Book Review: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Crime

Author: Tamar Myers
Title: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Crime
Publisher: Signet
Publish Date: July 1, 1996
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Even a proper Mennonite innkeeper finds it hard to resist Hollywood's siren call, especially when she's offered an outrageous sum of money for the use of her premises. But Magdalena Yoder - whose quaintly chic hostelry gained national fame when it became the site of two unfortunate murders in Tamar Myers's debut mystery, Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth - soon comes to regret her decision. First a manic group of not-quite-reputable actors, directors, and producers descends on the inn and begins to do things that must have Magdalena's mother rolling in her grave. Then her very own neighbors are apparently infected by the bug and begin to act even more bizarrely than the movie folk. But when one of the crew is found impaled to the wall of the barn by a pitchfork, it's no longer possible to pretend that this is just an exciting interlude in an otherwise quiet life. And since the incompetent police chief, Melvin Stoltzfus, is convinced that Magdalena did it, she must find the real killer in order to clear her own name. Readers of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Crime will enjoy the recipes of Magdalena's cook, Freni Hostetler, and her friend Doc Shafer, liberally sprinkled throughout the book, while following Magdalena's hilariously maddening efforts to clear her name, return her precious PennDutch Inn to its pre-Hollywood level of propriety, and give her twirling mother some peace.

Review: The first book in the series was cute, but I had problems with the way the author portrayed the Amish and Mennonite communities. I don't pretend to know everything about the Annabaptist religion, but after reading this book, I know this woman doesn't know much. What she does know is the local area. At least there's that.

Magdalena is supposed to be a Mennonite, but her actions aren't quite right, but I won't even go there, because the things that are wrong would be too long to go into. Suffice to say, don't read this book expecting to get any insight into the lives of the Amish or Mennonite communities. If you want that, check out a book by Marta Perry.

These discrepancies won't stop me from reading this series though. I'm a glutton for punishment. Actually the story isn't a punishment, because Magdalena, in all her obnoxious glory, is a hoot. There's nothing cozy about Mags and the cast of characters in this book give new meaning to the word quirky, particularly Melvin Stoltzfus, the police chief in Hernia.

The plot is crazy and far fetched, but oddly fun. Imagine a film crew at a quiet Bed and Breakfast! And the Hollywood characters are really out there. They are more like caricatures than people.

I was rather amused by the ending as well as the love interests that are working their way into Magdalena's life. I mean, this lady is not lovable!

I guess that's why this series is such a guilty pleasure. It is so bad that its good.

Rating: 3 flowers

Book Review: Too Many Crooks Spoil The Broth

Author:Tamar Myers
Title:Too Many Crooks Spoil The Broth
Publisher:Signet
Publish Date: August 1, 1995
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: In the first book of a wickedly funny new mystery series, Tamar Myers has created a memorable cast of eccentric characters and spiked her plot with a tasty selection of authentic Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. Magdalena Yoder, practical Mennonite proprietor of the determinedly quaint PennDutch Inn, has succeeded in converting a tranquil family farm into a thriving hostelry catering to sophisticated urbanites with a yen for charm and Amish ambience. With rooms in constant demand, Magdalena is usually able to select a compatible group of guests from her permanent waiting list. But a touchy situation develops when an arrogant congressman, his elegant wife, and an eager aide arrive for the start of deer hunting season, and a second contingent of customers turns out to be a curious assortment of animal rights activists. Then one strangely reclusive visitor is found dead, apparently as the result of a fall down Magdalena's quaintly steep staircase. Worried about lawsuits, infuriated by her wayward sister, attracted to one rough-edged reformed hunter, Magdalena does her best to mediate the conflicts between finicky vegetarian diners and a stubborn Amish cook, and to puzzle out the complex personal connections among her divergent group of visitors. With the kitchen a battleground between culinary lifestyles, Magdalena prevails upon her guests to cook the second night's dinner. The result is a farcical communal meal - and another death, this one no more an accident than the first turns out to have been. Everyone at the inn is under suspicion, including a most perplexed proprietor, whose stolid good nature won't stretch much farther.

Review: Too Many Crooks Spoil The Broth is the first book in the Pennsylvania Dutch mystery series. Be proud! I'm reading this series in order! Before I review this book, I have to say, if you are knowledgeable  of the Amish or Mennonite culture, you might want to pass on this series, cos Tamar seemed to be getting her religions muddled from time to time.

If you can get passed that, this is a hilarious start to a series. Magdalena is such a squirrelly woman. It is absolutely hard to believe she runs a B & B. She really doesn't come across as a people person, especially as she is more worried about the law suits that might be filed than the two people that end up dead in her B & B!

I've always found that the first books in cozy mystery series spend a lot of time introducing you to the secondary characters, and this book is no exception. We meet Magdalena's lazy sister, Savannah, (who also gets around with men) and Mose and Freni, the Amish couple that take care of the animals and do the cooking. Freni quits or is fired at least 20 times in the book.

These characters really bring the humor to this book. The mystery, is a bit slow, with the first dead body coming at almost the halfway point in the novel. However, I didn't really find the pacing slow. I liked getting to know the characters in Hernia, PA.

The other thing I really liked was the setting of the story. It wasn't in Lancaster County, which is where a large group of Amish and Mennonites make their home. Instead, Hernia, is a town somewhere between Somerset and Breezewood. I love reading about places that I know about, it gives me the warm fuzzies. I can see the Allegheny mountains and the turnpike.

The guests at the B & B were interesting too. A congressman and his wife, who were there to hunt deer and a group of animal rights activists. Just knowing that was enough to make me turn the pages, because you knew there was going to be a lot of conflict, as well as murder. This group ranged from rather nice (Joel) to downright obnoxious (the congressman and Jeannette).

There's definitely more than meets the eye with these people and that's what made this book so much fun to read. I can't wait to get book 2!

Rating: 4 flowers