I’ve made no secrets about my admiration for Julie Mulhern and the Country Club Mystery series. It’s one that I will eagerly move to the top of my Read Next pile. I try to take my time reading, to savor each scene and chapter, but I always find myself engrossed and gobbling up the pages. Send in the Clowns is another stellar story and has only served to fuel my fascination with both this author and this series.

It’s Halloween season, and Ellison’s daughter, Grace, didn’t come home from the local haunted house with her friends. Ellison goes to find Grace, weaving her way through the rooms and scenes along with dozens of titillated teens eager for a fright. Ellison soon finds herself alone in one room with two clowns. Tamping down her dread – honestly, who isn’t afraid of clowns?! – Ellison asks the clowns if they’ve seen Grace; they don’t answer. Rather, one of the clowns slowly advances toward Ellison, ultimately collapsing at her feet. At first, Ellison thinks the scene is part of the script, but the scent of blood is familiar and undeniable. When the second cloud says nothing – only leers menacingly – Ellison goes for help.

Enter Detective Anarchy Jones . . .

. . . and exit the body of one dead clown.

Much to the dismay of everyone in Ellison’s life, the body resurfaces and Ellison finds herself hopelessly entangled in yet another murder investigation. As much as she would like to figure out who the man behind the clown makeup is, Ellison would also like to disentangle herself from the love triangle at which she is the center. Suave, sensitive, and smart Hunter Tafft is surely the right choice by society’s standards. And yet, Detective Jones – rugged, sharp, and impossibly handsome with eyes the color of coffee – is the man who can set her heart racing.

Send in the Clowns is a five-star read. Clever and, at times, comical, with strikingly defined characters who practically walk off the pages into reality. Reading Julie Mulhern feels more like watching a movie, so vividly does she craft a scene. An excellent entry in the Country Club Murders series – one that has left this reader clamoring for more.

Read an Excerpt

Mother paled and worked her jaw. She looked mad enough to spit nails. “What was he doing here?” 

“Shouldn’t you be with Daddy?” I asked. 

She glanced at the door, clearly torn. On the one hand, she should be with her husband. On the other, reading me the riot act would be deeply satisfying. 

“Daddy was shot.”

“Grazed,” she replied. 

My own words used against me.  

“Grace is with him,” she added. 

I recognized defeat when I saw it. I took another sip and began. “Aggie answered the door, he cold-cocked her with his gun, and came inside.” 

“And held you at gunpoint?” 

“Yes.” 

“Why?” Mother demanded. 

I glanced at Anarchy. Couldn’t he interject? He sat stiff in an easy chair, apparently content to let Mother ask the questions. 

“He thought I knew what he’d been up to.” 

“Did you?” Why, when Anarchy did ask a question, was it the one I didn’t particularly want to answer? 

“I suspected.” 

“And you didn’t tell me?” The “cop” expression was evident in his brown eyes. Cold. Hard. All business. 

“She’s always been secretive,” said Mother. 

“I have not!” Had I? “I didn’t think you’d believe me.” 

“I believed you when you reported a murder and there was no body.” 

There was that. And that was hard to argue. 

Mother put her scotch down on the coffee table. She straightened her spine and crossed her ankles. She donned a grande dame expression—a combination of look-down-her-nose, curl-the-corner-of her-lower-lip and head tilt—that perfectly communicated her disappointment with me. “When are you going to stop finding bodies? It’s very disruptive.” 

Disruptive? “I don’t go looking for them, Mother.” Tired as I was, my back stiffened. If she wanted an argument, I’d give her one. 

“Yes, well, perhaps you should try looking the other way.” 

Enter the Giveaway

Click the image at left for your chance to win one of five (5) Kindle e-copies of The Deep End, the first book in the Country Club Mystery series, as well as a $20 Amazon gift card!

 

Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Publisher: Henery Press (October 25, 2016)
Paperback: 246 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1635110814
E-Book ASIN: B01J499OUE

 

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Synopsis

Haunted houses are scary enough without knife-wielding clowns. Especially murderous knife-wielding clowns. So thinks Ellison Russell, single mother, artist, and reluctant sleuth.

Now death wears a red nose and Ellison is up to the blood-stained collar of her new trench coat in costumes, caffeine, and possible killers. Who stabbed Brooks Harney? And why? Money? Jealousy? Drugs?

With Mother meddling, her father furious, and her date dragged downtown for questioning, turns out Ellison’s only confidante is Mr. Coffee.

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)

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.

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Purchase Links:     Amazon – Barnes and Noble – iBooks – Kobo

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October 24 – A Date with a Book – REVIEW

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