It took me a while to read this book, which is a rarity for me when I've got hold of a Tamar Myers mystery (Den of Antiquity OR her Penn-Dutch series). Although the book takes Abby to a different locale (Savannah) there isn't much action in it. Ms. Myers' humor is not up to par in comparison to her other books. Some of the plot and characters seem contrived - too coincidental, and it just didn't make her usual grade. I downright dislike what she did with Abby's mother in this one. It's way out there. Read if you must, but don't expect it to be one of her best.

Even if you haven't read another book in the Den of Antiquity series yet, you could start with A PENNY URNED and not have missed anything. Here we're with Abby, her mom, and friends in Savannah, where we get to enjoy some of the local color while we watch them on a search for all manner of things, including lots of answers. There's a ton of silliness and a satisfying mystery, and the ending is really fun. Tamar Myers always leaves me wanting the next book. This edition even very kindly provides you with little excerpts from each of the six preceding entries in the series that began with LARCENY AND OLD LACE.

Tamar Myers is one of a kind. Her humor has me laughing out loud as I turn the pages, following Abby as she unravels the mystery. This story also gives a peek into Abby's family that is poignantly handled. Well done!

Tamar Myers has a wonderful sense of humor. The main character, Magdalena, pokes fun at her various relatives and neighbors, yet communicates a true affection for them. Her Mennonite relatives remind me of my own extended family in the farming communities of Northern Illinois. I especially loved this book because of my own childhood memories of grilled spam sandwiches.

Poor Magdalena! We find that not only does she have to put up with the prospect of her sister marrying the awful chief of police, Melvin Stoltzfus (who was kicked in the head by the bull he was trying to milk), but her faithful cook and friend, Freni, quits (again!) but perhaps for the last time!? She has to contend with all this and more (eg. guests go missing), all the while playing host to a very 'cryptic' group of guests at her Amish inn. I read before I go to bed at night but there are so many unexpected twists and turns in this story that I wanted to stay up all night to find out what happened next! Tamar Myers is one of those few authors that I chuckle out loud to, and this book is no exception. I just love her dry (and not so dry) humor!

The 7th Penn Dutch mystery by Tamar Myers, and once again I loved every page. The plot is thicker than some of the others, when Nazi war criminals are sought in Hernia. Magdalena is perhaps at her best, as well as Freni. When you see both of their names on the same page, you know you're in for a treat. A couple neat, new characters come into play (hopefully they'll stay). This book has one of the most suspenseful climaxes in the series. Ms. Myers knows her characters so well, they probably speak for themselves when they say, "Ach! Buy the book why don't you?"

I love this edible mystery series. But I must say that "...Wary" left me weary. I found much of the narrative to be repeated from other books in the series. The characters were for the most part uninteresting, and the plot line a bit thin. Ms. Myers was not up to her usual standards on this one. Buy it? Yes! How can we miss out on one, even if it's a little undercooked?

Much to Magdelena Yoder's surprise, her cook Freni Hostetler has arranged for a cooking contest to be held at the PennDutch Inn. Freni is one of the contestants and hopes to use the prize money to bribe her daughter-in-law Barbara to divorce her husband (Freni's son.) Enter a group of interesting guests, all of them either contestants or judges in the cooking contest. When one of the guests is killed, everyone else becomes a suspect. Each guest has a reason to hate the murder victim and this creates some red herrings for the reader. The person who is eventually revealed as the murderer has the weakest motive of the group, but regardless the book provides some light and enjoyable reading.

Magdalena, the proprietor of the Penn Dutch Inn, is a Mennonite woman. It is always interesting to get her perspective of the many varied situations that come her way. She is coherced into having a cooking contest at the Inn which results in murder. GREAT SERIES!!!!!

Well, she does it again! This 4th Penn-Dutch mystery in Tamar Myers' series is as fresh as the first. Magdalena's wedding day approaches, but her cousin's fiance' is found murdered inside a crock of sauerkraut. Solving the crime before the wedding prods Magdalena to find the killer of this 20 year old crime. Filled with aunts and uncles come for the wedding, the characters are varied and alive. Magdalena and police chief Melvin's sparring is at top form in this one. Wait till he tries to strip search her! Enjoy!

Magdalena Yoder, 44-year-old proprietess of the PennDutch Inn is about to be married. Her future father-in-law sends her a large barrel of sauerkraut as a wedding gift, but unfortunately it contains the remains of Aaron (the groom's) cousin who has been missing for 20 years! This becomes more than a minor inconvenience when the perpretrator appears to be someone in Aaron's family. Magdalena is racing against time as she attempts to solve the mystery, bury the deceased, and jail the murderer before the wedding date. As usual, she gets too close to the truth and the murderer wants to silence her before she makes his identity known. Myers has a clever sense of humor and this is evidenced in some of the hilarious scenes from this book. Read this one when you're in the mood for a good laugh!

Ha...You'll be up all night ! Please try to read Ms. Myers books in order; it will make the family tree much easier to climb. However, think finding your fiance's-cousin's body in a sauerkraut barrell might put a little damper on your wedding? Not in our hero Magdelina's eyes... She's determined a 20 year old murder along with assorted "strange" guests in her PennDutch Inn, are NOT going to cause a minutes delay in her wedding; something she's been waiting for for 40 years! Entire wedding feast receipes were un-real! LAUGHED OUT LOUD ! ! !

Though "Ming" was enjoyable, and I do love Ms. Myers' books, I have to say that this one was not quite her best. The plot was good. But her trademark humor seemed lacking until the latter stages of the story. A woman is driven through Abby's store window, leaving a mysterious Ming vase behind. Joining a preservation committee to gain access to the mansion the deceased worked at opens up a whole new subplot where ghosts and the beautifully described areas of Charleston are a true treat. Abby's mother has more of a role in this book, and it's a pleasure to get to know her. Worth the read, but lacks the usual humor, darn it.

A woman attempts to sell a vase to Abigail Timberlake, proprietor of the Den of Antiquity. Seeing no redeeming value in the piece, Abigail turns her down. Shortly thereafter, the woman comes hurtling through Abby's plate glass window. The woman and the vase prove to be more than meets the eye, as both have a valuable pedigree. As usual, Abby considers the police to be too slow, despite the fact that her handsome boyfriend is a detective, and she does some sleuthing on her own. Tamar Myer's characters become more fun and more well-defined in each of the books of this series. Try this book for a good read and a good laugh.

One of my favorite things in a book, when I'm reading for pleasure, is humor. Tamar Myers applies it like a master - um - mistress - um - maestra! Her so-called sleuth Abby Timberlake is a treasure and I plan to order more of her tales! LARCENY AND OLD LACE has mystery - who would want to murder old lady of a disreputable antique shop and why? In between the murder and finding the guilty party is a good read - ! It won't tax your brain, but you'll enjoy the story.

Con man Clarence Webber has had a long and checkered career, which ends with his death by arsenic poisoning in Hernia's city jail. Magdalena Yoder becomes involved, since her inn supplies the jail's food, but it is soon evident that the poison was placed in the Shrimp and Grits (recipe provided) after the meal arrived in Webber's cell. Since the town's inept police chief is completely mystified, Magdalena volunteers to run down the perpetrator among the four persons who were known to have visited the prisoner. As she retraces Webber's trail through south central Pennsylvania and into Maryland, she soon discovers that the victim left more than empty wallets and broken hearts behind-to say nothing of a long list of individuals who had more than enough other reasons to do him in. GRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT is, as the title would indicate, a light-hearted novel, replete with outlandish descriptions of eccentric people. The story sometimes lapses into heavy-handed humor, but the overall effect is still a positive one. While Myers passes along more information on cooking grits than the average reader might want to know, that doesn't seriously detract from an amusing work.

Tamar Myers has another hit on her hands in this latest Magdalena Yoder mystery! Full of laugh-out-loud one-liners, views of a fascinating culture and just plain fun. It's almost as good as a vacation.

Gruel and Unusual is another charming Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery starring Magdalena Yoder. Tamar Myers has a wonderful sense of humor! Her books begin with some of the funniest opening lines I've ever read! Plus, the recipes are terrific!

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

Magdalena Yoder, the owner of the PennDutch Inn, is back again in the second book of this series. This time she's being asked by a film company to use her establishment as the setting of their new movie. They make it worth her while, so she cancels out two months of guests and decides to try out for a part in the movie too. After a crew member is impaled by a pitchfork in Magdalena's barn, the script of the movie changes as does her part. She becomes the chief suspect and decides to save herself by solving the murder. She has a narrow escape and finally the murderer is revealed. A good read for "cozy" fans.

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.

This book, like the others in the Den of Antiquity Series, is a quick, light read. Yet, it seems that something is missing in this one. The plot sort of meanders and it plays for laughs instead of being a coherant whole. Abby and her mother go to an auction at her mother's church. Since the proceeds are to go towards a van for the youth of the church, Abby decides to participate. She buys a painting which she knows is a cheap imitation, but she likes the frame that it is in. She pulls the picture out of the frame in order to sell it to her ex-boyfriend and in doing so, she discovers a VanGogh masterpiece underneath it. There are a few shady characters who show up wherever Abby is, but no clear-cut suspects. Also, there are not the usual red herrings and twists and turns of the plot which Myers usually delivers. Her mother becomes almost a caricature in this novel and the humorous CJ is just a minor player. Also, she has used about as much mileage out of the character of Hooter as the law allows.

When Abby buys a bad painting for the frame at a church auction, she discovers a Van Gogh underneath. Life isn't the same after that in this page-turner. Ms. Myers is in top form, with many new characters thrown into the plot pot, as well as the usual gang of family and friends. Lovable goof C.J. is matched up with a cop by Abby and Greg. As for Abby and Greg themselves - it's hard to tell where they're headed. I feel like shaking Abby and saying, "Wake up! He's a hunk - he loves you! What are you waiting for??" (I get involved.) Congratulations to Ms. Myers for another winner.

I really love the ending with Adele Trapp. But I find it pretty hard to believe that Dmitri would come out when called. Because the more worried you are the less chance of him coming out. I know it doesn't say that she was worried but if you were about to be killed I think you'd be worried.

Magdalena Yoder has turned her family farmhouse into a famous Amish country inn. Booked well in advance, she has the privilege of selecting her customers. So she's a little surprised when she discovers she's booked a hunting party led by a well-known Senator and an anti-hunting, animal rights group for the same week, the opening week of hunting season. With the varying dietary requirements of the two groups, she has her hands full keeping the guests happy and fed while keeping her cook in the kitchen and her sister in line. And that's before the first body shows up!

As a mystery this book is a little slow. The first body doesn't show up for quite some time, and then it's the one guest we've forgotten about. Still, there is plenty of conflict to keep the reader going and I never felt the pace lagged. The guests are interesting characters, however the characters that are to be regulars seem like they could become annoying caricatures. Still, this is a fun, promising first novel and I plan to read more books by this author.

This is a wonderful book in a great series. I originally read this book when I was looking for new culinary mysteries. To my delight, I discovered that this was also a humorous mystery. I laughed aloud several times during the course of reading this book. The characters are all interesting, particularly the regulars, Magdalena, Susannah, Freni, etc. The author did a nice job describing the personalities of the guests and the ensuing friction between them. I found the homespun dialogue and descriptions to be enchanting and engaging. The storyline is fun and interesting, with a plot that allows you to figure out "whodunit" if you put some thought into it. The recipes included after each chapter is a pleasant plus. A thoroughly enjoying, cozy read that leaves you anxiously waiting for the next book in the series.

Magdalena Yoder is the owner of the PennDutch Inn. She is a no-nonsense lady and cleverly includes in the options for the inn the Amish Lifestyle Plan where the guests clean their own rooms. This corresponds to the Amish culture and saves Magdalena a whole lot of work. Magdalena also cooks for her guests and Myers sprinkles recipes throughout her book. In her spare time, Magdalena tries to keep her more worldly sister Susannah on the straight and narrow, argues with her tempermental cook, Freni, and works on solving the murders of two of her guests. She is an interesting and amusing character and is not quite as "over the top" as Myers' heroine, Abigail Timberlake, in the Den of Antiquity series. This is an enjoyable introduction to the series with amusing characters, complicated enough plot and all the loose ends put together at the end.

For those who like mysteries but profer light reading the Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries should suit them just fine. But to any one who takes their mysteries seriously these books are a joke. This one is no exception. If you want a good belly laugh at how rediculous things can get read on, otherwise go do something else.

Magdalena Yoder is back with another interesting guest, Colonel George Custard, at her inn. She finds him an attractive man until she discovers that he plans to build a 5-star hotel which will be in direct competition with her PennDutch Inn. When the colonel is found dead, there are no end of suspects in Hernia, because many of the townspeople opposed the new hotel which they felt would change the slow pace of the town which they had always enjoyed. Interspersed with the mystery are humorous interludes with a 25-foot snake and Magdalena's intrepid fiance,
Gabe. As usual, it is up to Magdalena to solve the mystery because the town's policeman, her brother-in-law, is not up to the task. This book will not disappoint Tamar Myers' fans.

Mennonite B&B proprietor Magdalena Yoder defies stereotype. She possesses a wry wit, a caustic tongue, and a mind for metaphor. Yet she's not above allowing her thoughts to dwell on people doing "the horizontal hootchy-kootchy" or "the mattress mambo." She knows her Bible and the commandments through and through, but she's got enough common sense to know when circumstances demand that the rules be bent a little. That's always the case whenever she stumbles upon a murder and feels the need to find the perpetrator.

In this episode, millionaire Colonel George Custard comes to the PennDutch Inn in his limo, accompanied by two servants. The bad news is, he has plans to build a huge hotel that will destroy small-town Hernia's ambiance. The good news is, he's soon murdered, and Magdalena leads the investigation. She *has* to, doesn't she? The local law officials -- her dim-witted brother-in-law and his Tammy-Fay-Mimi-Bobeck-clone sidekick -- are clueless and useless. And they're just two of the many unique characters that pepper this community.

I wouldn't want to meet Magdalena Yoder in person. (If any of us did, we'd miss out on all the wonderful thoughts zipping around in her noggin.) I might want to be a small mouse instead and watch her from a distance ... though I'd surely be in trouble if she spied me and raised a size-eleven Brogan to my body.

Another fun addition to a entertaining series.