- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Plume; Reprint edition (Sep 28 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0452296463
- ISBN-13: 978-0452296466
- Product Dimensions: 20.1 x 13.4 x 1.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 259 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #840,511 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
Read P. L. Gaus's blogs and other content on the Penguin Community.
A compulsively readable new series that explores a fascinating culture set purposely apart.
In the wooded Amish hill country, a professor at a small college, a local pastor, and the county sheriff are the only ones among the mainstream, or "English," who possess the instincts and skills to work the cases that impact all county residents, no matter their code of conduct or religious creed.
When an Amish boy is kidnapped, a bishop, fearful for the safety of his followers, plunges three outsiders into the traditionally closed society of the "Plain Ones."
About the Author
Retired college professor P. L. GAUS lives with his wife, Madonna, in Wooster, Ohio.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.ca
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intelligent Mystery Set in the Amish Countryside, Oct 27 2010
By Coffee "Coffee and a Book Chick" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Blood of the Prodigal: An Amish-Country Mystery (Paperback)
njoyed this quite a bit. Although a quick read, it's an exceptionally smart mystery, and it certainly does an effective job in telling a sound story full of absorbing insights into the Amish way of life. There are intelligent layers within this story, of both the personal lives of the Professor and his wife, but also of the Amish community and the politics of the English living side by side with the Plain People. The characters were exceedingly interesting with each scene (my personal favorites: the Professor, his wife, and Sheriff Robertson), and I was caught up in the mystery of it all. I had no idea who did the kidnapping, who committed murder, until the scenes unfolded before me. P.L. Gaus has combined the surrounding Amish countryside and charming characters into a developed and well-researched journey of a mystery. This is book one in the Amish-Country Mystery series, so there's no doubt that I'm interested to pick up the next one.I also must admit that there were times, especially towards the end, when my throat closed up as I read, and I'm pretty sure if someone asked me a question at that exact moment, or tried to talk with me, I'd have to blink back some tears and collect myself before trying to speak.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Your Typical Amish Book, Nov 15 2010
By Deborah "Books, Movies and Chinese Food" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Blood of the Prodigal: An Amish-Country Mystery (Paperback)
This is the first Amish book that I have read that is not faith based, meaning it's not from a Christian publisher. Therefore the story is a lot different from those that are from a Christian point of view. There were two main differences from what I could tell while reading. First off, while religion is a part of the story due to the Amish culture it is not a main focal point at all. The other is that there is no romance in this book. Almost all the Amish books in Christian fiction have romance as the core focus of the story, meaning it is really a romance story first and using Amish culture as the backdrop.Because of the different perspective that this book had, I did not know what to expect while reading. I was very surprised that I was completely enthralled and sucked into the story. The characters were written very well and were not stock characterizations. I didn't feel the Amish to be stereotyped at all. In fact, from reading this book it made me want to learn more about the culture and gave me a different view of their way of living than I have from other Amish reads. The mystery was very good as well. Pastor Troyer and Professor Branden are the only English outsiders allowed to work on the case therefore they had to use different tactics that most mysteries would normally rely on. The whole story was actually rather sad as it involves a family matter that never really went the way it could have been. The ending seemed a little rushed but it's a good mystery when everything is solved.
If you are interested in learning more about the Amish but don't want those that are faith-based or with romance in it, this book is a good starting place. Also if you are mystery fan, these are a good addition to your collection with the unique background and culture. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series and personally I think this is how I like my Amish fiction to be more like in the future.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
entertaining amateur sleuth, Oct 3 2010
By Harriet Klausner - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Blood of the Prodigal: An Amish-Country Mystery (Paperback)
In Holmes County, Ohio, the Old Order Amish do not trust the "vain" English neighbors. So it is very surprising to see "plain" folk Bishop Eli Miller asks outsider academic Professor Michael Brandon and Pastor Caleb Troyer for help. A decade ago, Miller excommunicated his son Jonah for leaving an outsider addicted teen pregnant. Jonah's illegitimate son Jeremiah remained in the Amish community living with his paternal grandfather. Now Jonah has abducted his ten year old son Jeremiah and Miller is very worried about the lad.Jonah sends a note to his father that he will return the child by the harvest. Meanwhile Joshua's maternal Uncle Jeff Hostettler, whose sister committed suicide, has vowed to murder Jonah who he blames for his sibling's death. Someone kills Jonah, who was dressed in Amish clothing that seemed to imply he was going to ask for a second chance. The police suspect Hostettler, who threatened to murder the victim, but Brandon is more concerned with where is the missing Jeremiah?
The key to the reprint of the first Amish Country Mystery (hopefully the others will follow) is the comparison of various faiths in which Paul L. Gaus displays a strong respect for all. The twin mysteries of the murder and the missing grandson enhance the overall look at modern day (circa 1999) the Amish lifestyle compared with those of the Mennonites and English living side by side sharing a county in Ohio. Readers will relish this entertaining amateur sleuth.
Harriet Klausner
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
