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It's best to read the Magdalena Yoder mysteries in small doses, because a little Magdalena goes a long way. The first time she refers to her nose being so large it should have its own zip code, it's very funny. The second time, it's amusing. After that it's tiresome. Same with her frequent references to couples doing the "mattress mambo." Either Magdalena is totally self-deluded or not so ugly as she thinks. Though she is prim to the point of puritanism in following her Mennonite religion, she reveals that she's been mending her panties and darning her socks in anticipation of a visit to the Penn Dutch Inn by George Clooney, except that George Clooney turns out to be Colonel George Custard, who has come to Hernia, Pennsylvania, to scout a site for a hotel he plans to build, a luxury hotel that could cut considerably into business at Magdalena's inn. The colonel arrives at the inn, complete with entourage -- a chauffeur (who was the one who actually made the reservation and let Magdalena believe that the guest would be George Clooney) and his imperious cook, Anne Thorne, the three accompanied by a 25-foot African rock python, who eventually strangles the cook and disappears into the inn's vent system. When the colonel is found murdered at the inn, the sheriff, Melvin Stolzfus, who also happens to be Magdalena's brother-in-law, begs her to help solve the case. In her quest to identify the murder, Magdalena interviews most of the eccentric populace of Hernia, including the clergyman's termagant wife and Magdalena's former music teacher, who has developed selective hearing. She tunes out most of what Magdalena says but hears very well when there's an insult. Miss Quiring says that she stopped teaching because she could no longer administer physical punishment. Magdalena says, under her breath, "For that every child in Hernia should be grateful." Miss Quiring bristles, "I heard that." Unfortunately, most of the characters are very irritating people. Tied for the top are Magdalena's sister, Susannah, who carries her dog in her bra (it's very difficult to imagine a dog small enough to be carried in a bra) and Magdalena's foster daughter, Alison, who has sold tickets to her teenage friends to see Magdalena when the rumor circulates that Magdalena is Big Foot, a rumor that might have some credence, since Magdalena tells us over and over and over that she wears a size 11 shoe. The plot has been done often -- the developer who will ruin the charm of a small town -- but Myers manages enough twists to keep the reader engaged.
Reviewed by Mary Elizabeth Devine, February 2004
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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