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Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery #20
Tea with Jam and Dread
The brand-new hilariously quirky mystery in the longrunning Pennsylvania-Dutch series.
Deciding that the PennDutch Inn needs to go more upmarket, Magdalena Yoder is delighted to welcome the Earl and Countess Grimsley-Snodgrass and their family as honoured guests, looking forward to the challenge of introducing English nobility to traditional American culture. But, as Magdalena is about to find out, the Grimsley-Snodgrasses are by no means the easiest of guests, and at the same time she has to contend with the discovery of a mummified corpse trapped in her elevator shaft.
Then tragedy strikes during a traditional Pennsylvania-Dutch picnic at Stucky Ridge, when one of the Grimsley-Snodgrasses disappears over the edge of Lovers' Leap. Did he fall - or was he pushed? And where is the body...?
Deciding that the PennDutch Inn needs to go more upmarket, Magdalena Yoder is delighted to welcome the Earl and Countess Grimsley-Snodgrass and their family as honoured guests, looking forward to the challenge of introducing English nobility to traditional American culture. But, as Magdalena is about to find out, the Grimsley-Snodgrasses are by no means the easiest of guests, and at the same time she has to contend with the discovery of a mummified corpse trapped in her elevator shaft.
Then tragedy strikes during a traditional Pennsylvania-Dutch picnic at Stucky Ridge, when one of the Grimsley-Snodgrasses disappears over the edge of Lovers' Leap. Did he fall - or was he pushed? And where is the body...?
224 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2016
49 people are currently reading
359 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 53 reviews
February 19, 2016
I remember reading this series back in 2005. I enjoyed the first few books, however, the writing style began to set my teeth on edge.
While I think I understand the humor the author is going for, it tends to be harsh and offensive.
This book was nothing like I expected. It was truly an unhappy experience. I was put off by the language and the entire story itself.
I'm sad to say I will not be recommending this book to anyone.
I am giving it 1 star when in my opinion it deserves none.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.
While I think I understand the humor the author is going for, it tends to be harsh and offensive.
This book was nothing like I expected. It was truly an unhappy experience. I was put off by the language and the entire story itself.
I'm sad to say I will not be recommending this book to anyone.
I am giving it 1 star when in my opinion it deserves none.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.
December 30, 2016
Ok book 20 so I have read a few. They always use to make me laugh but this one is far from funny. Too much background and rambling on about things that just sounded like blah, blah, blah to me. I believe that I am now done with this series
November 30, 2022
Since I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Tamar Myers’ books, I looked forward to reading her latest Pennsylvania-Dutch Mystery featuring Magdalena Yoder and her recipes.
In TEA WITH JAM AND DREAD, Magdalena’s long-time and closest friend, Agnes Miller, convinces her that she should change the way she runs her PennDutch Inn. It has been successfully attracting people eager to experience the Mennonite way of life. To get the full experience, they pay extra to assume the household tasks (cleaning their rooms, feeding the animals, etc.). Agnes thinks there is a market of wealthy people from other countries who are willing to come and pay exorbitant prices to see how primitive Americans are. “They all think that we’re nothing but yokels and rubes....I say we play to that strength. Let us be the dumbest, crudest, most culture-deprived Americans that we can be, and still be good, decent Christians.” To which Magdalena replied, “You know I don’t belong to that political party.”
Agnes has already lined up a family: an earl, his wife, and their three teenage children: a girl and twin sons..
Everyone plays his/her part to the hilt. Among the special experiences are seeing the ghost of Magdalena’s grandmother and the daughter hearing the story of a previous guest who fell down the elevator shaft and disappeared. Later on, one of the guests falls off a cliff but there is no sign of his body.
Myers has a slightly twisted, brilliant way of putting words together. Examples: “I’d witnessed him skipping town dressed in a nun’s habit, riding in a bus full of fake nuns. And so what if my sister, who had too many bad habits to list....”
Speaking of a teenage girl’s eye rolling: “If you ask me, it isn’t music that’s the international language; it’s body language.”
“[W]e humans were created out of clay.”
“Does that make us dirt bags?”
There is an interesting plot in the book. Unfortunately, it’s lost. The story does not flow as well as in the previous books in the series. The earlier parts of Magdalena’s life are recapped for people who have not read them but it skips back from the one preceding this one. Much of the dialogue, especially Magdalena’s, is repetitious and doesn’t add to the plot. There is a limit to how many times Agnes, Magdalena, her husband, and her mother-in-law have to be described using the same words. The same holds true for talking about her sister and brother/brother-in-law.
The recipes were not as interesting or unique. Two were for marmalade and the one for brewing a perfect cup of tea was not entirely accurate. Using boiling water and brewing it for six minutes will burn white or green tea.
I’ve been missing Tamar Myers books since the publication of the previous one. This one did not fill the void.
In TEA WITH JAM AND DREAD, Magdalena’s long-time and closest friend, Agnes Miller, convinces her that she should change the way she runs her PennDutch Inn. It has been successfully attracting people eager to experience the Mennonite way of life. To get the full experience, they pay extra to assume the household tasks (cleaning their rooms, feeding the animals, etc.). Agnes thinks there is a market of wealthy people from other countries who are willing to come and pay exorbitant prices to see how primitive Americans are. “They all think that we’re nothing but yokels and rubes....I say we play to that strength. Let us be the dumbest, crudest, most culture-deprived Americans that we can be, and still be good, decent Christians.” To which Magdalena replied, “You know I don’t belong to that political party.”
Agnes has already lined up a family: an earl, his wife, and their three teenage children: a girl and twin sons..
Everyone plays his/her part to the hilt. Among the special experiences are seeing the ghost of Magdalena’s grandmother and the daughter hearing the story of a previous guest who fell down the elevator shaft and disappeared. Later on, one of the guests falls off a cliff but there is no sign of his body.
Myers has a slightly twisted, brilliant way of putting words together. Examples: “I’d witnessed him skipping town dressed in a nun’s habit, riding in a bus full of fake nuns. And so what if my sister, who had too many bad habits to list....”
Speaking of a teenage girl’s eye rolling: “If you ask me, it isn’t music that’s the international language; it’s body language.”
“[W]e humans were created out of clay.”
“Does that make us dirt bags?”
There is an interesting plot in the book. Unfortunately, it’s lost. The story does not flow as well as in the previous books in the series. The earlier parts of Magdalena’s life are recapped for people who have not read them but it skips back from the one preceding this one. Much of the dialogue, especially Magdalena’s, is repetitious and doesn’t add to the plot. There is a limit to how many times Agnes, Magdalena, her husband, and her mother-in-law have to be described using the same words. The same holds true for talking about her sister and brother/brother-in-law.
The recipes were not as interesting or unique. Two were for marmalade and the one for brewing a perfect cup of tea was not entirely accurate. Using boiling water and brewing it for six minutes will burn white or green tea.
I’ve been missing Tamar Myers books since the publication of the previous one. This one did not fill the void.
October 17, 2022
This series has always been a little crude but this one was crude enough that it was hard to stay in the story line.
May 24, 2017
I wanted to like this book, I really did, and truthfully can't believe I even made it to the end. I wouldn't have made it that far; but when I skipped to the last chapter to see "who did it" just so I could be done already, I couldn't figure it out in just a couple of pages so I went back to my earlier place and plowed through until the end. Barely.
Where do I begin? The non-stop asides by the main character get so. very. old. It's tiring to have to refocus my own mind every other moment back to the story line with all the meandering of the main character's mind. Not only that, the actual story isn't even remotely believable. A serial killer is on the loose who looks like a praying mantis and he manages to fool his own half-sister WHILE STAYING IN HER HOUSE?!?!? Come on.
The only "dread" I feel is that I'm afraid I'll forget how miserable I was when I got to the end of this book and I'll accidently pick up another one like it. What makes me feel even worse is that I know how hard the author probably worked on this book and I hate that I feel so negatively toward it!
Pick a book other than this one if you want an enjoyable read.
Where do I begin? The non-stop asides by the main character get so. very. old. It's tiring to have to refocus my own mind every other moment back to the story line with all the meandering of the main character's mind. Not only that, the actual story isn't even remotely believable. A serial killer is on the loose who looks like a praying mantis and he manages to fool his own half-sister WHILE STAYING IN HER HOUSE?!?!? Come on.
The only "dread" I feel is that I'm afraid I'll forget how miserable I was when I got to the end of this book and I'll accidently pick up another one like it. What makes me feel even worse is that I know how hard the author probably worked on this book and I hate that I feel so negatively toward it!
Pick a book other than this one if you want an enjoyable read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2021
Over the series the protagonist changes from a Mennonite woman with a tendency to bend the rules of her religion to breaking point into an unChristian, judgemental, sex-obsessed, opinionated, self-centered, wailing and greedy hypocrit wearing “Christian underwear”, whatever that may be.
I read the first books of this series and liked them well enough, then I stopped reading because of how radically the character changes. Then a few months later I decided to leaf through book #20.
Bad decision. Because in this book Magdalena Portulaca Yoder Rosen is all of the above times ten. AND then the author wants me to believe that a recurring character, who is forever described as a praying mantis with brain damage, can suddenly impersonate a British earl, stay in the inn and not be recognized by his half-sister/sister-in-law/cousin nth times removed.
I don't know if the Mennonites shun like the Amish do, but I'm going to shun this series and the author.
I read the first books of this series and liked them well enough, then I stopped reading because of how radically the character changes. Then a few months later I decided to leaf through book #20.
Bad decision. Because in this book Magdalena Portulaca Yoder Rosen is all of the above times ten. AND then the author wants me to believe that a recurring character, who is forever described as a praying mantis with brain damage, can suddenly impersonate a British earl, stay in the inn and not be recognized by his half-sister/sister-in-law/cousin nth times removed.
I don't know if the Mennonites shun like the Amish do, but I'm going to shun this series and the author.
May 26, 2016
Author Tamar Myers has changed publishers with the last two books in this series, and it is quite evident that the publisher is located in Great Britain. Even though the story takes place in Pennsylvania, and Magdalena and her family are US citizens, the punctuation, verbiage, and spelling are all British. The story does involve a visiting British family of some nobility, and so maybe we can excuse the British influence on the novel. But none of Magdalena’s quirky humor is changed, from the references to her “sturdy Christian underwear” to her disdain for her bizarre mother-in-law. This novel is better than the previous one, but still, not nearly as good as the early ones. There is an interesting twist in the plot, but it takes quite a bit of time to get there, and you really have to be a fan of the series to pursue it.
November 5, 2016
I started this series and liked the first books, but as the series has gone on, it's become stale. The plots are stale The characters are stale. The things that were funny in book one and two are eyeroll inducing in book twenty. There has been no character development. The same descriptions of things over and over again. You know you are getting horrible bored with a plot when you get to a certain point and start talking out loud, to yourself, in a very sarcastic voice....then you look down and you have just recited the entire next paragraph. I keep saying I'm going to bail on this series, but when a new book comes out, I feel obligated to read it, I mean, I've stuck it out for twenty books already..I can't quit now!
February 3, 2017
OK, I am giving up. This is horrible. Stupid, not funny, unpleasant people. I could not care less about finding out what the mystery is or what the solution will be. I couldn't give it no stars, but I'd like to give it negative stars. I just can't figure out how such an awful book gets published. I know bloggers who write for free that are miles above this junk. And this is #20! Thank God it is a library book and I didn't spend money on it.
July 6, 2018
I have loved this series from the very beginning. Magdalena and her sturdy Christian underwear. and her jumbling of names. Her hilarious adventures. This story though seemed to drag on forever. Maybe it was the font style or page setup . The pages seemed to be long run on sentences. There was too much of Magdalena's normally funny dialogue and it seemed a bit preachy. I hope the next one is written in the style of the original series.
October 30, 2018
Sadly, I'm saying goodbye to Magdalena for a bit. And we STILL don't know what will happen with Melvin! I am happy to say that Ms. Myers assures me that there will be TWO more PennDutch books, one coming out later next year. I shall be waiting on pins and needles!
March 30, 2021
Magdalena Portulaca Yoder Rosen is described as a simple Mennonite woman with Amish heritage and she live in the village of Hernia, PA. Magdalena might look like s simple Mennonite farm woman but she's as sharp as a steel pitchfork and as well connected as a barn built from legos.
Magdalena is also Hernia's mayor; she is married to her second husband who is a Dr. Gabriel Rosen (aka, the babester, or studmuffin); the have an adopted daughter name Alison Rosen and a toddler name Jacob. Magdalena is also the owner of the Penn-Dutch Inn where some royals were invited to stay to experience life at an Amish community; to experience real farm life and doing things yourself but royals are not used to having to do for themselves; and this where we have what takes shapes as a set up for Magdalena and her aids the inn. The royal family: Earl of Snodgrass, Countess Aubrey of Grimsley-Snodgrass, Rupert and Sebastian and Lady Celia are not real royals as we come to find out by books end; it seems they were hired by the Earl of Snodgrass to play a joke on Magdalena who think she knows royalty but not; also the Earl is none other than her half-brother, a serial killer whose real name is Melvin Stoltzfus.
"That murderous maniacal, monocle-wearing mantis Melvin, is my half-brother-in-law through his marriage to my baby sister Susannah, who is in prison for aiding and abetting a fugitive from justice."
This book has everything; it has ghosts; Ghost of Yoko-san and ghost of granny Yoder; the ghost of Yoko-san is one that was killed by Melvin because she witnessed Melvin helping himself to ridding Magdalena of her wealth and her cash.
When Melvin tries to kill Magdalena at the farm; she tricks him and he falls through this so call 'rabbit hole' but he escapes through a vent.
Anyhow, we have Magdalena visiting her friend Agnes Miller who ask her if 'she was happy with her life?' as they were conversing as to why Agnes should be happy and she in turns ask Magdalena and she explains that she is 'content' with her life. 'I am content with being content.' and this is a big turn around from the books beginning where we had Magdalena exclaiming 'having a heart full of Christian joy, but I am not a happy woman.' and by books end we have 'I am content with being content.'-Magdalena Portulaca Yoder Rosen.
Magdalena is also Hernia's mayor; she is married to her second husband who is a Dr. Gabriel Rosen (aka, the babester, or studmuffin); the have an adopted daughter name Alison Rosen and a toddler name Jacob. Magdalena is also the owner of the Penn-Dutch Inn where some royals were invited to stay to experience life at an Amish community; to experience real farm life and doing things yourself but royals are not used to having to do for themselves; and this where we have what takes shapes as a set up for Magdalena and her aids the inn. The royal family: Earl of Snodgrass, Countess Aubrey of Grimsley-Snodgrass, Rupert and Sebastian and Lady Celia are not real royals as we come to find out by books end; it seems they were hired by the Earl of Snodgrass to play a joke on Magdalena who think she knows royalty but not; also the Earl is none other than her half-brother, a serial killer whose real name is Melvin Stoltzfus.
"That murderous maniacal, monocle-wearing mantis Melvin, is my half-brother-in-law through his marriage to my baby sister Susannah, who is in prison for aiding and abetting a fugitive from justice."
This book has everything; it has ghosts; Ghost of Yoko-san and ghost of granny Yoder; the ghost of Yoko-san is one that was killed by Melvin because she witnessed Melvin helping himself to ridding Magdalena of her wealth and her cash.
When Melvin tries to kill Magdalena at the farm; she tricks him and he falls through this so call 'rabbit hole' but he escapes through a vent.
Anyhow, we have Magdalena visiting her friend Agnes Miller who ask her if 'she was happy with her life?' as they were conversing as to why Agnes should be happy and she in turns ask Magdalena and she explains that she is 'content' with her life. 'I am content with being content.' and this is a big turn around from the books beginning where we had Magdalena exclaiming 'having a heart full of Christian joy, but I am not a happy woman.' and by books end we have 'I am content with being content.'-Magdalena Portulaca Yoder Rosen.
December 30, 2019
In this continuation of the ret-con, Magdalena takes Agnes up on her idea of advertising to English aristocracy..... and it does not go well.
The guests are a family of Grimsley-Snodgrass, mother Aubrey, father Peregrine, twins Rupert and Sebastian and daughter Celia.
Eventually we learn that Aubrey has been in denial about the death of her firstborn twin, Rupert, and Sebastian has been in double-duty mode........
But Celia reveals her name of Joyce Toestubber and how Melvin Stoltzfus has impersonated the English earl and hired a Shakespearean troupe to be his family and stay in the PennDutch.
Melvin, predictably, has also dragged Sebastian into being a deranged murderous clown outside the master bedroom patio door and is also terrifying Joyce and Magdelena inside her bedroom.
While Magdalena believes she has trapped her serial killer half-brother, he escapes to possibly pop up again in a yet to be published book.
Honestly, I am saddened by the ret-con. I'm not sure when reading the series became harder and harder to do, as opposed to enjoying Magdalena, but probably around the time her sister was imprisoned.
Recipes
How to Make the Perfect Cup of Tea (opinions vary, as I am a New Englander and make mine with tea-bags)
Banana Nut Bread
Fresh Fig Bread
Orange Marmalade
Grapefruit Marmalade
Gluten-Free Toffee Apple Cinnamon Rolls
The guests are a family of Grimsley-Snodgrass, mother Aubrey, father Peregrine, twins Rupert and Sebastian and daughter Celia.
Eventually we learn that Aubrey has been in denial about the death of her firstborn twin, Rupert, and Sebastian has been in double-duty mode........
But Celia reveals her name of Joyce Toestubber and how Melvin Stoltzfus has impersonated the English earl and hired a Shakespearean troupe to be his family and stay in the PennDutch.
Melvin, predictably, has also dragged Sebastian into being a deranged murderous clown outside the master bedroom patio door and is also terrifying Joyce and Magdelena inside her bedroom.
While Magdalena believes she has trapped her serial killer half-brother, he escapes to possibly pop up again in a yet to be published book.
Honestly, I am saddened by the ret-con. I'm not sure when reading the series became harder and harder to do, as opposed to enjoying Magdalena, but probably around the time her sister was imprisoned.
Recipes
How to Make the Perfect Cup of Tea (opinions vary, as I am a New Englander and make mine with tea-bags)
Banana Nut Bread
Fresh Fig Bread
Orange Marmalade
Grapefruit Marmalade
Gluten-Free Toffee Apple Cinnamon Rolls
November 19, 2024
I’ve read and loved all of the books in this series up until the last couple and this one, all 3 of which suddenly took a downward nosedive in quality. Like the one previous, I could NOT finish this one! Keep in mind I have maybe only NOT finished 4 books (before these) since I retired 4 years ago out of hundreds. It has to be really, really bad for me to give up on it! I am particularly having lots of difficulty with the excessive wordiness, and the difficulty of following the main character’s train of thought. The plots—if you can even figure out what they are supposed to be—are ridiculous.
One thing for sure, I will not spend another penny on buying books in this series…if I give them a chance, I’ll get them at the library. It is not worth what they are trying to charge for them, not even close. Plus the last few don’t seem to be part of the original series on Amazon, so that is totally confusing. I have seen that the ones after this one seem to have much better ratings and reviews, so I hope that means all the problems will be fixed & they will be as good as the earlier ones were.
I would suggest to anyone looking into this series that they read the earlier books in order, and when you get to about #15, realize you might want to end it there. So sad, because I absolutely loved the original ones.
One thing for sure, I will not spend another penny on buying books in this series…if I give them a chance, I’ll get them at the library. It is not worth what they are trying to charge for them, not even close. Plus the last few don’t seem to be part of the original series on Amazon, so that is totally confusing. I have seen that the ones after this one seem to have much better ratings and reviews, so I hope that means all the problems will be fixed & they will be as good as the earlier ones were.
I would suggest to anyone looking into this series that they read the earlier books in order, and when you get to about #15, realize you might want to end it there. So sad, because I absolutely loved the original ones.
December 15, 2025
Tea with Jam and Dread is a delightfully offbeat cozy mystery that leans fully into Tamar Myers’s trademark humor, eccentric characters, and Pennsylvania Dutch charm. Magdalena Yoder’s attempt to elevate her inn by hosting English nobility quickly spirals into chaos, blending culture clashes, sharp wit, and murder into a fast paced and entertaining read. The quirky dialogue, absurd situations, and unexpected twists make this mystery as funny as it is puzzling, perfect for readers who enjoy cozy crime with personality and plenty of laughs along the way.
My name is Tina T. Davis, and I specialize in promoting books to audiences who will truly appreciate their message. I work with a dedicated team that has consistently delivered top quality marketing campaigns for authors, helping their work reach the right readers and gain the recognition it deserves.
Tea with Jam and Dread is the kind of cozy mystery that strongly appeals to readers who enjoy humor forward storytelling, long running series, and unforgettable amateur sleuths. Can I send over a detailed proposal outlining how I can promote Tea with Jam and Dread and maximize its reach?
Best Regards,
Tina T. Davis
Book Marketing Specialist
tina.t.davisbook@gmail.com
My name is Tina T. Davis, and I specialize in promoting books to audiences who will truly appreciate their message. I work with a dedicated team that has consistently delivered top quality marketing campaigns for authors, helping their work reach the right readers and gain the recognition it deserves.
Tea with Jam and Dread is the kind of cozy mystery that strongly appeals to readers who enjoy humor forward storytelling, long running series, and unforgettable amateur sleuths. Can I send over a detailed proposal outlining how I can promote Tea with Jam and Dread and maximize its reach?
Best Regards,
Tina T. Davis
Book Marketing Specialist
tina.t.davisbook@gmail.com
October 30, 2021
hilariously quirky ? NO
slapstick humor?hell NO!
more like beyond stupid, arrogant gossiping and so annoying is the verbal
dahreea spewing Magdalena..I quit reading by chapter 3.
PS the writer really has issues calling her losing her virginity to the characters first husband "rape".ThT was NOT rape moron. Yes he was a bigger moron than hsrnit knowing how divorce works but ge dud not rape her.
When I hit that line I was ready to throw the Train wreck calling itself a"book" across s rhe room. Wish I had, as my brain bleed trying to.get through more.
SERIOUSLY HOW was this untalented "writer" able to.put out 20!! books!! Who are the sheep whol but such badly written garble. maybe she and her publisher made a deal with the devil..seriously HIDEOUS!! and there are more coming?!
slapstick humor?hell NO!
more like beyond stupid, arrogant gossiping and so annoying is the verbal
dahreea spewing Magdalena..I quit reading by chapter 3.
PS the writer really has issues calling her losing her virginity to the characters first husband "rape".ThT was NOT rape moron. Yes he was a bigger moron than hsrnit knowing how divorce works but ge dud not rape her.
When I hit that line I was ready to throw the Train wreck calling itself a"book" across s rhe room. Wish I had, as my brain bleed trying to.get through more.
SERIOUSLY HOW was this untalented "writer" able to.put out 20!! books!! Who are the sheep whol but such badly written garble. maybe she and her publisher made a deal with the devil..seriously HIDEOUS!! and there are more coming?!
June 9, 2017
This is beyond doubt the dumbest book I ever leafed through -- I started reading it, then it was skimming the pages, then just turning the pages. Stupid !! Why I didn't just return it to the library and move on is a mystery in itself. Anyway, then I read somewhere that there are about 20 of these abominations -- hard to comprehend. It could have been OK - strange, but OK: but the author wandered off into never-never land and it was just awful. She spent much of the time thinking or talking about how unattractive she was and how handsome her husband is, etc etc until you just want to hurl. Avoid this at all costs.
March 8, 2020
This story takes me up and down in my feelings. I love the humor and the way the author makes the main character reference her Mennonite beliefs and yet sneaks in some worldly thoughts and actions. After a few chapters I did become a bit tired of the wielding of insults and interactions between the characters and wanted it to get on with the mystery. Toward the ending chapters I realized the mystery was occurring throughout the book and I enjoyed the reveals near the end.
May 26, 2019
Sad to say that this one was a slog to get through. I've read most of the others in the series, but I felt that there was too much repetition in this one and the plot was all over the place. Definitely not as much fun as her earlier books. This may be where Magdalena and I go our separate ways.
November 17, 2020
I honestly have never read a book I disliked more than this one. Self deprecation? That's no longer acceptable and made me cringe. I really really REALLY didn't like the main character and I can't believe there are 19 books before this one.
August 14, 2017
If you are having a bad day, this series is one you need to pick up and read. They are quirky funny and just plain head shaking crazy.
August 14, 2017
Didn't care for.
December 26, 2017
Snarky. It was ok. I didn't enjoy this book as much as some of the others in the series.
June 22, 2019
Better than her previous book, The Death of Pie, but 300 pages of alliteration gets rather tiresome.
Also tiresome is Magdalena's constant wailing.
Also tiresome is Magdalena's constant wailing.
March 3, 2022
I enjoyed the first few books in this series, but the books aren’t funny anymore. The plot was nearly nonexistent & the dialog repetitive & inane.
March 5, 2025
A very generous 2 stars. Don’t waste your time.
August 29, 2025
excellent mystery a whoddunit
February 28, 2017
I have decided I would like to visit Hernia. Maybe even stay at the Penn-Dutch Inn. Between Freni's cooking and the Apparition American(?) who could resist.
Once again this series helps me escape to a totally different world. When I come back, I have some wonderful Amish sayings to pop off with!
Magdalena is getting a little wild. Just sayin......
Once again this series helps me escape to a totally different world. When I come back, I have some wonderful Amish sayings to pop off with!
Magdalena is getting a little wild. Just sayin......
February 27, 2017
Super easy quick read. Literally no thinking required, which can be refreshing depending on what type of books you have been reading.
February 27, 2017
Magdalena decides to expand advertising for her Bed and Breakfast Penn-Dutch Inn to Europe. The family of a British Earl visit.
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