Tuesday, October 13, 2015



I'm so happy to be a stop on the book tour for author 
Julie Mulhern
Julie's newest book releases today! 
GUARANTEED TO BLEED 
Book 2 in the Country Club Murders Mystery series.


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.
Related subjects include: cozy mysteries, women sleuths, murder mystery series, whodunit mysteries (whodunnit), amateur sleuth books, book club recommendations, humorous murder mysteries, historical mysteries.

A word from Julie Mulhern

Every so often when my husband and I are watching Dateline, I’ll look over at him and say, “If you get tired of me, divorce me. Don’t…” You may fill in the blank with whatever gruesome manner the featured spouse has used to off their partner.

On Dateline, there is always an insurance policy in play, usually a mistress or another man, and often heart-broken children left behind.

Dateline seems as interested in the “why” of these killings as the “how.”

In that, Keith Morrison (the host who exudes, “what drove you to do this?” with every nuance of his voice) and I are alike.

The answer is usually money.

Thus far, when I am writing mysteries, lucre has not appealed to me as a motive. I like secrets—the kind of secrets people will kill to keep.

In the country club murders, where appearance is everything (just don’t peek under the rug), characters will kill to hold onto their reputations, to keep themselves out of prison, to avoid embarrassment. Far more interesting, at least to me, than a $50,000 life insurance policy.

Or perhaps not…



EXCERPT
Prudence Davies wasn’t as easily cowed. “I hear you had some trouble.” Her smile might look sympathetic but it didn’t reach her eyes. Those held all the warmth of an early morning in late January.
I shrugged.
Grace looked pained.
“If you’re not careful, you’ll get a reputation as a black widow.”
I lifted the scotch to my lips and drank. “There are worse reputations to have.”
Prudence flushed.
Prudence and my late husband had something of a…relationship. When I was feeling petty—and even when I wasn’t feeling petty—I dreamed of sharing the details of that relationship. But, lucky for Prudence, shielding Grace from Henry’s misdeeds was more important than dragging Prudence through the muck. Besides given Prudence’s predilections, she might enjoy the muck—or at least being dragged.
“Amy McCreary is talking about you as if you’re some kind of heroine.” Prudence lifted the corner of her too-thin upper lip. “Florence Nightingale reincarnated.”
“I called an ambulance.”
Prudence wrinkled her nose. “She’d be better off without him.”
Grace choked on her Tab.
Prudence gifted us another unpleasant smile, displaying her horsey teeth. “Everyone will know by tomorrow. The man who died in your backyard was some kind of con artist. John invested heavily. Lost everything.” She rubbed her hands together. Some clever German coined the word Schadenfreude with Prudence Davies in mind. She looked positively gleeful at the McCrearys’ misfortune. “Amy would be better off if he’d died. At least she’d have his life insurance.”
Henry once called Prudence a horse-faced, bony-assed harpy. That description was far too kind.


!!!GIVEAWAY!!!
 5 E-Copies of 
GUARANTEED TO BLEED


5 lucky winners will be chosen by random draw through Rafflecopter at the end of the tour on October 30. 
Please use the Rafflecopter form below.
This giveaway is through Great Escape Book Tours, not Lisa Ks Book Reviews.


MY REVIEW 


An exciting voice in mystery, author Julia Mulhern takes on the 70’s country club set in this wonderful series. She really does capture the feel of the decade as well as the country club setting. I myself was never a member of a country club, but I have known many people who were, and they were a whole lot like the characters is GUARANTEED TO BLEED.

The author has taken this second book in her series to a whole new level. With an original storyline, well thought out plot, and richly layered characters, plus an inspired ending, this book was hard to put down.

For an entertaining, fast paced story, mystery fans and readers of general fiction alike are in for a great read. Ms. Logan has another hit on her hands!

Note: For those who follow my reviews and blog, this is not a true cozy mystery. It’s edgier, and has subject matter not seen in cozies. There is also mild language. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Julie Mulhern 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. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

15 comments:

  1. This sounds like such a fun series. Thanks for the chance to win.

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    1. Grandma Cootie, good luck! And, I may be biased (I am biased) but I agree--it is a fun series!

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  2. Replies
    1. Yeah, Mary! Thanks so much for adding Guaranteed to Bleed to your list Book one, The Deep End, is currently on sale for $.99...just sayin'. Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. sounds like a series I would enjoy.......
    thank you for the giveaway!!!

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    1. Cynthia, I hope you'll give it a try (book one is on sale right now for a mere $.99)! Thanks for taking time to comment and good luck with the drawing!

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  4. Lisa, thank you for hosting me today!

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  5. Thanks, Lisa.,,and thanks for the note.

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  6. I really liked the first book in the series. I will be reading the second one way or another...

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