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In the first paragraph of ASSAULT AND PEPPER the reader knows the pastor is dead. He falls forward into his bowl of chili. His wife Lodema is a piece of work and unfortunately, no one wants to help her. Magdalena Yoder drives the widow home. During the journey, Lodema announces that her husband was murdered and that the killer must be found. Lodema's rudeness does not disappear and you can see why she is not liked by anyone. Magdalena is an innkeeper when she is not sleuthing, and also a Mennonite. She is guardian to 13-year-old Alison whose parents cannot control her. The cook at the inn, Freni, is a recurring character in the series. She has an uneven temperament and quits her job several times each year. Another major character is Melvin Stoltzfus, Magdalena's brother-in-law. He's going on vacation and wants to dump the investigation in his sister-in-law's lap. Investigate, she does. The composition of this rare breed of suspects is amazing. Edwina is one of the most bizarre. Married four times, she relates her story for hating the deceased. The pastor is disliked for many reasons, but as the candidates come and go, most of them have an alibi. As more snooping is done, there is no doubt that the deceased pastor had many secrets. There is an abundance of characters in ASSAULT AND PEPPER, the 13th book in the series. Many of them have a sarcastic humorous edge in their voice. Most of them do not allow Magdalena to forget about her faux-pax in the marriage department. Now she is engaged to Gabriel Rosen. His mother, according to the grapevine, is having an affair. Another extravagant character is Noah Miller, just home from prison. The townspeople are not ready to accept him but he expresses interest in Magdalena if she is ever available. Magdalena has her fingers in many pies. Throughout the community, she calls in favors because they are owed to her. Everyone is equally able to keep her in line by once again reminding her of her transgressions and errors. Small town gossip abounds in this Pennsylvania town. The best visual in this book is Magdalena briefly sitting in a jail cell with all her personal belongings around her. Often going too far in what she says, she does decipher and break through all the jumble of the case. In the little town of Hernia, Pennsylvania, this case may surprise you. Rest assured, the saga will continue.
Reviewed by Rita Ratacheck, March 2005
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