Death Dines Out

While the cold winds are blowing around the Inn at Hemlock Falls in New York State, Sarah and Meg Quilliam are on their way to Palm Springs. They have been invited by Tiffany Taylor to speak to a group of phobic women about innkeeping and cooking, the two subjects they know best. When they discover the type of phobia these women have, they become reluctant to participate. Then they witness some shouting matches between Tiffany and her ex-husband Verger and they are really ready to return home. The plot is complicated by yet another of Verger's ex-wives and their two sons. There is a murder and a disappearance and suddenly the Quilliam sisters are right in the middle of the investigation. Although I missed the usual cast of characters from Hemlock Falls, I still enjoyed this "cozy".

It is cold and snowing in Hemlock Falls, home town of Quill, owner of a local inn. Quill and her sister Meg have been invited to attend a charity event in Palm Beach, Florida. With the sun as Quill's lure and a chance to show off her cooking abilities being Meg's enticement, the siblings accept the opportunity to luxuriate in the home of society matron Tiffany Taylor. Neither sibling expects to be involved in a homicide investigation in Florida as they have back home. However, the Quilliam sister are unaware that the battle of the roses has begun between Tiffany and her former spouse. Verges will do anything to stop Tiffany from turning him into the laughingstock of all his friends and business associates with her ludicrous charity gala of collecting money for women who are phobic about marrying for money. When he disappears, the siblings seek the truth in order to protect themselves and their business from the wrath of Verger's first wife, a woman with the mystique of A Jackie Kennedy. The fifth installment of the Hemlock Falls mystery series is just as quirky and entertaining s the previous four humorous novels. The snappy repartee between the two siblings reduces the growing tension to manageable levels. The story line is fast paced, easy to follow, yet complex enough to keep reader interest at a very high plateau. DEATH DINES OUT is gourmet delight that overcomes the holiday blues. Harriet Klausner