By P. L. Gaus
“Gaus does an excellent job of incorporating the religious discussion. He does it so well that he teaches us about the Amish and Mennonite faiths without ever forgetting the main problem, Juliet’s murder…. (It) all comes together beautifully in the end, making for an excellent read.”
Big Muddy: A Journal of the Mississippi River Valley
“A fascinating look into the unique and complex worlds of the Amish and academia.”
Booklist
“Gaus’s eye for detail gives depth and power to a simple tale about complicated people.”
Kirkus Reviews
“The author portrays the conflicts among the various Amish sects whose varying degrees of strictness in some instances cause them to shun each other. Eschewing any academic pedantry, Gaus manages to expertly enlighten as well as entertain.”
Publishers Weekly
In Cast a Blue Shadow, his fourth Amish mystery, P. L. Gaus spins a suspenseful tale of power, pride, and tested faith. As always, Gaus explores the threshold of culture and faith among the Amish sects and their English neighbors, combining it here with the political divisions unique to the academic world.
After an early winter blizzard in Holmes County, Ohio, a wealthy socialite is found murdered in her mansion. That same morning, a troubled student, Martha Lehman, turns up at her psychiatrist’s office, bloody and unable to speak.
Professor Michael Branden and Sheriff Bruce Robertson begin an investigation that threatens to tear Millersburg College apart. Mute for many years as a child, Martha is once again unable (or unwilling) to speak. As Branden wrestles with the murder of the college’s leading benefactor, the real story of Martha Lehman begins to emerge—born Amish, converted to Mennonite, and drawn to the “English” world for the worst of reasons.
This new edition of Cast a Blue Shadow features an exclusive interview with the author, reading group materials, and a detailed map and driving guide to Holmes County, Ohio, with everything one needs to visit the iconic scenes depicted in the story.
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
More info →
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978-0-8214-1114-8
Retail price: $16.95,
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Release date: February 2020
232 pages
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Release date: November 2003
232 pages
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978-0-8214-4186-2
Release date: February 2020
232 pages
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Broken English
An Amish Country Mystery
By P. L. Gaus
The peaceful town of Millersburg, Ohio, is rocked by a woman’s murder. When a local reporter turns up dead as well, suspicion falls on David Hawkins, the first victim’s father. With Hawkins nowhere to be found among his Amish community, Professor Michael Branden sets out to uncover the elusive truth.
Mystery · Amish · Ohio · Ohio and Regional
Clouds without Rain
An Amish Country Mystery
By P. L. Gaus
In the wake of a fatal accident involving an Amish buggy and an eighteen-wheeler, Professor Michael Branden’s suspicions grow alongside a number of mysterious happenings plaguing the quiet community. Will he uncover the true source of the crash before anyone else gets hurt?
Mystery · Ohio · Amish · Ohio and Regional
A Prayer for the Night
An Ohio Amish Mystery
By P. L. Gaus
In A Prayer for the Night, P. L. Gaus deftly balances the pace and practices of Amish life in northern Ohio against the unfolding urgency of a hostage situation. The mystery gains from its exploration of the ever-widening chasm between the traditional life of the Amish people and their interaction with the outside world.
Blood of the Prodigal
An Amish Country Mystery
By P. L. Gaus
Mystery and foreboding lurk in a quiet Old Order Amish community when a young boy goes missing one early morning without a trace. With a strong distrust of law enforcement and the modern “English” ways, the bishop must put his faith in an unlikely partnership. Will he find the boy before it’s too late?
Mystery · Amish · Ohio · Ohio and Regional
