Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
A Steak in Murder
Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Claudia Bishop
Class/Genre: Mystery Amateur Sleuth Cozy
Series: Hemlock Falls # 7
Berkley Prime Crime, Jul 1999, $5.99, 272 pp.
Sisters Sarah and Meg Quilliam miss the Inn at Hemlock Falls that they were forced to sell before they went bankrupt. They now run a profit-making restaurant in town. Sarah wants to buy back the Inn, but the current owner is making a profit and demands a sum beyond the means of the Quilliam siblings.
At the same time, several Texas cattle ranchers and their cattle are staying at the Inn. The Texans want to work a deal with the local residents. The townsfolk would raise the special breed of Longhorn cattle that is much leaner and healthier, but lacks the quality taste of the Angus breed, which is normally sold. Meg, a gourmet chef, is working on a sauce to improve the steak's taste. However, one of the cattle ranchers dies from an apparent heart attack that turns out to be murder. This places the Quilliam sisters back in the comfortable role of amateur sleuths, especially when more murders follow.
A STEAK IN MURDER, the seventh Hemlock Fall mystery, retains the mouth watering taste attained by the six previous novels. The siblings remain entertaining amateur sleuths supported by a host of local eccentric characters that provide depth and warmth to the story line. The other protagonists keep the story moving forward at a fast pace. Sub-genre readers will relish the main dish of a story line as Claudia Bishop's cozy continues to be fun to read.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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