Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Crime: A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery with Recipes

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!

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!

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.

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!

I really enjoy the humor woven throughout this book and the rest of the series.