Cast a Blue Shadow (Ohio Amish Mystery Series #4) [Hardcover]

P. L. Gaus (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2003

After the first blizzard of an early winter, a Mennonite college girl with a troubled past appears curled up and bloodied outside the offce of her childhood psychiatrist. Mute for many years as a child, Martha Lehman is again not talking. That same morning, the wealthy mother of Martha’s boyfriend is found murdered in her mansion in the country west of Millersburg, Ohio. Professor Mi chael Branden and Sheriff Bruce Robertson begin an investigation that, in the space of a single weekend, implicates Martha, threatens to tear apart the fabric of Millersburg College, pits one professor against another, and brings Caroline Branden near to a breaking point over the girl she once tried so fervently to help and who now seems determined to let no one help her at all. As Martha struggles to understand her enigmatic past and as Professor Branden wrestles with the murder of the college 6's leading benefactor, the real story of Martha Lehman emerges—born Amish, converted to Mennonite, and drawn to the English world for the worst of reasons. In Cast a Blue Shadow, his fourth Ohio Amish Mystery, P. L. Gaus continues to explore the thresholds of culture and faith among the Amish sects and their English neighbors of northern Ohio. Through interwoven plots, Gaus portrays these ways of life at odds with one another despite their seeming harmony. Coupling those clashes with the petty and desperate scufflings of academic politics, Gaus spins a suspenseful tale of power, pride, and tested faith. With Cast a Blue Shadow, Professors Branden and Gaus have done it again.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Gaus's fourth thoughtful Amish mystery (after 2001's Clouds Without Rain), a blizzard tears into northern Ohio, devastating Millersburg College and the lives of many of the students and locals. Among the casualties is fabulously wealthy business executive Juliet Favor, patron of the college, who's discovered dead in her bedroom. The next morning Mennonite student Martha Lehman curls up in a fetal position outside her psychiatrist's office. Since she was involved with Juliet's son, she becomes the prime suspect in what proves to be a murder case. Professor Michael Branden and Sheriff Bruce Robertson must find the killer no matter who it may be. The true victim, however, is Martha, whose troubled past has cost her dearly and, as a Mennonite student in a secular environment, is doubly isolated. The psychiatric element works well here-Martha's not a nut case but a young woman in almost unbearable pain. How she will reconcile her past and find a place in society is part of the puzzle to be solved. The author portrays the conflicts among the various Amish sects whose varying degrees of strictness in some instances cause them to shun each other. Eschewing any academic pedantry, Gaus manages to expertly enlighten as well as entertain. FYI: The author teaches chemistry and alternative cultures at the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Previous Gaus mysteries have concentrated on various elements in the life of Professor Michael Branden: his job as a history professor at Millersburg College, his relationship with childhood friends Pastor Cal Troyer and Sheriff Bruce Robertson, and his interaction with the Amish in his northern Ohio community. The fourth Ohio Amish mystery is a compelling combination of these aspects of Branden's life and more. When Martha, a troubled young Mennonite girl, is implicated in the murder of wealthy Juliet Favor, Branden and his wife, Caroline, get involved. Sonny Favor, Juliet's son, is Branden's advisee and Martha's erstwhile boyfriend. Martha enjoys a close relationship with the Brandens, who helped her through a pregnancy and adoption when she was only 14. Also in the pool of murder suspects are several Millersburg professors, some of whom had affairs with Juliet. As Caroline tries to find out why a mute Martha had Juliet's blood on her apron, Branden helps Sheriff Robertson investigate his coworkers. A fascinating look into the unique and complex worlds of the Amish and academia. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Ohio University Press; 1 edition (November 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821415298
• ISBN-13: 978-0821415290
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #710,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Protestantism > Mennonite

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A first-class mystery, January 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Cast a Blue Shadow (Ohio Amish Mystery Series #4) (Paperback)

This book is sub-titled An Ohio Amish Mystery and is set amid the rolling hills of Holmes County, Ohio. Holmes County and vicinity hosts the largest Amish settlement in the world and Paul L. Gaus knows this area well.

Michael Brandon, the main character in this and Gaus's other books, takes on the academic community in his fictional Millersburg College. Along with Brandon are other familiar characters from Gaus's previous book, notably Pastor Calvin Troyer and Sheriff Bruce Robertson as well as an expanded role for Brandon's wife Carolyn.

A rich Holmes County widow has died after a meeting with members of Millersburg College faculty in which she had announced her intention to change the way she donated money to the college. It appears to be murder and motives abound. Brandon is invited to join the investigation because he is familiar with the principals involved as well as being a lifelong friend of Sheriff Robertson.

The author has learned to put together a good story in which he brings all the pieces together just right. Gaus is not an unabashed cheerleader for the Amish, idealizing their lives, but portrays real people with their own peculiar problems. In fact, it is possible to read this book without really thinking of the Amish as a group. This is a good mystery that keeps you wanting to come back for more.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Casts a Blue Shadow, June 5, 2004

By 

Tori - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cast a Blue Shadow (Ohio Amish Mystery Series #4) (Hardcover)

I have to say I love his Books. The one complaint I have here is with the lack of Autumn lol. We need a Novel set in the Fall.
But aside from that it was great. I would also like to see the character of Sonny Favor developed in a future book. Perhaps a contrast of Martha Lehams future life to that of Sonny's..

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cast a Blue Shadow, October 12, 2011

By 

Ashley Wintters "Ashley Dawn" (Tyler, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cast a Blue Shadow (Ohio Amish Mystery Series #4) (Paperback)

The murder of a multimillionaire in her own home has the quiet county of Holmes stirred up. Being mostly Amish, there is little to no crime in the area, but when it happens the crime is BIG. The problem the police have in solving this case is it seems EVERYONE has a motive to murder Juliet Favor! She is a decidedly wicked woman with a vengeful streak and she has no problem telling people what she thinks of them, from her daughter to the president of the University....or cutting the funds her late husband endowed on Millersburg College and their children.
Martha Lehman is a troubled young lady with a terrible past and even she doesn't understand everything that has happened to her. Silent for years in her youth after this tragedy, Favor's murder, she goes back to the trusted silence for protection again. Mike Braden is a professor at the college who is aiding the police and a friend of Martha. He is helping interview possible suspects when he gets a call that Martha has been found with blood all over her!
The Amish community has never brought peace to Martha, so her friends get defensive when an old neighbor shows up to help Martha. She is either guilty of murder, covering up for someone or too traumatized to speak, but everything in the case hinges on Martha, and her silence is screaming.
With a masterful story telling ability, Gaus has you turning the pages of this book as quickly as you can to determine `who done it' and how they did! You don't want to miss this installment of his Amish-Country Mystery Series!
Reviewed by Ashley Wintters for Suspense Magazine