A Touch of the Grape

Hemlock Falls Mysteries #6

by Claudia Bishop

Desperate to keep their upstate New York inn running, Sarah and Meg Quilliam turn sleuth when several of their guests, a group of middle-aged artists known as "The Crafty Ladies," begin to turn up dead, one by one. Original.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Humor, Amateur Sleuth

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1998

About the author

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

Reviews

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up

This series has been hit-and-miss for me. I didn't care much for the bickering between the sisters in the previous book, but they weren't so bad in this one, maybe because they were back on home turf?

There was a lot going on in this book, most of it focused on Quill and Meg's efforts to keep the inn afloat without going further into debt. It's hard to believe that Quill has such a laissez-faire attitude about recording checks she's written, or that Meg has her head buried so deep in the sand that she can't see how desperate the financial situation has gotten, but that seems to be proof that they should *not be trying to run a business, let alone something as complex as an inn.

It took a while for the first murder to happen, but then things really picked up. Several of the characters here seemed to be hiding something, which landed them squarely on my list of suspects. I couldn't figure out how everything tied together, though, until it was revealed in the book. I never would have guessed the motive, so I'm glad I didn't try :)

Given the way this book ended, I'm eager to see how things work out, so I'll read at least one more book in the series before deciding whether to continue beyond that.

[Stephanie Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. Interesting twist at the end. Can't wait to read more in this series.

[Kathy Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series!

[Linda C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meg and Quill are in financial straits at their Inn in Hemlock Falls. The depression in upstate New York has put a slump on their business. Their only current guests are a group called the Crafty Ladies. Just as their insurance is canceled and a new policy has gone into effect a fire breaks out in one of the rooms and one of the Ladies dies. When it turns out to be murder, the insurance payment is delayed and they are in worse shape. When a potential boon to the area is revealed the town needs to work together to survive or compete to save themselves. Meg and Quill need to solve the murder and their reputation and to figure out how to save their Inn. Average mystery, not drawn to the main character.

[Chi Dubinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

With upstate New York in a tourist slump, Sarah and Meg Quilliam are desperate to keep their inn running. But their only guests are "The Crafty Ladies"--a group of middle-aged artists who make art out of recyclables. But their creative flow is interrupted when one of the ladies is killed in a fire at the inn--and another soon after. Now Sarah and Meg are really desperate. After all, murder's not good for business..

[Emily Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Innkeepers Sarah "Quill" and Meg Quilliam are victims of a poor economy in upstate New York with only 5 members of The Crafty Ladies booked in. But when one of them dies in her room due to a fire, Sarah and Meg must now catch a killer as well as figure out how they are going to pay the bills. I really liked this book in the cozy "Hemlock Falls" mystery series. The story was great and kept me guessing until the very end. I am glad I have more in the series to read!

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn't get on with this one. The earlier books in the series were great, but #5 seemed to go off the rails, and this one was just depressing. I don't normally expect the main characters in a cozy to spend half the book trying to stave off bankruptcy, especially after the author has spent four of the previous five books setting up the place and scene. Maybe she just got bored...

[Brenda Klaassen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a lite read for me. This author usually holds my attention, but this was not her "best" work. I would have to say I was glad to see the book end. This is not a book I will hold on to and reread. I was surprised to findout who was doing the killing and why they did it.

[Sallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up some of this series at my local used bookstore, but not all, so I decided to just read them and move them along to clean off my TBR pile a bit. I enjoy the series for the most part. Too much angst in this one at times, but it was interesting how it ended. I love Max!

[Nidofito · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was surprisingly really good. So glad the girls are back in Hemlock Falls. Hope the new life will be better suited to the girls and Quill will (maybe) finally get some motivation to understand finances.

[Pam Bales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number six in the Hemlock Falls culinary cozy mystery series, this is another good read. The sisters and the other characters are well written and the murders are "entertaining." If you like this genre, give it a try.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good entry to the Hemlock Falls series that kept me guessing til the end.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great cozy installment in the Hemlock Falls series. I definitely didn't see Tge ending coming. That's a sign of a great mystery in my opinion.

[Paige Kuether · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took a while to get into it, a bit boring.

[Christa (haines) Sheridan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found there was a little too much complaining in this one, and too much going on. Certain details made the finale a little obvious.