The lastest mystery novel by Claudia Bishop in the Hemlock Falls series is a fun read for fans of Meg and Sarah Quilliam, but lacks excitement for new readers.
Ground to a Halt is the 14th in a series of cozy mystery novels, featuring the Inn at Hemlock Falls, a Victorian Inn located in the rural upstate New York town of Hemlock Falls. The Inn is run by two sisters, Meg and Sarah (Quill) Quilliam. Quill runs the business end of the operation, while Meg runs the kitchen.
This new adventure, which was just released in February, finds Quill (reluctantly) leading a school group on a field trip to Heavenly Hogg's Pig Farm. The trip has only begun when Quill stumbles on a dead body in the cooler. The deceased appears to be Lila Longstreet, a guest at the Inn and part of a group of International Association of Pet Food Providers convention.
Meg and Quill Investigate
The sisters, known for their investigative skills, start snooping around the members of the convention. It's an unsavory group, loaded with secrets, swindles, and affairs. Before they learn much, another member is murdered -- this time in his bed at the Inn. Will the girls find the killer before these murders affect their business? Is the murderer a conventioneer -- or perhaps one of their own?
Ground to a Halt, unfortunately, departs from the formula that has made Bishop's "Hemlock Falls" series so enjoyable. Although a recipe is included in the back of the book, little mention is made of the Inn's excellent kitchen -- a popular feature of the series. In addition, the book focuses on new out-of-town characters with little mention of the series' old favorites. Fans of the series will likely enjoy a new dose of Quilliam, but new readers are better advised to forego this novel and read the earlier A Taste for Murder and A Dash of Death.
About Claudia Bishop
Claudia Bishop is the author of fourteen "Inn of Hemlock" mysteries and one in a new series, featuring veterinarian Dr. Austin McKenzie. Under her real name, Mary Stanton, she is the author of a series of young adult novels. Ms. Bishop (Stanton) divides her time between the Finger Lakes region of New York and West Palm Beach. According to her Web site, she is currently working on the second novel in the Dr. McKenzie series.
Related Articles
- The Case of the Roasted Onion -- the first Dr. McKenzie mystery by Claudia Bishop
- Claudia Bishop Web site
- Dark Tort - a recommended cozy by Diane Mott Davidson
- The Chick and the Dead - another recommended cozy mystery
