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Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery #2
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Crime
Featuring authentic Pennsylvania-Dutch recipes, the second novel in the mystery series featuring Amish innkeeper and amateur sleuth Magdalena Yoder finds Yoder a prime suspect in the murder of a film director. Reprint.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1995
30 people are currently reading
774 people want to read
About the author
Tamar Myers
74 books290 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 77 reviews
January 8, 2016
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Crime by Tamar Meyers is a 1996 Signet publication. This is the second book in the Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery series.
I loved the first book in the series so much, I have decided to attempt reading this entire series from start to finish. These easy to read, cozy mysteries centered around Magdalena Yoder and her PennDutch Inn, set in Hernia, Pennsylvania.
A film crew has arrived at the inn to shoot a film based on the murders that occurred there a little while back. But, another murder cast a pall on the filming, and Magdalena is suspect number one.
This second installment was as hysterically funny as the first one, but the mystery was a little thin. However, since it’s the characters and the humor that has me wanting to read more, that wasn’t a deal breaker.
These stories are quick, easy and fun!
Can’t wait for the next one!
4 stars
I loved the first book in the series so much, I have decided to attempt reading this entire series from start to finish. These easy to read, cozy mysteries centered around Magdalena Yoder and her PennDutch Inn, set in Hernia, Pennsylvania.
A film crew has arrived at the inn to shoot a film based on the murders that occurred there a little while back. But, another murder cast a pall on the filming, and Magdalena is suspect number one.
This second installment was as hysterically funny as the first one, but the mystery was a little thin. However, since it’s the characters and the humor that has me wanting to read more, that wasn’t a deal breaker.
These stories are quick, easy and fun!
Can’t wait for the next one!
4 stars
June 21, 2011
Storyline is tired already and it's only book 2. Same Inn, more murder. Main character still abrasive and unlikeable.
Not reading the rest.
Not reading the rest.
February 23, 2019
While I did enjoy the mystery in this one, I really don't care for the characters in this series. I know we're all weird, and for the most part I think weird is good ... but these characters just seem toooo crazy. Still, although this murder was a bit more gory, it was enjoyable to try to figure it out ... and I was waaaaay off base!
December 9, 2017
This story has Magdalena Yoder renting her inn to a movie crew. When a member of the group is found murdered in her barn Magdalena is the prime suspect. The book was a quick easy read.
July 27, 2011
I love the sense of humor that Tamar Myers uses in these mysteries. They are a wonderful break from dark mysteries or heavy relationship stories.
A film crew comes to Hernia, PA to film a movie. Imagine the Hollywood types with the plain people at the Pennsylvania Dutch Inn. Many locals, including our heroine, Magdelina, end up as extras. Of course, there does have to be a murder and one of the directors is found pinned to the wall with a pitchfork....kind of yucky to imagine.
An example of the humor......Magdelina never watches TV (or movies) except for "Green Acres."
She ends up in the hospital and is channel surfing. All she could find on are 3 talk shows.
"1)a politican so slippery that they almost had to tie him in his chair. 2)an evangelist turned actor who told about how God told him to steal from the offering plate to for capping his teeth and
3)lesbian nuns of Spanish origin who were starting up a gladiola from just outside Tel Aviv. One nun even sang a hymn done to the tune of an Elvis song." Who would ever think of #3...good imignation !!
A film crew comes to Hernia, PA to film a movie. Imagine the Hollywood types with the plain people at the Pennsylvania Dutch Inn. Many locals, including our heroine, Magdelina, end up as extras. Of course, there does have to be a murder and one of the directors is found pinned to the wall with a pitchfork....kind of yucky to imagine.
An example of the humor......Magdelina never watches TV (or movies) except for "Green Acres."
She ends up in the hospital and is channel surfing. All she could find on are 3 talk shows.
"1)a politican so slippery that they almost had to tie him in his chair. 2)an evangelist turned actor who told about how God told him to steal from the offering plate to for capping his teeth and
3)lesbian nuns of Spanish origin who were starting up a gladiola from just outside Tel Aviv. One nun even sang a hymn done to the tune of an Elvis song." Who would ever think of #3...good imignation !!
March 28, 2012
This is the second book i read in the Penn Dutch series and really don't care to read another. Magdalena Yoder is a mennonite innkeeper who rents out her inn to hollywood film makers to make extra money till there is a murder on the set. Martha Simms wanted to be an actress like her famous grandmother but was married to a minister and when she wanted a lead role she never got one. Susannah is Mag's sister who is a slut, there is an old doctor who flirts with Mags, Freni and Mose help around the inn cooking and fixing up the place then there is smart ass Mags who i do not care for at all. Throughout the entire book references are made to her mother spinning in her grave and i even remember that in her other book, in this one like 8 or 9 times WTF?
March 17, 2014
Hilarious!! I'm tearing through this series. When reading them I laugh like I can't remember laughing from reading any other book. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is that the sister character is annoying to me. At first the small jokes peppered throughout were jolting me out of the story and I didn't like it but some were so funny I could not stop laughing! That keeps me returning to T. Myers. I will read every one I can get my hands on. Well worth the chuckles. The most hilarious sense of humor ever in a mystery!
January 31, 2023
When I started this, I thought it was excellent. The first 20 pages seemed innovative, funny and witty. Unfortunately, reading the whole book felt like being forced to watch a skit show that's non-stop sarcasm and snark over and over again. The author is obviously clever and the individual lines were funny but I finished feeling like I'd been hit over the head with a rubber chicken repeatedly by a toddler screaming "look how funny this is!" And it was funny at first, just too much and too repetitive. Not for me.
August 18, 2009
I don't know if it is my mood or what. Although there were funny/witty lines delivered by the characters, and the book talked alot about food, I was a bit disappointed. It felt like I was definitely in a different world, which I know is what the author was trying to convey. I didn't mind that, but the characters for me were a little unbelievable and zany (?) for lack of a better word. I felt it was a little too light-hearted and whimsical for me.
January 6, 2010
This was so bad, I didn't even finish it. I didn't even get TO the murder... mostly because I couldn't decide which one of the 15 million boring/obnoxious or unpleasant characters introduced that I wanted to SEE murdered.
So, I think I read about 30 pages and put it away.
So, I think I read about 30 pages and put it away.
November 18, 2011
2 1/2 stars Liked the protagonist's and her descriptions of Mennonite culture. Interesting romance developing. Mystery itself was weak. I figured out the murderer early and her efforts to harm the protagonist seemed obvious except to her.
January 3, 2011
i am saying I read this...but didnt finish it. not my cup of tea
June 30, 2019
After the events of the first book, Hollywood comes knocking. Magdalena Yoder, proprietress of the Penn-Dutch Inn, agrees to reschedule all her guests and rent out the premises for a movie.
The director, asst. director and location scout descend on the Penn-Dutch, along with people from the community who want to be in the movie. The Asst. Director was found pitchforked to the wall in the barn..... The local police chief wants Magdalena to confess and she staunchly stands by the fact that she did not do it.
Mags also ventures into the dating scene, but has no luck until Aaron Miller, the son of the neighbor and her childhood playmate comes back to Hernia. The Presbyterian minister and his wife try extending the hand of friendship, but Mags is ambivalent about taking it - what with her sister marrying a Presbyterian all those years ago.
Mags investigates the door opening on her six-seater outhouse, gets trapped inside, and is eventually rescued by the fire department, and ends up in the hospital. While there, she is nearly poisoned and the person who murdered the Asst. Director confesses.
Recipes:
Freni Hostetler's recipe for Shoofly Pie
Grandma Yoder's Secret Corn Chowder
Doc Shafer's recipe for Green-Tomato Pie
Freni's Super-Duper Company Meat Loaf
Freni Hostetler's version of Beef Yum Yai (Thai Cold Beef Salad)
Freni Hostetler's rendition of Tom Yam Goonk
My Own Version of Peanut Butter Apple Cake
The director, asst. director and location scout descend on the Penn-Dutch, along with people from the community who want to be in the movie. The Asst. Director was found pitchforked to the wall in the barn..... The local police chief wants Magdalena to confess and she staunchly stands by the fact that she did not do it.
Mags also ventures into the dating scene, but has no luck until Aaron Miller, the son of the neighbor and her childhood playmate comes back to Hernia. The Presbyterian minister and his wife try extending the hand of friendship, but Mags is ambivalent about taking it - what with her sister marrying a Presbyterian all those years ago.
Mags investigates the door opening on her six-seater outhouse, gets trapped inside, and is eventually rescued by the fire department, and ends up in the hospital. While there, she is nearly poisoned and the person who murdered the Asst. Director confesses.
Recipes:
Freni Hostetler's recipe for Shoofly Pie
Grandma Yoder's Secret Corn Chowder
Doc Shafer's recipe for Green-Tomato Pie
Freni's Super-Duper Company Meat Loaf
Freni Hostetler's version of Beef Yum Yai (Thai Cold Beef Salad)
Freni Hostetler's rendition of Tom Yam Goonk
My Own Version of Peanut Butter Apple Cake
November 16, 2018
This book was ok. The murder and identity of the murderer didn't really make sense. I think it would take a lot of strength to pin a body to a post with a pitchfork. Melvin Stoltzfus, promoted to Police Chief since book 1, refuses to consider any suspects other than Magdalena; in an attack of obsessive stupidity, which became boring very quickly. The character Susannah is even more irritating than she was in book #1. Maybe you are just supposed to read these books for the witticisms.
I was thinking of not reading any more of these books, but the author did something so interesting, that I will give the series one more try.
There are some puzzlers in the plot:
I was thinking of not reading any more of these books, but the author did something so interesting, that I will give the series one more try.
There are some puzzlers in the plot:
March 6, 2018
A goofy little gift book that I didn't expect much from but had a great time reading. Magdalena Yoder, who is supposed to be Amish/Mennonite, is having a tough time making ends meet at her family's PennDutch Inn in Hernia, PA, Amish country. A Hollywood director named Bugsy showed up in the middle of the night offering to buy the inn, which she had no intention of selling. With much naivete on Magdalena's part and after much wrangling (Bugsy: "Playing hardball, eh?" Magdalena, "I don't even play Ping-Pong with strangers."), they made a deal whereby she had veto control of the movie-making, as she was determined nothing that her (deceased) grandmother wouldn't approve of would be filmed in or in the inn. It became a bit of a free-for-all when the wide-eyed townspeople wanted to get into the movie. Shortly after the obnoxious Don Manley insisted on directing a scene with the minister's wife naked in a bathtub, he is found pinned to a post in the barn with a pitchfork. Magdalena's cousin Melvin, the sheriff suspects her of the murder.
December 20, 2021
2.5 Magdalena Yoder, chaste and abstemious proprietor of the Pennsylvania Dutch Inn, agrees to let a Hollywood crew film at the inn – for an exorbitant price, of course. But when the assistant director is found pinned to a barn post with a farming tool, dimwitted local police chief, Marvin Stoltzfus fingers Magdalena as his prime suspect. Now it’s time for Magdalena to use her extraordinary Amish sleuthing skills to reveal the real killer – before another Hollywood hellion goes belly up and turns Magdalena’s charming PennDutch Inn into a grisly horror flick! [amazon synopsis]
Money speaks wonders! As much as Magdalena hates the idea of filming at the inn, money speaks volumes. She doesn't do much work - actually charges her guests extra to do their own laundry and clean their rooms - a "true" Amish experience. I kind of thought the Amish were a loving sect with good feelings towards others. Not Magdalena. The author didn't do much research here. The recipes aren't authentic Amish either.
Money speaks wonders! As much as Magdalena hates the idea of filming at the inn, money speaks volumes. She doesn't do much work - actually charges her guests extra to do their own laundry and clean their rooms - a "true" Amish experience. I kind of thought the Amish were a loving sect with good feelings towards others. Not Magdalena. The author didn't do much research here. The recipes aren't authentic Amish either.
August 7, 2024
I read most of the books in this series up until page 50 of Hell Hath No Curry. Most of the books blend together in my memory, with only a few being real stand outs. This was one of them, mainly because it was more unpredictable than most of the other books. This was also arguably the funniest book in the series.
It's annoying, though, that Meyers basically ignores this book in the rest of the series. Very significant events happen, but no one seems to remember them.
Which leads me to wonder how on earth Magdalena had any time to write down her stories. These are told first person. I know it's a standard narrative device for mysteries in particular, but it's just something I can't help but wonder about. I mean, nowhere in the series does Magdalena mention writing her memoirs or talking into a tape recorder, or anything like that. I wonder about the same thing in the Stephanie Plum series, too.
I never liked the gimmick of planting recipes willy-nilly in these books, but my Mom did. We never bothered to try out any of the recipes.
It's annoying, though, that Meyers basically ignores this book in the rest of the series. Very significant events happen, but no one seems to remember them.
Which leads me to wonder how on earth Magdalena had any time to write down her stories. These are told first person. I know it's a standard narrative device for mysteries in particular, but it's just something I can't help but wonder about. I mean, nowhere in the series does Magdalena mention writing her memoirs or talking into a tape recorder, or anything like that. I wonder about the same thing in the Stephanie Plum series, too.
I never liked the gimmick of planting recipes willy-nilly in these books, but my Mom did. We never bothered to try out any of the recipes.
April 10, 2019
I am ambivalent about Magdalena Yoder. I really enjoy her as a character (with a capital "C"!) and the stories and mysteries are pretty good. But I just have to wonder if a Mennonite would be as wise-cracking and abrasive as she is. Maybe the author knows more about the Plain People than I do...or else it's those Pennsylvania Amish/Mennonites rather than the Ohio ones I have known and interacted with. I also know that they hold their religion very closely and seriously and Magdalena seems to take nothing seriously and also doesn't seem to treat most people very well. Yes, a lot of the characters that inhabit her world are pretty unlikable and I do appreciate her come-backs when these nasty folk treat her badly. Still, I'm still not sure if I like her or if she's going to make me go running for the Ohio border!
July 25, 2025
Magdalena Yoder owns the Penn Dutch Inn - rented it to Hollywood producers, Runs and Reels to film a movie;
Mama Miller, matriarch;
Steve Bugsy, Steven Freeman - negotiated the price;
Norah Hall, town gossip and her daughter Sherri, (part of teenager from hell);
Freni, cooks and Mose works outside Hostetler;
Susannah, Magdalena's sister and her dog, Shnookums (Rambling Rhonda);
Melvin Stoltzfus - Susannah's boyfriend;
Martha Sims, (lady in the bathtub)Pastor Sim's wife;
Arthur Lapata - director;
Donald Manley - assistant director; (MURDERED, pitchfork)
Cindy and Nadine Biddle;
Darla Strutt, lead actress;
Aaron Miller, neighbor who rescued Magdalena from the burning outhouse;
Martha Sims came to the hospital, poisoned her milk, when she didn't drink it, pulled out a gun.
She KILLED Donald because of what he had asked her to do......then wanted Magdalena dead because she was investigating the case and also had a better part in the movie. Heather came into the hospital room which distracted Martha so Magdalena could hit her with the water pitcher.
Aaron and Doc Shafter fighting over Magdalena. Aaron asked her out on a date and she said yes.
Mama Miller, matriarch;
Steve Bugsy, Steven Freeman - negotiated the price;
Norah Hall, town gossip and her daughter Sherri, (part of teenager from hell);
Freni, cooks and Mose works outside Hostetler;
Susannah, Magdalena's sister and her dog, Shnookums (Rambling Rhonda);
Melvin Stoltzfus - Susannah's boyfriend;
Martha Sims, (lady in the bathtub)Pastor Sim's wife;
Arthur Lapata - director;
Donald Manley - assistant director; (MURDERED, pitchfork)
Cindy and Nadine Biddle;
Darla Strutt, lead actress;
Aaron Miller, neighbor who rescued Magdalena from the burning outhouse;
Martha Sims came to the hospital, poisoned her milk, when she didn't drink it, pulled out a gun.
She KILLED Donald because of what he had asked her to do......then wanted Magdalena dead because she was investigating the case and also had a better part in the movie. Heather came into the hospital room which distracted Martha so Magdalena could hit her with the water pitcher.
Aaron and Doc Shafter fighting over Magdalena. Aaron asked her out on a date and she said yes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2017
Hilarious! Menonite innkeeper, Magdalena Yoder, keeps a lovely, clean inn -- except for the occasional murder! In this 2nd book, a Hollywood movie crew shows up to make a lurid B movie on the site of the first murder -- Magdalena's beloved Penn Dutch Inn! After refusing to sell the inn outright to the "English," she accepts a huge amount of money to allow the production to take place on her property and they write her and some other locals into the script! Everything seems to be going smoothly until one of the outsiders is found impaled in the barn and Magdalena is the prime suspect! A crazy set of supporting cast members and lots of local color put Hernia, Pennsylvania on the map!
February 23, 2019
Despite Magdalena still being the rude, sassy, and somewhat self-righteous character she had been in the first book of this series, I think I'm growing more fond of her. I'm not sure how much I'd like her as a person, but her personality is becoming more entertaining to me than annoying. Maybe it's just that I now know that these are light mysteries, not the intense thriller-style I had (for some reason) been thinking of when I initially started reading.
A fun, light read that makes me wish I had more than 3 books of this series - maybe I'll be able to find the rest somewhere.
A fun, light read that makes me wish I had more than 3 books of this series - maybe I'll be able to find the rest somewhere.
July 4, 2019
This is book two in the series and Magdalena is not nearly so obnoxious.
The title comes into play only as a clue that parsley is purchased at a store when it grows in the yard at the Pennsylvania Dutch Inn.
The Inn is invaded by Hollywood and the film that is made there results in a death and several attempts at murder. Locals are hired as extras and the competition is robust.
This is a very quick read.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
The title comes into play only as a clue that parsley is purchased at a store when it grows in the yard at the Pennsylvania Dutch Inn.
The Inn is invaded by Hollywood and the film that is made there results in a death and several attempts at murder. Locals are hired as extras and the competition is robust.
This is a very quick read.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
December 29, 2017
So much better than the first book in this series. It was a fun easy read. I got to know the characters more this time around. I laughed out loud at the way the Presbyterian church is portrayed. The mystery had me working to figure out the killer before it was revealed on the pages. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet.
May 19, 2017
She's gone and grown on me, has Magdalena Yoder. She's salty, and hilariously self-righteous, but she's fine making fun of herself when she feels like it. I like the setting quite well. The mystery is fine also.
September 29, 2018
I can't wait to order the rest of this series! Magdalena Yoder reminds me very strongly of one of my great-aunts. Now, Addie wasn't Menonite OR Amish, she was a good Methodist girl from South Georgia, but OH MY, were their characters similar!
May 6, 2019
This author cracks me up. Her early books, in particular, have delightful word play and unique characters. The Pennsylvania Dutch setting is fun and charming. This is a very enjoyable book in a good series. The titles are even fun! Good for fans of cozy mystery.
February 6, 2019
Enjoy this new series
July 19, 2019
I will not be reading any more in this series. I found the characters annoying.
August 1, 2019
An easy read that cozy mystery fans will enjoy.
October 3, 2019
I really liked the first book in this series. This goofy entry was even better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews