ˌɛntɚtˈeɪnmənt wˈiːkli ɹˈeɪɾᵻd ɪɾ ɐn ɐ mˈaɪnəs, ɹˈaɪɾɪŋ ðˈæt "æz dˈuː ˈɔːl bˈɑːɹbɚɹə vˈaɪn nˈɑːvəlz, ðə wˈɛlɹˈɔːt mˈɪstɚɹi ɡɹˈæshɑːpɚ hɐz ɐ lˈɑːt lˈɜːkɪŋ bᵻlˌoʊ ɪts kˈɛɹfəli kəmpˈoʊzd sˈɜːfɪs".
Entertainment Weekly rated it an A−, writing that "As do all Barbara Vine novels, the well-wrought mystery Grasshopper has a lot lurking below its carefully composed surface".