Monday, July 29, 2013

Series speak - Broken English by P. L. Gaus

The Ohio Amish Country Mysteries by P.L. Gaus is a series I started reading earlier this year.  Broken English is actually #2 in the series, but the third I've read, and I'm still very impressed with the books.

I'm gradually getting comfortable with the various characters, and the author's rhythm, and getting used to the word "English" as referring to the non-Amish in the community, akin to the term "haoles" in Hawaii, or gringos in Hispanic areas. The term is certainly not meant pejoratively but it takes a bit to become attuned to its usage in this context.

Here we have our English professor Brandon trying to help Pastor Troyer prove that a converted war vet who has every reason to exact revenge is NOT the murderer they are looking for. It's a well-developed mystery with some good red herrings, excellent character development, and again, a gentle but objective portrayal of a way of life different from my own. All in all a very satisfying read.

I enjoy this series and will probably read more, but it's one of those that I wouldn't be able to read more than two at a time without a break. And until you get used to who is who, they're probably better read in print rather than audio

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