"Night Moves" By Julie Mulhern: Review/Giveaway

 Review by Cynthia Chow

 Details at the end of this post on how to win a copy of the book, along with a link to purchase it.

When Clayton Morris dropped dead, Ellison Russell was not around to find the body. This would be unremarkable if she hadn’t recently garnered a disturbing habit of being the person to find an alarming number of corpses. At least the first murder victim she discovered also led to her meeting Homicide Detective Anarchy Jones, now her brand-new fiancé. That they haven’t yet set a wedding date gives Ellison’s Mother hope that her daughter will choose a more appropriate mate, preferably one that just moved in next door and happens to be Ellison’s high school ex-boyfriend. While attempting to navigate her own daughter’s feelings and the assortment of country club events, Ellison still manages to stumble across a collapsed body when returning eyeglasses for a friend.

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While this time the body is still breathing, the discovery once again brings Ellison back into the midst of a murder investigation. After Anarchy admits that Clayton Morris’s death was not natural and that the victim she found was also poisoned, Mother’s worst fears that her daughter is being unseemly are realized yet again. Ellison never intends to become the target for murder, be kidnapped, or land in the hospital, but somehow that’s always where she ends up. 

This twelfth in the series continues to be as refreshing, clever, and emotionally satisfying as the first. As her teen daughter Grace acknowledges, Ellison has grown considerably from the cheated-upon, country-club wife she once was as she futilely attempted to fit into the subservient housewife role she was assigned. Ellison does her best to avoid her judgmental Mother’s manipulations, but even when that’s impossible Ellison is more likely to roll her eyes than feel ashamed. In this setting of 1975 Kansas City, men are still considered the heads of households and the only acceptable heirs of businesses, but Ellison is doing her best to become an admirable role model for her daughter. Choosing a man who has rejected his family’s wealth for law enforcement and then pursuing a career as an artist, sets Ellison apart from the rest of her high society friends. 

What this novel highlights is how women are overlooked in the workplace, and how they have to work behind-the-scenes in order to get things done. So much fun also derives from Mother’s battles to foil Ellison’s wedding plans, her friend’s Libba’s struggle to commit without getting married herself, and Ellison’s questionable relationship with her Mr. Coffee. Ellison’s wry, dry humor is matched perfectly with Anarchy’s, with Grace close behind even as she wages a war over a problematic pet. The struggles of women to be seen in the business world as more than just secretaries is both painful and relatable. The country club world of this elite segment of Kansas City makes for a delightful setting for satire and social commentary, with the characters proving to be just as entertaining. Romance, domestic complications and an intriguing mystery all propel readers into the next fun and original installment of Ellison’s adventures.

To enter to win either an ebook or print copy of Night Moves, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "moves,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 27, 2021. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. BE SURE TO MENTION IF YOU WANT EBOOK OR PRINT. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! A new episode went up this week.

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Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

 
Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.