A great debut mystery – one of the best I have read in a long time

The Deep End (The Country Club Murders) (Volume 1)

By: Julie Mulhern

Rating: 5 of 5

This was a really great read. I was about halfway through the book when I realized that I wanted to read all of this author’s back list. Imagine how surprised I was when I discovered that “The Deep End” is her first mystery. The author’s style is polished, the plot well defined, and the characters were impeccable.

Add to that, I really liked the heroine of this story. She was absolutely a child of privilege, but one who is trying to break out of the mold. She is a really funny lady and her daughter and mother are hoots, too. The murders are plausible and so is the solution – these are things that can make or break a murder mystery for me. I loved that I enjoyed the story and got to laugh my way through the book.

While I was more of the daughter’s age in the 1970s, I can still recall a time when women were expected to be a graceful accessory to a man’s life than to be their own main story. This book recalls the point at which women started to break out of the mold. There is a backdrop of neighbors (at Ellison’s home) and friends and frienemies (at the country club) who provide the gasps of horror (and lots of laughs for me) when Ellison begins to break away from the expected life of banker’s wife.

I look forward to new adventures with Ellison and crew in the future. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery or just a chance to have a good read and laugh at the same time. I was provided a sample copy of the book from the publisher, Henery Press, via Netgalley.