Shadow Dancing (The Country Club Murders, #7) by Julie Mulhern

Jun 22, 2018 LORI (Dollycas) CASWELL rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2018

Dollycas’s Thoughts

She’s done it again! Julie Mulhern has topped herself again!

It’s 1975 and Ellison Russell has been dragged to a psychic by her best friend Libba. She is not interested in learning what is in the future, she has a heck of a time just keeping up with the present. When the psychic tells her death may be surrounding her soon, all she thinks is Not Again!!

This story was mega entertaining. Remember the days before cell phones and cable television, when kids played outside, kitchens Dollycas’s Thoughts

She’s done it again! Julie Mulhern has topped herself again!

It’s 1975 and Ellison Russell has been dragged to a psychic by her best friend Libba. She is not interested in learning what is in the future, she has a heck of a time just keeping up with the present. When the psychic tells her death may be surrounding her soon, all she thinks is Not Again!!

This story was mega entertaining. Remember the days before cell phones and cable television, when kids played outside, kitchens had avocado appliances and living rooms had shag carpeting! Julie Mulhern takes us there.

Ellison has her hands full with her daughter Grace, her mother, her friends, and Detective Anarchy Jones. Grace makes a new friend, well sort of. Her mother makes an unusual discovery in her closet. Libba took her to a psychic! Her relationship with the good detective has hit the skids but there is still that spark when they are in proximity of each other, plus he needs to keep her safe. She is also busy with her dog Max. Let me tell you, one of his adventures had me laughing so hard I had tears running from my eyes. My daughter was laughing too because she knew exactly whose book I was reading. “Julie Mulhern??”

I love the characters in this series. They are expertly written and feel like old friends. Their dialogues are fantastic. The way Ellison has learned to handle her mother always makes me smile.

The story is very well plotted. One little accident sends Ellison life reeling. A dead body in her front yard, a strip club, another murder. Can’t this woman catch a break? While there is a lot of humor in this story, the reason behind the murders is a very serious issue. It takes a talented author to mesh it all together.

As has become my custom with this author’s books, I devoured this story all in one sitting. The television is turned off, my feet go up, and I escape right into Ellison’s world. The only thing missing is my own Mr. Coffee.

This entire series is extraordinary, so I do recommend you start at the beginning and read them in order. But . . . if you wish you can jump right in with this one, I bet then you will know you have to read them all. For me, every one of them has been a Perfect Escape. ...more

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May 25, 2018 Rosemary Standeven rated it it was amazing

“Some people found pennies in parking lots. I found bodies. And not just in parking lots. I found bodies everywhere.” Ellison Russell is back, hoping against all hope, that she will not come into contact with a corpse ever again. She has had a break for over eight weeks now, so the Country Club and Ellison are overdue a cadaver or two.
However, this time, it is the normally imperturbable Frances Walford who becomes very perturbed when locating a dead person in her closet. It is a complete mystery “Some people found pennies in parking lots. I found bodies. And not just in parking lots. I found bodies everywhere.” Ellison Russell is back, hoping against all hope, that she will not come into contact with a corpse ever again. She has had a break for over eight weeks now, so the Country Club and Ellison are overdue a cadaver or two.
However, this time, it is the normally imperturbable Frances Walford who becomes very perturbed when locating a dead person in her closet. It is a complete mystery who the dead person is, and more particularly why they are in Frances’ closet. A job for Aggie’s private detecting skills.
When not detecting or looking after the Russell household, Aggie is busy with her new man, Mac: “The man was the approximate size of a rhinoceros with the disposition of a Labrador puppy”. Meanwhile, Aggie’s employer, Ellison, is trying to take a break from romance (as well as corpses) following the parting of ways from the magnificent Anarchy Jones. Unfortunately, Libba has not got the message and is determined to set Ellison up with the handsome, but unappealing, Wright. At least Wright is just boring and bored. Libba’s own date, Bill, is outright cringeworthy: ““I bet you’re great at soliciting donations.” Bill combined being patronizing and salacious in just two sentences. It had to be some kind of record … “I think it’s great the way you girls find ways to keep busy,” said Bill. When I declined dessert, the waiter had taken my fork. Too bad. I knew exactly where I’d sink the tines.”
However, all is not lost. As the danger to Ellison and her daughter, Grace, mounts, Anarchy arrives back on the scene: “Looking at the distant expression on Anarchy’s lean face—all harsh planes and remote valleys—and the coldness in his eyes cured the flutters in my stomach. Instead of fluttering, the flutters drooped in a dejected, hang-dog manner”. Can Ellison and Anarchy ever rekindle their mutual attraction? Or is the other man in her life – Mr Coffee – Ellison’s only chance at requited love?
Apart from possible romance, the story races through visits to a medium and ‘conversations’ with the dead, child exploitation and prostitution, dubious real estate practices, family secrets and affairs, threats, danger and – of course – bodies.
I love this series and cannot get enough of it. Long may it continue.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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May 14, 2018 RO G'ma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-craving-for-cozies-challenge, read-in-2018

Shadow Dancing is the seventh installment in Julie Mulhern’s awesome Country Club Murders series. Ms. Mulhern’s writing style is crisp and clear, the storyline is well developed, and the characters are entertaining. The setting for this series is the 1970’s and all the details are right on target from telephones that must be plugged into the wall to work to the shag carpets. The mystery is interesting, and witty statements and humor are dispersed throughout this fast-paced book, which has lots o Shadow Dancing is the seventh installment in Julie Mulhern’s awesome Country Club Murders series. Ms. Mulhern’s writing style is crisp and clear, the storyline is well developed, and the characters are entertaining. The setting for this series is the 1970’s and all the details are right on target from telephones that must be plugged into the wall to work to the shag carpets. The mystery is interesting, and witty statements and humor are dispersed throughout this fast-paced book, which has lots of twists, and turns and enough suspects to keep the reader engaged. Family dynamics play a large part in the story and the sensitive subject of child prostitution is addressed in this book. There are lots of laughs and intrigue in this book and I was kept guessing until the final reveal. I highly recommend this series to readers who enjoy well-crafted, clean mysteries.

Ellison Russell, who lives in Kansas City, Missouri, is a widow, an artist, the mother of a teenager daughter, loves Mr. Coffee, and seems to attract murder victims but it’s February and no bodies have appeared so far this year. Libba, Ellison’s best friend, takes her to see Madame Reyna, a physic, who tells her there will be death all around her, that she let the “one” go, but Mr. Right was still coming, and that Henry, her deceased husband, has a message for her about finding death soon and that Grace, their daughter, will be in danger. On the drive home, Ellison’s distracted and hits a teenaged girl who had dashed between two cars and into the street. The girl, who said her name is Leslie Smith, assures her that she’s okay and refuses medical aid or the ride Ellison offers. The girl said she had an argument with her boyfriend and because she doesn’t have a coat or gloves, Ellison gives hers to her, saying she can keep them, but Leslie asks for her address so she can return them. After learning about multiple frantic calls from Frances, her mother, Ellison rushes to her house and learns she found a box of ashes in her hall closet. Frances wants Aggie DeLucci, Ellison’s housekeeper who used to be a private investigator, to figure out whose ashes she found. Detective Peters shows Ellison a photo of the girl she knows as Leslie Smith, she explains their relationship, and he informs her that the young girl was found shot to death in a downtown alley. When Detective Anarchy Jones comes to question Ellison about Leslie, she learns her name is really Leesa Lisowski, a runaway from Chicago, and that she was a prostitute. When danger threatens not only her life, but also Grace’s into harm’s way, Ellison is grateful Anarchy is there to take care of them. In the midst of all the death and threats, Ellison’s mother, Frances, and her daddy, Harrington, reveal a secret they’ve held onto for over forty years.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
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May 03, 2018 Betty rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, cozy, e-books

The #7 Version of the country club series is one of the best of the series. It takes place in 1975 and Mr. Coffee is still an important factor in the life of Ellison Russel. Her best friend, Libba takes Ellison to a physic who tells she let a good one go and soon she there will be death all around her. Max misbehaves and he had me laughing out loud as he involves her neighbor.
Ellison's Mother is upset by all the bodies Ellison finds and now her Mother is in a panic has had found? She also has se ...more

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Jun 21, 2018 Stacie Haden rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone!

Shelves: mystery-crime, mystery-cozy, owned-kindle, funny-humorous, zz-missouri, favorites, favorite-series, touch-of-romance

To All my Goodreads friends - Read this series! It is literary deliciousness!

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Jun 16, 2018 Teresa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. While I have only read the first book in the Country Club series, it really didn't feel like I had missed a whole lot. (And to be honest, I didn't enjoy the first book that much!) But now that I've had a chance to read another book by Julie Mulhern, I will be reading more of this series.

The author has you laughing out loud at some of the things that Ellison says and thinks. Her family is a hoot...from a sassy, independent daughter to her overcontrolling, judgmental mo ...more

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Jun 16, 2018 Teresa rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this book. While I have only read the first book in the Country Club series, it really didn't feel like I had missed a whole lot. (And to be honest, I didn't enjoy the first book that much!) But now that I've had a chance to read another book by Julie Mulhern, I will be reading more of this series.

The author has you laughing out loud at some of the things that Ellison says and thinks. Her family is a hoot...from a sassy, independent daughter to her overcontrolling, judgmental mo ...more

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Apr 09, 2018 Lisa Hudson rated it it was amazing

SPECTACULAR!!

Shadow Dancing (The Country Club Murders #7) is spectacular! This book is best read in order in the series as opposed to a stand alone. If you’ve followed the series, you already love the characters of Ellison, Grace, Aggie, Detective Anarchy Jones, Ellison’s parents, Ellison’s grouchy, nosy neighbor and last but definitely not least, her Country Club friends. In this latest installment, the author deftly takes her readers on an incredible fast paced adventure. Her humor is infectio ...more

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Mar 29, 2018 Patty rated it it was amazing

Shadow Dancing by Julie Mulhern is the 7th book in the Country Club Murders series, and another great book. This book takes place in 1975 in Kansas City Missouri, I love the uniqueness of this setting before everyone had all the modern technology. Ellison Russell is a widow and single mom to teenage daughter Grace. With dead bodies to be investigated the mystery begins. This book is funny, with twists and turns that keep you reading and guessing. I read this book in one day, because I could not ...more

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Aug 10, 2018 Ivonne Rovira rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: all mystery lovers

Ellison Russell — a widowed artist and a member of Kansas City’s WASP elite —runs into a young girl who calls herself Leslie Smith. By runs into, I mean literally with her Triumph sports car. Luckily, the girl, while frightened, was unhurt; however, compassionate Ellison, seeing the girl without a coat, hat or gloves out on this frozen day in February 1975, lends the waif her own coat and gloves. The teenager insists on getting Ellison’s name and address to return the items.

Which is why the poli ...more

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Apr 30, 2018 Jeanie Jackson rated it really liked it

Shelves: cozy-amateur, xread-2018

Julie Mulhern does an amazing job of blending humor and social issues in creating Shadow Dancing, a delightful mystery that will stay with the reader for a long time. This meshing of serious contemporary problems with laugh-out-loud humor is the hallmark that make Ms. Mulhern’s work stand out in a field of strong mystery novels.
Our beloved Detective Anarchy Jones can’t stay way when Ellison’s kindness to a teen pulls her into the terrifying world of child prostitution that threatens not only he ...more

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Jul 11, 2018 Sue Em marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Head back to Kansas City in the 70s and meet up with Ellison Russell, her daughter, Grace, and police detective Anarchy Jones as murder and mayhem pop up in the country club set. Slyly satirical and out-and-out good fun. Seventh in the series, but still as fresh as the first!. HIGHLY recommended!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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May 14, 2018 JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mysteries, supense

While Ellison Russell is relieved that her life seems to be getting back to normal - almost - since she's not finding dead bodies every week, it's a strain to realize that she might have blown her relationship with police detective Anarchy Jones and is wondering how to fix it.

But things just aren't meant to be 'normal' for Ellison. Her friend Libba has dragged her to a psychic and Ellison pooh-poohs everything the woman says. Then when she hits a young girl with her car (the girl isn't hurt) but While Ellison Russell is relieved that her life seems to be getting back to normal - almost - since she's not finding dead bodies every week, it's a strain to realize that she might have blown her relationship with police detective Anarchy Jones and is wondering how to fix it.

But things just aren't meant to be 'normal' for Ellison. Her friend Libba has dragged her to a psychic and Ellison pooh-poohs everything the woman says. Then when she hits a young girl with her car (the girl isn't hurt) but she seems to be freezing so Ellison literally gives her the coat off her back. Vowing to return the coat, Ellison goes home. But then she receives a visit from Anarchy's dreaded partner, Detective Peters, and he wants to know why her name and address were in the girl's possession...because the girl was found dead.

Now the psychic is calling Ellison at home, telling her she must meet with her because the dead girl, Leesa, has a message: She wants her to save a friend of hers named Starry Knight before she, too, is found dead somewhere. It is only by chance - and a blind date set up by Libba - that Ellison sees a young girl in the company of a man she had seen herself earlier when out with her daughter Grace - and not in a good way, either - and confronts them, finally convincing the girl to go with her.

Fortuitously, the girl turns out to be Starry - whose real name is Jane. Ellison takes her home with her, vowing to figure out a way to get her away from the life she's fallen into. But Ellison doesn't know that in doing so, she not only has put herself in danger, but also Grace, and even though it's brought Anarchy back into her life, is it worth the risk to take the chance and lose everything she holds dear?...

We are once again living the the 1970s, long before there were computers, cell phones, no GPS to track people and the technology many have come to take for granted. Because of this, it makes for a very good book indeed, when everyone had a land line and you either used it or drove to someone's home to speak with them.

When Ellison finds that her life might be in danger (again) this time Anarchy feels the need to spend the night (on her sofa) to protect her from the threats. As she's perfectly fine with this, her mother Frances is not. What will the neighbors think? More so, what will Frances think? But she has problems of her own: she's discovered an urn in her closet and she's called upon Ellison to find out to whom it belongs.

So Ellison and Aggie are hitting the local library microfiche to see if they can discover anyone who might have been displaced within the last few months but before they can find out Frances tells Ellison she knows who it is, and the answer rocks Ellison from her head to her toes. The end result puts a serious strain on her parents' lives, and now she's dealing with the fallout from that, too.

While the book is downright serious and sober, there are quite a few humorous moments that you can't help but chuckle at; and I actually found myself wanting to throttle Libba (and can't figure out why Ellison hasn't done so thus far).

It is a tale that is dark as midnight and riveting to boot; it shows us while reality slaps us in the face there are still those that refuse to believe the truth. As the pieces fall together, we see the ugliness in the world that masks itself in normality. Those that appear to be anything but sinister can be very much so. And Ellison, in all her wisdom of finding those bodies and having faced ugliness in the past - including from her own husband - is no stranger to seeing it close to home.

It is a story well-crafted, a narrative both dark and light; one that is always entertaining and magnificently written. As always, Ms. Mulhern draws us into Ellison's world and keeps us happily engrossed in what she has set down on paper and made to become real; her characters are animated and believable; her descriptions are convincing and give us something to look forward to when we first open the book.

In the end, when the killer is found and the story ends, we are left with a satisfying feeling that all is right with the world again (at least for awhile). I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended. ...more

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Jun 19, 2019 Toni rated it it was amazing

This is the seventh book in the Country Club Murders series. You don’t need to read this series in order but know going in that this is set in the past: 1975 Kansas City. And Ellison is always finding dead bodies that seems to appall all of her country club colleagues. We can actually blame this whole trend on Ellison’s dead ex-husband. He started it, after all.

Ellison Russell started 1975 with a new resolution: no more dead bodies. It is really beyond her power at this point. The fortune teller This is the seventh book in the Country Club Murders series. You don’t need to read this series in order but know going in that this is set in the past: 1975 Kansas City. And Ellison is always finding dead bodies that seems to appall all of her country club colleagues. We can actually blame this whole trend on Ellison’s dead ex-husband. He started it, after all.

Ellison Russell started 1975 with a new resolution: no more dead bodies. It is really beyond her power at this point. The fortune teller has spoken. Her daughter is in danger and The One, aka Detective Anarchy Jones, is nearly out of her reach. What’s a girl to do?

Even Ellison’s mother is getting in on the “finding a dead body” gig. It was just a pile of cremated ashes in a box but for Ellison’t mom it might as well have been an actual bleeding dead body in her hall closet.

Ellison’s best friend, Libba takes her to a fortune teller on the more seedy side of town. While leaving there she nearly runs over a teen who darts out in front of her car. The girl is scared and has no coat in the dead of winter. The girl refuses Ellison’s request to take her home. So, Ellison does the only thing she can at the moment… she gives the girl her navy pea coat off her back and a slip of paper with her name and phone number. Later when Anarchy’s partner Peters comes knocking on her door, she learns the girl is dead. Anarchy doesn’t actually make an appearance till about 20% into the book.

This accidental brush with a girl who ends up being a teen prostitute figures into the whole scenario behind the plot of this book. This, the fact her mother has her searching the last four months of obituary pages for the identity of the ashes/remains she found in her hall closet and it makes this whole story quite a page turner.

Anarchy stays overnight on the couch on three separate occasions to keep her safe and I am not sure how Ellison managed to maintain control of her emotions during those times. There were quite a bit of fainting scenes in this story too. This is by far my favorite story in the Country Club Murder series. The only problem I have is that the woman never seems to be alone…. ever. Someone is always coming over or calling. How can a girl get some quiet time with her detective if no one will ever leave her alone?

A thrilling, roller-coaster ride. Just a lot of excitement all around. Pus, this book has so much Anarchy I was positively drooling. Anarchy has definitely attained book boyfriend status for me.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. ...more

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Jun 23, 2018 Maria rated it really liked it

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.
Ellison Russel has started the New Year with a new goal in her mind, no more bodies in her life, everything was going good until her friend made her to visit a medium...
But Ellison's concern is not only about the dead bodies but her mother's reaction to another body, because a rich family has to maintain appearances, don't you k 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.
Ellison Russel has started the New Year with a new goal in her mind, no more bodies in her life, everything was going good until her friend made her to visit a medium...
But Ellison's concern is not only about the dead bodies but her mother's reaction to another body, because a rich family has to maintain appearances, don't you know?

I started this book one night and I didn't go to sleep till I finished, really, it was addictive!
What I loved about the story was not only the mystery on it, that it was not so difficult to solve but the characters, they felt so real that I simply wanted to know more.
Ellison is the glue of her family, they have a quite special family and some secrets on their own; her daughter is a teenager, so she has her own ideas of what is good and bad... Her mother is posh, really posh, and is only concerned about appearances, but her actions are so extreme that are hilarious! And the poor father, he just wants to be happy. You can see that is more or less the typical family, simply with a lot of money and some bodies that appear from time to time at Ellison's life, that of course makes her routine more interesting.
We have one more interesting character on the plot, the detective Anarchy Jones, who has been dating Ellison but they fell apart... After the appearance of the new body in Ellison's life they will have to meet again, the main question is will they solve their problems or the sparks will have disappeared?
What I "disliked" more about the book was Ellison's friend Libba, she doesn't seem to have a very high standard for herself or women in general, dating someone with money doesn't mean it would be a good man or someone to love... I suppose there was a story behind Libba's behaviour, but I started the series on this book, so for what I could read about her, is not a friend I would like near me...
Be prepared for a story with mystery, acidic humour, bodies and romance; really what else do we need?
This is the 7th book of "The Country Club Murders" series, but you can read it as standalone.
Ready for a visit at the Country Club? ...more

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Feb 19, 2019 Stephanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book

SHADOW DANCING: Prophecy and a Good Mother
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
A good woman meets a troubled girl in 1970s Kansas City.

I have missed many books in this series but it has totally captured my attention. I enjoy the mysteries, and Ellison is so well-mannered, so capable, so kind and thoughtful, that it is hard to imagine how she gets involved in these criminal events where she seems to find bodies all over the place. In this case, the body in question brings up high emotions for SHADOW DANCING: Prophecy and a Good Mother
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
A good woman meets a troubled girl in 1970s Kansas City.

I have missed many books in this series but it has totally captured my attention. I enjoy the mysteries, and Ellison is so well-mannered, so capable, so kind and thoughtful, that it is hard to imagine how she gets involved in these criminal events where she seems to find bodies all over the place. In this case, the body in question brings up high emotions for Ellison, and she misses the man she was falling for but they are “on a break.”

Ellison is a good woman, devoted mother, a successful artist, and part of high society in 1970s Kansas City. She has an unholy relationship with her beloved Mr. Coffee machine. But for seven books now she seems to find bodies. dead bodies. This is anathema to Ellison’s mother who reminds me of the elder Mrs. Stevens, Darrin’s mother, in the 1960s and 70s TV Show Bewitched. That Ellison hasn’t strangled her by now is a testament to how good a person she is.

What I really love in this series is how well the period of time, in particular how women’s issues, and the barriers of station are portrayed. People “like her,” do not have anything to do with people like the young woman she meets in the first few pages. But, it is comical how America adopted the concept of class based on money. The relationship of status and women’s liberation is subtly presented.

And, I love the way women’s issues are coming to life naturally as Ellison feels her independence as a widow and she is naturally becoming a feminist. I began my working life in the late 1970s and it is an eerie feeling to identify with a contemporary book about a period in which I lived and which changes I experienced. You’ll love the way her fund raising and successful painting career are presented.

I find the stories suspenseful, entertaining and well written. Callie Beaulieu does a great job with a delicate hand on the change in voices. I am reading the stories out of order and I am enjoying them hugely, but I believe I would have a better experience if I read them in order.

And, I can almost perfectly see Ellison and “a certain handsome detective” in the sweet romance that is developing between them. I also love the discussion of designer clothes in the book.

I will have a post on the next story later this week.

I reviewed book 2 in the series in December, 2016: http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...

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Jun 02, 2018 Laurel-Rain rated it it was amazing

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 detecti ...more

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Jun 05, 2018 Grace Koshida rated it it was amazing

It's February 1975 and Ellison Russell is glad to have not found another dead body this year. She is dragged by her friend Libba into visiting psychic Madame Reyna and then ends up hitting a coatless teenaged girl with her car on the way home. Ellison gives the shivering girl her coat and is shocked when she gets a visit from the police informing her that Leslie was found murdered in a downtown alley. Then Ellison gets a frantic phone call from her mother Frances who has found a box of cremated ...more

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Oct 16, 2018 Grandma rated it really liked it

I love this series but.....

I love this series and have binge read all the currently available books. The characters are interesting and colorful (especially Aggie). The story in this outing (#7) ramps up the action considerably! Mulhern is very good at weaving current social issues into the story in a way that informs the reader without turning preachy. The issue intertwined in this story had to do with teen trafficking and Ellison standing up for the teen. WELL DONE ELLISON! My issue with the s ...more

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Jul 08, 2018 Kay Hudson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery, e-books

Julie Mulhern’s Shadow Dancing is the seventh installment in the Country Club Murders series,set in Kansas City in the 1970s. Ellison Russell and her sixteen-year-old daughter Grace have an uncomfortable habit of finding bodies, but as this book opens, it’s been quite a while. It’s also been quite a while since Ellison has seen Detective Anarchy Jones. And she’s not entirely sure how she feels about that. The situation changes when Ellison’s socialite mother finds an unidentified box of ashes in ...more

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Apr 06, 2018 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Eight weeks into 1975 without finding a dead body and Ellison wants nothing to do with the one in her mother's closet, even if it is in a tidy box.

Ellison knew letting Libba drag her off to Madame Reyna wasn't a good idea but she had no idea what troubles were in store.

Try as she might, trouble finds Ellison and when danger pulls Grace into harm's way Ellison is glad for Det. Anarchy Jones, even if he isn't in the country club circle her parents favor.

When Frances & Harrington's secrets unravel ...more

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Apr 10, 2018 Jannelies rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley-challenge-before-2020

There is only one thing I'm not happy about... and that is that although I reviewed #3 and #4 in this series, I apparently missed out on #5 and #6... and so, I missed out on some great writing.
Julie Mulhern knows exactly what her readers want. A group of interesting characters, a good mystery and a good dose of humor and romance.
I love the character of Ellison, who is nearing 40, mother of a teenager but still able to wonder about the world, to fall in love head over heels and to learn from her ...more

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Jul 09, 2018 wonderwomand rated it it was amazing

Oops! I thought I had read Cold as Ice before reading the 7th book in the series! I'll have to remedy that soon.

Reading the 7th book in the Country Club Murders series was a joy. For me, it was a fast read. We return to familiar characters like Ellison, her daughter Grace, her parents Frances and Harrington, the police detective Anarchy Jones, among other interesting characters.

Ellison meets a runaway, who is found dead soon after their meeting. The police contact Ellison because Ellison's conta ...more

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Jul 24, 2018 Lisa Morin rated it it was amazing

One of my favorite series. Set in the 1970's, this series is a blend of mystery, comedy and intrigue.
Ellison and her daughter can't hep but stumble over dead bodies, and Shadow Dancing is no different.
Curl up with a cup of tea and join Anarchy Jones as he and Ellison are hot on the trail of another murder investigation.

I volunteered to read and review and ARC of this book offered by the publisher and NetGalley. ...more

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Oct 12, 2018 Shirley rated it really liked it

A psychic's vision that Ellison will be surrounded by death and her daughter in danger comes true, and it begins with offer of help after Ellison accidentally hits a teenage girl with her car. The next day, Ellison learns the girl was a prostitute and found shot to death in a shady part of town. The psychic is haunted by the girl's spirit and insists that Ellison warn the girl's friend of impending danger. This pulls Ellison into the disturbing crime investigation by none other than the handsome ...more

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May 01, 2018 Critterbee❇ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: net-g, historical-fiction, mystery, sbtbprev, f, cozy-mystery

I'm starting Shadow Dancing: Julie Mulhern is one of my favorite authors, and I am happy to dive in to the latest Ellison extravaganza!

I read this in one sitting, and loved every bit of it. What a wonderful chapter in the crazy life of Ellison Russell! Love the characters, love the mystery, love the hilarious writing. More, please!

*eARC Netgalley* ...more

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Oct 22, 2018 Stormi (BMReviewsohmy) rated it it was amazing

I so love this series! This is book #7 in the Country Club Mystery series set in the 70's an just soooo good.

This one has Ellison visiting a psychic though she doesn't believe anything she says but soon she finds herself involved in another murder. Ellison accidently hit a young woman with her car, just bumps her and the girl is okay but then later she is found dead. She kind of feels like she should find out what happened.

Also her relationship is rocky with Anarchy Jones because of what happe ...more

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Jun 19, 2018 Colleendearborn rated it it was amazing

One of my favorite series ever. Ellison Russell’s life is a whirlwind of family drama, screwball comedy, potential romance and dead bodies. I reread each book multiple times because it’s so fun to escape back to the 70’s with Julie Mulhern. Macrame owls, anyone?

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