Book Review: FIELDS' GUIDE TO ABDUCTION Poppy Fields Adventures Book 1 by Julie Mulhern

Synopsis

Poppy Fields has a movie-star mother, 84 million Instagram followers, paparazzi following her every move, and a problem. Her Mexican vacation just went sideways (abducted-by-a-drug-lord sideways).

Suddenly her life resembles one of her mother’s movies, except the bullets are real, people are dying, and there’s no guarantee of a happy ending.

Surrounded by trained killers and unsure who she can trust, only one thing is certain—if Poppy doesn’t escape, this vacation will be her last.

Review

Poppy escapes to a Mexican resort, sure her heart is broken and Jake is dead. She's there by invitation - a famous person to be photographed with, for the not quite so famous. A small price to pay for a week to recover from Jake's death. There are others there she knows, a woman who worked with Poppy's very famous mother, and a dangerous looking, but attractive man. Between flashbacks to Jake's dying, her father, and then thinking she's seen Jake - or his ghost, Poppy isn't prepared when another guest pounds on her door in distress. Poppy's luck goes down hill from there. Whisked away by the dangerous man to a cartel owned home, Poppy knows she's in trouble. Her only "friend" is the growling and teeth baring chihuahua, Consuela.

This is the first in a new series by Mulhern and off to a great start. Poppy isn't the most likable character to begin with, a bit spoiled, but she grows on you as she grows and perhaps finds herself when her life depends on it. It's not the most believable in some respects, yet it is entertaining, funny at times, and heartfelt at other times. The pace is good and the action just keeps coming. This one has been on my TBR list for a while. I'm glad I finally got to it. Of course, now I have the next five in the series to add to the list. 

(Psst. At least as I write this, Field's Guide to Abduction is FREE!)

AMAZON

New Release and Review STAYIN' ALIVE A Country Club Murder by Julie Mulhern

Synopsis

Springtime. Love is in the air. So is murder.

When Ellison Russell, reluctant finder of bodies, chairs a gala in conjunction with the museum’s Chinese funerary exhibit, she expects disaster. So, she’s not remotely surprised when a body turns up.

Ellison is willing to leave the investigation to the police till an attempt is made on her life.

Now she’s juggling evading a killer, her aunt’s overly-amorous beau, her dog’s new love interest, and Mother’s displeasure.

With bodies piling up, if Ellison’s not careful, staying alive might be impossible.

Review

Ellison is in charge of the gala for the museum, a high point among the country club set, and sure to not meet her mother's expectations. That's a given when she and Anarchy stumble on the body of Phyllis Goddard. Aunt Sis, Karma, and Grace help Ellison as she helps Anarchy. Aunt Sis adds to the sparks with her new beau and poor Max is pegged as the dog digging up the neighbors' flowers. 

True to form, the characters, including Mr. Coffee, move the story along at a steady pace. Ellison is in the wrong place more than once with more than one condolence call. The tension is mixed with some humor and the ending isn't expected. Although this is the 10th in the Country Club Murders, it can be easily read as a stand alone. 

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

AMAZON

Blog tour/Review: WATCHING THE DETECTIVES by Julie Mulhern

Watching the Detectives (The Country Club Murders)

Cozy Mystery

5th in Series

Publisher: Henery Press (May 23, 2017)

Paperback: 234 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1635112115

E-Book ASIN: B06WWF1PWQ

Synposis

Ellison Russell wanted a decorator, not a corpse. Too bad she finds Mrs. White in the study killed with a revolver. Things go from bad to worse when she finds Mr. White in the dining room killed with a candlestick. With so many bodies, is it any wonder Detective Anarchy Jones’ new partner considers Ellison a suspect?

With the country club gossips talking a mile a minute, an unexpected cocktail party, a visit from Aunt Sis, and a romantic decision, Ellison hardly has time to think about murder. Unfortunately, the killer has plenty of time to think about her.

Review

Ellison continues to have mother and man problems, and now there's a second detective, a Columbo type, who has partnered up with Anarchy. She has no intent of hiring Khaki to redo the study where her husband was killed, but she's a friend of Hunter's so...  and then Khaki's dead and somehow her best friend Jinx - or her husband Preston - may be involved. 

Mulhern manages to not only capture the apparently idyllic perspective of the country club set, but also a bit of politics and women's lib amidst two murders, and lots of questions about Khaki's business practices. The story is well-paced and the characters keep it moving. Mother-daughter relationships with Ellison in both roles and decisions on whether she's ready for romance or not add a little humor to the mix. 

This is the fifth in the Country Club Murders Humorous Mystery series, but can easily be read as a stand alone. The series is enjoyable though, so the best plan is to start at the beginning with THE DEEP END. If you've already read the others, you won't be disappointed.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

Books in the Country Club Murders Humorous Mystery Series:
THE DEEP END (#1)
GUARANTEED TO BLEED (#2)
CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE (#3)
SEND IN THE CLOWNS (#4)
WATCHING THE DETECTIVES (#5)

About the Author

Julie Mulhern is the USA Today bestselling author of The Country Club Murders. She is a Kansas City native who grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie. She spends her spare time whipping up gourmet meals for her family, working out at the gym and finding new ways to keep her house spotlessly clean–and she’s got an active imagination. Truth is–she’s an expert at calling for take-out, she grumbles about walking the dog and the dust bunnies under the bed have grown into dust lions.

Author Links

Webpage – www.juliemulhernauthor.com

FB – https://www.facebook.com/juliekmulhern/?ref=hl

Twitter – https://twitter.com/JulieKMulhern

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8573907.Julie_Mulhern

Purchase Links

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Book Review: THE DEEP END (The Country Club Murders Book 1) by Julie Mulhern

Synopsis

Swimming 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 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?

Review

The context is the high society country club set where appearance is everything and in the 1970s divorce is not considered acceptable and neither is a wife earning more money than her husband. Ellison's art and Grace are the plusses in her life  - only her hobby is making more money than her husband. That and his interest in kinky sex spell doom for the marriage.  Ellison is biding her time until Grace finishes high school to end her marriage. Her mother is domineering and Ellison's never stood up to her, until she becomes a suspect in the murder of her husband's latest mistress. She gains more strength in self-preservation as the body count rises.

Ellison stands up for herself and makes the decision for divorce. When her mother accepts that decision, it is time to match her up with the perfect man, attorney Hunter Platt. Hunter jumps right in, a bit bossy to say the least. In the meantime, Detective Jones is doing his best to get Ellison to tell her what she knows.  The country club set have a lot of secrets but are also quick to speculate, stare, and may be a bit afraid of what Ellison knows.

This is the first in the Country Club Murders.  I look forward to reading GUARANTEED TO BLEED and CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE to see more of Ellison - a 70s woman coming into her own.  I'm hoping to see more of Detective Jones as well!

AMAZON