Blood of the Prodigal: An Amish Country Mystery

By P. L. Gaus

P. L. Gaus’s Blood of the Prodigal, a mystery in the tradition of Tony Hillerman, is back in a new edition, including an exclusive interview with the author, discussion questions for reading groups, and a detailed map and driving guide to Holmes County, Ohio, with everything one needs to visit the iconic scenes depicted in the story.

In Holmes County, Ohio—home to the largest Amish and Mennonite settlements in the world—mystery and foreboding lurk in the quiet Old Order Amish community led by Bishop Eli Miller.

The illusion of peace is shattered one early morning when a young Amish boy goes missing—abducted from his home and from Bishop Miller’s care. At first, the bishop suspects the child’s father, who was exiled from the Old Order ten years ago, but a murder soon casts doubt on the bishop’s theory. With a strong distrust of law enforcement and the modern “English” ways, the bishop must put his faith in an unlikely partnership with Professor Michael Branden before it’s too late.

With the help of the peaceful pastor Cal Troyer and the reckless Sheriff Bruce Robertson, Branden plunges headlong into the closed culture to unravel the mystery of the missing child and uncover truths many would prefer to leave undisturbed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ohio University Press
• Release date: Feb 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9780821440605

P. L. Gaus

P. L. Gaus is the author of seven books in the Amish-Country Mystery series. He lives in Wooster, Ohio, an area that is close to the world’s largest settlement of Amish and Mennonite people. Gaus lectures widely about the lifestyles, culture, and religion of the Amish. Visit his website at P. L. Gaus

Book preview

Praise for P. L. Gaus’s

AMISH COUNTRY MYSTERIES

"Gaus brings a refreshing authenticity to his unusual setting and characters. There are no wisecracking gumshoes here, but instead believable characters whose faith is explored with respect. Anyone who enjoyed the film Witness should take to this fine mystery debut."

—Publishers Weekly

A pleasure to read.

—Library Journal

Gaus writes with authority and warmth about the mysterious Amish. . . . This well-written, insightful first novel bodes well for Gaus’s planned Professor Branden series.

—Booklist

The charm of Gaus’s first novel lies in its gently penetrating portrait of conflicts within the deceptively quiet contemporary Amish community.

—Kirkus Reviews

"No one who enjoys a fresh approach to the mystery novel, plus an insider’s look at Ohio’s Old Order Amish culture, should miss Blood of the Prodigal. P. L. Gaus gives us a kind, gentle, and intriguing look at crime inside Ohio’s famous Amish colony."

—Tony Hillerman

Gaus has done successfully what would seem nearly impossible: to meld a mystery novel with a description of Amish life in Holmes County without scanting either one. . . . An impressive debut novel.

—Ohioana Quarterly

P. L. Gaus’s voice in his first mystery is so assured and polished, it’s hard to believe this is his first book. . . . The strength of the descriptions of the Amish . . . is such that as a reader you almost resent being away from it for a moment.

—Aunt Agatha’s Newsletter

This story is written in the tradition of Tony Hillerman: Gaus presents a deeper understanding of an American subculture and why—though it interacts with mainstream American society—it stubbornly chooses to remain separate and follow its own unique doctrines. Enthusiasts of mysteries, American sub-cultures, or those interested in learning more about Amish ways will find much to glean from Gaus’s work.

—ForeWord

In addition to the very interesting portrayal of Amish culture, I most enjoyed the characters and relationships at the heart of the book. . . . The small-town flavor revealed through the interplay among this cast of characters is both believable and endearing.

—Deadly Pleasures: A Mystery Magazine

The characters are full-bodied and finely wrought. . . . The plot is solid and well paced. And Gaus informs us about the life and practice of the Old Order Amish without instructing or lecturing.

—Mystery Review

The Amish setting is as strange and intriguing as that of any foreign country, and the strong-willed characters challenge the reader’s prejudices and values. This novel, the first in a series, opens the door for further exploration of the nature of these characters and their culture.

— Wendy Foster Leigh, The King’s English, Salt Lake City

[Broken English] . . . was nearly impossible to put down.

—The Daily Record (Wooster, OH)

Blood of the Prodigal

AMISH COUNTRY MYSTERIES

by P. L. Gaus

Blood of the Prodigal

Broken English

Clouds without Rain

Cast a Blue Shadow

A Prayer for the Night

Separate from the World

Harmless as Doves

Blood of the Prodigal

AN AMISH COUNTRY MYSTERY

P. L. Gaus

Ohio University Press

Athens

Ohio University Press, Athens, Ohio 45701

© 1999 by P. L. Gaus

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved

New revised paperback edition 2020

Paperback ISBN 978-0-8214-1010-3

Ohio University Press books are printed on acid-free paper ™

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gaus, Paul L.

Blood of the prodigal / P.L. Gaus.

p. cm.

An Ohio Amish mystery.

ISBN 0-8214-1276-0 (cloth : alk. paper)

ISBN 0-8214-1277-9 (paper : alk. paper)

I. Title.

PS3557.A9517B58  1999           98-45883

813'.54—dc21

to my wife, Madonna

Contents

Preface

A Journey through Holmes County’s Doughty Valley

Blood of the Prodigal

Q & A with Author P. L. Gaus

Discussion Questions for Reading Groups

Preface

All of the characters in this novel are purely fictional, and any apparent resemblance to people living or dead is coincidental.

Many of the places in this novel are real, and the author has strived in those cases to make them as true to life as possible. For Holmes County, in particular, most of the descriptions and locations are authentic. The same is true of the Bass Islands area of Lake Erie, near the towns of Port Clinton, Lakeside, and Marblehead. For those interested, the best Holmes County map can be obtained at the office of the County Engineer, across the street from the Holmes County Court House and the old Red Brick Jail. Millersburg College is entirely fictional. Leeper School is still in use, but it is not located in the Doughty Valley.

I am grateful for the kind and valuable assistance of Seaman Anthony Muccino, U.S. Coast Guard, of Holmes County Sheriff Tim Zimmerly, and of Wooster, Ohio, Police Chief Steve Thornton. Thanks also to Pastor Dean Troyer, Eli Troyer, and Kathy Chapman, as well as to Tony Hillerman for encouragement and advice. The author also most gratefully acknowledges the kind and expert assistance of the late Professor William I. Schreiber, whose excellent book Our Amish Neighbors, © 1992 by William I. Schreiber, can still be obtained through the Florence O. Wilson Bookstore, The College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio 44691.

I am especially grateful for the insightful work of my editors, David Sanders and Nancy Basmajian, of Ohio University Press.

All scripture cited in this novel is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society, and used by permission of the Zondervan Publishing House.

Music verse courtesy of Ian Tyson, Slick Fork Music.

Map by Brian Edward Balsley, GISP

A Journey through Holmes County’s Doughty Valley

Holmes County’s courthouse and red brick jail are parked in Millersburg at the intersection of Ohio 83 and US 62. In the village, these are Clay and Jackson Streets. If you take Route 83 south out of town, it will twist and turn, rise and fall, through a mixture of Amish and English countrysides, and after 8.5 miles, County Road 19 will take you east into the Doughty Valley, where Amish farms and businesses spread out across the landscape. This provides one of the most picturesque journeys in Holmes County, and the farms and one-room schoolhouses are worthy subjects for the finest of photographs. There are sharp turns and narrow passages on this convoluted journey, so drive slowly and pay attention to the road signs to make sure that you stay on County 19. Be sure to stop at the general store in Becks Mills, with its wonderful selection of Amish fabrics. This comes up 5.4 miles east of Ohio 83. If you find yourself trapped behind a slow-moving buggy, just be patient. Consider it an opportunity to slow down to an Amish pace and take in the scenery.

Then continue east on County 19 for a total of 1.3 miles from Becks Mills, making the little jog onto Township 156 to drop down into Charm, with its dense cluster of quaint shops and businesses. On a Saturday, there might be Amish people playing volleyball at the village school. Turn left here onto Ohio 557, and be sure to visit the very large Keim lumber and hardware store at the top of the opposite hill, where the collection of Amish power tools that don’t require electricity is intriguing. In fact, you’ll find the whole store to be an eye-opener, because it’s not like anything you’d expect in Amish country. If you then proceed north and west on Ohio 557, the Guggisberg Cheese factory, store, and chalet restaurant are excellent places to stop, 1.7 miles beyond Charm. If you continue northwest on 557, you’ll want to watch for the faded red sign that calls you back to Miller’s Bakery. Further along 557, be sure to stop at Hershberger’s farm, bakery, and produce market. You won’t miss it because it’s so large. At the end of 557, turn left on Sr 39/US 62 to head back into Millersburg, and if you play it as I have often done, take a seat on one of the chairs or benches around the courthouse. If you are lucky, a local resident might stop to strike up a conversation. If not, you’ll still see plenty of Amish families in their buggies, making the trip into the big city for business at the courthouse, or maybe just for a burger at McDonald’s.

Blood of the Prodigal

1

Friday, May 22

4:30 A.M.

LIKE all Amish children of ten, Jeremiah Miller had known his share of sunrises. Morning chores had long since taken care of that. Every day brought the same duties. His grandfather had made it clear. Children were for working. Life was supposed to be hard. Generally, for Jeremiah, it was.

But lately, Jeremiah had discovered something new and wonderful in his dawn chores. Something exhilarating. Also a bit frightening, because he suspected it was forbidden. It was so simple, he thought, who could object? If he arose before the others and slipped out quietly, he could be alone, drawn awake early by the allure of a solitary Ohio dawn.

It had begun last winter. None of the other children had understood. After all, who would choose to be alone? So he kept it to himself, now. Even Grossdaddy didn’t know. It was Jeremiah Miller’s little secret. At so young an age, he had already discovered that the dawn could give him a sense of identity separate from the others. And this was his first act of nonconformity. Among the Gemie, that was considered evidence of pridefulness. And pride was surely the worst of sins. He worried that it could eventually brand him a rebel. Like his father.

He’d dress quietly in the clothes his grandmother had made—clothes that were identical to those of other Amish children. Long underwear and denim trousers with a broadfall flap. Alight-blue, long-sleeved shirt with no collar. A heavy denim jacket. Suspenders. And a dark blue knit skull cap. If he escaped the house before the others awakened, Jeremiah Miller was free.

In the barns before sunrise, only the Coleman lantern kept him company, hissing softly as he drifted among the animals, in and out of the stalls. In winter, there was the enchanting, billowing steam his breath made in the crisp air. The delightful crunching of his boots in the snow. There was, especially, the peace and the solitude, and at only ten, Jeremiah Miller had come to reckon that dawn would always be his favorite part of the day.

Today, late in May, it was nearing the end of a season still often raw and bleak, the usual for a northern Ohio spring. Some days were almost entirely awash in gray. Yesterday, there had been only the barest hint of a sunrise, delicate shades of pink as he had worked alone at morning chores. Then an afternoon drizzle had developed into a steady, all-night rain as a storm front moved in off the great lake, a hundred miles to the north.

Jeremiah slipped out from under the quilts and sat, wrapped in his down comforter, on the edge of the bed. He listened there a while for sounds of his family stirring. Hearing nothing, he drew the ornate quilt around his waist, eased lightly across the plain wooden floor to the window, pulled back the long purple curtains, and peered out. Yesterday’s rain had slackened to a cold drizzle. He saw no hint of sunlight at his window, but as he was about to release the curtains, the headlights of a rare car flashed on the foggy lane in front of his house. He briefly thought it strange, and then, hitching up the comforter, he let the curtains go slack.

He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on his shirt and denim trousers. He glided down the hall, the wooden floor cool beneath his stocking feet. He passed the other bedrooms carefully and crept down the stairs. He eased through the kitchen unerringly in the dark, lifted his jacket from its peg, pulled the heavy oak door open, and slipped through the storm door onto the back porch.

There would be no supervisions on the rounds of his morning chores. No instructions if he worked alone. No corrections. No reminders to conform. The hours before dawn were his alone. The one time of each day when he owned himself entirely. Jeremiah had discovered that solitude was personal. More personal than anything else he had ever known.

On the back porch, he stuffed his feet into his cold boots and laced them, hooked his suspenders to the buttons on his plain denim trousers, and closed the hooks on his short, denim waist jacket. Reaching down for the green Coleman lantern, he gave the pump several adept strokes and lit the silk mantle with a wooden match. Then he rolled his thin collar up and stepped off the porch into the rain.

School would close soon for summer, he thought. He set the lantern on the muddy ground outside the massive sliding doors to the red bank barn. School wasn’t so bad. And summers could be long. So why did Grossdaddy speak so bitterly of school?

He set his weight against the sliding door and forced it heavily sideways on its rollers. Grandfather would like the teachers, if only he’d come to visit the school. It was just down the gravel lane, less than a mile. Teacher stayed late every day, and they could talk. If only Grandfather would. The other men thought well of teachers, so why didn’t Grandfather? Jeremiah only knew that something had happened long ago. Something that would never be discussed. He suspected it had something to do with his father.

A nervous black kitten launched itself through the crack between the sliding doors at his feet, and he sidestepped it superstitiously.

Kommen Sie, he called gently after the cat, momentarily curious. He whistled for it softly, shrugged, picked up the lantern, and squeezed through the narrow opening between the doors.

The three-story bank barn was set into the side of a hill behind the big house. At the bottom of the hill, the sliding doors opened to the lowest level of the barn. The top of the hill gave access, on the other side of the barn, to the second level. There were nine stalls down the right side of the lower level, and eight down the left. The avenue down the middle was strewn with fresh straw. Five massive oak uprights stood in a line down the middle of the avenue, taking the weight of the roof. The crossbeams were made of walnut twelve-by-twelve’s. The haylofts ran high above, on either side of the third level, planked out in rough-hewn maple and elm. Long runs of rope and chain looped through a large wooden block and tackle, which was hung from an iron wheel that ran high in the rafters on a rail the full length of the peak. Leather harnesses and collars hung in front of each of the stalls. At the far end, the rakes, mowers, and threshers stood silently in the wide avenue. Their iron wheels were easily a head taller than Jeremiah.

Inside, Jeremiah climbed onto a stepstool to hang the lantern against one of the upright beams, and hopped down in front of the first stall. He scaled the slats of the gate and made a clicking sound with the inside of his cheek against his teeth. He balanced on his toes near the top of the gate and reached up to stroke the nose of the Belgian draft horse, light chestnut brown with a creamy white mane. As it thumped ponderously in the straw, Jeremiah rubbed at its wet nose and bristling hairs, then jumped down with a laugh and took the tasseled whip from its hook beside the stall.

He snapped the black whip playfully overhead and grinned, mindful that his Grandfather’s were the very finest of all the Belgians in Holmes County. That was good, not prideful, he thought. Not prideful to admire a good horse. After all, God had made them Himself. And hadn’t Grandfather promised that his time would soon come to work a whip behind them? To learn to plow. To run a harrow. To handle a team of Belgians! A boy should not go to school forever, Grossdaddy had said. Why should a boy be smarter than a father?

As he played with the whip, the unexpected aroma of tobacco drifted Jeremiah’s way. Startled, he remembered the skittish cat and the weird headlights earlier on the lane. He stood tip-toe on the stepstool, took down the glowing lantern, held it high overhead, hesitated a fateful moment, and moved apprehensively toward the far end of the barn.

IN THE milky light of dawn, a small girl in a black bonnet stood on the elevated lawn in front of the Millers’ white frame house. Her bonnet was tied closely against her cheeks, with thin cloth strands under her chin. Her narrow shoulders were draped properly with a black shawl that was knotted loosely in front and covered her hands. In the delicate morning light, her long pleated skirt showed the barest hint of rich peacock blue. She was motionless except for her large, tranquil brown eyes as they followed the headlights of a car approaching on the lane.

The hollow sound of slow tires crushing loose gravel ground to a halt as the car rolled up to a mailbox mounted on the white picket fence. The driver’s window rolled down, revealing police insignias on the sleeve of a blue jacket. The driver reached out and flipped an envelope into the mailbox. As the girl watched silently, the car sped off, throwing gravel, its taillights disappearing into the lingering fog.

2

Thursday, June 18

9:00 A.M.

ON A clear summer morning, Bishop Eli Miller drove his top buggy into town along little-used township roads. The buggy was a one-seater, a boxy, covered affair of the typical Ohio Amish style. The large wooden wheels carried iron rims, not rubber, as was proper among the bishop’s sect of the Old Order. The roll curtains on the side windows were tied up, as was the curtained windshield over the wide dash. The hooves of the horse swung left and right in front of the rig, and struck a steady gait of hollow clicks in the gravel. The horse was well-lathered and had started to tire, but the bishop, in a somber mood, kept after him with an unrelenting whip.

Bishop Miller was dressed in dark blue denim trousers with cloth suspenders, a long-sleeved white shirt, and a collarless black vest with hooks and eyes instead of buttons. He wore precisely the one type of white straw summer hat that was currently approved in his district. To the English who saw him that day, he seemed plain, Amish, nothing more. Certainly no different in dress and demeanor than any Amish man, on any particular day. In Bishop Miller’s district, as for all Old Order Amish, that was the whole point. Look the same, live the same, stay the same. To live every day in tranquillity.

Today, only a few would be any the wiser. Those who, studying his face closely, could have discerned the weeks of anguish in his reddened eyes. Little else betrayed him. Neither his dress nor the buggy. Perhaps only the horse’s unusually brisk pace and heavy lather.

The buggy was entirely flat black. It sported no frills. Nothing in the way of vain decorations, horns, mirrors, paint, shiny metal, or any other of the various ostentations of the more liberal Wayne County Amish congregations to the north. These, he thought, had compromised with the world. Surely in the north, the bishop mused, the Gemei had lost its way.

The narrow wheels of the buggy cut wispy lines into the berm. Miller worked the horse with the reins, staying carefully to the right. A car roared by, shaking the rig in its backdraft. The horse skittered, and he whistled softly and worked the reins to steady him. Another auto blared its horn and sped around. The impatience surprised Miller. Rather, it puzzled him. English, he whispered disapprovingly, as a pickup blared behind and passed abruptly. A day spent among them was a trial. Remember, his wife had said, you have not chosen this. Wise, he thought. And righteous. Thank you, Lord, for the counsel of a Godly woman, he prayed.

The deacons, too, had urged him. Use the pastor to approach the professor. If the professor wouldn’t help, maybe the pastor would. Pastor Caleb Cal Troyer was known among the plain people. They would trust him, and Professor Branden, too, but no one else. Certainly not the law.

His grip on the reins went limp as he shook his head, lost in thought and prayer. Little Jeremiah had been taken nearly four weeks ago. The burden of his chores had fallen to the other children. And lately the bishop had begun to doubt. The deacons had sensed these doubts in his prayers. He hadn’t spoken of it outright, but still they knew. Doubts about his outcast son bedeviled him endlessly, now, almost as much as the loss of his grandson.

It was the same for his wife, although she never spoke

Reviews for Blood of the Prodigal

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a fascinating glance at Ohio's Amish country with far less romanticism of the culture than one finds in most books that are sometimes labeled Amish fiction. Bishop Miller's grandson has gone missing, but the Bishop knows his son has taken them. He reluctantly enlists the aid of an "English" pastor (Troyer) and a professor (Branden) who has a reputation for solving crimes during his summer breaks. While Branden's wife wants him to call on the sheriff to assist, Branden honors his promise to the Bishop for discretion. It isn't long until the sheriff is involved in cases related to the original matter. I enjoyed this first installment, but I felt that some of the characters were not as developed as they needed to be. We know that Branden has been involved in helping the police solve crimes in the past from conversations in the book, but we are never enlightened as to what these are. Most mystery series start with the first involvement of the amateur sleuth instead of leaving it to the reader's imagination to fill the void. I have Amish ancestry with lines who lived in Holmes and Wayne County in the first half of the 19th century (before moving westward). I was quite familiar with area being portrayed, and like some of the characters in the book, I lament the commercialization that continues to take place in the area. I did enjoy the mystery, and I found the local sheriff, the two deputies with whom we became most acquainted, and the professor and his wife quite likeable. I hope to be able to continue with this series.

[tshrope · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Little mystery set in Amish Country, a little too slow. It's not bad, just not compelling. May pick it up again at another time.

[kikihowell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In “Blood of the Prodigal”, P.L. Gaus spends a lot of time in the details. What stands out first is his eye for the setting. He makes the countryside of Holmes county and the plain people who inhabit it genuine, authentic for the reader.For me, the perspective of the book was unique from any I have read before. Written from various points of view from outsiders looking in at the Amish, as the reader I quickly learned these voices were not the main characters…or, at least, I didn’t think so. It was through the eyes or voice of a preacher and a professor, outsiders, that the Amish Bishop, his son and grandson came to life. Myself, I have never known much about the culture of the Amish, but interweaved into the mystery were amazing insights into them. The book was obviously well researched and reading about the author, a lot of his knowledge came from living in the area himself. The writing advice to write what you know seems to have paid off in spades for P.L. Gaus. Again, it is the details that shows through, gives the story its real, honest depth.Yet, aside from the elaborate settings and insights into Amish ways this story if definitely a mystery which trickles the details, keeping you turning the pages to know more. I struggled between reading faster to know more and not wanting to miss any of the descriptive writing. The plot was intricate, but not so much that you had trouble keeping up. Gaus did well, created a nice balance between giving me enough new information and withholding enough of the mystery to keep me interested. Great hints were dropped slowly, the pace perfect with the idea created of the fires and frustrations which can be ignited by a simple, but strong faith.

[tututhefirst_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first of the Ohio Amish Country mysteries. I read one of the later ones in the series first and I didn't feel I needed back-fill. However, this one, gives an excellent explanation of the Amish philosophy, religion and way of life, and serves as a great introduction to the series. I can't say I agree with everything that was done in the name of religion, but the story, of a young man shunned, a younger boy kidnapped, and a dead body (was it a murder?) to be investigated by "English" vice Amish certainly made for a page turning read. I'd definitely recommend the series to anyone who likes a good mystery with well-developed characters, a sense of place, and a knotty mystery. I honestly didn't know the outcome until about 5 paragraphs from the end!

[richardderus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rating: 3.8* of fiveThe Publisher Says: Plume's paper edition copy: 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."Ohio University Press's hardcover copy: From the choppy waves off Lake Erie's Middle Bass Island to the too tranquil farmlands of Holmes County's Amish countryside, mystery and foreboding lurk under layers of tradition and repression before boiling up to the surface with tragic consequences.For Jon Mills, the journey begins with his decision to retrieve his ten-year-old son from the hands of the Bishop who bad ten years earlier cast Mills out of the Order, the same Bishop who is Jon Mills's father.When Mills turns up dead, dressed in Amish garb, and with the boy missing, Professor Michael Branden plunges headlong into the closed culture to unravel the mystery and find the boy.My Review: I don't imagine that I need to go over my hostility, nay hatred, for christian religion and its evils yet again. But given that I am without sympathy for the central organizing principle of the book's characters, why on EARTH would I pick it up?Because it is never a good idea to shut one's self off from points of view not one's own. Illumination comes only when the curtains are open.I started reading the book with modest expectations, and the writing delivered on those admirably. Not one paragraph stands out in my mind. No phrases clink against the myriad of quotes stored in my magpie's-paradise of a memory. Not one single crappy turn of phrase, a few slightly ungainly sentences, but overall a solid B+ effort of writing. It's the first in the series, so that's okay by me.The murder and its motivations made me smile. Seeing a grand high muckity-muck of a christian sect that's looney even by their looney standards get it in the eye? Bliss! Seeing their bizarre separatist way of life illuminated so clearly? Fascination. The sleuthing team's interconnectedness and small-town life-long knowledge of each other, and watching that develop and alter, was a pleasure.Gaus very clearly understands the world he's writing about, and clearly also makes a strong effort to be fair and informative to and about it. He doesn't go all preachy-teachy and he doesn't gloss over the good or the bad effects of the Plain People's (hubristic) separation from the world of the English and its attendant vanities. (Isn't a focus on eliminating vanity simply vanity in sneakers?)I liked the book. I'll read the next few, though I doubt there's enough there there to keep me reading for all eight that exist to date. Of course I could be wrong, heaven knows it wouldn't be the first time.But my wrongness aside, don't turn away from the pleasure of acquainting yourself with this interesting, weird world.

[robin661_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Blood of the Prodigal (An Ohio Amish Mystery)P.L. GausThis is the beginning of the Amish Mysteries set in Ohio. It is about the grandson of one of the leaders in the Amish community and his kidnapping. The pastor, professor and the sheriff are the only three Englishers that the Amish have any kind of relationship with. The professor, who ends up with a bulk of the investigation is trying to find the location of the grandson. From murder to locating the grandson the suspense and the who, what, when and why are constant. The ending has a good twist and most plausible. There are always details kept from the reader that the professor or others know about. This does make for more wild guessing although is a little off putting because a reader likes to feel like part of the team. I also found it difficult to lay aside old story lines when so many of the characters reappear. I kept having to sort apart a later book from this one.

[redheadish · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

All I can say is I need to do some research into the terminology of the amish! I had never heard of bundling before but now that I have I still didn't get a big enough grasp on the term. and few other german words that I am sure I kinda understood the meaning in the english sentence but would like to look up those words too. great book

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

P. L. Gaus has given the mystery reader a gem of a story with The Blood of the Prodigal. Not quite a cozy and with some aspects of a police procedural, it is an unique approach. With characters that come alive on the page and with clues to follow, the reader will be engrossed from the very beginning of the tale. Set in Ohio’s Amish community, Gaus creatively combines characters of both the Amish and the “English” communities with a deft hand. With an engaging mystery that is not burdened with an overabundance of red herrings or buried in flowery descriptions, this series promises to entertain as well as enlighten the reader.

[coffeeandabookchick · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed 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.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When a 10-year-old Amish boy disappears, his grandfather, the bishop of their Old Order Amish community, doesn't contact the police. Instead, he turns to Pastor Cal Troyer, the only English person who has the community's trust. Troyer has to leave in a few days to attend a conference, so he calls in his long-time friend, college professor Michael Branden. With help from his wife, as well as whatever information he can get from the local sheriff (also a long-time friend) without breaking his promise to the Bishop, Branden sets out to find the boy. First, he must find the boy's father, who had been shunned by the Bishop a decade ago.I often feel like books are longer than they need to be, but I had the opposite reaction to this book. I felt like important details were missing. It's the first book in a series, but it seems like a middle book. I felt like I was missing information about some of the characters that had been revealed in earlier books that I hadn't read. I never understood why the professor, a specialist in Civil War history, was acting as a private investigator. The book mentions that he's conducted about a dozen earlier investigations, but never explains why. Most of the action takes place in June. Does he spend the summer between semesters working as a P.I.? Cal Troyer's character doesn't seem necessary. He is around for the first few chapters, leaves for a conference, and shows up again at the end after the tension has been resolved. Why not have the Bishop go directly to the professor for help instead of using a middle man? It also seems like parts of conversations are missing. One of the characters will have an “aha” moment, and start to tell another character something, but they don't include the reader in their conversation.This appears to be the author's first mystery novel, so the shortcomings I noted may be less of a problem in later books in the series. To his credit, the author successfully disguised a clue that gave away the culprit. I usually can spot those clues, but not this time!I'm always on the lookout for mysteries set in unusual locations, so I find a series set in Holmes County, Ohio's, Amish community appealing. I've got the next two books in my TBR stash. I'll be curious to see if the books improve as the series progresses.