Gruel and Unusual Punishment

Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery #10

by Tamar Myers

Magdalena Yoder once again ends up in the middle of a baffling mystery when Clarence Webber, an imprisoned con man, succumbs after sampling a bowl of gruel laced with arsenic, and, with the reputation of PennDutch Inn at stake, sets out to find the killer who poisoned the porridge.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Humor, Amish, Fiction, The United States Of America

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Tamar 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

Reviews

[Sharyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am still reading these out of order, but it doesn't seem to bother me as much as other book series. I find them laugh out loud funny, and as these are my "car" books I carry to read in line etc. I get some pretty weird looks as I laugh out loud in places. They are just so silly, as in when Magdelina thnks she is talking to the Lord, or she does something un Mennonite and apologizes. This book had a good mystery, though all the recipes started with grits, so no chance I'll be cooking those. The funnist part of this book is when she had to drive from PA to MD and stocked up on food, just in case, and found she could buy it in MD. Also, no border guard as she was expecting going into the sinful city of Cumberland! I find her combination of intelligence and naivete just hysterical. If you are looking for an easy, funny read, these books are for you. But try to read them in order if you can.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The nearby city of Bedford has had an overflow of prisoners, so send some to be housed in Hernia. The PennDutch is the establishment chosen to feed the imprisoned, including the recent buyer of Magdalena's bright red BMW.

When one of the prisoners is found dead, the blame is put on Magdalena's (more properly Freni Hostetler's) shrimp and grits. (Being in the American South, I don't think of grits as gruel - gruel is, in this reader's mind, a thin, watery oatmeal..., but I suppose that if the grits is runny enough?) Maybe the dead prisoner was allergic to the shrimp?

An autopsy revealed that the dish was poisoned with arsenic. Who might have put arsenic in the food?

Melvin Stoltzfus, the Chief of Police, first accuses the PennDutch, then asks Mags to help him in his investigation. This leads to the list of visitors of the prisoner, kept by Zelda Root. Zelda named four visitors, and Magdalena dutifully visited each one. Each one was an older woman. Each one insisted that they had married the deceased....

Magdalena figured out who murdered the prisoner.

Rachel Blank, mayor of Hernia, candidate for Senate. She had been shy going away to college and when she returned, she had new confidence. This was because she had worked as a prostitute at the deceased's parents' establishment - and the deceased was blackmailing her. One of his "wives" had also figured it out, and then imprisoned Rachel.....

That "wife" had mummified her parents in a nuclear fallout bunker. The deceased was planning on turning his "wife" in.

As Magdalena was giving a recap of what happened when Rachel was apprehended to her nearest and dearest, she asked Gabriel Rosen, the hunky Jewish doctor, to marry her - and he said yes.

Recipes:
The Lethal Gruel (Shrimp 'n Grits) Freni Served (omit the arsenic if you like your guests)
Basic Boiled Grits
Pumpkin Grits
Grits Polenta
Tomato Sauce
Jalapeno Grits Casserole
Spinach and Parmesan Souffle
Souffle Plus
Grillades and Grits

I nodded knowingly. The Good Lord created Sundays for long boring sermons. Folks who drone on and on about their faith during the week are not being considerate. There's nothing wrong with sharing the gospel, don't misunderstand me. It's just that one should share it by example or, at the very least, by brief snippets. No one was ever saved while asleep.

"I hate no one!" Well, I try not to, at any rate. The Bible commands us to love our neighbors as well as we love ourselves. Having tried mightily to love Melvin over the years - and failed miserably - my new strategy is to try to love myself a little less. If I can get really good at that, then maybe things will even out a little bit.

[June Ahern · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first read of Tamar Myers' murder/sleuthing book, 'Gruel and Unusual Punishment' and I'd read another. It is really funny with great, crazy characters - some as ugly as a mud pie! - in the very religious Pennsylvania Dutch country. Sometimes the humor was too much for me, but always clean and funny. An easy, take to bed, go to sleep laughing mystery.

[Tommie Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book at a thrift store and remembered how much I enjoyed her books. Then I looked up on the author in LIBBY and found that a great number of her books available for reading. (Free). This book starts with the murder of a man in jail. Using her discovery capability, Magdalena discovers he has 4 wives, all of which swear to love him madly. A great read with 10 recipes for grits

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not too impressed with this book. I could not get invested in any of the characters, especially the main character.

She was supposed to be an Amish woman but the Amish might not agree.

The plot was confusing and the ending abrupt and not believable.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just like Magdalena more and more as this series progresses! And the recipe for shrimp and grits was VERY successful, BTW! I'm a huge fan of shrimp and grits, but for some reason thought that they were beyond me. BOY was I wrong!

[Pam Mertens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not my favorite Amish series. I find Magdalena to be over the top with her meddling and with making assumptions about her suspects, though she admits she gets a lot of exercise jumping to conclusions.

[Tamar Wilson-steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read another book by this author which was later in the series that I really liked but this was not as good, I am going to start on her other series, which has cats. Trying to replace the CAT Who books.

[Susan J. Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun!)

This is the best and funniest of the series so far!Tamar has hit her stride with characters, comedy and alliteration.

[Dawn Fortenberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun, light mystery story. i especially liked it because the culprit was not who i expected it to be.

[CAROL · Rating 4 out of 5]

EntertaIning Amish mystery, even had my maiden name on several pages. Enjoyed the silly jokes.

[Karol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this installment - # 8 in the series. I don't know why I find Magdalena so fascinating . . . even when I didn't like the particular book in the series, I've kept reading!

This ranks up there among my favorites in the series so far. It wasn't quite as predictable, and I saw a little more depth in the character, brought out in part by a troubled teen who became a surprising part of Mags' family.

The mystery itself was a good one, and even the mystery within the mystery about how Magdalena got from one place to another after an accident. (Can't say more than that without giving a lot away.)

It really does seem like it took awhile for the author to know where to go with this character - she'd take her one direction at the end of a book and then do an about face. One inconsistency I did note in this story was when Magdalena referred to a footprint on the ceiling of her home that had been there as long as she could remember. However, two stories ago her house had been completely leveled by a storm, and then rebuilt. Perhaps the author had second thoughts about that . . .

It will be interesting to see whether the author has "settled" the character for purposes of future books in the series. I imagine, though, there might be more weird twists and turns in Magdalena's life.

I've read quite a few now in this series in rapid succession. I plan to move on to some other things for awhile, but undoubtedly I'll come back to Magdalena at some point. I do find her rather irresistable.

[Tammy Rowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like Tamar Myers' books; she has a great sense of humor and the characters have such personality you have to love them :) The only thing that I find irritating in the series of books is that the same things are explained over and over--such as the way that Magdalena and Susannah's parents died, how the Amish/Mennonites were so inbred that Magdalena just needed a sandwich in order to have a family reunion... cute the first time but annoying the fifth! Otherwise, the books are hysterical; I really enjoy them.

[Jacqui Ainsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series is growing on me. The main character has some interesting traits that can be annoying but unlike some books, it is clear that these are intended as her character and not the author's personality. They are charming little walks through Amish country. So far these are my favorites of the "recipe mystery" genre.

[Lana Kamennof-sine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tamar Myers is always an enjoyable read & this one is no exception. Will be looking out others that develop the Alison character now.

Quirky characters and curiously "normal" albeit bizarre incidents make for fun.

Wouldn't want to try to carry any of our dogs in a bra. (Ranging from 70-153 lbs the back strain they'd cause is horrific to contemplate.)

Some interesting Grits recipes too to try.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

After several of these I cannot decided whether I care much about Magadelena and her acerbic tongue. I like the glimpses of Pennsylvania Dutch life but am not so sure about the bed and breakfast hostess. Not a memorable read.

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is a Mennonite sleuth living in Quaker country.
Many puns.
Nice light read.

[Carla JFCL · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series of "fluff" books. Magdalena Yoder is quite a character and I enjoy the entire cast of these books. Certainly not intellectual, but great reading for an escape!

[Cassandra]

I enjoyed this book. Magdalena is such a likable character, the book is easy to read and I also enjoyed the somewhat unpredictable ending.

[Kitty Tomlinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magadalena Yoder helps the local sheriff (her hapless brother-in-law) solve the murder of Clarence Webber, who poisoned in the sheriff's jail.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good.

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recipes aren't as good as usual, but funny mystery about a polygamist.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.

[Nancy Rivers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not that interesting!

[Emma the Dork · Rating 5 out of 5]

really funny, full of action, about and amish woman who works as a detective in murder cases.

[Joni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed it..not as much as her previous ones though.

[Kayt18 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great laughs and a wonderful read.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

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