Customer Reviews

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Crime (Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries with Recipes)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When a Hollywood production company approaches the prim-and-proper Mennonite innkeeper, Magdalena Yoder, about using her inn as the setting for a movie, the amount negotiated soon wins her over. But, when she finds herself literally flooded with up-tight and immoral Hollywood types, and star struck neighbors, she quickly realizes she has made a mistake. Worse, when the assistant director is found murdered in her barn, with her pitchfork, Magdalena quickly becomes the number one suspect. There's only thing that she can do to protect herself and her inn, and that is to find the murderer, and quick!

A friend tipped me off to the existence of Mennonite mystery writer Tamar Myers, and I quickly got this book (even though it is the second Magdalena Yoder book). I must admit that I was not disappointed! The characters are funny and interesting, and I really enjoyed the setting. Ms. Myers captures the Mennonite/Amish way of thinking beautifully ("I am proud of who I am, but not so proud, mind you, that it's a sin."), but who knew that Mennonites could be so funny? I loved this book, and highly recommend it to you!

Magdelena Yoder, proprietor of the PennDutch Inn in the Amish country of Pennsylvania, is surprised when a Hollywood film crew leases her bed and breakfast to shoot a B-grade movie at the inn. Of course, being a good Mennonite who doesn't go to the movies, Magdelena and the rest of town is thrilled. When the movie's obnoxious assistant director is found murdered (with a pitchfork pinning him to Magdelena's barn wall), Magdalena suddenly finds herself as suspect "numero uno" in the murder. So Magdelena puts her detecting skills to work to find the real murderer, with hilarious consequences.

I found the characters in this book endearing and very funny. Magdelena's Mennonit point of view puts a funny spin on many things the rest of us take for granted. I thoroughly enjoyed this visit to the Amish country, and I look forward to reading more installments in Ms. Myers PennDutch mysteries.

A friend of mine mailed this book to me ~~ and I have to admit that I chuckled my way throughout this book! I've never read or even heard of Tamar Myers. This is the first book I've read of hers and I plan to read the rest of the books in the series.

Prim and Proper Magdalena Yoder is innkeeper of the PennDutch Inn that was in her family for generations. Her sister, Susannah (who Magdalena thinks should have gotten her name instead!) is gorgeous enough and dating the local sheriff who is after Magdalena to make a confession for a murder in her barn. Magdalena knew that she's going to have to figure out who put that pitchfork through the assistant director in her barn, because it wasn't her and she can't get the sheriff to believe otherwise. Hollywood has come to town and Magdalena is right in the midst of the upheaval.

This is written with spry and witty humor ~~ and Magdalena is just great as a detective. It's a fun book ~~ one that you can't really put down till the last page is finished. It's an interesting twist on detective novels ~~ it's more of an old-fashioned type of detective work and not full of the technology whiz that is common in today's mysteries. It's just clean fun and one that I would like to read more of!

9-11-04

Talk about an oxy-moron... Hollywood-Mennonites... How unreal can you get? Our resourceful Magdelina is under attack from horrendus movie star wanna-be "do I know you?" friends; not to mention the goofy director and cast. As the plot thickens, so do the receipes (GREAT) and Magdelina finds herself the star (of what? ) and whether or not she wants to be..Hilarious!

After reading the first installment in this series, I was excited to read more. After reading the second installment, I'm not sure if I want to continue. I love the character of Magdalena Yoder. Being from Pittsburgh, I also enjoy the setting of the Penn Dutch Inn. I was very surprised to see my very own high school mentioned in Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Crime. However, the one word I could use to describe this book is long. I found myself wanting to breeze past the parts that seem basically irrelevent. Being a fan of mystery, I know that what may seem unimportant could turn out to be a big clue. That was not the case with this book.
The only reason I give this book 3 stars is because of its regular characters and humor. Magdalena is as enjoyable, if not more, in this book as she was in the first. How could anybody not love Freni and even Susannah? The humor in Myers' writing is wonderful. I wish more writers had her wit. The best thing about this book other than the humor is that the reader gets a better understanding of the relationship Magdalena had with her mother.

The worst thing is that it is just long and rambles too much. Also, what happened to Jeff Myers? I am not revealing anything to those who haven't read this book by mentioning that he just disappeared. There's no mention of him at all. I have seen this happen in Myers' Den of Antiquity series as well.

The humor and the characters are what make this book worth a chance. The mystery is really a no-brainer. If Myers could have been more consistent and a little less verbose with this book, it would be more enjoyable.

Pennsylvania Dutch Inn mysteries are hard to beat. I had somehow missed this one earlier and just can't get enough of Tamar Myers books! They are all fun and rewarding reads!

there seems to be a lack of continuity from "parsley, sage, rosemary and crime", and "no use dying over spilled milk".
in "parsley, sage, rosemary and crime", aaron miller jr. joined the army and went to vietnam (page 201, paperback). in "no use dying over spilled milk",aaron left to escape the draft(page 20, paperback).

irregardless of this error, the books (all) are throughly enjoyable. the books are very enjoyable, and full of information
about Mennonite and Amish traditions, and very funny.

thanks for the opportunity to speak,
vicki

I do hate to admit it sometimes, but Magdalena and her snappy quips do give me quite a chuckle. Great to read on a bus or train so fellow riders think you're completely crazy as you giggle uncontrollably to yourself. In this installment, Magdalena rents out the entire Penn-Dutch Inn to a bunch of filmmakers doing what starts out to me the movie version of Magdalena's first appearance "Too Many Crooks..." etc. In a desperate effort to achieve stardom, some of the local kooks in Hernia, Pa. all come out for tryouts. As usual, mirth, murder, and mayhem follow. It's an enjoyable series so far and Magdalena's quippy comments are real scene-stealers. I particularly love the way she answers her phone. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series "No Use Dying Over Spilled Milk" I recommend the series for anyone that enjoys a good laugh from an acerbic, Amish woman who happens to run a B&B in Hernia, Pennsylvania with a sister who keeps a chihuahua in her brassiere! Need I say more?

These books are worth reading for Magdelena. The books are told in the first person directly from her mind and mouth, and she is uproariously funny! The mystery in this book is not very difficult, but the trip that the reader takes to get there is such fun. In this book, the Penn-Dutch inn is taken over by a Hollywood crew for filming a movie. Even Magdelena gets involved as an actress in this one. But before they get much footage shot, a body shows up in the barn. Magdelena has to set out to find the killer (mostly because she's "suspecto numero uno", according to the less than brightest light that represents the law in Hernia.) It's great fun to read these books and to follow Magdelena through her life and acquaintances.

I hate to gush, but I couldn't put this book down. I simply loved every page. Even when nothing of note is happening, Ms. Myers keeps you entertained with her wonderful sense of humor. The second in this series, a murder occurs at the Penn/Dutch Inn when a Hollywood crew comes out to make a movie about the murder that occurred in the first book, "Too Many Crooks Spoil the Broth". Ms. Myers doesn't need all that high tech and explicit sex that goes into so many books today. Her heroine, Magdalena Yoder, doesn't even have a computer and is still a virgin at 44. She's plucky, quick witted and has enough courage to win the reader's admiration. In this book, we meet Magdalena's telephone suitor who owns a fast food chicken & shrimp place, "Jumbo Jim's", while being pursued by an old schoolmate who grew up drop dead gorgeous, and an 84 year old veterinarian -who sometimes works on people. Being suspected of the crime by the police chief spurs Magdalena on to try to find the real killer. It's a page turner from start to finish. The woman has TALENT.