Cast a Blue Shadow: An Amish Country Mystery (Amish Country Mysteries) - Softcover

Gaus, P. L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0821411144 ISBN 13: 9780821411148

Publisher: Ohio University Press, 2020

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author:

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

Review:

“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

About this edition

• Publisher: Ohio University Press
• Publication date: 2020
• ISBN 10: 0821411144
• ISBN 13: 9780821411148
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 232