Saturday, March 15, 2014

The Death of Pie: The new Pennsylvania Dutch mystery by Tamar Myers

It's Hernia's 110th Annual Festival of Pies.  Everyone brings a pie and hopes to win the big prize.  Magdalena is hoping her apple pie will take the big prize when a visiting author falls into it face first...

Severn House and Net Galley let me read this story for review (thank you).  It will be published July 1st, so make a note on TBR list.

To me, this is almost a parody of Amish/Mennonite life.  This community has set several rules aside from the religious life and they have lots of secrets to hide.  The dead woman author had visited and stayed long enough to dig out the dirt, then went home and wrote a very successful book.  Most of the town hated her.  But just who killed her?

Magdalena not only owns the local bed and breakfast, she is the Mayor of the town.  She has a hateful mother-in-law, a handsome loving husband and a young child she's fascinated with.  When the local police chief (who is also quite young and a bit foolish) asks her to help him solve the mystery, she jumps into action.  

In her investigation she learns truths and untruths, gets told off by her mother-in-law, almost gets arrested by the police chief, and she comes to the conclusion that quiet little Hernia has a lot of secrets.  She also finally determines who killed the author.

My favorite character is Magdalena.  She's tall, a bit clumsy in detective techniques, but she gets the job done.  After all, she charges her bed and breakfast customers more money for "experiencing the Amish/Mennonite life".  There are additional charges for being allowed to clean your own room, take care of the animals,  or muck out the stalls.  That's why she has enough money to keep the town alive.  Obviously she's not dumb!  Reading about her will make you smile.

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