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Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery #16
As the World Churns
Magdalena Yoder may finally be married to big-time Manhattan doctor Gabriel Rosen, but she's still a small-town girl at heart, and thrilled to be the emcee for the first annual Hernia Holstein Competition. As a bonus, the PennDutch and its barn are booked solid. But then someone clobbers the contest's originator, Doc Shafor, while he's admiring the cows, and both Gabe and his daughter Alison go missing. With the help of her best friend (and the hindrance of her mother-in-law), Magdalena vows to track down clues until the cows-and her family- come home.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
25 people are currently reading
538 people want to read
About the author
Tamar Myers
74 books291 followersTamar Myers was born and raised in the Belgian Congo (now just the Congo). Her parents were missionaries to a tribe which, at that time, were known as headhunters and used human skulls for drinking cups. Hers was the first white family ever to peacefully coexist with the tribe, and Tamar grew up fluent in the local trade language. Because of her pale blue eyes, Tamar’s nickname was Ugly Eyes.
Tamar grew up eating elephant, hippopotamus and even monkey. She attended a boarding school that was two days away by truck, and sometimes it was necessary to wade through crocodile infested waters to reach it. Other dangers she encountered as a child were cobras, deadly green mambas, and the voracious armies of driver ants that ate every animal (and human) that didn’t get out of their way.
In 1960 the Congo, which had been a Belgian colony, became an independent nation. There followed a period of retribution (for heinous crimes committed against the Congolese by the Belgians) in which many Whites were killed. Tamar and her family fled the Congo, but returned a year later. By then a number of civil wars were raging, and the family’s residence was often in the line of fire. In 1964, after living through three years of war, the family returned to the United States permanently.
Tamar was sixteen when her family settled in America, and she immediately underwent severe culture shock. She didn’t know how to dial a telephone, cross a street at a stoplight, or use a vending machine. She lucked out, however, by meeting her husband, Jeffrey, on her first day in an American high school. They literally bumped heads while he was leaving, and she entering, the Civics classroom.
Tamar now calls Charlotte, NC home. She lives with her husband, plus a Basenji dog named Pagan, a Bengal cat named Nkashama, and an orange tabby rescue cat named Dumpster Boy. She and her husband are of the Jewish faith, the animals are not.
Tamar enjoys gardening (she is a Master Gardner), bonsai, travel, painting and, of course, reading. She loves Thai and Indian food, and antique jewelry. She plans to visit Machu Pichu in the near future.
Series:
* Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery
* Den of Antiquity Mystery
Tamar grew up eating elephant, hippopotamus and even monkey. She attended a boarding school that was two days away by truck, and sometimes it was necessary to wade through crocodile infested waters to reach it. Other dangers she encountered as a child were cobras, deadly green mambas, and the voracious armies of driver ants that ate every animal (and human) that didn’t get out of their way.
In 1960 the Congo, which had been a Belgian colony, became an independent nation. There followed a period of retribution (for heinous crimes committed against the Congolese by the Belgians) in which many Whites were killed. Tamar and her family fled the Congo, but returned a year later. By then a number of civil wars were raging, and the family’s residence was often in the line of fire. In 1964, after living through three years of war, the family returned to the United States permanently.
Tamar was sixteen when her family settled in America, and she immediately underwent severe culture shock. She didn’t know how to dial a telephone, cross a street at a stoplight, or use a vending machine. She lucked out, however, by meeting her husband, Jeffrey, on her first day in an American high school. They literally bumped heads while he was leaving, and she entering, the Civics classroom.
Tamar now calls Charlotte, NC home. She lives with her husband, plus a Basenji dog named Pagan, a Bengal cat named Nkashama, and an orange tabby rescue cat named Dumpster Boy. She and her husband are of the Jewish faith, the animals are not.
Tamar enjoys gardening (she is a Master Gardner), bonsai, travel, painting and, of course, reading. She loves Thai and Indian food, and antique jewelry. She plans to visit Machu Pichu in the near future.
Series:
* Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery
* Den of Antiquity Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
August 5, 2020
3.5 stars
In this 16th book in the 'Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery', innkeeper Magdalena Yoder organizes a cow competition.....and investigates when the elderly judge is conked on the noggin. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Magdalena Yoder is a wealthy Mennonite woman who owns the PennDutch Inn in Hernia, Pennsylvania and solves mysteries in her spare time.
In this addition to the humorous series Magdalena is newly married to handsome, Jewish heart surgeon Gabriel Rosen.
This grates on Gabe's mother, Ida, who would like nothing better than to take her precious 'Gabeleh' back to Brooklyn. Mama Ida keeps up a running litany of Yiddish-tinged complaints and insults about Magdalena, who's quick to return the favor. These interactions are hilarious.
In fact Magdalena is a hoot in general. She struggles to meld her Mennonite teachings with the reality of the world and thus is conflicted about lying (which she does constantly), television (not permitted, but who can resist 'Green Acres'), dancing (moving while embracing your husband isn't dancing), evolution (which peskily seems to happen despite Mennonite beliefs), etc. In addition, almost every other word out of Magdalena's mouth is a quip of some kind, and most of her family, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances consider her an uproarious nut case.
In this book Magdalena has organized a Hernia Holstein Competition and cow owners from all over flock to town with their livestock.
Each entrant hopes their milk-giver will win the title of best cow along with the cash prize. Four sets of contestants stay at Magdalena's PennDutch Inn, which has rooms for people and a barn for cows. These oddball guests add fun to the story.
The mystery part of the book involves Magdalena's eighty-something friend and neighbor, randy Doc Shafor, who has roaming lips and hands. Doc Shafor is a retired veterinarian scheduled to judge the Holstein competition. Unfortunately, when Doc notices something odd about a cow in Magdalena's barn he gets clonked on the head.
Doc is taken to the hospital but his comatose state keeps him from saying what happened. Magdalena's not going to let anyone get away with clocking Doc, though, and she sets out to catch the miscreant. This leads to plenty of mayhem, including getting Mama Ida to ride backwards on a fast-moving cow.
Several returning characters add zest to the story including Magdalena's teenage pseudo-stepdaughter Alison - a nice girl with a Brooklyn accent and a mind of her own; Magdalena's Amish cook Freni - a shy lady with no neck who has a way with buns; Magdalena's bigamous, pop-eyed, ex-husband Melvin - a murderer who's recently escaped from prison; Magdalena's sister Susannah, who carries a torch for creepy Melvin; a greasy spoon owner named Wanda - who has hated Magdalena for decades; Magdalena's best friend Agnes - a Methodist woman who's looking for love; and more.
Every page of this book provides at least a smile, and I laughed out loud plenty of times. Moreover, real ice cream recipes - which have nothing to do with the story - are sprinkled through the book. I'd strongly recommend this book to fans of funny cozies.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
September 10, 2009
Reading this book annoyed me and I probably won't read anything else by the author. There was no plot. There was very little character development. Ninety-five percent of the book consisted of the main character making puns, quips, and plays on words. I felt like slapping her "upside the head." The back-jokes behind these quips had little to do with the limited storyline of the book. Very boring, though I did manage to finish reading it. Interspersed in the book were recipes for homemade ice cream. The recipes were not related at all to the plot of the book. This appears to be a "signature" of the author, since she includes recipes in other books she has written. Overall, a boring book!
November 23, 2021
As the world churns (Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery, #16) by Tamar Myers.
I've read several in this fun series and got away from it for some time. This was such a refreshing change from my usual serious mysteries and a welcomed change. The characters are so far fetched and totally ridiculous, but none as zany Magdalena. The comparisons between Mennonite culture and Jewish culture made me lol...and that's no joke. \Lean back for a book that's a hoot and a half.
I've read several in this fun series and got away from it for some time. This was such a refreshing change from my usual serious mysteries and a welcomed change. The characters are so far fetched and totally ridiculous, but none as zany Magdalena. The comparisons between Mennonite culture and Jewish culture made me lol...and that's no joke. \Lean back for a book that's a hoot and a half.
November 22, 2012
This isn't really a story, the plot is only a vehicle for the author to continually make jokes. So I found it funny at first but it quickly got boring. 259 pages of one liners does get old fast. Also, I thought that she didn't quite have her eastern European Jew accent down properly. Besides the accent being very exaggerated, I have never heard an EEJ say a frequent "yah?" at the end of their sentences. Nu? Yes. Yah? No. And for some reason she has the teenager saying "ain't" when no one else in the book says this. "Ain't" isn't slang, it is just bad grammar. I don't hear teens, or anyone else actually, saying ain't. Anyone out there saying "ain't"?
Magdalena Yoder is a Mennonite innkeeper married to a Jewish doctor. She holds a cow competition, let the farce begin.
Magdalena Yoder is a Mennonite innkeeper married to a Jewish doctor. She holds a cow competition, let the farce begin.
October 17, 2009
I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading this one. Definitely light - there were a few "inside jokes", however, that I might have missed without reading the earlier books in the series. It felt as though the author finally figured out exactly who Magdalena is - and that would be perhaps be one of the nuttiest in the bunch.
April 9, 2010
Mennonite innkeeper Magdalena Yoder is thrilled that a cow competition has come to Hernia - her inn is booked solid. She's not so thrilled that her ex-brother-in-law, murderer Melvin Stoltzfus, has escaped from prison. When her good friend Doc Shafor is hit over the head and badly injured, she's sure Melvin is to blame and wants to find him fast. She also has other mysteries to solve like the disappearance of her beloved husband Gabe and her "daughter" Allison. She's also been having fainting spells and feeling sick to her stomach lately. On top of all that, her cousin Freni has now decided to tell Mags some long kept secrets that will change her life. No wonder Mags isn't feeling well!
"As the World Churns" is a very humorous if somewhat light cozy mystery. There's actually not much mystery - no one is killed, the disappearance of Gabe and Allison happens fairly late in the book, and even Melvin's disappearance barely figures into the overall plot of the book. But there are a couple of reasons to read this book, especially for long time fans of the series. The first is the laugh out loud humor in the book. All the books in the series are funny, but author Tamar Myers outdoes herself in this one - this is one of the funniest books in the series with very funny jokes, puns, plays on words, etc. on almost every page. As usual, Myers populates the book with eccentric characters starting with Mags herself, her sister Susannah (who is not in the book enough), her cousin and best friend Freni, her obnoxious mother-in-law, the various guests at the inn (you have to love what Mags thinks a pole dancer is) and many others. Unfortunately, Gabe is a wimp of a character, constantly putting his mother's wishes ahead of Mags. Finally, the title of the book is great in a couple of ways. For one thing, Mags is sick throughout the course of the book (readers will figure out why long before she does) and second Mags discovers so many secrets about her past and her parents that her life indeed sounds like a soap opera, in fact the book ends in a mini-cliffhanger.
"As the World Churns" is laugh out loud fun.
"As the World Churns" is a very humorous if somewhat light cozy mystery. There's actually not much mystery - no one is killed, the disappearance of Gabe and Allison happens fairly late in the book, and even Melvin's disappearance barely figures into the overall plot of the book. But there are a couple of reasons to read this book, especially for long time fans of the series. The first is the laugh out loud humor in the book. All the books in the series are funny, but author Tamar Myers outdoes herself in this one - this is one of the funniest books in the series with very funny jokes, puns, plays on words, etc. on almost every page. As usual, Myers populates the book with eccentric characters starting with Mags herself, her sister Susannah (who is not in the book enough), her cousin and best friend Freni, her obnoxious mother-in-law, the various guests at the inn (you have to love what Mags thinks a pole dancer is) and many others. Unfortunately, Gabe is a wimp of a character, constantly putting his mother's wishes ahead of Mags. Finally, the title of the book is great in a couple of ways. For one thing, Mags is sick throughout the course of the book (readers will figure out why long before she does) and second Mags discovers so many secrets about her past and her parents that her life indeed sounds like a soap opera, in fact the book ends in a mini-cliffhanger.
"As the World Churns" is laugh out loud fun.
December 27, 2013
Let's say it right at the start: I had not touched a Tamar Myers novel in almost 2 years. I thought that the series had gone stale, that the best scenarios and humorous bits were ones that had been reprised from earlier novels in the series, and that there was little hope that things would improve.
Having recently completed “As the World Churns”, the 16th book in the Magdalena Yoder / Penn. Dutch Inn series, I will tip my hat to the author and will happily retract the last of the assertions from the first paragraph. The novel is not perfect – which ones ARE? - but it is a definite step in the right direction. Point to the author # 1 – there might be some tip-o-the-hats to earlier books in the series, but there are attempts – successful attempts – to introduce new humorous situations. Point # 2 – there's a mystery in this book, but no murder; after all, even our protagonist makes reference to the ridiculously high murder rate in the small town. Point # 3 – the author makes it clear that the next book in the series will have even more new situations for Magdelena and friends to deal with.
I won't wait 2 years to read the next book in the series.
RATING: 3 ½ stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
Having recently completed “As the World Churns”, the 16th book in the Magdalena Yoder / Penn. Dutch Inn series, I will tip my hat to the author and will happily retract the last of the assertions from the first paragraph. The novel is not perfect – which ones ARE? - but it is a definite step in the right direction. Point to the author # 1 – there might be some tip-o-the-hats to earlier books in the series, but there are attempts – successful attempts – to introduce new humorous situations. Point # 2 – there's a mystery in this book, but no murder; after all, even our protagonist makes reference to the ridiculously high murder rate in the small town. Point # 3 – the author makes it clear that the next book in the series will have even more new situations for Magdelena and friends to deal with.
I won't wait 2 years to read the next book in the series.
RATING: 3 ½ stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
February 21, 2010
So, I asked the girl working at Borders for a recommendation for a fun mystery series. I told her I liked the Stephanie Plum novels and the Goldilocks catering novels. She handed me this and said it was funny and along the same vein as the others previously mentioned. Holy Cow! What a piece of boring garbage! The main character in this book is so obnoxious I just couldn't get past it. After suffering for about 3/4's of this book I finally skipped to the end to see who did it so I could throw this book in the trash and be done with it.
May 15, 2020
It’s been just about a year since I last read Tamar Myers, so I wanted to give her another shot. I really enjoyed the beginning of this mystery series, but it really has gone downhill, and this book is no different. None of the characters are likable, and I am not 100% sure what the plot was. The mystery....sigh. Let’s not.
December 31, 2012
This silly, funny series is the only one I can read completely randomly as I find them. I love the titles, but sometimes the dialogue begins to grate on me. But I keep reading them. The whole concept of a Mennonite, married to a Jewish Doctor is pretty funny. I also like when she explains the differences between the Amish and Mennonites. The "plot" of this one is thinner than some of the others, but the discussion of the pole dancer is hilarious. She just can't figure out why anyone would lie about being Polish. This is my last book of 2012!
March 11, 2015
Innkeeper Magdalena Yoder has just married handsome doctor Gabe Rosen, but she has in-law trouble on several fronts. Not only his Gabe's mother determined to be part of the marriage, if she can't break it up entirely, but Magdalena's evil brother-in-law has escaped from prison, and who knows what he may be up to? Then there are the guests at the inn, who have come to participate in a Holstein contest. Supposed to be funny.
October 12, 2014
One star doesn't really express my feeling about this book. I was looking for something light and funny but this is simply a collection of stand-up one-liners strung together. I got through maybe a dozen pages before getting so annoyed that I had to quit. A bit of wit spread throughout the plot is great. This has too much of one and too little of the other.
January 19, 2009
Funny, amusing look at the Amish and Mennonites. I really enjoyed it.
October 8, 2019
Magdalena and Gabe were finally married. On their honeymoon, Magdalena got word that Melvin Stoltzfus had escaped from prison
As a result of this, they cut the honeymoon short, and return to Hernia where Magdalena's loved ones pile into Gabe's house, as the PennDutch was booked with contestants for the first annual Hernia Holstein Competition. Sadly, the vet known as "Doc" was attacked in the PennDutch barn with mis-spelled bloody writing; and Magdalena finds out that she was adopted!
As Magdalena investigates who attacked Doc, she faints and winds up in the hospital as Gabe takes over judging the Holstein competition....... but when she receives a phone call, she leaves the hospital and then finds that the competition - supposed to take two days! - only took a few hours..... AND Gabe is missing.......
Magdalena brings her Jewish Mother-in-law Ida, her best friend Angie, and Wilma from the Sausage Barn along to find her love-kins and her missing daughter........
A competitor kidnapped Alison in order to make Gabe throw the competition. Magdalena was alerted when they ordered all the things her loved ones liked from the Sausage Barn, which indicated that they were around. Magdalena and her troupe followed the kidnappers across state lines and Ida rode a cow to get the attention. Mags has definite troubles as she fainted again.
Mags put some pieces together, eventually commandeering the vehicle through threats of vomiting and leaving her posse on the side of the road.
Recipes
Avocado Ice Cream Recipe
Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe
Cheesecake Ice Cream Recipe
Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe (with Custard base recipe)
Quick Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
Fresh Coffee Ice Cream Recipe
Honey Ice Cream Recipe
Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
As a result of this, they cut the honeymoon short, and return to Hernia where Magdalena's loved ones pile into Gabe's house, as the PennDutch was booked with contestants for the first annual Hernia Holstein Competition. Sadly, the vet known as "Doc" was attacked in the PennDutch barn with mis-spelled bloody writing; and Magdalena finds out that she was adopted!
As Magdalena investigates who attacked Doc, she faints and winds up in the hospital as Gabe takes over judging the Holstein competition....... but when she receives a phone call, she leaves the hospital and then finds that the competition - supposed to take two days! - only took a few hours..... AND Gabe is missing.......
Magdalena brings her Jewish Mother-in-law Ida, her best friend Angie, and Wilma from the Sausage Barn along to find her love-kins and her missing daughter........
A competitor kidnapped Alison in order to make Gabe throw the competition. Magdalena was alerted when they ordered all the things her loved ones liked from the Sausage Barn, which indicated that they were around. Magdalena and her troupe followed the kidnappers across state lines and Ida rode a cow to get the attention. Mags has definite troubles as she fainted again.
Mags put some pieces together, eventually commandeering the vehicle through threats of vomiting and leaving her posse on the side of the road.
Recipes
Avocado Ice Cream Recipe
Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe
Cheesecake Ice Cream Recipe
Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe (with Custard base recipe)
Quick Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
Fresh Coffee Ice Cream Recipe
Honey Ice Cream Recipe
Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
April 30, 2018
This series is amazing. Unfortunately, I started reading the novels in the middle of the series. Although the story is different each time it is nice to get to know the characters as you go along and these characters are certainly different. Set in a town which is mainly Amish or Menonnite, the main character Magdalena Yodar Rosen tries to stick to her religion, not swear, follow the bible but always finds an excuse if she falls by the wayside. Murder happens and she is always called upon to assist the local police department as the police are usually quite useless. Magdalena has a very smart mouth and lots of comebacks to peoples comments. She runs a B & B but offers (for extra money) the life of an Amish person; e.g. gets them to clean toilets, feed chickens, make their beds, clean the bathrooms etc. Would thoroughly recommend this series. As an added bonus there are great recipes in the books.
September 1, 2017
I checked this book out of my local library, curious if the story was as clever as the title. The answer is no.
I didn't like Magdalena. She's egomaniacal and irritating and I found the idea that people would consider her rambling a "hoot" totally implausible. I don't consider myself terribly religious but I don't make as many references to the "backseat bossa nova" or "mattress mambo" or kitchen conga as the Mennonite woman. And does everyone in the community desire her?
I checked out two of these books and when I'd finally slogged through this one, I started the other one on the chance that it would be less irritating. It isn't. I won't finish it.
I didn't like Magdalena. She's egomaniacal and irritating and I found the idea that people would consider her rambling a "hoot" totally implausible. I don't consider myself terribly religious but I don't make as many references to the "backseat bossa nova" or "mattress mambo" or kitchen conga as the Mennonite woman. And does everyone in the community desire her?
I checked out two of these books and when I'd finally slogged through this one, I started the other one on the chance that it would be less irritating. It isn't. I won't finish it.
November 22, 2017
As the World Churns by Tamar Myers is part of a series entitled "A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery". The main character, Magdalena, is a Mennonite who solves mysteries in her small town of Hernia. Since I started reading this series midstream, some of the references to people and previous activities don't make much sense, but if you read the series in order I'm sure they would. Most of the characters seem one dimensional and much of the dialogue is quips and pithy sayings which became annoying after a while. There are other Amish mystery series that are more interesting, but for a quick read this may be appealing to some readers.
September 27, 2017
It's the first annual Hernia Holstein Competition and Magdalena's inn is full with people and cows (in the barn). When someone clobbers Hernia's veterinarian, the town's only police officer asks for Magdalena's help in finding who assaulted Doc Shafor. All this and Magdalena is supposed to be on her honeymoon! Funny as usual and a great heroine in Magdalena, this story will leave you with quite a cliffhanger that has me eager for Book #17!
June 12, 2017
I really liked this book.
Magdalena Yoder may finally be married to big-time Manhattan doctor Gabriel Rosen, but she's still a small-town girl at heart, and thrilled to be the emcee for the first annual Hernia Holstein Competition. As a bonus, the PennDutch and its barn are booked solid. But then someone clobbers the contest's originator, Doc Shafor, while he's admiring the cows, and both Gabe and his daughter Alison go missing. With the help of her best friend (and the hindrance of her mother-in-law), Magdalena vows to track down clues until the cows-and her family- come home.
Magdalena Yoder may finally be married to big-time Manhattan doctor Gabriel Rosen, but she's still a small-town girl at heart, and thrilled to be the emcee for the first annual Hernia Holstein Competition. As a bonus, the PennDutch and its barn are booked solid. But then someone clobbers the contest's originator, Doc Shafor, while he's admiring the cows, and both Gabe and his daughter Alison go missing. With the help of her best friend (and the hindrance of her mother-in-law), Magdalena vows to track down clues until the cows-and her family- come home.
October 15, 2018
I keep saying the same things over and over again about this series, but they just KEEP ON BEING TRUE! Magdalena Yoder is, indeed, a hoot (and a holler), the mysteries are just twisty enough to keep me guessing, the cast of characters is hilarious, and the recipes are to die for!
SIGH...I must now save my pennies for an ice cream churn!
SIGH...I must now save my pennies for an ice cream churn!
July 5, 2019
I thought this was a funny, light read. Magdalena Yoder was the proprietress of an inn in Hernia, PA. She is recently married and the relationship between her and her new mother-in-law are hilarious. She decides to have a bovine contest at her country inn. Hilarity and a mystery ensue. She includes several really yummy-sounding ice cream recipes, too. I enjoyed it.
August 13, 2019
I couldn't read much of this, much less finish this mess of one-liners and Yiddish impersonations and religious thoughts thrown into what was trying to be a story. Oy Vey! From the title, I knew it would be corny (not a problem) and country, but it tried too hard to be quirky and cutesy and clever - it failed.
August 14, 2018
I wasn't sure if I would like this book as I haven't read any of the Author's books. I fell in love the the main character. Not only does it have a mystery in it but it has a lot of humor throughout the book.
October 27, 2021
"As the World Churns" by Tamar Myers is about Magdelana who is a Mennonite innkeeper who is an absolute riot. She solves a couple of cases while keeping me in stitches. An absolutely amusing cast of characters as well.
August 17, 2017
Hilariously funny! Magdelana is a hoot!
September 1, 2017
I really wanted to like the main character but just found her too annoying! Otherwise it was a fun cozy to read.
December 22, 2018
Boring. No plot just a platform for Magdalena to use her rural witticisms.
December 1, 2019
Not the ending I was expecting a real twist at the end
October 19, 2022
I have no words-just terrible.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews