Fete Worse Than Death (9781101595138)
Read Fete Worse Than Death (9781101595138) Online
Authors: Claudia Bishop
Praise for Claudia Bishop’s
Hemlock Falls Mysteries
“A well-developed, long-lived series that remains as welcoming and entertaining as it was in the beginning, this story will keep readers returning to Hemlock Falls time after time.”
—
The Mystery Reader
“Always a great reading experience…Claudia Bishop writes an enthralling amateur-sleuth mystery.”
—
The Best Reviews
“A great cozy series.”
—
Books ’n’ Bytes
“An entertaining, quirky, and offbeat mystery…A special treat for amateur-sleuth lovers.”
—
Midwest Book Reviews
“The reader can settle in Hemlock Falls comfortably.”
—
The Armchair Detective
“Fine local color and interesting characters.”
—
Murder Ad Lib
“Chock full of quirky characters and offbeat situations.”
—MyShelf.com
“Delightful, unique characters.”
—
TwoLips Reviews
“Engaging…Keep[s] the reader enthralled.”
—
Fresh Fiction
Praise for the Beaufort & Company Mysteries
by Claudia Bishop writing as Mary Stanton
“I was hooked from page one…This book should give Mary Stanton the same kind of cult following usually reserved for Charlaine Harris.”
—Rhys Bowen, author of
The Twelve Clues of Christmas
“Engaging and charismatic…Will be a breath of fresh air for fans of paranormal cozy mysteries.”
—
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)
“Spooky Southern charm and a wonderfully inventive approach to the afterlife.”
—Madelyn Alt, national bestselling author of
In Charm’s Way
“An elegant enchantment with a delightful heroine and a historic setting.”
—Carolyn Hart, author of
Death Comes Silently
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Mary Stanton
DEFENDING ANGELS
ANGEL’S ADVOCATE
AVENGING ANGELS
ANGEL’S VERDICT
ANGEL CONDEMNED
Titles by Mary Stanton writing as Claudia Bishop
Hemlock Falls Mysteries
A TASTE FOR MURDER
A DASH OF DEATH
A PINCH OF POISON
MURDER WELL-DONE
DEATH DINES OUT
A TOUCH OF THE GRAPE
A STEAK IN MURDER
MARINADE FOR MURDER
JUST DESSERTS
FRIED BY JURY
A PUREE OF POISON
BURIED BY BREAKFAST
A DINNER TO DIE FOR
GROUND TO A HALT
A CAROL FOR A CORPSE
TOAST MORTEM
DREAD ON ARRIVAL
A FETE WORSE THAN DEATH
Casebooks of Dr. McKenzie Mysteries
THE CASE OF THE ROASTED ONION
THE CASE OF THE TOUGH-TALKING TURKEY
THE CASE OF THE ILL-GOTTEN GOAT
Anthologies
A PLATEFUL OF MURDER
DEATH IN TWO COURSES
A Fete Worse
Than Death
Claudia Bishop
BERKLEY PRIME CRIME, NEW YORK
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
USA / Canada / UK / Ireland / Australia / New Zealand / India / South Africa / China
Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England For more information about the Penguin Group, visit penguin.com.
A FETE WORSE THAN DEATH
A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author
Copyright © 2013 by Mary Stanton.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
BERKLEY
®
PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-101-59513-8
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / March 2013
Cover illustration by Karen Strelecki.
Cover design by Diana Kolsky.
Interior text design by Laura K. Corless.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.
| ALWAYS LEARNING | PEARSON |
Once again, for Whit and Cee
Most country fairs feature competitions for the best in local food preparation. When I put out the call for prizewinning recipes for the (fictional) Finger Lakes Autumn Fete, my friends and family responded with wonderful things. My special thanks to Rebecca Monroe, Julie Schwartz, and Whit Hairston.
I’d also like to thank the skilled professionals at the New York State Wine and Culinary Institute in Canandaigua, New York, for inspiring the creation of La Bonne Goute Academy of the Culinary Arts.
The Inn at Hemlock Falls
| Sarah “Quill” Quilliam-McHale | innkeeper |
| Margaret “Meg” Quilliam | the Inn’s master chef |
| Jackson “Jack” Quilliam-McHale | Quill’s five-year-old son |
| Myles McHale | Quill’s husband, a government agent |
| Doreen Muxworthy-Stoker | Jack’s nanny, formerly the Inn’s head housekeeper |
| Dina Muir | the Inn’s receptionist, a graduate student |
| Kathleen Kiddermeister | head waitress |
| Bjarne Bjarneson | head chef |
| Elizabeth Chou | under chef |
| Mike Santini | the groundskeeper |
| Nate | the bartender |
| Linda Connelly | a guest and an event planner who owns Presentations |
| George McIntyre | a guest, and Linda’s general factotum |
| Mickey Greer | a guest, Linda’s assistant, and a former football player |
| Nolan and Althea Quince | guests, retired from a food brokerage business in nearby Rochester |
| Jeeter Swenson | a guest |
| Porter Swenson | an attorney, and Jeeter’s son |
| Melbourne Swenson | Porter’s wife |
| Max | a dog |
| And others | |
Citizens of Hemlock Falls | |
| Elmer Henry | mayor |
| Adela Henry | Elmer’s wife |
| Davy Kiddermeister | the sheriff |
| Howie Murchison | town attorney and justice of the peace |
| Justin Alvarez | an attorney, and Howie’s junior partner |
| Miriam Doncaster | the librarian |
| Marge Schmidt-Peterson | a businesswoman, and the wealthiest person in Tompkins County |
| Harland Peterson | a dairy farmer, and Marge’s husband |
| Betty Hall | Marge’s partner in the restaurant business |
| Harvey Bozzel | Hemlock Falls premier (and only) advertising executive |
| Dolly Jean Attenborough | president, the Crafty Ladies |
| Nadine Peterson | owner of Hemlock Hall of Beauty |
| Esther West | president, the Craft Guild |
| “Shady” Brady Beale | owner, operator, Peterson Automotive |
| The Rev. Dookie Shuttleworth | pastor, the Hemlock Falls Church of the Word of God |
| Andy Bishop, MD | physician-in-chief, Hemlock Falls Clinic |
| Lt. Anson Harker | New York state trooper |
| Austin McKenzie, DVM | a veterinarian |
| And others | |
Employees of La Bonne Goute Culinary Academy | |
| Clarissa “Clare” Sparrow | a chef, pastry, and Director |
| Sophie Kilcannon | a chef, fruits and vegetables |
| Pietro Giancava | sommelier and chef, sauces |
| Raleigh Brewster | chef, meats and stews |
| Jim Chen | chef, fish and seafood |
| Madame LeVasque | owner |
| Bismarck | a Maine coon cat |
| And others |