Sub-Genre Keywords: Humorous Mystery, Historical Mystery, Whodunnit, Amateur Sleuth, Women SleuthsSwimming into the lifeless body of her husband’s mistress tends to ruin a woman’s day, but becoming a murder suspect can ruin her whole life.It’s 1974 and Ellison Russell’s life revolves around her daughter and her art. She’s long since stopped caring about her cheating husband, Henry, and the women … husband, Henry, and the women with whom he entertains himself. That is, until she becomes a suspect in Madeline Harper’s death. The murder forces Ellison to confront her husband’s proclivities and his crimes—kinky sex, petty cruelties and blackmail.
As the body count approaches par on the seventh hole, Ellison knows she has to catch a killer. But with an interfering mother, an adoring father, a teenage daughter, and a cadre of well-meaning friends demanding her attention, can Ellison find the killer before he finds her?
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I love this series – Julie’s trip back to the ’70’s is so much fun (especially for this 70’s kid)! Start with this first book in the series!
First line of the book: “My morning swim doesn’t usually involve corpses.” And it only gets better. The plot is intriguing, the characters are complex and real, and the humor is genuinely funny! The book is set in 1974, and the main character, Ellison Russell, is a member of the country club. I am not even close to being a member of the country club, so I wasn’t sure at first that I would like or understand Ellison. However, I am completely charmed. Ellison is a real person. I can relate to her. Ms. Mulhern takes the reader to an elite world and shows us that the people there are just like everyone else (except for the money, of course!)…good, bad, kind, evil, fascinating. Dive in The Deep End, and you’ll want to grab the second book, Guaranteed to Bleed, as soon as you finish this one!
This was a great mystery that kept me entertained and turning the pages. I enjoyed the characters, especially Ellison and Anarchy and was surprised by the identity of the killer. Looking forward to more!
Ellison Russell is devoted to her teenage daughter, Grace, and her art. She and her husband are still living together, but that is only because they have decided to wait to get divorced until Grace is out of the house. Part of Ellison’s routine is a swim at dawn in the country club’s pool. On this particular June morning in 1974, she swims into a dead body in the pool. Worse yet, when the police arrive and pull the body out of the pool, she recognizes the victim as Madeline Harper, her husband’s mistress. Ellison knows that she makes a pretty compelling suspect in the woman’s murder, as does her husband. She knows she is innocent and she believes that her husband may be an adulterer, but he isn’t a killer. However, the fact that he’s suddenly left town for parts unknown doesn’t make him appear innocent. Can Ellison figure out what really happened to Madeline?
I’ve been hearing about this series for years, but I kept putting off starting it. I wish I’d read it sooner. The plot starts out right away and gives us plenty of action and twists along the way. I never saw the solution coming until Ellison figured it out either. The main characters are all strong and help pull us into the world, although I do wish that we had a little more context for some of the supporting players. I was also bothered by Ellison’s love life; it just felt inappropriate for this book. I’m sure in future books I will be fine with what is set up here. The subject matter does stray to the edges of cozies, but I thought how things were handled here was fine and it didn’t bother me. I greatly enjoyed the humor in the book, mostly coming from Ellison’s narration on things. Yet it is perfectly balances with some of the more serious elements of the plot. I can see why this series has so many fans, and I’m already one of them. Now, to find time to visit Ellison again.
Unexpected and awesome. The Deep End grabbed me immediately stuck…. loved it. Now I grab every book in the series as soon as I can. The combination of intense mystery and the dry humor that Ellison brings to life makes for a wonderful balances. LOVED IT.
Madeline was found floating in The DEEP END of the pool. The story is set in 1974. Its characters, dead and alive are the Country Club set in Kansas City. Mulhern has captured the time with an almost eerie accuracy. The main character’s inner dialog is fun and funny.
I read my favorite authors and continually search for new-to-me favorite authors. JULIE MULHERN is a new favorite. The DEEP END is the first in the Country Club Murders series.
I love this series!
Another fabulous read from Julie Mulhern! Ellison collided with a dead body on her morning swim. From there, her beautiful, well-ordered life spirals out of control, with dead bodies popping up all around her. Terrific characters and a tight, heart-thumping plot make this book a five star recommendation.
This series is wonderful! I’ve devoured all the books and I’m waiting for more.
Narrator Ellison Russell is a mid-life woman of privilege who lives the country club life—bridge, golf, gossip—but sees it all with a jaundiced eye and a wild sense of humor. Ellison has a domineering mother like none you’ve ever seen and an unfortunate habit of finding dead bodies. In this first book, one of those bodies belongs to her husband, a nasty philanderer. Early on she tangles with a detective with the improbably name of Anarchy Jones, and the fun begins. I plan to read all the books in the series.
Laugh out loud funny with a cast of characters you’ll want to hang out with. Well, most of them, anyway! A terrific kickoff to a fun series.
Julie Mulhern can turn a phrase that makes me laugh and cry both at once. Her writing is superb! And the twists and turns in this whole series keeps you on your toes. My favourite myster writer.
Laugh out loud funny story from start to finish. Book is filled with believable, realistic and humorous characters. Great beach, fireside or uplifting quarantine read. Looking forward to the next book in this series. Highly recommend! Happy reading.
Fun book that keeps you guessing as to who did it till near the end.
I’m a huge fan of this series. Since finding it I have bought and read all of the books, reading them more than once. I was trying to figure out what it was that I liked so much and it finally hit me. I thought it was because I was a child of the 70’s. That is part of it. But the real difference is that Mulhern is just a better writer than most. Anyone who reads as many books as I do, and I know a lot of you do, gets used to a certain quality of writing. It’s ok. Some are even good. But excellence is rare. Mulhern does it all. Her dialog is never forced, you can easily picture her scenes, her plotting is terrific. This is not to insult most cozy/mystery writers but if you read enough of them you know what I mean. Start with this one and I bet you get as hooked as I am.
Turned out to be an interesting book.
Love this series! Great characters and very descriptive of the Kansas City area!
I got this book for free on bookbub and decided to try it. I got hooked and am now on the 5th book of the series! It’s a cute and fun book and I’ve basically fallen in love with the characters wishing I was in the stories with them!
story line was written well enough to keep the reader guessing who the murderer was; then author gave us a surprise. was a good read, even though the setting was a little hard to imagine.
Already reviewed. It was fun!