A Carol for a Corpse

Hemlock Falls Mysteries #15

by Claudia Bishop

When a big-time magazine and television show asks to feature the Inn at Hemlock Falls during Christmas, the Quilliam sisters, who are in dire financial straits, embrace this opportunity, until the editor's husband, an avid skier, is murdered on the slopes and they are threatened with a lawsuit. Original.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Christmas, Cozy, Amateur Sleuth, Holiday

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Claudia Bishop is the nom de plume of mystery & fantasy author Mary Stanton.

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was my first Hemlock Falls Mystery, and I was pleasantly surprised.
Entertaining, enjoyable and not too long: the perferct book for a lazy Saturday afternoon.

[Claudia Cheyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking for a Christmas mystery and decided to read a book by Claudia Bishop who was a new author to me. Granted, I knew nothing about this series, but I don't plan on reading any more by her.
The Quilliam sisters run the Inn at Hemlock Falls together. They are in serious financial trouble. Zeke Kingsfield - a real estate mogul - seems to be the answer to their prayers. But in reality he takes advantage of people by cheating them out of their money and property while he shuffles the profits into other companies he owns. Zeke's body is found at the bottom of the gorge after what appears to be a skiing accident while he was staying at the Inn. Meg and Quill notice things which lead them to believe that this was no accident. Lots of people hated Zeke - but who would want him dead? I started this book once, then put it down, picked it up again and had to convince myself to keep reading it. I didn't like the characters. It was a very predictable and silly plot.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

In that I had just read one of another series with similar aims of mystery, it was easy for me to recognize this had much the other didn't. There was a very well set setting, distinct characters and dialogue. Also, the mystery itself was far more interesting. There are some stereotyped characters and the plot is more than over used, but the sum is good. I have a real problem of how the murder took place. The effort to accomplish the task is very to nearly impossible considering the outcome. There is a lot of assumption readers know snow skiing. Having a background involving construction development, there is also a problem with how part of the plot is written involving taking over and redeveloping land.

But really the mystery is secondary to the over all story of two sisters running an inn. I liked that part best.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 6 out of ten stars.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat entertaining holiday book. The Quilliam sisters have been saved from having to close down the Hemlock Falls Inn by signing a deal with a well-known deal maker that will keep the Inn in business by allowing a popular cooking show to film in the kitchen.

But the deal maker has an even bigger thing in mind, and though it's popular at first, once some of the details become public, things get dicey.

And when the deal maker dies on the cross country ski trail belonging to the Inn, it's up to Quill, the manager of the Inn, to prove it was murder and not an accident.

Pretty decent as cozy mysteries go, but not enough to make me want to read other books in the series.

[Josephine (Jo) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a nice easy Christmas read. Meg Quilliam is the excellent cook at The Inn at Hemlock Falls, her sister Sarah (known as Quill), deals with the day to day running of the Inn. Quill is also know for her habit of getting involved in solving crimes and there is usually one around for her to get her teeth into.
I loved the description of the wintery, Christmas decked Inn and all the information about the staff that work there, I did however find the plot a bit slow. It took up to page 138 for anything significant to happen and I was starting to get a little bit bored. Overall it was a nice story but I would have preferred to have spent more time on working out who did what.

[Stephanie Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good addition to this series. Even though it was a Christmas time mystery story, it was subtle. I think it could have been a little more fun with more holiday meals/ideas. However, I really enjoyed the book. As always I was shocked by the outcome. Can't wait to read more.

[Charles (the booktrovert) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this because I like the narrator so much. Justine Eyre is always so good. The mystery was just ok. 3.5 stars is about right for this story.
Cozy mystery. No romance, language, or violence.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute

[Kathy Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always think of the Quilliam sisters as friends whose lives are a television show. I can just hear the "don't go into the basement" music anytime the two of them hatch anything resembling a plot. This book was a fun read, though I guess the subplot mystery within the first few pages. For the main mystery I had the right killer early on as well. But that did not diminish my enjoyment of the book.

Do not look to this series of books if you want great literature. You're not going to find it. They are exactly what they are advertised as: good, fun, cozy mysteries. They are great plant reads, but that is what I want in my reading -- a way to escape real life for a little while and live in another world. Hemlock Falls is an easy place to escape to, and an easy place to leave when the vacation there is over. But it's the kind of place you can visit again and again and never get bored.

[Jennifer Zartman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up a copy of this book on a whim at a library sale, and read it while sick. It suited my mood and my need, and I appreciated the author's engaging style. She didn't include too many implausibilities, though it's a stretch to pretend that someone could loosen a fencepost that's set in concrete and held in place by a chain link fence. Throw in that said fencepost stands in upstate New York in late December with the ground frozen solid, and that one merits an eye roll. The abandoned baby also felt contrived. But those things come toward the end, and the author uses good vocabulary and fashions her sentences well, so it amused and kept me occupied for a while.
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[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't usually read cozy mysteries, but this one was short and available, and fit easily in my purse for a good book-on-the-go (don't want to end up in a waiting room whose only reading material is People magazine!!!) My expectations were low, but I liked this little book. The characters were interesting without being caricatures, the setting was well done, and the whodunnit wasn't completely obvious. The holiday theme was enjoyable, I have no complaints.

[Grey853 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so very disappointed in this book. I'm a sucker for a cozy set around Christmas and cooking. It should've been great, but I was very put off by the nasty and constant bickering of the main characters. Meg was just a bitch who complained all the time and I'm surprised I even finished it.

[Anita]

I really like this series. Meg and Quill are funny and quirky, as are most of the other characters. They are light and entertaining books and take the edge off a difficult day. And of course they are mysteries which are my favorite.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute holiday cozy mystery. I loved the large cast of quirky characters. The mystery didn't even begin until just over half way through the book, but I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at the inn even more than the whodunnit.

[Sallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remembered some of this from my last reading, but not whodunit. In the bag it goes for giving away.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all the books in this series and this is another great installment from the Inn at Hemlock Falls.

[Mary (Biblophile) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average cozy mystery. I still can't stand the sister who is a cook in this series. She really gets on my nerves with her know-it-all, holier-than-thou attitude.

[Velga]

Pure fluff. It does accurately reflect life in small upstate NY town, minus the murder!

[Mo]

included in PRIME CRIME HOLIDAY COLLECTION on Nook.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun light read.

[Heather L · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay mystery, though it was rather surprising not to get to the dead bosy until midway through the book.

[Doris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never finished. I could not stomach the inanity.

The characters are stereotyped, the plot is over used, and the murder itself was improbably set.

[Paige Kuether · Rating 3 out of 5]

read for Nov. Christmas theme mystery club. Fun read though not well written