When an unpopular local cook is found poisoned to death by a bad batch of crepes, Magdalena is eager to bring the killer to justice- but she's shocked to discover that the trail of clues leads straight to her own PennDutch Inn
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.
Maybe the problem is just that I grew up in SE PA and know people with backgrounds similar to the MC's. I end up feeling like the book is disrespectful of both the mennonite and amish. The constant comments about inbreeding felt really out of line. I think Magdalena would be allowed to make some jokes about the oddities of her culture, but I don't think a person would still be practicing and living in that area if they felt as much hatred towards it as she does in these books.
Then to finish it off, the title gives it all away and I knew who did it long before most of the relevant clues were revealed. Except for the recipes, there is only one other mention of crepes in the book, so DUH! She should at least have had Freni serving crepes at the inn or something to make it slightly more appropriate.
Although I also personally dislike scrapple, I found the comments about scrapple out of place too. It is a very common food in the area and many love it, even those without close ties to the pennsylvania dutch community.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I came for the crepe recipes, I stayed for the murder-mystery. I stumbled across this book while googling recipes for “Palatschinkes” which is what we always called crepes when I was a kid. That word was taught to us by our PA Dutch grandmother, although I’m not sure how universal that term actually is.
Anyway, going into the story, I hadn’t realized this was book 9 (of 20) in a series. I don’t think missing the first 8 affected my understanding of the story though. I may have missed out on the backstory / personalities of some of the characters but overall I think this works fine as a stand-alone book.
I thought the story was fun, but the characters were all a bit too goofy, in a slightly cartoon-like way. The best comparison I can think of is A Confederacy of Dunces. Not that I’m comparing the two books, merely the not-quite-grounded-in-reality composition of the characters, and to a lesser sense, the plot. The book was still enjoyable, but everything that happened seemed way too convenient, and almost coincidental. It felt like the protagonist, Magdalena, was stumbling directly from one plot point to the next without much planning or effort.
Still, I did enjoy this book. Growing up with a lot of Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, I enjoyed many of the references. I also love a good pun, so I may check out a few more books in the series.
I used to enjoy this series, but no longer. This book seemed to have a weak plot, and I have gotten tired of the character of Magdalena, whose whining and self-absorption has gotten repetitive and boring and now detracts from the story, in my opinion. When the series first appeared, I thought it was very funny and entertaining, especially since I live among several Amish neighbors in central Pennsylvania. I definitely could appreciate the satire of the 'English' uber-fascination with things Amish to the point that it becomes ridiculous (which is one of the strong points of the series - poking gentle fun at those who think doing everything the 'Amish way' is quite the cultural experience), but in recent books that has been overshadowed by the characters that have become caricatures of themselves. However, I really do like this author and her other series; I just think this series needs some freshening up, both in plot and characters.
Lizzie, Hernia's worst cook has died. An autopsy says it was drugs. Thelma, the "midnight" visitor Magdalena talks to says Lizzie was murdered, and that Thelma may be next.
Melvin asks for her help in solving the murder, and the phone in town is down so Jacob, Hernia's most-handsome Amish, comes asking to use the phone.
During Magdalena's investigation, she finds a rivalry between Lizzie's family and another Amish family, including older teens who have a car. Because the autopsy said that Lizzie died of illegal drugs, Mags is on the look-out for the drugs and the sellers too. Thelma is run down.....
With the drug-supplier revealed - and on the run, things in Hernia might go back to normal?
Recipes: How to Make Crepes Crepe Fillings Apple Filling Scallop Mushroom Crepes Italian Crepes Zucchini Crepes Lemon Crepes with Raspberry Filling Cheese Blintzes
I picked up this book because I like the title, I enjoy reading little random cozy mysteries, I like crepes, and it was only $1, how could I pass this up? I came into the beginning of the story with no real expectations, but was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed my time at the PennDutch Inn.
The humor in this story is just all around. Our main character, Magdalena, has all the witty humor for the whole town. I loved that the author wasn't afraid to poke fun at her own culture without being overly critical. The humor came from the heart and it shows throughout the story.
The rest of the characters are funny in their own little way. With this being the 9th installment of this series, I did feel that they all probably had more time in previous story than this one. The author does explain how everyone connects and past plot if needed, but it just doesn't feel like much.
Overall, this isn't a life changing story, but it is a fun one to pick up if you just need to read something a little more down to earth and lighthearted. I don't think I will be reading the rest of the series, but I will pass it on through my neighborhood's Little Free Library so someone else can enjoy this little story.
Tamar Myers' books are always fun to read. Magdalena is a hoot, although she would claim she is not. She reminds me that we are all works in progress! It turns out that the Amish and Mennonite communities are not immune to some of the problems plaguing the world at large. Poor Lizzie Mast, the world's worst cook, has died by an overdose of Angel Dust! Was it suicide or murder? Magadalena is deputized to investigate by her brother-in-law, Melvin. Not only does Melvin resemble a praying mantis, but despite being the chief of police, he is much too busy campaigning for the state legislature. But what is going on with the Amish youth during the Amish Rumorspringa? Magadalena entertains her Penn Dutch guests and is hot on the trail to solve Lizzie's death.
First read of this author and loved this novel. Really keeps you laughing all the way through. Myers has a great sense of humour although warped in places.
Lizzie Mast, the world's worst cook, is found dead; a bad batch of crepes seem to be responsible. Whilst local police chief is busy running his political campaign, his sister-in-law takes over the investigation, riling everybody, especially the killer.
Liked her other one better. More fixated on guys and more innuendos. And silly phrases that look literal but maybe aren’t supposed to be, like this, “My heart raced and my hand shook so hard the milk in my glass turned to butter.”
An interesting look into the Amish and Mennonite life. And I didn't guess the villains. Some things seemed a little rough around the edges but basically an easy way to spend some time.
It was an okay read. My first by this author. I did learn some things about the Amish. I won't seek out this author, but I would read another book if it lands on my shelves.
Magdalena’s brother in law Melvin has asked her to find out who is dealing drugs amongst the Amish youngsters and who has killed Lizzie Mast. He really wants her help, as he is running for city council. Magdalena’s sister already envisions them living at the White House! And Magdalena even promises to contribute to their campaign.
And so Magdalena sets out to investigate some “English” who have recently moved to Hernia, and the sons of one of her neighbours who might know more about this. And how about her suitor and new neighbour, the Jewish doctor Gabriel? Why is his car at the barn where the teenagers are meeting for their illegal parties? Is he involved?
The new guests at her Inn all seem to hide something as well, but they seem happy enough to be there and try to live like the Amish do.
Magdalena is getting into all kinds of strange and embarrassing situations, but she is smart and solves the cases almost always to my big surprise. She sticks her big nose into everyone’s business, while still running her famous PennDutch Inn. The little bits of Amish and Mennonite culture are nice to read about, but I have no idea how accurate this all is. Especially now that she has this kitten living in her bra, like her sister has that hideous little dog living in her bra too. It is just too much. I do like Magdalena’s conversations with her old cook Freni, who is real Amish and distrusts everything remotely worldly. Her sister is something else completely. And then there is the gorgeous Jewish doctor who is Magdalena’s new neighbour and seems to be courting her. It is fun, and there are so many misunderstandings.
Tamar Myer’s humor is not really my cup of tea, but I will try to persevere in reading all the books I bought so far. If only she would not shriek so much …
So this was one of the silliest books I have ever read. It wasn't at all what I expected, and turned out to be quite entertaining. Nothing high-brow or anything, but still entertaining :)
I had several misconceptions about this book. First, for some reason I thought that with a name like "Tamar", the author was Jewish. I don't know how that could be confused with Amish/Mennonite, but yes, that's what I was expecting (no mocking me for my total disregard for the subtitle). Second, when I realized the correct religious context, I was often surprised by current cultural references. Which also led to me questioning parts of the book! Like how does she know who Dennis Rodman is (in context) if she doesn't watch tv? I know, I know. It's just a silly book, but ... I have to say I was a little caught off guard by some of the double entendre. Not offended, just totally surprised by their appearance! I'm guessing that's just part of the author's thing.
Her style of writing is very similar to the way I talk -- loaded with asides, parenthetical phrases, disclaimers and imbedded parenthetical phrases. I found this charming, even if it caused me to read some paragraphs more than once!
Although I don't fully get why Magdalena assists the (apparently) one policeman in town, all the interesting turns and sidetracks of small-town life made it fun to read. Of course, the first time the crepes were mentioned . . . well, let's just say I figured it out. But that didn't take anything away from the story.
I was so happy when I found this book in the book store. I have read most of Tamar Myers books and finding one I haven't read is a treat. This is a Pennsylvania Dutch mystery. Magdelena Yoder has an inn full of guests; there are 2 murders in Hernia, PA; and police chief Melvin has decided to run for political office. Melvin asks Magdelina to solve the murders while he runs his political campaign. As always, I love the sense of humor. Ms Yoder tells people at her inn if they pay more money they can have a more genuine Amish experience by doing such things as cleaning their own rooms, cooking, collecting eggs and cleaning out the barn. One of the local Amish women, Lizzie Mast (the worst cook in town) is killed by her eating crepes laced with drugs. Everyone knows this Amish woman does not do drugs, but who would have wanted to kill her....even is she is an awful cook. another good Tamar Myers mystery.
Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery #9. A cozy mystery with recipes. Magdalena Yoder is Mennonite and runs a B & B in the heart of Amish country. But she's not a typical gracious B & B owner; she isn't always tactful, her guests get on her nerves and she not above charging them extra to do the chores around her place as part of their ACE--"Amish Cultural Experience". How she ever gets away with that or has return guests, I'll never know, but her sleuthing skills are to be counted on, and in this volume she is newly "deputized" by her brother-in-law, who should never have gotten the job as police chief in the first place. He's running for state legislature and needs Maggie's help so he can concentrate on his campaign. Good thing Maggie is one to be counted on to dig up the dirt and find the killer who's poisoned the crepes.
In the next installment of the Penn Dutch series, Magdalena Yoder is up to her knees. It's one week up to Lizzie Mast's death, when one of her neighbors mentions about her death and the letter. While Melvin is running his political campaign, it's up to Magdalena to find out who killed her, while she's dealing with a new group of guests at her inn. Little did she know, she falls in love with Gabe Rosen, and learns about the Amish teens drug ring, and other suspicions. When she's close to the truth, her life is in the line, when an unexpected threats looms over her. Great culinary recipes for crepes accompany this tasty cozy.
This I read and enjoyed, but will not keep. It's an interesting mystery, and I learned more about Amish and Mennonite society. I understand some of the problems and strengths of their communities now. I did not see the end coming. It was a surprise.
The protagonist is odd, to say the least, and very mouthy, though not swearing. She's a bit earthy; my children asked me what I was laughing at, so I read a little bit aloud. I had to do quite a bit of editing on the fly, because of off-color references. On the other hand, she's working very hard to maintain her community, and some others in the story are doing their level best to tear it down. So I'm inclined to side with her.
A fun foodie mystery. I liked the crepe recipes and the headstrong main character. Take this on the plane on your way to the beach.
Magdalena Yoder is a strong headed Mennonite inn keeper with nosy investigative skills. She efficiently checks in her guests and gets them to pay for the privilege of cleaning and doing chores! Hmmm that reminds me of someone I used to know! Anyway, this book focuses on Magdalena and her investigation into the Crepe murder—of course there are crepe recipes in between the pages too. The heroine deals with small town gossip, reveals a little about Amish life and works diligently to solve the crime.
When Marley McKinney agrees to cover her elder cousin's Pancake House for a few weeks, she had no idea how life changing the decision would end up. The idyllic seaside setting of Wildwood Cove comes with a town full of locals who all know each others' business - almost before it happens. Marley is targeted by greedy land developers, a youthful summer crush reappears, still handsome and single, and Marley fears for her life more than once! A delectable story with a full menu of incidents and substitutions for the truth. Was Marley's cousin murdered and why? Who is telling the truth? A first rate cozy.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review
Very funny. I thought at first that her attempts at humor was corny in the beginning part of the story. But I had many laughs at her associations of biblical passages into the funny situations faced by her main character, they were witty. And we get a glimpse of some everyday life of the amish, interesting. I just find her habit of keeping a little cat in her bossom alarming. Hope little Freni grows soon so that she does need to live in Magdalena's chest anymore. And oh, I would love to try her crepe recipes!!!
Not my normal type of book, but I was looking for something mindless and stumbled across this in my pile. It's insanely cliche and I think reading the whole series would make me nuts, but it was entertaining and a quick read. My favorite part (and the only time I laughed out loud) was when it was written about the housekeeper's crush on Mel Gibson because he's s good Christian and good husband. Yep, this book is a bit older!
I love the title of this book (and of her other books in the series) since I generally enjoy puns and double entendres, but she carried it much too far in this book until it became "cutesie" in a kind of sickening way. I have never not finished a book I've begun in my whole life, but have to admit I thought about just stopping reading it after about 20 pages. I did finish, and it was a good mystery but I won't be looking for any of her other books.
I enjoyed this novel quite well, except that I thought some of the author's humor crossed the line into the territory of being crass. It was a bit depressing as well to think of drug problems even in the Amish community - but it is such a pervasive evil that I suppose I should not be surprised at the idea.
A good mystery, and a bit of a surprise ending for me as well.