What a treat it is to be able to hang out with Ellison Russell and Co. and believe me it’s time well spent. This series is set back in the mid-seventies which gives it a nostalgic touch for us baby boomers. Poor Ellison can hardly catch a break, her eye-rolling sixteen-year-old daughter, Grace has taken up with teen lothario, Trip Michaels who has all the makings of turning into her late husband Henry who was a womanizer to the tenth degree. Ellison knows from experience that prohibiting her daughter from seeing Trip would only make him that much more desirable to Grace, so she can only hope he shows his true stripes before he breaks her daughter's heart too badly.
Ellison has this unique ability to stumble or be in the immediate area when dead bodies are found, it seems she’s found another one in the country club kitchen. She didn’t find the body mind you, it was the sous chef, she just happened to be going over some menus with the chef. The woman they found happens to be the wife of Tom Michaels who comes from a very wealthy family and who is the only son of Lorna Michaels who happens to be one of Ellison’s mother Francis Walford’s oldest and best friends. Laurie is also the mother of Trip who has now landed on Ellison’s most wanted list and that’s a bad place to be.
She finally accepts a date with the hunky homicide detective, Anarchy Jones and while they are eating dinner he gets a page that there is a disturbance at Ellison’s home. When they arrive it’s like a scene right out of the movie “Animal House”. Could things get any worse for Ellison? Yes, they can and do, she finds out that Grace’s inheritance is in dire straits and she’s got to get to the bottom of this situation and fast. She promises Anarchy that she will stay out of the murder investigation of Laurie Michaels but things keep pulling her in deeper and she has no choice but to find out who killed her
Not to mention Thanksgiving is right around the corner and her sister-in-law, Gwen Russel is coming to town to visit with Grace. Ellison doesn’t cook, she has a wonderful housekeeper/cook who is more like a family member that takes on those pesky domestic duties. Ellison has a love affair with her Mr. Coffee and that’s about as far as her cooking skills go. This does cause a small concern because the last time Gwen was in town she was a Vegan. One good thing about Gwen is that she changes her whims like most people change clothes and this time she’s changed more than her diet. Ellison also invites Detective Jones over for Thanksgiving Dinner. Her parents are supposed to be on their way to visit her sister, who is married to the Condom King. The weather is getting worse and itineraries may change at the last minute so this may be a Thanksgiving Dinner that the Russel family will never forget.
I could just keep going on and on about this book but I don’t want to give too much away. This is one series that can have you laughing even if you're are not at your best and I’m not at my best of health right now but it had me laughing. The dialog in this series is hard to beat, let me tell you.

“Tom Michaels will be inundated with Bundt cakes and casseroles – egg noodles and tuna mixed with cream of mushroom soup or hamburger meat and peas in cream of celery. Someone should bake a ham. And, as if the poor man wasn’t suffering enough, he might even get a few Jell-O salads. Daisy made one with pimiento-stuffed olives, sweet pickles, and walnuts in lemon gelatin. And People said I was a bad cook? I shuddered thinking about those olives staring at me like lost souls locked in a jiggly prison.” Like I stated before I could go on and on about this series. I really think it’s one of my favorites.

I would like to thank Henery Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this e-galley for my honest review.

It's not Ellison's fault she has found another body. In Cold As Ice by Julie Mulhern, wants to discover who killed Laurie Michaels, but she hopes it wasn't her husband Tom. Tom Michaels owes Ellison's late husband's bank one million dollars. If he is convicted, she can kiss the money goodbye and possibly lose the bank. On the home front, Ellison is having issues with her daughter Grace who has fallen for a sneaky teenager named Trip one the second front is the battle with her other to stop discovering bodies and marry Hunter Tafft. Neither of these items is in Ellison's plan. Terrific book and well written like the others.

This is the first book I've read by this author. I found the characters likeable and enjoyed the author's writting style. Over all I thought that this was a good read but I felt that the book seemed to focus more on the relationships between the characters than on the mystery.

I loved it! This is such a fun series. It's got just the right touch of real life seriousness and humor. I've enjoyed coming home from work these past few days and being absorbed into Ellison's world. Julie Mulhern is such a great author.

This is a great book; this book is the sixth book in the Country Club Murders series written by Julie Mulhern. 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. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Author Julie Mulhern has another winner with her sixth novel in the series featuring Ellison Russell — a widowed artist and a member of Kansas City’s WASP elite. Set in November 1974, Ellison’s moody teenage daughter Grace is besotted with a handsome bad boy, Trip Michaels. In addition, the arrivals of heavy snows and Ellison’s sister-in-law Gwen, the bitchy sister of Ellison’s late and unlamented husband Henry, and Gwen’s Sapphic sidekick seem to guarantee a nightmare Thanksgiving. (It’s 1974, remember?) I won’t get into Ellison’s other troubles so as not to spoil the fun, but I will say that Cold As Ice is so enticing that I dropped everything to read it. And the ending packed a powerful, powerful punch.

Ellison’s usual friends, family and acquaintances are back: sexy Detective Anarchy Jones, Ellison’s demanding mother; Aggie DeLucci, the über-competent, caftan-wearing housekeeper; silver-haired, suave Hunter Tafft; tippling best friend Libba; acerbic man-trap Prudence Davies; and Jones’ foul-mouthed, crude assistant, Detective Peters (who gets a highly anticipated comeuppance). Don’t miss it!

While longtime Ellison fans will devour this book, newbies will be able to enjoy Cold As Ice without feeling the least bit lost.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Henery Press in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my absolute favorite cozy mystery series. It’s set in the 70’s, which gives it an interesting angle and unique social issues, as well as eliminating any easy outs, like the use of cell phones. The main character is a strong intelligent woman who you can’t help but look up to. Although she has her share of troubles (It is a cozy mystery after all) she always finds a way to deal with them in a way that is true to herself. Each character adds a bit of uniqueness and flavor to the book that adds to it’s overall appeal. The mystery and suspense are also extremely well done. If you like cozy mysteries I would highly recommend checking this series out!

If you're a regular reader here (and I hope you are), then you know that I'm a Kansas City girl with much love for my sweet city. So how excited was I to find out that Julie Mulhern, author of KC's own Country Club Plaza Murders mystery series had a new book coming out? SO excited! Cold as Ice is the 6th book in the series that started with The Deep End, and it's a series that just keeps getting better! 

Ellison Russell, just back in Kansas City after a gallery showing of her paintings in New York City, is thrown back into the Midwestern gossip scene of country club lunches, Junior League, and bridge games. Her teenage daughter Grace is dating and doing those typical (aggravating) teenage girl things. And Ellison is dating as well, taking in a steak dinner at the iconic Golden Ox with hunky homicide detective Anarchy Jones. 

In between dealing with broken hearts of 16-year-old girls, unauthorized keg parties in her kitchen, a catfight at a local cocktail party, a dinner date interrupted by a pager, and a menu planning session with a persnickety chef, Ellison finds herself once again doing that thing that she is fast becoming known for--she finds a body. But not just any body. 

Ellison found the body of Laurie Michaels. Laurie was the mother of Trip, the 16-year-old boy who created the kegger in the kitchen and broke the hearts of two different girls at that party, one of them being Ellison's daughter Grace. Laurie was also the one who threw a martini at Prudence at cocktail party, Prudence being one of the many women Ellison's late husband cheated on her with. And Laurie was the wife of Tom, who has borrowed over a million dollars from Ellison's bank (her late husband had left it to Grace), and no longer has the collateral or the ability to pay the loan back. 

How does Ellison get herself in the middle of these things, and more importantly, how can she get herself out, preferably while holding on to Grace's inheritance, her sanity, and the possibility of a relationship with a very handsome detective? 

Julie Mulhern's Cold as Ice is a sharp, striking, clever, incredibly well-written look at life in Kansas City's upper class in the mid 1970s, making me giggle at the memory of things like a princess phone, Love's Baby Soft, and Tame creme rinse. If you love beautifully crafted cozies with a heavy sprinkling of humor, if you love all things Kansas City, or if you just miss the knock-down drag-out catfights of a bygone era, then Julie Mulhern's mysteries are for you. I assure you that they're for me. And I'm for them. 



Galleys for Cold as Ice were provided by Henery Press through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.

Julie Mulhern's Cold as Ice is the sixth book in the Country Club Murders series. I have not read any of the previous books, but I was able to easily keep up with the characters. The book is set in the 1970s yet it did not feel dated at all. Ellison is raising her teenage daughter Grace on her own after her husband's death. Ellison has her hands full with Grace's no good boyfriend and wild parties. Add in a demanding mother and social activities, and the last thing she needs is to find a dead body. Unfortunately that is exactly what happens. I adored the characters and Ellison's prim and proper mannerisms. This book was good enough that I have added the first five to my reading list.

Wow! What a fantastic book this is! Cold As Ice is a solid Five Stars. (In fact, I wish there were more than five stars available, because Cold As Ice is that good.) I think this is my favorite of all the books in The Country Club Murders.

As the weather is cooling down, things are heating up with Ellison's love life — sort of. It's only been five months since her cheating husband Henry died. That's way too soon for Ellison to enter into another relationship. She's not ready to give up her newly acquired and hard-won sense of freedom and empowerment.

I really like seeing how much Ellison has changed since jumping in The Deep End. I look forward to seeing her grow even more, in Book 7 and future books of The Country Club Murders.

Write faster, Julie!

An enjoyable romp in the 70s. A trip down memory lane with laughs along the way. An unusual relationship with Mr. Coffee, but maybe mine with Starbucks is similar. Teenage drama, Thanksgiving dinner challenges, murder, romance, and more. The ending made me cry "no." Can't wait for book 7. Tweaking mother/grandmother's haughty attitude is too much fun. Julie Mulhern keeps one guessing and throws in surprises along the way.

Fun, cozy mystery that takes place in 1974. The latest in the series of Country Club Murder mysteries, this one propels the series forward and engages readers to want the next one in the series.

Ellison Russell's life is in a bit of an uproar. Detective Anarchy Jones and Ellison's mother both wish she would break her habit of finding bodies. But more than that, there's a problem with the bank that is her daughter's legacy. And Grace has taken up with a boy that Ellison doesn't really feel comfortable with her seeing. He might be of the right social strata, but there is something about him that strikes her as untrustworthy. Julie Mulhern weaves these things together into the sixth Country Club Murders mystery.

I enjoy Ellison Russell and her passionate affair with Mr. Coffee. She is smart, but still makes mistakes, so very human. And she has a lovely, snarky sense of humor. The interplay of Ellison with her teenaged daughter Grace is believable. It stands along with her relationship with her own mother. It's nice to have the 3 generations interact. I like the ways that they ultimately show concern for each other.

The setting being the 1970s makes things interesting as well. No cell phones for one thing. The country club society almost becomes a character in itself. It certainly affects how characters react to things.

The mystery is well done. Ellison has her close calls which have Anarchy up in arms. Ellison isn't unperturbed, just the opposite. She tries to manage things with a minimum of upset, but there's only so much you can do when you find a body.

Julie Mulhern manages to balance the interpersonal interactions with the mystery. There is also just the right amount of sarcasm and humor. I enjoyed the sixth outing in The Country Club Murders and look forward to reading more in this series. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy a good cozy with humor, you will most likely enjoy this one. Cold as Ice by Julie Mulhern is due to be released October 17, 2017 by Henery Press.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This in no way affects my freely given review.

*I received this book from NetGally in exchange for an honest review.

Cold As Ice is book 6 of the Country Club Murders by Julie Mulhern. I was very impressed by the writing presented by Mulhern and the dynamics between all the different characters. Coming in at book 6, there were a few things that pointed back to the previous books, but other than those small details it is a good stand alone book. Overall, the book was funny, mysterious, and just a really great read!

Loved it!! It has highs, lows, romance, murder. I could not put it down. Can hardly wait to read more by this author

This is the first book I have read by Julie Mulhern and certainly won't be the last. I now need to go back to the first book in the Country Club Mystery series and read them in order.
Ellison is a typical seventies mom, a widow with a typical teenage daughter. Great story, fast paced, funny and a dead body.

Thank you NetGalley and Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Ellison is a mom of a teenager and also a Widow of a husband who cheated on her with many of her friends. This was my first visit to the people in this town, but there are other books in this series an thanks to Net Galley I was able to get an advance ecopy of this one. I am going to see if I can start at the first one and work my way up to this one. It was that good!

The characters are all likable even the bad ones, the book is well planned out and arranged and just the right amount of suspense to keep you reading until the end!

This was my first book by Julie Mulhern and as soon as I finished it, I bought the 1st 5 in this series! Between the snark, the dry humor, the story and the sorid affair with her coffee pot... I'm a new fan!

“Cold As Ice” earns 5/5 Bell-bottomed, ABBA loving, Thumbs Up…Heeey!

Ok, do you remember the 70s? I do…graduating college, pre/post twenty-one, first job in LA, and big dreams ahead of me, but…murder? Not in my 70s! However, Julie Mulhern puts us right in the middle of it with book six in her Country Club Murder Mystery series; television shows, pop culture, and 70s mores were all a blast from the past. I have read so many rave reviews, but decided to join in with the newest release rather than starting from the beginning. As a newbie, I found that there was enough information into background and character connection to keep me engaged. Although some events were mentioned that I am eager to go back and read previous stories: details around her ‘late’ husband, and she runs a bank?

Julie’s excellent writing style starts with Ellison Russell realizing Disaster! doesn’t send an invitation, so when it arrives, it is ignorantly welcomed in the form of her daughter’s handsome boyfriend. Is it that handsome equals untrustworthy? It is according to Ellison’s experience with her philandering, ‘late' husband. Having sent her daughter off on a dinner/movie date with said boyfriend, she joins her BFF Libba at a party with friends and foes in attendance. One foe (Prudence Davies a dalliance of her late husband) and a friend (the boyfriend’s mother Laura Michaels) have a bit of a conflict escalating into accusations, insults, vodka in the face, more name-calling, broken glass, and fire! It seems another of Prudence’s dalliances has been exposed, and threats of “I could kill you!” Daisy was right, “Remember this… This is the sort of thing that leads to murder.” And that’s exactly what happens…along with so much more: single parenting issues, bank loans that could close its doors, and a ‘heart hiccup’ making romance with a man named ‘Anarchy.’ I love it, and you don’t have to have lived during the seventies to enjoy this series, especially this newest release. It is a clever mystery with well developed characters, Ellison a favorite, that will keep you engaged to the final “Oh, No!” ending.

It's nearing Thanksgiving in Kansas City, and life is -sort of - getting back to normal for Ellison Russell. But while everything seems to be going along smoothly, it just...isn't. Her daughter Grace has been caught throwing a wild party in her absence, and while that may seem to be enough of a headache, it only gets worse when her bank president tells her the bank - her late husband's legacy to Grace - may be going under due to an unpaid loan.

The loan, owed by Tom Michaels, is the father of a boy Ellison does not want Grace seeing. But each time she tries to call Tom, he's unavailable. And when she does get a chance to speak with his wife Laurie, she leaves before anything is resolved.

But it's while she's at the country club planning a party for a friend when the sous chef opens the walk-in freezer to find Laurie's frozen body that it turns into a nightmare. Another body. The wife of the husband with a million dollar loan. And the mother of a boy with lax morals who seems to be interested in her daughter. Life is definitely not normal for Ellison Russell.

While warned to stay out of this investigation by the ever-present homicide Detective Anarchy Jones, Ellison's maybe-boyfriend she doesn't want to say anything about the bank. Ellison needs to know if Laurie left life insurance, and for how much; hopefully enough to cover the loan; and she she needs the help of Hunter Tafft, her attorney who's also highly interested in her personally, to find out what can be done to place a lien, if possible; and, horror of horrors, she also needs to enlist the help of her intimidating mother, Frances.

But it isn't going to be easy. She needs to stay under the radar of the police to conduct her own investigation - because if Tom is convicted of the crime they'll be no life insurance. To top it off, her late husband's sister Gwen is spending the holiday with them, and Gwen doesn't (and never has) approved of Ellison. This holiday may be more memorable than Ellison would like it to be.

But then things get worse: Ellison discovers another body, one which may very well have ties to the first. With the suspect list dwindling, the body count growing, and Tom as the police's likely culprit, Ellison needs to work fast before the bank closes its doors forever...

Once again, Ms. Mulhern has taken us back to 1974, a time with no cellphones or computers, and all information must be gathered the old-fashioned way: through the grapevine. It's a simpler time when people didn't depend on daily updates online, but through telephone calls, people needed to actually talk to one another, and Google was a thing of the future. She does this, and more, admirably.

I found the book quite entertaining, with just enough components to make it realistic - a mother raising a sixteen-year-old daughter alone and trying to do her best; and adding that to the other storyline, weaving them together seamlessly and effortlessly; both essential to the book's plot.

The narrative carries us along easily, rolling our eyes much as Grace did, at some of the wordplay between characters (who are all delightful, by the way), giving us an engaging tale of life in another place and time - albeit one littered with dead bodies along the way (but then again, isn't that why we're reading this series in the first place?)

When we learn the identity of the killer and come to the end of the book, we see that actions have consequences, and consequences affect our lives, for good or bad. Whether right or wrong, the choices we make color our lives forever, and learning from them is the hardest -and maybe the most bittersweet - lesson of all.

Although you might be tempted to peek at the ending, I urge you not to do so. Unfolding the story as it is written will add to a wonderful journey through words and images in your mind. Highly recommended and I look forward to the next in the series.