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World Hotels - Ground to a Halt (Hemlock Falls Mystery)
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List Price: $6.99
Our Price: $6.99
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Berkley
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780425214299
ISBN: 042521429X
Label: Berkley
Manufacturer: Berkley
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2007-02-06
Publisher: Berkley
Studio: Berkley
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Editorial Reviews:
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Sisters and innkeepers Meg and Quill have an inn full of guests who can't stop fighting. Soon, one ends up murdered on a pig farm. And when a psychic correctly predicts a second murder, business grinds to a halt.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: So-so installment
Comment: I usually like the Inn at Hemlock Falls series, but this one was a little tough to get through. There were a lot of characters to keep straight, in addition to the usual local characters. Plus, one of my favorite characters, Myles, isn't even in the book at all.
The plot was ok, but again, it was a bit difficult to get through this book. Perhaps the characters have been thoroughly flushed out, and there is no more here to discover? It just seemed a bit boring, as if I've read this book before, but perhaps a few little details were altered to make it seem new.
I recommend the series, and I think I will go back and read some of the earlier books to remind myself of why I love the series.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pet food shenanigans in Hemlock Falls
Comment: Welcome to Hemlock Falls, members of the International Association of Pet Food Providers. While you stay with us you will enjoy screaming at each other over whether you should start making all of your food vegan (?????); murders of several of your members; and enough deciet and business complications to make everyone afraid of coming in touch with you. But fear not! the Inn's owner, her sister, and her friend will come and bug you as they are on a mission (assigned to them by the Mayor no less) to solve the crime!
The plotting in this book is completely preposterous. Not only are we supposed to believe that this "International" association has only eight members; they all live and operate only in Syracuse or in the midwest; they each have more money than Croesus; yet a disbarred lawyer is a prominent member of the group? One body is discovered right off the bat in the first chapter and another about half way into the book.
Quill, Meg, and Marge are off to solve the case as the insipid local sheriff, the slimy state police, and all the other law enforcement bodies are off taking care of other things (like what?). One complication leads to another and there are many funny moments in the bok which makes it worth while reading. For instance, the description of how the 36 year old Quill is transformed into a 20-something computer geekette had me howling in laughter!
On the other hand, the plotting of the mystery was way too complex involving as it did: use of some uncommon ingredients for making pet food; puppy mills; multiple business deals amongst a very small group of people; two murders; sleight of hand; and more. So many plot elements amongst such a small number of people made for a very confusing situation which was clearly unnecessary. I also did not like the recycling of the plot. The pet food switcheroo was way too reminiscent of the plot involving the paint factory from several stories ago. My final complaint about this book is that Marge Schmidt is increasing being presented as this incredible industrial mogul who owns companies in all kinds of businesses all over the world rather that what she started out as - a restaurant owner in Hemlock Falls. One would think that if Marge was truly that much of a conglomerate, that she would be spending a lot of time running all those companies rather than constantly being in the little town where her restaurant was and being courted by a local dairy farmer!
As to the romance between the various women and their lovers: Quill married McHale; Meg is flirting with another chef after jilting the doctor on their wedding day; Marge gets hitched with her farmer; and John Raintree has a new baby -- which causes Quill and Meg to decide that it's time to become mommies. So, the mystery that remains is: Will Quill solve the next mystery while she is pregnant? Or, after the baby is born?
Customer Rating:
Summary: Would you like some salt with that?
Comment: Hemlock Falls is small town where a lot happens, especially at the local inn owned by sisters Meg and Sarah (Quill) Quilliam. This is their 14th outing - or case, as they would say, and they are surrounded by their usual suspects. Quill has volunteered to chaperone a school trip to the Heavenly Hogg pig farm, but the last thing she expects is to find the body of a woman in with the pig carcasses. While shooing out the children and ordering for the police, she realizes that the bashed-in blonde on the floor was a guest at the inn attending a meeting - until she checked out - literally.
Quill is now happily married to Myles McHale, the former sheriff of Hemlock Falls, but we don't get to meet Myles in this installment, as he is off on an assignment for his new employer. Meg, Quill's culinary sister, is quite prominent in her role as chef to the Inn, but also as Quill's foil for information about suspects, alibis, and motives.
Said suspects are mostly the people who are attending the International Association of Pet Food Providers (IAPFP) meeting at the Inn at Hemlock Falls. Most notably is pet psychic Olivia Oberlie, who is famous worldwide, followed by several other interesting characters. The woman Quill found at the farm is identified as Lila Longstreet, who was the secretary/treasurer of the IAPFP but who had left the day before, supposedly to go to an ailing mother's bedside.
While rumors of Lila being ground into sausage abound, Quill watches her guests as they quarrel and fight non-stop with one another - until another of their group is found dead in bed. Quill and her friend (and local entrepreneur) Marge sift through the information for clues while trying to run their day-to-day activities before someone else winds up as pet food fodder!
This is a fun cozy which includes a delicious-sounding recipe. Not too gruesome, with little violence and humor sprinkled throughout the plot. The people are fun and interesting, although reading the previous stories would probably help a lot with background, but isn't necessary to get the gist of the characters. I would recommend this to cozy-lovers as well as those who enjoy animals.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Would You Stay At This Inn?
Comment: It's autumn and the Inn At Hemlock Falls is full of the Association of Pet Food Providers, whose biggest fight is whether or not to change to vegan pet food.
That is until Sarah "Quill" Quillium discovers a body at Heavenly Hogg's Pig Farm. When a psychic predicts another murder Sarah and her sister Meg once again look for a murderer who is a also a paying guest.
Can they discover the murderer while trying to save their Inn from being the murder capital of the state?
As I've said in my earlier reviews I usually get all the current books in a series before I start reading. If I had started this when there were only two or three books, I would have never bought another one. I think this is the type of series that you either love for its quirkiness or dislike because of the stupidity of the people.
This review is an overview of the entire series through this book.
Highlights:
The mystery. The Inn At Hemlock Falls has some of the best mysteries. Very complicated, well thought out and I've never guessed who the killer was.
Myles McHale - local sheriff and government investigator. In the early books he's the sheriff, then he becomes a government agent and now is part-time sheriff when he's in town, government agent when he's gone. He's been trying to get Sarah "Quill" Quilliam to marry him for about a decade.
Andy Bishop - local doctor. He's been trying to get Meg Quilliam (chef) to marry him for about a decade. He's always willing to do as much as he can to give the Quilliam sisters information they need to help their investigations.
John Raintree - Business Manager in the early books, running the Inn. Then it goes bust and he has to take another job and is slowly eased from the storyline only returning to save the Inn from some type of financial disaster.
Marge Schmidt who started out as owner of a restaurant in town and has suddenly become the Warren Buffet of the East Coast.
Lowlight:
Sarah "Quill" Quilliam is suppose to be a famous artist. Everyone who comes to the inn, whether they're from New York or a farmer from Kansas has heard of the famous "Quill". Yet through the entire series which is about a decade of time, she rarely ever picks up a paintbrush. "Quill" is also the stupidest heroine in a mystery series. She is suppose to be a great manager, yet she runs the Inn into bankruptcy, because as an artist, she can't be bothered with such things as opening the mail and writing checks. So even though John had told her to watch for the Insurance and to pay it right away, it just slipped her mind. She strings John Raintree along, knowing he's in love with her, but she needs his knowledge to run the Inn so she won't tell him there's no chance of them getting together. She does the same thing with Myles, only he's more persistent and doesn't give up. What he sees in her I don't have a clue.
Meg Quilliam is supposed to be a top chef and she acts like the worse kind of chef you see on TV. Screaming, throwing things, breaking things, it's ridiculous. She also strings Andy Bishop along for a decade, which includes her cheating on him. What she does when their wedding day is less than a week away is unforgivable and made me completely dislike this character. She reminds me of someone who could do with a little psychiatric help.
Doreen Muxworthy-Stoker, the head housekeeper who Quill allows to yell at paying guests and for which Quill had to make a rule that you're not allowed to hit the guests, which Doreen still ignores. Another great business decision by Quill, in not firing the woman the first time she hit a paying guest with a mop or broom.
Max - the dog. Some of the characters are so badly written in these books, that I even dislike the dog. Even after several years, Quill has not taken him to any type of dog training classes and still lets him roam the town getting into dumpsters, trashcans and creating chaos where ever he goes, and the townspeople hate him. Allowing a dog to roam around into places he shouldn't be and around people who hate him, is another one of Quill's marvelous decisions.
The Endings. The mysteries are so good in this book, that it is really disappointing the way they end. You have the start of the big climax, but then it goes to later that day or that week and Quill and whoever else explains what happened, why it happened. Sometimes they don't really explain what happened and I don't like mysteries where the bad guy gets away.
As I said I can understand why some people love this series. The mysteries are really good.
Claudia Bishop is starting another series, The casebooks of Dr. McKenzie, which I am going to buy the first book, If the mysteries are as interesting, but with better written and more intelligent characters, it could be an enjoyable book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pet food can be deadly
Comment: Sarah "Quill" Quillam runs the Inn at Hemlock Falls in upstate New York. Her sister Meg is the chef. Currently the conventioneers from the International Association of Pet Food are guests. They're meeting about switching to vegan pet food. So far things have not gone smoothly.
When Quill discovers the body of Lila Longstreet which she's supervising a field trip to Heavely Hogg's Pig Farm, the fat hits the fan.
Pet psychic Olivia Oberlie predicts a second murder. After that prediction is proved right, Meg and Quill decide to investigate. Can they find the killer before he/she strikes again? Can they keep each other safe during the process?
I love this series and am sad that it will soon be ending. Quill and Meg are such fun characters. I wish the Inn at Hemlock Falls was real. I'd love to go for a visit and meet them.
The peripheral characters at the Inn and in town really add to this great cozy series. Having it set at an Inn really lends itself to have an unlimited supply of characters, but I am sure all the murders would eventually be hard on business!
I like the way Quill and Meg work together to solve crimes. I like the way the author has brought some turmoil into their lives. Seeing them work through turmoil makes them more real.
I highly recommend this complete series as well as this book.
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