Christian Mystery Novel w/ Character List: “No Use Dying Over Spilled Milk”

No Use Dying Over Spilled Milk is Tamar Myers’ third installment in her Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery series. The stories revolve around Magdalena Yoder’s PennDutch Inn, which is located in Hernia, Pennsylvania – Mennonite/Amish country.

Magdalena is a 44-year-old Mennonite woman with a sharp wit and a critical outlook. Her observations about people, life, and her religion are typically humorous and sarcastic. It is great fun to eavesdrop on her thoughts and comments.

This novel begins with three facts: “Yost Yoder drowned in a tank of unpasteurized milk. He was naked. It happened on Valentine’s Day.”

Now, if you’re familiar with the Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery series, you know that Ms. Myers likes to construct her stories around a humorous premise. So, this introduction to her novel probably doesn’t surprise you.

Off to Ohio

The fact of Yost Yoder’s bizarre death is relayed to Magdalena by Annie Stutzman from Farmersburg, Ohio. She is a neighbor of the unfortunate Yost and cousin to Magdalena’s late father Amos. The body was found in the milk tank early that morning, and the funeral is scheduled for the day after tomorrow, Annie tells Magdalena.

Yost Yoder is the double first cousin of Freni Hostetler, the cook for the PennDutch Inn. Of course, Freni intends to go to the funeral. Magdalena will drive her. This plan unfolds without discussion – it is assumed and immediately put into action. Magdalena arranges for Mose (Freni’s husband), Doc Shafor (an octogenarian, veterinarian chef), and Aaron Miller (her Pooky Bear, aka boyfriend) to man the inn while they’re gone. Then she, Freni, and sister Susannah set out for Ohio.

The Death Count Doubles

Soon after the Hernia group arrives in Ohio, Magdalena learns that another Amish man has died recently. Levi Mast fell from his silo the previous week. It was the morning of his wedding day.

Levi and Yost both owned dairy farms, which had sold their milk to Daisybell Dairies for years. However, after the previous owner died and left the dairy to his nephew, Danny Hem, quality had been sacrificed in order to speed up production. Dairy owners found the change unacceptable and decided to bypass Daisybell by beginning their own cooperative with Levi and Yost in charge.

Now Levi and Yost are both dead, presumably as the result of tragic accidents. Their Amish families and neighbors, with a long tradition of nonresistance, non-violence, and separatism, are quietly accepting these deaths as the will of God.

Of course, many of the families are planning to escape their lethal environs by moving to Indiana. What they’re not planning to do is demand that the sheriff investigate the suspicious deaths.

Trapped in Ohio

I’m sure you can imagine Magdalena’s reaction to the situation. She fusses and fumes at an Amish dairyman named Stayrook Gerber and at the sheriff. It is their duty to investigate the murders and bring the responsible party to justice, she insists. For responsible officials to fall back on Amish principles and let a murderer go free simply is not tolerable.

Talking to those two is about as helpful as smashing her head against a brick wall. So, when Magdalena learns that snowfall has closed roads between Hernia and Farmersburg, she knows exactly what to do with her extra time, while she is stranded in Ohio.

Like a bloodhound sniffing a powerful scent, Magdalena is on the trail! Let the murderer beware…

Character List

This list carefully avoids spoilers. Names and descriptions below reflect the original information given about each character. Main characters are listed, along with some minor players.

Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery Series Regulars

Magdalena Yoder – 44 year-old Mennonite (one of those Mennonites who were formerly Amish, from Switzerland) – owns controlling interest in the PennDutch Inn until Susannah proves herself “competent and productive” – then they will be equal partners

Susannah Yoder Entwhistle – Magdalena’s 34-year-old sister. She ran off and married a Presbyterian after the death of her parents. Now divorced, she is lazy and irresponsible. She billows when she walks because she drapes herself in “enough fabric to clothe a small third-world country.”

Papa and Mama Yoder, deceased – The parents of Magdalena and Susannah died about 11 years earlier in a highway smash-up, their vehicle being sandwiched between a truck full of running shoes and a tanker full of milk. Previously Mr. Yoder had been a dairy man and Mrs. Yoder sold eggs. They may have already passed on to Glory, but you’ll hear about them, especially Mama.

Mose Hostetler – age: mid 70’s, a kinsman and handyman for the inn – Amish instead of Mennonite

Freni Hostetler – about 75 years old, Mose’s wife – the crotchety cook for the PennDutch Inn

Doc Shafor – octogenarian veterinarian who loves to cook

Aaron Miller – the Yoders’ handsome neighbor and Magdalena’s romantic interest

Melvin Stoltzfus – Chief of Police – a sometimes romantic interest of Susannah’s

John Hostetler – Mose and Freni’s son who now runs their farm while they work for Magdalena

Barbara Hostetler – John’s wife – 6 feet tall – always at odds with Freni

PennDutch Animals

Shnookums – Susannah’s tiny dog

Sadie – the Hostetler’s horse

Ohioans

Yost Yoder – drowned in a tank of milk – Freni’s double first cousin – an Amish dairyman – had been involved in starting up a cheese factory, which would complete with Daisybell Dairies – his death leaves 10 children fatherless

Sarah – wife of Yost – Freni stays with her while in Ohio

Annie Stutzman – phoned Magdalena to let her know of Yost’s death – lives in Farmersburg, Ohio – cousin of Magdalena’s father (Amos)

Samuel and Elizabeth Troyer (Sam and Lizzie) – Magdalena and Susannah sleep at their house while in Ohio – 5 sons: Isaac (6 y.o., the oldest), Benjamin, Solomon, Peter, Elias

Levi Mast – Samuel’s first cousin – died a week earlier by falling off his silo on his wedding day – another Amish dairy farmer, working with Yost to start up a cooperative that would compete with Daisybell Dairies

Jacob and Catherine Mast – Levi’s parents

Enos Mast – Levi’s brother

Sophia Mast – Levi’s sister

Barbara Hooley – Levi’s fiancé

Peter Hooley – Barbara’s little brother

Bishop Kreider – Amish bishop who spoke at the graveside service

Stayrook Gerber – also an Amish dairy farmer – has a wife and four children – a neighbor of the Stutzman’s

Danny Hem – from West Virginia – the new owner of Daisybell Dairies since the death of his uncle, Wesley P. Craycraft, III – Daisybell Dairies is a cheese factory, specializing in Farmersburg Swiss cheese, a gourmet cheese

Elsie Bontrager – a Daisybell employee who moved away after Danny Hem allegedly made improper advances toward her

Pauline – proprietress of Pauline’s Pancake House

Marvin Stoltzfus – sheriff and first cousin of Melvin Stoltzfus

Arnold Ledbetter – general manager of Daisybell Dairies

Miscellaneous Others

Harold P. Smith, III – Hernia’s M.D.

Harriet – chauffeured a carload of relatives to the funeral from Goshen, Indiana – apparently, she makes her living by driving the Amish when they need to travel

Hooter Faun – a guest at the PennDutch Inn – Magdalena suspects Aaron is interested in her

Recipes

The book includes these recipes:
• Farmersburg Swiss Cheese Hor s’Oeuvres
• Sarah Yoder’s Amish Sauerkraut Salad
• Magdalena’s Mama’s Frankfurter Rafts
• Annie Stutzman’s Brown Sugar Pie (Milche Flichte)
• Catherine Masts’s Egg Casserole
• Freni Hostetler’s Poor Man’s Goulash
• Ohio River-Bottom Sludge Cake

Going Forward

I’m sad to say this is the last review I’m going to do of the Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery series for awhile. The next books are not available on audio, and hard copy books really slow me down. So, I’m going to review Terri Blackstock’s Cape Refuge series next. But I plan to come back to the PennDutch Inn folks when time permits.

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Here’s a link to Tamar Myers’ No Use Dying Over Spilled Milk.

Here are links to my reviews of the first two Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery series books:
Too Many Crooks Spoil the Broth
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Crime

And, for your convenience, here is a list of the entire Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery series. My thanks to the website, Book Series in Order. I always use it when I want to find the books in a series. (I have made the link clickable in case you want to go there.) Look for the icon of books in a row in the Google results if you want to choose Book Series in Order to find the series you’re looking for.

Clicking any of the following books will take you to the book on Tamar Myers’ website.

Publication Order of Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery Books
Too Many Crooks Spoil the Broth (1993)
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Crime (1995)
No Use Dying Over Spilled Milk (1996)
Just Plain Pickled to Death (1997)
Between a Wok and a Hard Place (1998)
Eat, Drink and Be Wary (1998)
Play It Again, Spam (1999)
The Hand That Rocks the Ladle (2000)
The Crepes of Wrath (2001)
Gruel and Unusual Punishment (2002)
Custard’s Last Stand (2003)
Thou Shalt Not Grill (2004)
Assault and Pepper (2005)
Grape Expectations (2006)
Hell Hath No Curry (2007)
As the World Churns (2008)
Batter Off Dead (2009)
Butter Safe Than Sorry (2010)
The Death of Pie (2014)
Tea with Jam and Dread (2016)
Puddin’ on the Blitz (2019)
Mean and Shellfish (2021)
Death by Tart Attack (2022)
Meat Thy Maker (2023)

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Here are links to my blog indexes, which will make it quick and easy for you to find another post to read.
Blog Index – Lists blogs 1-35
Blog Index 2 – Lists blogs 36 to the latest post

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