Mean and Shellfish

Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery #22

by Tamar Myers

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Humor, Cozy, Amish

221 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2021

About the author

Tamar Myers was born and raised in the Belgian Congo (now just the Congo). Her parents were missionaries to a tribe which, at that time, were known as headhunters and used human skulls for drinking cups. Hers was the first white family ever to peacefully coexist with the tribe, and Tamar grew up fluent in the local trade language. Because of her pale blue eyes, Tamar’s nickname was Ugly Eyes.

Tamar grew up eating elephant, hippopotamus and even monkey. She attended a boarding school that was two days away by truck, and sometimes it was necessary to wade through crocodile infested waters to reach it. Other dangers she encountered as a child were cobras, deadly green mambas, and the voracious armies of driver ants that ate every animal (and human) that didn’t get out of their way.

In 1960 the Congo, which had been a Belgian colony, became an independent nation. There followed a period of retribution (for heinous crimes committed against the Congolese by the Belgians) in which many Whites were killed. Tamar and her family fled the Congo, but returned a year later. By then a number of civil wars were raging, and the family’s residence was often in the line of fire. In 1964, after living through three years of war, the family returned to the United States permanently.

Tamar was sixteen when her family settled in America, and she immediately underwent severe culture shock. She didn’t know how to dial a telephone, cross a street at a stoplight, or use a vending machine. She lucked out, however, by meeting her husband, Jeffrey, on her first day in an American high school. They literally bumped heads while he was leaving, and she entering, the Civics classroom.

Tamar now calls Charlotte, NC home. She lives with her husband, plus a Basenji dog named Pagan, a Bengal cat named Nkashama, and an orange tabby rescue cat named Dumpster Boy. She and her husband are of the Jewish faith, the animals are not.

Tamar enjoys gardening (she is a Master Gardner), bonsai, travel, painting and, of course, reading. She loves Thai and Indian food, and antique jewelry. She plans to visit Machu Pichu in the near future.

Series:
* Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery
* Den of Antiquity Mystery

Reviews

[Mayda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 22nd installment in the series is overloaded with quips, puns, personalized “swearing,” and weird happenings. Not as good as the early books, it still is entertaining, as long as you aren’t looking for anything close to serious. The book bogs down in the middle, the murders are really inconsequential, and the story only gets engrossing towards the very end. Unless you are true fans of the series, you will likely get tired of Magdelena and her mouthy sayings long before the conclusion of the tale. I hope the next book - if there is a next book - will have more of a plot and less filler.

[Susan Mattes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamar Myers's tale of a fictional Amish/Mennonite town in Pennsylvania is full of humour. Mean and Shellfish is a cozy mystery with nods to the stereotypes of small towns and several different religions. Her main character, Magdalena Yoder, the owner of the PennDutch Inn Bed and Breakfast is a strong personality that the others complement. This was my first leap into the series at book twenty-two so I have a fair bit of reading to catch up on if I'm going to complete the series so far! Luckily for me, it was a good standalone read, and I did not feel lost. A great whodunit and a place I would very much like to revisit.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Severn House Publishers via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Magdalena Yoder Rosen grits her teeth to entertain the long-lost Australian husband of her beloved husband Gabe, she assumes that she will be able to run the local festival--which this year will honor her obnoxious mother-in-law--at the same time. That's before her teenaged daughter runs off from college and her ex-con sister shows up at the Penn Dutch Inn, interfering with the visit of two eccentric Texans. If anyone is astonished at the big reveal toward the end, he or she must not have read any of the earlier books in the series.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started as a 3.5, been a while since I read one - man, there were a lot of puns, namedropping, tall tales, etc! Fun story though :)

[Becky Tatar]

Zero stars. Couldn't finish this. Didn't like anyone in the story, least of all Magdalena Yoder, who runs the Penn Dutch Inn, which seems to be one of those immersion vacation places - you do all your own work - luggage, room cleaning, etc. At least, you don't have to dress Amish or Mennonite, which is Magdalena's background. She comes off as very obnoxious. One of the very few I couldn't finish. Not recommended

[Nancy Braford · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first started the series, it was a fun read. It has run it's course with the same tired quips of Babester and sturdy Christian underwear used ad nauseam. Someone will enjoy it as a first read, but as a 22nd in the series, I'm done.

[Tracy Condie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a few years since I "visited" the town of Hernia run by Mayor Magdalena Yoder, proprietress of the PennDutch Inn bed and breakfast. Mags is just as funny as I remember and not just chuckle funny but laugh out loud funny because she has a personality that is definitely bigger than her farm and the stories are filled with just as many charachters as it is with farm animals. The author does a great job of sprinkling in bits of back story so that the reader is never lost but rather is as enticed to do the work and read the earlier stories. Doing the work is a popular theme in the PennDutch stories, after all people pay a great deal to get an honest to goodness Amish experience complete with mucking out stalls and schlepping their own luggage. This is one of the craziest PennDutch cozy yet and not just because there is a Billy Goat parade where one can throw candy at those who walk in the parade making goat noises, or because of the extremely unusual suspects, or the red herrings. Add it all together and you have a tired and true Magdalena Yoder Mystery complete with a very yummy recipe.

[Judie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Magdalena Yoder, proprietor of the PennDutch Inn, helped organize an annual event, the Billy Goat Gruff Festival, four years previously. Unexpectedly, the attendance keeps increasing, drawing visitors from locations as far as Australia, her husband’s cousin Miriam.
A couple from Texas soon arrive at the inn and another pair is booked to join them. The second couple doesn’t arrive and their bodies are soon located in a dumpster.
There are a lot of pranks connected with the festival but identifying the target(s) is not always easy.
MEAN AND SHELLFISH is very similar to most of the books in the series: wit and same c;haracters, comments about Mennonite religion, and customs, family relationships, snarky dialogue, fat shaming, and Magdalena helping to solve the murders. Her not being able to recognize some of the newer characters stretches the imagination.
Interesting Australian recipe for Moreton Bay Bug Salad with Sesame Dressing. The bugs are actually akin to a small, flat lobster.
Still not up to par with most of Tamar Myers’s previous books.

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had vowed never to read this series again, but that was a few years ago, and i had forgotten what was so bad. So when I saw this book at the library, i decided to get it. Mistake!!! I can’t believe how over the top this was. Instead of listing 3 things in a purse, the author had to list about 9. Instead of using odd alternatives for swearing a couple times, It happened tons more. It was like watching a bad comedian desperately trying to get a laugh by doing rapid fire lame ‘jokes’ nonstop. And the plot was totally asinine. A huge waste of 2 1/2 hours. Never again!!!

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first introduction to this series and I have to say, I laughed out loud a few times will envisioning my grandmother, who was also a Mennonite, saying some of the very things that Mags did. 

The whodunit was enjoyable and the setting made me feel like I was visiting my family again. I will be checking out more in this series as I truly enjoyed the banter and protagonist. She’s just about in my age group too, so I can relate even more.

[Amary Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Myers tale of a make believe Amish/Mennonite town in Pennsylvania is full of humor. It's a cozy mystery with jabs at the stereotypes of small towns and several different religions. Her main character is a strong personality that the others compliment.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to peruse

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never get tired of the adventures of Magdalena Yoder. Never. Some of her escapades are LOL-worthy, and the rest are most certainly grinnable! I have a horrible feeling that, unless things have changed since I last exchanged emails with Ms. Myers, this may be the last book. I certainly hope not.

[Lacey Harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a funny mystery with wonderful characters. Billy Goat Gruff Festival is in Hernia. Magdalena is a hoot and will have you cheering her on. A murder then countdown begins for Magdalena to solve the crime. This one can easily be read as a stand alone.
#MeanandShellfish #NetGalley

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a funny series and this new novel is thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining.
I was happy to catch up with the characters and found the mystery solid.
It's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun mystery to read with a lot of laugh-out-loud moments! It was hard to wrap my mind about the protagonist at first, but she grew on me. Now to go back and read the previous books in the series...

[Gloria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like humor but not nonstop silliness.

[Irene Marston · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good little mystery kinda funny

[Betty Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining installment in the Magdalena Portulaca Yoder Rosen saga!
IMHO better than the last few.

[Steph · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish……mean spirited and silly

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's another fun romp with Magdalena Yoder and her wacky entourage. The book is more about the goings on in and around her PennDutch Inn than about the mystery of a murdered couple.

[Minetta Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed others in this series but this one missed the mark. Some paragraphs when on forever. The title was very apt for this book.

[Charles Yoder · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there were some parts of this I liked, on the whole it was disappointing. I've read all of the series, and this is not one of the better ones.

[Carol Radovan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tamar Myers' Magdalena is always a treat!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A library t. September 2024.
A fun read.

[Lyn Soulia-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a book of chuckles and head shakes. Crazy characters that make the books funny. Good addition to the series.

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun look at Magdalena's life! Zany!

[SKP · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first 10 or 15 in this series so much that I keep trying to give the later ones a chance. The last 3 were really awful, I didn’t even finish two of them, and this one is only slightly better than awful. I also noticed a lot of words were spelled like they do in England, and some British expressions were used. I don’t ever remember that in previous books. Anyway, these books are becoming more wordy, and many of the jokes are used repeatedly and have really become boring and worn out. I also thought there was a lot that didn’t get explained or resolved in this one. Glad I borrowed it from the library and didn’t spend money on it.

[Patricia Romero · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery

This is one of the funniest cozy series! And the laughs may come to an end before the festival!

Murder, wild shenanigans, and visitors from afar may all take center stage at Hernia’s fourth Billy Goat Gruff Festival. It is after all the premier event of Hernia.

The festival has attracted visitors from all over the world and one of those would be Gabe’s sister, Miriam, who shows up from Australia and is staying at the inn.

While not as shocking as her only having one leg, murder is soon out doing that one. As if murder wasn’t enough for poor Magdalena, weird and off the charts odd things begin to happen as the festival kicks off. Magdalena needs to find a killer and quickly. And as she soon finds out the target may not be the festival after all.

This is such a funny, foody, quirky laugh-out-loud book. The characters are so memorable and I just never want the book to end.

NetGalley/Pub Date 04 May 2021 Cannongate Books/ Severn House