up, and because people tend to open up and talk to Ellison, Anarchy asks for her help him figure out why so many murders had been committed in such a short amount of time. After her husband’s death, Ellison found files that indicated he was blackmailing people which she hid in her safe. When names sound familiar to her, she looks in those filed and finds a clue that leads her to believe all the murders and the attempt on Winnie’s life are somehow related.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline and voluntarily reviewed it.
BETTER THAN EVER!!
TELEPHONE LINE (The Country Club Murders Book 9) is proof positive that Julie Mulhern’s writing is BETTER THAN EVER! While readers have come to love main character Ellison, her teenage daughter Grace, her formidable Mother Frances, her boyfriend Detective Anarchy Jones and her best friend Libba, Mulhern always manages to add new depth to these characters that we think we know so well. She continues to develop each of them individually and it makes readers feel as if we’re learning new things about our own friends. As we’ve come to expect, MURDER seems to follow/find Ellison whether she wants it to or not! This leads to her immediately receiving a telephone call from her Mother demanding to know why she has 1) found another dead body, 2) been on the scene when a murder took place, 3) knows the victim or 4) someone has reported something that they heard about Ellison/overheard Ellison’s conversation about. Obviously, her telephone rings quite frequently! This novel brings Ellison into more perilous situations than she’s ever met before. The Good News – she has Anarchy on her side. The Bad News – her Mother and the Telephone Line. What is the common denominator in all these situations? Where does Ellison fit in and is she next on the list? I was provided an ARC of this novel by Henery Press and Edelweiss. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.