If Agatha Christie had decided to write something akin to “Fifty Shades of Grey,” she might have ended up with “The Deep End” by Julie Mulhern.  This certainly isn’t your grandmother’s cozy mystery, and I loved it. This is a Cozy Mystery with an edge.  Ms. Mulhern walked a fine line in this mystery with a tantalizing topic while still being acceptable to most cozy readers.

The book is set in 1974, but it felt modern day to me.  As the story opens Ellison Russell, during her normal morning swim at the country clubs discovers the body of her husband’s mistress floating dead in the pool.  As Ellison is the obvious suspect, she starts investigating to determine who else would have a reason to kill her husband.  She discovers her husband’s proclivities and his crimes.

Ellison Russell makes an interesting protagonist.  She is a successful artist with a flourishing career.  She is a loving mother who is trying to hold a marriage together for the sake of her daughter.  Her social life revolves around the country club where her mother is a grand dame, controlling society just like she tries to control her daughter’s life.

I enjoyed the setting.  It is always fun to peek into the glamorous life of the wealthy.

This is the first book in the Country Club Mystery series by Julie Mulhern.  The second one is expected to be published in November of this year.  I can’t wait to read the next one.

Five stars out of five.

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In accordance with the FTC guidelines for reviewers, I would like to clarify that this book was provided to me by the publisher free of charge.  I am not compensated by the author or publisher for my review.  All they expect is an honest review of the work.