Buried by Breakfast
Hemlock Falls Mystery series, No. 12

By Claudia Bishop

     The Quilliam sisters, chef Meg and artist Sarah (nicknamed "Quill") always seem to be stirring up murder at the historic Hemlock Falls Inn that they run together in a sleepy little northern New York town.

   In this adventure, Judge Moody sequesters himself, a six-person jury, his bodyguard, and the court liaison, who is a royal pain, at the inn (at the ridiculously cheap "state rate," according to Quill). Not only is the Inn's staff kept hopping trying to fulfill the spoiled demands of these new guests, but they become embroiled in murder when the puffed-up judge is found murdered. Tossed in this stew are more suspects with motives than there are possible opportunities, including the developer who wants to move the town's Civil War Cemetery and turn it into a golf course and the Friends of the Dead who are protesting the move.

   As always, Claudia Bishop serves up a smorgasbord of off-the-wall characters that will keep readers laughing. The mystery, though straightforward, is complicated by all of these characters, producing more red herrings that you'll see in an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet.

   The Hemlock Falls mystery series is a welcome romp with a cast of characters that aren't easily forgotten. The deft way Bishop brings everything to a simmer, threatening to boil all over the place, and then lets it all gel into a tidy ending is mystery-concocting at its best. Plus, the added bonus of one of Chef Meg's prized recipes is always worth the price of the book. This time, it's her "World's Best Omlette."

Reviews of other titles in this series

Buried by Breakfast, No 12
A Carol For A Corpse, No 14
Dread on Arrival, No 17