Where Is Your Bookmark: My Bookish Mewsings on The Deep End by Julie Mulhern (& Some of My Favorite Covers From the Past 16 years)

Along with this mini review, I am linking to both Book Beginnings, a meme in which readers share the first sentence of a book they are reading, hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader and Friday 56 hosted by Freda of Freda's Voice, in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading.

My morning swim doesn't usually involve corpses. If it did, I'd give up swimming for something less stressful, like coaxing cobras out of baskets or my mother out of bed before ten. [opening of The Deep End]

               ★                    

A hand grazed across my forehead and my lashes fluttered. The gentle fingers on my skin paused then disappeared. No point in playing opossum now. I opened my eyes. [excerpt from 56% in The Deep End]

The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
Henery Press, 2015
Crime Fiction/Cozy/Historical; 276 pgs

My thoughts: The Deep End is the first in Julie Mulhern's Country Club Murder series set in Kansas City, and what a fun mystery it was!

Ellison Russell is stuck in an unhappy marriage. She finds joy in painting and raising her teenager daughter, Grace, while maintaining her country club lifestyle and enduring her mother's constant interferences. One morning during a daily swim, Ellison swims right into her husband's mistress--who is definitely no longer breathing. To an outsider, Ellison has a motive for wanting the other woman dead, but Ellison has long since stopped caring about her husband's affairs. Suspicion also falls on her husband who chooses right then to go out of town; to exactly where, no one knows. It turns out, her husband was hiding more than just his affair. With the bodies piling up around her and her family's reputation at stake, Ellison sets out to find out who the killer is.

The novel is set in 1974, and author Julie Mulhern captures that time period well with occasional passing references to historical events, social mores, and the fashion of the day. I love that Ellison drinks Tab, which was my dad's favorite drink (my mom still has a can of the soda in her refrigerator in his memory). It's touches like that which help me immerse myself completely in a novel.

I liked Ellison's spunk and ability to think on her feet. There is mention that she hasn't always stood up for herself in her marriage or with her mother in the past, but, from what I saw, she makes quite a formidable character. Her husband, Henry, was every bit the moron. And I found her mother extremely overbearing, but it was obvious she loves her daughter. Gossip spreads like wildfire in the country club community and it seemed to work for and against Ellison. There are a number of interesting background characters, many with secrets of their own. 

The mystery was well executed. I suspect I figured out who the killer was at just the moment the author hoped I would. Before Ellison but not so soon to say I could see it coming a mile away. I loved the humor throughout the novel--that dry humor that sets just the right tone throughout the novel. This was such an enjoyable read, and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

Thank you to everyone who voted for The Deep End in my February TBR poll. This was a winner for me in more ways than one!

Challenges Met: COYER/Cruisin' thru the Cozies/Mount TBR/Backlist Reader/Historical Fiction

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. It is co-hosted by Linda Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell, Roberta from Offbeat YA, Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About, Berl's from Because Reading is Better than Real Life, and Karen from For What It’s Worth. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.

Share some books covers you love!

I went through my list of books read on Goodreads over the past 16 years and selected ten covers (because I couldn't narrow it down any further) that I find especially appealing. Which of these do you like best? 

I hope you will join in next week  to answer next week's Tell Me Something Tuesday question: Time for a pet update! Tell us about yours.

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Do you use other sources for ARCs besides NetGalley? (submitted by Bonnie @ Bonnie Reads and Writes)

Although occasionally an author, agent or publisher will offer me a print advanced reader copy, more often that not, I go through NetGalley and Edelweiss and receive advanced reader e-copies. 

What about you?

I hope you will join in next week  to answer next week's Book Blogger Hop question: What is the significance of your blog header? 

 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!

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