Night Moves

Who knew that fruit and veg could create such a commotion? The Patriot Company is the scene of one murder and Ellison gets caught up in the case despite not being the one to find the body -- for once. What is causing the unrest at the warehouse and who was that guy on the forklift? Meanwhile the house next door is purchased by Ellison's high school sweetheart, Charlie. Will he be competition for our heroine's heart? Or just for Pansy? Will Anarchy and Ellison set a wedding date? This one is full of heartstopping and heartwarming moments. I just wish Mr. Coffee wasn't talking back to Ellison now. 1/2 a point off for those cringeworthy conversations.

This series just keeps getting better and better. I love the characters, the setting, the humor, the snark. Can’t wait for the next one!

Artist and socialite Ellison Russell is grateful that, for once, it wasn’t she that found a corpse from her circle of wealthy acquaintances. But who would want to kill bean counter Clayton Morris? Sure, he was overly cheap and controlling, but those are grounds for avoiding him, not murder. Ellison doesn’t even mean to look into the matter, but somehow….<br /><br />Meanwhile, Ellison’s domineering mother just won’t give up. The fact that Ellison is engaged doesn’t keep her mother, Frances Walford, from trying to play matchmaker someone she thinks better fits into Kansas City’s WASP elite.<br /><br />As happens with this series, I devoured the 12th Country Club Murders novel in mere hours. Julie Mulhern has produced another fun romp with picture-perfect details, like <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/545911.Beard_on_Bread" title="Beard on Bread by James Beard" rel="noopener">Beard on Bread</a>, Bundt cakes, Mr. Coffee, flowerpot bread, the embroidered peasant blouses, and the casual sexism that marked the era. Can’t wait for September and No. 13, <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/57054877.Lyin__Eyes__Country_Club_Murders__13_" title="Lyin' Eyes (Country Club Murders #13) by Julie Mulhern" rel="noopener">Lyin' Eyes</a>.<br />

This book, really the entire series, but this book in particular needs to come with a warning label!! Will make you laugh out loud at inappropriate moments causing a disturbance leading to snorts and possibly tears from laughter! Not only is it hilariously entertaining, it is a well plotted and wonderfully woven story to bring you loads of entertainment! A great murder mystery set in the 1970's KC country club and plaza area. This series is definitely on my must listen to audiobook series list as the narrator does an outstanding job of helping bring the characters and story to life. If you haven't started this series, you are completely missing out!!!

This series is one of the most consistently good series I’ve ever read. I’m on book 12 and the story is still solid, scary, swoony, funny and heart racy in more ways then one. This series is like a rare chocolate. I try not to read all the books at once so I can savor them and always have a few left in case. So it’s 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️for enjoyment and each book being so well written! Thank you Julie for a wonderful week of reading your book. What a pleasure!

I love these books so much! Let’s see….this time Ellison isn’t the first person to discover the body. A friend’s family owns a produce supply company and the men who work there are turning up poisoned. Can it be the wife whose Daddy ran the company and put her husband in charge? And said husband is ruining Daddy’s work? Maybe the fellow who shows up at lunch time and loads a truck with produce? In other news Ellison and Anarchy have set the date and they have two weeks to prepare for the wedding. Don’t let a little thing like a shooting slow things down.

Ellison is back again, and the residents of Kansas City continue to drop dead in dubious circumstances. But, this time, it is not Ellison who trips over the first corpse. Grace comments:<br /><blockquote> <i> ““Does this mean your streak is over?” I held up my crossed fingers. “We can hope.” I had a terrible feeling about Clayton’s death. “This could be the start of a whole new body-free chapter in my life.” No one said a word. We all knew I wasn’t that lucky.” </i> </blockquote><br />On the personal front, Ellison and Anarchy have yet to set a firm date for their wedding. When Charlie Ardmore was identified as Ellison’s high school ex-sweetheart, I immediately sided with Anarchy, got jealous on his behalf and hated Charlie. He was obviously guilty of the murder of Clayton Morris – even though there was no discernible motive, nor opportunity … Just, he was interfering, and I didn’t want him around. <br />I also found it creepy that Charlie moved in next door to Ellison, and was making no secret of trying to get back together with her – completely ignoring her (genuine) protestations that she was in love with Anarchy and was going to marry him. <br />Frances Walford (who <i> “blew into my house with the force of a March gale. Her hair was a perfect silver helmet. The pearls at her neck were the size of marbles. The handbag hooked over her elbow was crocodile.”</i>) also will not accept that Ellison is determined to marry Anarchy, and sees Charlie as the perfect alternative – a good-looking, recently divorced (did I say creepy?) cardiologist – who is not a cop.<br />It turns out that Charlie does have his uses – the main (and only important) one being, that he takes a shine to Pansy, the disruptive dog that Ellison rescued from Prudence, and offers the dog a new home: <br /><blockquote> <i> “Without regular, exhaustive exercise, Pansy dug. Her goal was China. Her preferred digging sites were the neighbors’ flower beds.” …<br />“She’s destructive.” A tornado was destructive. Pansy was something else—something worse.” </i> </blockquote><br />Even Max is getting a bit tired of her: <br /><blockquote> <i>“When it came to squirrels, Max fancied himself an apex predator. Pansy wasn’t so picky. She was willing to chase squirrels, rabbits, kids on skateboards, or little old ladies.” </i> </blockquote><br /><br />Back to the murder(s), Ellison’s life is in danger – someone is shooting at her. And then the worst thing happens!!! All intentions of getting any work done flew out the window. I could not put the book down until I had made absolutely sure that everyone was OK.<br />Another episode in the Country Club murders put successfully to bed. I cannot recommend this series highly enough, and I am impatiently waiting until the next one appears. (Sept 28th 2021– in my diary!).<br />

I can't believe that The Country Club Murder series is up to book #12. This is one of my favourite series, especially because it is set in the seventies. It is full of fun references and reminders of those days. In the previous books in this series, Ellison Russell has found or stumbled upon bodies. She doesn't find a body in this one, well at least not at the beginning, but she gets involved in an attempted murder of a friend's husband. While trying to set a wedding date, deal with her mother still trying to set her up with different men, and her daughter having issues and taking them out on Ellison she still does some amateur sleuthing and tries to figure out what is going on.<br /><br />This story has a very interesting and well-written plot. I followed the investigation and thought I had it figured out, but was not on the right track at all. There were some twists and some danger for Ellison along the way, but Julie Mulhern led us through the maze of clues and red herrings, until the final reveal in a wonderful trip back in time. I love the humour in this story and series. The references to things like Mr. Coffee, Country Clubs and their cliques as well as the music and clothes bring back some fun memories. I definitely recommend this book and series. Narrator Callie Beaulieu is one I am very familiar with. She does not do voices as she reads these stories, but her voice is great to listen to, her inflection and expression is right on and I can’t imagine anyone else being the voice of Ellison. She brings these stories to life for me and I will continue to listen to other books in this series. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

Loved it! Bring on the audiobook for the next book in the series: Lyin’ Eyes (The Country Club Murders #13.)

<strong>A Home Run</strong><br /><br />Another hit in the Country Club series. Ellison and Anarchy get better with each installment. A 5 star must read.