Clouds in My Coffee - Blog Tour Review + Giveaway

Clouds in My Coffee (The Country Club Murders #3) by Julie Mulhern Rating:  Very Good
Source: NetGalley
Description:  When Ellison Russell is nearly killed at a benefactors' party, she brushes the incident aside as an unhappy accident.  But when her house is fire-bombed, she's shot at, and the person sitting next to her at a gala is poisoned, she must face facts.  Someone wants her dead.  But why?  And can Ellison find the killer before he strikes again?  Add in an estranged sister, a visiting aunt with a shocking secret, and a handsome detective staying in her guesthouse, and Ellison might need more than cream in her coffee... (from Goodreads)

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book: I loved the previous book in the series and couldn't wait for this one!

My Impression:  I've been teetering on the edge of a reading slump for a few weeks now.  Pretty much every book I read was good but nothing special and nothing was really pulling me into the story.  Until I picked up Clouds in My Coffee and right away I was in Kansas City in the mid 1970s in the world of Ellison Russell.  I absolutely loved the previous book - Guaranteed to Bleed - and was thrilled to find out that I loved this one just as much if not more.

Ellison is just as easy to relate to as she;s always been and I really enjoyed seeing all the family bonds that were explored in this book.  While we still see her daughter Grace a good bit the focus is more on Ellison's relationship with her mother, sister and aunt and all the relationships in between.  I really enjoyed getting to know Ellison's mother better and getting to know Ellison's sister.  I could definitely see why they didn't always get along.

The mystery itself was page turning and entertaining.  It was also quite a bit different from the usual murder mystery.  While a body does eventually show up the main focus is on the narrow escapes Ellison is having.  Normally you know why someone is out to kill the main character but in this case no one - including Ellison - has any idea.  In the best possible way I had no idea what was going on or how it was going to be revealed for about 80% of the book and even when I did have a theory I was ended up being wrong!

This book is clearly taking place in the 70s and there are a number of cultural mentions which I was fascinated with but it's never overdone.  If you want a little help visualizing you can check out Mulhern's Pinterest page where she has a board for each book.  I also adored when Ellison's mother, Francine, tells her to not go into any out of the way places  or check her coat at a gala because she doesn't want Ellison to stumble over another dead body.

Overall, this is becoming one of my favorite mystery series.  It's entertaining and well structured and light without being fluffy.   I can't wait to see what trouble Ellison will get in next!
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Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely!  Mulhern is on my auto-buy list

Would I Recommend this Book?: Definitely.  If you enjoy a good mystery you should not pass up this series.