The Crepes of Wrath (Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery) [Paperback]

Tamar Myers (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery | Publication Date: January 1, 2002

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Feisty Mennonite innkeeper and talented sleuth Magdalena Yoder offers a mix of murder and mouthwatering recipes in this, her ninth Pennsylvania Dutch mystery. When Lizzie Mast, a kindly Amish woman, dies of a drug overdose, Melvin Stoltzfus, the inept police chief of Hernia, Pa., asks Magdalena to investigate. Leaving her seven zany guests to fend for themselves on the A.L.P.O. (Amish Lifestyle Plan Option) at the PennDutch Inn and trying not to neglect her new love interest, handsome Jewish doctor Gabriel Rosen, Magdalena calls on Joseph Mast, Lizzie's widowed husband. Joseph attributes his wife's death to his neighbors the Keims and "rumschpringe" (the Amish equivalent of teenage rebellion). The two eldest Keim boys secretly purchased a car and ran over the Masts' Vietnamese pot-bellied pig and pet ferret. In retaliation, Joseph shot out the car's tires. Is it a simple case of retribution or something more sinister that led to Lizzie's murder? The Pennsylvania Dutch countryside provides a bucolic setting for Magdalena as she weaves in and out of the English (non-Amish) and Amish societies in her search for the killer. Magdalena's irrepressible personality, amusing colloquial speech and quirky habits (she keeps her pet kitten in her bra) will delight the reader, while the asides on Amish society offer insights into a traditional culture trying to retain its integrity in the 21st century. (Jan. 9)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

A pinch of acerbity and a scoop of fun...delicious. -- Carloyn Hart

A piquant brew, bubbling over with mystery and mirth. -- Dorothy Cannell

All the right ingredients. -- Mostly Murder

As sweet as a piece of brown sugar pie. -- Booklist

Tamar Myers has a great sense of humor. -- Murder Most Cozy

You'll laugh and cheer. -- Sharon Zukowski --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Signet; 1st Printing edition (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451203224
• ISBN-13: 978-0451203229
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,145,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tamar Myers, who is of Mennonite background, is the author of the Pennsylvania Dutch mysteries and the Den of Antiquity series. Born and raised in the Congo, she lives in North Carolina.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A hilariously funny cosy, January 9, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Crepes of Wrath (Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries with Recipes) (Hardcover)

In Hernia, Pennsylvania, lives large Amish and Mennonite populations with tourists from around the world converging on the small area. Most visitors stay at the Penn-Dutch Inn run by Magdalena Yoder, a keen businessperson who has managed to turn a failing farm into a profit making enterprise. Magdalena has also an uncanny ability to solve homicide cases.

Her brother-in-law, the local police chief, asks Magdalena to help him solve the murder of Lizzie Mast, a devout Mennonite married to a Viet Nam veteran. Lizzie died from an overdose of Angel Dust. Apparently, just before she died, Lizzie received a threatening note that the postmaster saw. However, a hit and run driver deliberately kills the postmaster. Magdalena learns that some local teens are experimenting with illegal drugs and concludes that their supplier provided the Angel Dust to Lizzie. Magdalena must identify the seller in order to stop more deaths form occurring.

Every book that Tamar Myers writes in her wonderful "Pennsylvania Dutch with recipes" series contains much humor and insight. However, the current tale, THE CREPES OF WRATH, is just plain funny while providing even more understanding of the communities than the strong previous entries. The witty repartees and double entendres allow readers to feel good even while murder and drugs serve as the focus of the mystery. The characters are likable while the mystery is well drawn and executed. On a scale from one to five, this regional amateur sleuth novel is a ten.

Harriet Klausner

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lite and Fluffy Crepe, February 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Crepes of Wrath (Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries with Recipes) (Hardcover)

I keep one or two Tamar Myers' books on hand for any day I'm feeling out of sorts, down, depressed, or PMSing. I always end sorted, up, laughing, and... well, there's no cure for the PMSing part, but she does make me forget about it for a while! Today was the day for Crepes! and Tamar took me on a great cozy ride through the Penn Dutch Inn. Her sister was wrapped in Gauze, her brother-in-law was was his usual Praying Mantis self -- is he really running for public office? Clinton was bad enough -- and I must say that I fell in love with the cat.... I hooted all the way through! The only thing I hated about the book? It was too special to take to the tub and read while I soaked... The things I give up for Miss Myers'characters!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Creepy crepes, July 17, 2001

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Crepes of Wrath (Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries with Recipes) (Hardcover)

Magdalena Yoder, owner of the PennDutch Inn is back again in the ninth book of the Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery series. This time Hernia's worst cook, Lizzie Mast, is poisoned by some crepes. Magdalena's guests are always under suspicion and this time they include an African-American couple, a TV star and his wife, and a very tall PE teacher who is recruiting for her high school basketball team. Magdalena decides that she might as well solve the murder because her brother-in-law Melvin, who is Chief of Police, seems incapable of solving anything. This book contains the usual puns and jokes and will appeal to most of Myers' fans.