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The Country Club Murders book cover 1
The Country Club Murders book cover 2
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The Country Club Murders
Series · 21
books · 2015-2024

Books in series

The Deep End book cover
#1

The Deep End

2015

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?
Only the Good Die Young book cover
#1.5

Only the Good Die Young

2023

Frances Walford's daughter, Ellison Russell, has developed the truly deplorable habit of finding bodies. And Frances can't help but scold her about it. But when Ellison goes to Europe, Frances finds a corpse of her own. Can she help catch a killer and keep her involvement a secret? This is a short novella told from Frances' point of view. Chronologically it falls between The Deep End and Guaranteed to Bleed.
Guaranteed to Bleed book cover
#2

Guaranteed to Bleed

2015

With his dying breath, Bobby Lowell begs Ellison Russell, "Tell her I love her." Unable to refuse, Ellison struggles to find the girl the murdered boy loved. Too bad an epically bad blind date, a vindictive graffiti artist, and multiple trips to the emergency room keep getting in the way. Worse, a killer has Ellison in his sights, her newly rebellious daughter is missing, and there's yet another body in her hostas. Mother won't be pleased. Now Ellison must track down not one but two runaway teenagers, keep her promise to Bobby, and elude the killer—all before her next charity gala committee meeting.
Clouds in My Coffee book cover
#3

Clouds in My Coffee

2016

When Ellison Russell is nearly killed at a benefactors' party, she brushes the incident aside as an unhappy accident. But when her house is fire-bombed, she's shot at, and the person sitting next to her at a gala is poisoned, she must face facts. Someone wants her dead. But why? And can Ellison find the killer before he strikes again? Add in an estranged sister, a visiting aunt with a shocking secret, and a handsome detective staying in her guesthouse, and Ellison might need more than cream in her coffee...
Send in the Clowns book cover
#4

Send in the Clowns

2016

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR "An impossible-to-put-down Harvey Wallbanger of a mystery. With a smart, funny protagonist who's learning to own her power as a woman, Send in the Clowns is one boss read." - Ellen Byron, USA TODAY Bestselling Author of Plantation Shudders 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. Related subjects include: cozy mysteries, women sleuths, murder mystery series, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), amateur sleuth books, book club recommendations, humorous murder mysteries, historical mysteries. 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) Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all...
Watching the Detectives book cover
#5

Watching the Detectives

2017

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.
Cold as Ice book cover
#6

Cold as Ice

2017

Ellison Russell’s life resembles a rollercoaster ride. And rollercoasters make her ill. Her daughter Grace has a crush on a boy Ellison doesn’t trust and she’s taken to hosting wild parties when Ellison goes out for the evening. Worse, the bank which represents Grace’s inheritance from her father may be in trouble. When a meeting with the chef at the country club leads to the discovery of a body, Ellison can’t afford cold feet. She must save the bank, find the killer, and convince Grace (and herself) that powerful women don’t need men to rescue them.
Diamond Girl book cover
#6.5

Diamond Girl

2018

From USA Today bestselling author, Julie Mulhern, comes a short worthy of the Country Club Murders name. For Aggie DeLucci, former assistant private investigator and current housekeeper extraordinaire, 1975 is turning out to be a banner year. There’s a new man her life, Mac. He makes her laugh, takes her dancing, and makes a helluva salami sandwich. When Mac is accused of theft, it’s up to Aggie to clear his name. She’ll have to polish her slightly tarnished investigative kills and tame her fears (and her hair) to catch the real thief.
Shadow Dancing book cover
#7

Shadow Dancing

2018

Visiting a psychic is outside the norm for Ellison Russell. Finding bodies is not. Unfortunately, the psychic’s crystal ball says she’ll soon be surrounded by death. Again. Drat. Now there’s a corpse in the front drive, a witchy neighbor ready to turn Ellison and her (not so) little dog into toadstools, and a stripper named Starry Knight occupying the guest room. How did 1975 go so wrong so quickly? Ellison must handle Mother (who’s found a body of her own), make up with a certain handsome detective, and catch a killer, or the death surrounding her might be her own. - - - - - - - - - - - - - SHADOW DANCING by Julie Mulhern A Henery Press Mystery. If you like one, you’ll probably like them all.
Back Stabbers book cover
#8

Back Stabbers

2018

All Ellison Russell wanted was an update on her stock portfolio. Instead, she found her broker dead. With an unexpected out-of-town guest at her house, Ellison is too busy for a murder investigation. Only this time, Detective Anarchy Jones wants her help, and she can’t deny the handsome detective. Can Mr. Coffee supply her with enough caffeine to keep her brain sharp and everyone else happy? Juggling bodies (one, two, three, four), two-faced friends, her social calendar, and a cat (yes, a cat) is taxing but Mother might be the biggest challenge of all. With a killer drawing closer, can Ellison put together the pieces or will she be the one getting stabbed in the back?
Telephone Line book cover
#9

Telephone Line

2019

A killer is calling, and Ellison’s life is on the line. Ellison Russell is planning the event of the season—and she’s stressed. Why not yoga? Because the yoga instructor gets murdered during class—and Ellison’s stress level rises exponentially. Now, in addition to raising a ridiculous amount of money, she’s babysitting a deranged cat (named after the devil himself), taking ten million phone calls (most of them from Mother), and finding more bodies (they’re popping up like dandelions after a spring rain). There’s no such thing as balance when the killer makes it personal. Can Ellison catch a murderer or will her next namaste be her last?
Stayin' Alive book cover
#10

Stayin' Alive

2020

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.
Killer Queen book cover
#11

Killer Queen

2020

Another day, another dead woman in Ellison Russell's study. Only this one claimed to be Mrs. Anarchy Jones. As Ellison juggles mothers, daughter, unhappy wives, and near-miss murder attempts, one thing is clear—someone will go to any lengths to hide the truth. Can Ellison and Anarchy catch a killer before the body count rises? Or will Ellison be the next corpse in the study
Night Moves book cover
#12

Night Moves

2021

Spring is in the air, and Ellison Russell has places to go, people to see, bodies to find. Strike that. For once, Ellison doesn’t discover the body. When Detective Anarchy Jones investigates a friend’s husband’s murder, Ellison can’t help but get involved. Now she’s waist-deep in toxic gossip, struggling with the soaring heights and nocuous lows of her teenager’s mood swings, fending off the advances of her first love, planning a wedding, and (of course) tripping over fresh corpses. With her life a whirlwind of conflict, can Ellison unmask a devious killer, or will death poison her future?
Lyin' Eyes book cover
#13

Lyin' Eyes

2021

Get me to the church on time! Not so much the church, as the patio. And not if Ellison can’t stop finding bodies. She’s finding corpses in pairs now, and planning a wedding, and trying (truly, she is) to steer clear of the murder investigation. But when she finds a third body, Ellison becomes a suspect. Will Ellison get her happily ever after or will a devious killer turn her wedding into a funeral?
Evil Woman book cover
#14

Evil Woman

2022

When Ellison Russell Jones returns from her honeymoon, she’s ready for a restful summer. But while she was away, an older woman was murdered in her bed. And the police have questions only Ellison and her friends can answer. She gets to be a sleuth. A real one! But with a new husband, her mother in the hospital (targeted by the murderer?), her sister as a house guest, one too many animals, and a full social calendar, Ellison can’t catch a break, much less a killer. She’d better focus, or she may be the next victim.
Big Shot book cover
#15

Big Shot

2022

Ellison and Anarchy Jones are looking forward to a relaxing weekend in the country. Time spent skeet shooting, fishing, and horse-back riding with friends. Hours spent swaying in a shady hammock without friends. But when Ellison walks into a murder scene, her friends become suspects. And each of them has an excellent motive for murder. Can Ellison sift through the lies and unmask a killer, or will a weekend away cost her everything she holds dear?
Fire and Rain book cover
#16

Fire and Rain

2023

Ellison Jones is used to sirens in the night (unfortunately, they’re usually coming to her house). So, it’s a surprise when the sirens that wake her from the dead come from across the street. Nosy neighbor Marian Dixon’s house is on fire. Luckily, the Dixons are out of town. Unluckily, there’s a body found in the ashes—a body not killed by the fire. With Ellison’s husband, Detective Anarchy Jones, investigating, the neighbors are eager for a quick resolution. But a cunning killer has other plans. Can Ellison and Anarchy uncover the truth, or will their lives (and the rest of the block) go up in flames?
Killing Me Softly book cover
#17

Killing Me Softly

2023

Ellison Russell Jones’ best friend Libba has a questionable track record when it comes to men. But finally—finally—she’s selected a good one. Charlie Ardmore hales from a fine family, plays a mean game of golf, and is a cardiologist. Even Mothers approves. But when Charlie’s patients start dying, the whispers begin. Is Charlie a killer? Could Harrington Walford, Ellison’s beloved father and one of Charlie’s patients, be the next to die? Can Ellison stop a killer in time?
Back in Black book cover
#18

Back in Black

2024

When Ellison's friend Kay Morrison visits Kansas City from New York, there are certain women who turn green with envy. After all, Kay works in the fashion industry, she actually attended the Battle of Versailles, and her clothes are to die for. But Ellison is happy to host a luncheon for her oh-so-chic friend. Too bad murder crashes the party. Ellison is immediately drawn into two investigations. One, the murder. The second, a cruel theft. With friends as suspects and two funerals to plan, Ellison's mood is black. And, if she's not careful, the next funeral she attends may be her own.
Somewhere in the Night book cover
#18.5

Somewhere in the Night

A Country Club Murder Thanksgiving novella

2024

Thanksgiving night in Kansas City means the Plaza Lighting Ceremony. When Ellison Jones and her family go to her great-aunt's apartment to see the lights come on, she doesn't anticipate a murder (she never does). But when a shirt-tail relative falls from a seventeenth-floor balcony, she and Anarchy are drawn into the investigation. Can they catch a killer before anyone else dies?

Author

Julie Mulhern
Julie Mulhern
Author · 32 books

Julie Mulhern is the USA Today bestselling author of The Country Club Murders and the Poppy Fields Adventures. 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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