A Touch of the Grape (Hemlock Falls Mysteries) [Paperback]

Claudia Bishop (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hemlock Falls Mysteries | Publication Date: July 1, 1998

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...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As usual, Sarah "Quill" Quilliam, and her sister, Meg, the owners of a quaint upstate New York inn, have more trouble than they can handle in this sixth installment of Bishop's Hemlock Falls mystery series. With tourism at an all-time low, the sisters must struggle to meet payroll while entertaining the Crafty Ladies, seemingly sweet old ladies who have gathered at the inn to meet the elusive president of their craft-kit business. When a fire in the hotel kills a Crafty Lady right after the inn changes insurance agents, Quill begins to suspect foul play. Suspects are thick as flies on flan, but topping the list are the conspicuously absent president of Crafty Ladies and the owner of the local diner who will do anything to take possession of the Inn. As before, Bishop (Death Dines Out) serves up a couple of tasty recipes to complement her stories, both of which are among her most tasty.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425163970
• ISBN-13: 978-0425163979
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #811,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FABULOUS, July 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Touch of the Grape (Hemlock Falls Mysteries) (Paperback)

I LOVE this series. I was surprised by some of the changes that happen in this book, but I think they will make for an even more interesting series. I really enjoy Meg and Quill, the 2 sisters that run the Inn. When I read one of these books, I feel as if I'm reading a letter from an old friend as I've gotten to know the characters and especially enjoy it when they stay in their home town as I've gotten to know most of the townfolk as well.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A nother good mystery in this cozy series, May 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Touch of the Grape (Hemlock Falls Mysteries) (Paperback)

The depressed economy of central and upstate New York is hurting the business of the Quillian sisters, proprietors of an inn, since most people are not going on vacation. The only solid booking they have is the "Crafty Ladies" society, a group of senior citizens who sell craft kits.

As Meg and Quinn worry over their sagging hotel business, a fire breaks out in one of the rooms where one of their elderly guests is staying. When the blaze is extinguished, it is obvious that the woman was murdered. As more members of the club are killed, Quinn conducts an investigation to learn who and why someone wants to kill defenseless elderly women.

Claudia Bishop delivers a first class mystery that includes two well-designed surprises. Though the clues are provided, the villain remains a complete shocker and the motives for murder even more stunning. An added bonus is that the Quillian siblings' lives take an unusual twist that will leave readers wanting to learn more about what happens to them in future novels. A TOUCH OF THE GRAPE is an intoxicating novel that leaves the audience feeling pretty good.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard time in Hemlock Falls, July 6, 2001

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Touch of the Grape (Hemlock Falls Mysteries) (Paperback)

Hemlock Falls is a beautiful community in upstate New York, but its depressed economy is troubling to Quill and Meg Quilliam, sisters who are the proprietors of the Inn at Hemlock Falls. Their only guests are the Crafty Ladies, a group of senior citizens who make things out of plastic spoons, boat seats, and whatever else they can find. They seem a bit eccentric and giddy, but a murder sobers them up quickly. Quill wants to solve the murder so that her business can resume as normal. Added to this, she is balancing an impatient fiance, employees who are leaving because they're not being paid, a stray dog, an aggressive insurance man, and the usual characters from town. The suspects include other guests and the townspeople,and Quill speculates about several of them until she stumbles upon the killer. This is an enjoyable mystery and the characters are not quite as "over the top" as in some other books of this genre.