Candy Kennedy is the winner of the ebook The Deep End. Watch for an email from Julie!
I’m delighted to welcome back author Julie Mulhern. I love both her series! Look for a giveaway at the end of the post!
Here’s a bit about the book:
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.
Julie: I am in a book club and recently it was my turn to select the book.
I chose The Dry by Jane Harper, an excellent mystery set in Australia. The Dry tells the story of a man coming to terms with his past and a horrible murder.
Everyone enjoyed the book, with several women noting how much they looked forward to reading at the end of their busy days. One seemed surprised the book was good.
“I don’t read genre fiction,” she explained, apparently forgetting that’s what I write.
She reads to challenge herself.
I read to escape. I want to giggle, puzzle, cheer for the heroine, hiss at the villain, and step away from deadlines, dishes, and what’s for dinner?.
Between divisive politics, the coronavirus, and (for me) a professional bump in the road, that escape is more important than ever.
My latest release, Stayin’ Alive may not challenge readers with angst-ridden characters and dark subject matter, but it does make people laugh. I’m proud of that.
Here’s a peek:
“Sorry, I’m late!” Daisy burst into the card room like a whirlwind. Her slip showed. She needed a comb. A lollipop and multiple tufts of hair stuck to her sweater (the candy on the sleeve, the hair everywhere). “I’ve had a morning.”
“Sit.” Libba held out her wine glass.
Daisy sat, took the glass, gulped, and handed it back. “Thank you.”
“Which kid, and what did he do?” asked Jinx.
Daisy closed her eyes.
“How bad can it be?” Libba didn’t have children. She’d never experienced bad.
“David snuck into our bathroom. He knows it’s off-limits, ever since the lipstick incident.” The lipstick incident had translated into new wallpaper for most of the house. “He stole my razor from the shower and—” She paused for a shuddering breath.
“And?” I asked. One of Daisy’s offspring running loose with a razor was a terrifying proposition.
“He shaved the cat.”
“He what?” Jinx’s brows touched her hairline.
“The cat fell asleep on his lap and he shaved off its fur.” Daisy rubbed her face. “There’s cat hair everywhere. And the poor cat, it’s hiding under the bed.”
“He shaved the whole cat?”
“The side that was exposed.”
“So the other side still has hair?” Jinx’s mouth twitched.
“Yes. The poor cat is humiliated.”
“It’ll grow back.”
That wouldn’t comfort the cat.
Readers: What makes you laugh? Be warned, it may show up in my next book! Julie will give an ebook of The Deep End to someone who leaves a comment.
Bio: 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.
Links:
Amazon – http://bit.ly/CCM10220
Barnes & Noble – http://bit.ly/CCM10bn
iBooks – http://bit.ly/CCM10ap
Kobo – http://bit.ly/CCM10kb
Don’t miss out on Poppy Fields next adventure that is out on March 31! Here’s a bit about the book:
Poppy Fields, Hollywood IT girl and super-secret spy, travels to Egypt looking for answers.
But amidst assassination attempts, money launderers, and missing treasure, answers are hard to come by.
Poppy must trust new allies, forgive old wrongs, and find a forgotten pharaoh or the next tomb she enters may be her own.
Congratulations 🎆
*waving* Hi, Julie! And heck, yes, we ALL need a good laugh these days.
What can make me laugh, is someone trying so hard not to laugh! You look at them trying not to smile, the shoulders start to move up and down, you hear a slight snort and than the tears starts rolling down the face. Been there done that! Lol!
Infectious laughter. We all need some!
What makes me laugh faster and harder is the silly antics of young kids and animals. They can get themselves into a whole lot of trouble in the most unique ways – most of which are hilariously funny. I think part of it is the fact that they aren’t trying to be funny. It’s just natural for them.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Kids and animals (especially animals) are my go-to for humor!
Welcome back, Julie! I can’t wait to read this!
Thank you, thank you for having me!!!
Hi, Julie! I read for the exact same reasons you do. I don’t need to be challenged any more than life is already doing, thankyouverymuch.
As for humor, well, you hit the nail on the head with the kid and the cat. And “Dad jokes.” For some reason those always make me groan and snicker. The worse they are the better.
Yeah, I’m into “Dad jokes” and puns. I love nothing better than a cleverly designed pun.
Dad jokes – now there’s an idea!
I, too, read for fun. I had to read “serious” books for so long, that I now think, at my age, I can read whatever I want. I still like some non-fiction, but cozy mysteries are by far my favorite because they take me away from the everyday serious stuff and make me laugh.
This book sounds delightful.
Thank you, Ginny!
That excerpt made me laugh out loud.
I’m like you. I read to escape. As if you couldn’t tell by the books I choose to read. (Currently reading Diane Vallere’s Mermaid Mysteries if you need further proof.)
I love Diane’s books! Total escape!
The cat shaving story had me laughing so hard because I had a Persian cat that we had to keep shaved (except left a fluffy head) because of my allergies. I was out of town and my husband called to tell me he had shaved Jasper. I thanked him and he said, “yup, I shaved Viva onto one side of him, and Elvis on the other.” I laughed and thought he was joking. When I came home, I found out he wasn’t kidding!
Celia, what did the cat think?
Sounds like a fun book. I like that the book takes place in Egypt. Looking forward to reading the book.
My niece playing with the family dog.
The funniest stories are the ones that are most relatable and seem like they could happen to me. That’s Ellison other than the dead bodies of course!
Too funny, I don’t have cats so much funnier🐾🐾
The Egypt story line is fabulous Along with all
The quirky things happening.
What fun it sounds like.
I look forward to a funny spy spectacular Cozy.
Blessings for success
Gkathgoldin@yahoo.com
Watching our Maine Coon cat trying to play with our standard poodle a d his buddy cat.
I devoured these KC capers for the Goodreads Cozy Mystery Corner serial readers bookclub. Someone picked the series for me to read one month and I went through every single one that was out at the time. I think there were eight. Then I read the next one as soon as it came out. I would love to read this one immediately!
My mom can always make me laugh. She’s 92 years old and feisty. Her laugh is loud and she will start laughing at something she’s reading and I start laughing and pretty soon we are laughing so hard we’re crying.
Not sure if my last comment posted. In a nutshell, my 92 year old mother can make me laugh until I cry. That could be why I’m partial to feisty old lady sleuths.