Grape Expectations: A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery (Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries with Recipes)

Book Description

Alcohol is a no-no in the Mennonite community of Hernia, Pennsylvania, but the events bubbling up in town are enough to make everyone feel a little tipsy. A couple of unprincipled outsiders have a plan to start a vineyard and open a winery. So everyone's a suspect when the manager of the vineyard is found entombed in cement..

Customer Reviews:

Too much background information.......2007-03-17

I believe I have read all of the Pennsylvania Dutch mysteries and have been a big fan, but this one fell very flat. There was entirely too much background information included/required. If anyone had picked this up and tried to read it without having read the other mysteries first, I doubt it would have made any sense. Myers explains the whole background of each character, such as Melvin Stoltzfus, who isn't even a character in this book, but whose background is included. It's very cumbersome and difficult to follow the present story.

I think there comes a time when an author needs to just let go of a character's background and let the present circumstances speak for themselves. Now's the time!!

Mystery lite!.......2006-04-07

Magdalena Yoder is back with the verve and over-the-top humor which characterize this series. This time, one of the citizens of Hernia, Pennsylvania, has sold his land to a group who plan to build a winery called Grape Expectations. Of course this does not go over well in this ultra-conservative Amish community, and the outraged citizens look for ways of heading off this potential catastrophe. Someone, however, carries the anger too far when one of the developers of the winery is killed. For some obscure reason, the local sheriff decides that Magdalena is her #1 suspect. As usual, the book is full of madcap jokes, and several past indiscretions come to life which seem at odds with the supposed clean-living Mennonite and Amish citizens of Hernia. The book is mildly amusing, but the oft-used formula in this series may be wearing a little thin.

superb Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery .......2006-02-08

In the Amish-Mennonite town of Hernia, Pennsylvania, population 1877, Penn Dutch Innkeeper Magdalena Yader is not having an easy time of it. Her sister's husband, the former chief of police, is in jail awaiting trial for allegedly murdering the local preacher. Her sibling is torn between still loving him and wanting male companionship. Her fiancé Gabe, a Jewish man, who settled in Hernia to get away from New York City, can't find anyone who will marry them because of their conflicting faiths. Since Magdalena is the richest and nosiest person in Hernia she wins the election for mayor and promptly appointed two Californians to replace the former chief and his deputy Zelda who is in love with him. To make matters worse, Magdalena has recently found out Zelda is her half sister.

However, the greatest calamity to unfold in Magdalena's mind is learning that the GRAPE EXPECTATIONS Resort is opening up. They are going to serve liquor which is going to incense the locals and they are going to be fierce competition for her, which makes her furious. It makes somebody else more outraged because somebody kills one of the owners. The new chief of police smartly turns Magdalena loose to investigate in the hope that she can ferret out the killer.

Any Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery is a special treat but GRAPE EXPECTATIONS is especially fun and funny. The wise cracking innocent heroine interrogates people seeking clues that will eventually solve the case but for the most part she is insulted and ignored, but she does make a new friend, the town gossip who gives her the final puzzle piece that brings the whole picture together. Tamar Myers is at her audacious best and her local recipes are the icing on the cake.

Harriet Klausner

3 HBs by Tamar Myers: The Crepes of Wrath, Grape Expectations, Tiles and Tribulations (Pennsylvania Dutch & Den of Antiquity Mysteries)

Average customer rating:

3 HBs by Tamar Myers: The Crepes of Wrath, Grape Expectations, Tiles and Tribulations (Pennsylvania Dutch & Den of Antiquity Mysteries)
Tamar Myers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Product Description

hardbacks

Grape Expectations: A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery with Recipes

Average customer rating:

Grape Expectations: A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery with Recipes

Manufacturer: Not Avail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1405637420

Average customer rating:

Grape Expectations: A Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery with Recipes

Manufacturer: Not Avail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1405637412

Customer Reviews:

Well-written and engaging cliff-hanger - with no end in sight!.......2007-09-04

Linda Evans is a wonderfully skilled and engaging writer, and this story *should* deserve four stars... It'd *have* four stars, except it ends in the middle of nowhere.

Whilst Evans often puts forward completely implausible and irrational human and organizational behaviors, she can then capitalize on the presumed behaviors, and use those fantastical and often frankly unbelievable premises to write REALLY good stories. Unfortunately, she seems entirely too prone to starting off well, and then simply not finishing. First "Sleipnir," Now "Far Edge of Darkness." I would put up with the bizarre premises, if only there was some closure. But there isn't. She leaves us hanging. I find that less forgivable than writing badly - if she were a simple hack, I could write it off as a lack of skill, and make allowances, but she's obviously a talented and skilled writer and story teller, so I find myself perplexed by her abandonment of her readers.

Don't bother with this book, unless you can stand the story ending in mid-event, with nary a conclusion to be found.

Brilliant time travel thriller - but we're waiting for the sequel.......2007-07-13

This is a wonderful time travel novel which includes a terrifying scene where the heroine is trapped in Pompeii when Vesuvious erupts in 79 A.D.

Sybil Johnson is a graduate student in archaeology. She is driving through a thunderstorm when suddenly a pattern of brilliant white light opens in front of her car - and next thing she knows she is a slave in ancient Rome.

Logan McKee, a former commando, now a mental patient, has been allowed out for a walking in a Florida swamp. He too gets caught in thunderstorm - and turns up in Alaska five years later.

Charlie Flynn was a tough Miami cop, who crossed the wrong criminals - and found himself a gladiator, forced to fight in the arena. It goes downhill from there ...

All three of them are castaways in time, all victims of the same evil conspiracy, all kept alive by the same anger and determination to stop the people responsible.

There is one absolutely huge snag with this book, which is that it is only the first half of the story - and we have been waiting for the sequel, "Unholy Trinity" for eleven years.

When is the Supreme Court going to rule that keeping your readers waiting more than ten years for a sequel is "cruel and unusual" punishment?

Come on Linda, please, please, please get round to writing the rest of the story!

Never Again.......2006-07-25

Never again will I be drawn into the writings of Linda Evans. "Far Edge of Darkness" was an excellent book, totally destroyed by the author's inconsiderate termination of the series a the end of the first book, leaving the reader in Limbo. Since this is the second time I have experienced Ms Evans inconsiderate writing style, I will never again read anything of hers. It is obvious she had an idea, wrote what she could, then lost interest and didn't care what her readers felt.

Far Edge of Darkness.......2006-05-24

Great book but no ending.
The other reviewers have it right! Don't waste your time on this one, you'll be disappointed. This is the second time I've fallen for this authors test marketing ploy. Her book "Sleipnir" is just as entertaining but also just as unfinished. You won't catch me investing any more time or cash in Linda Evans.

Return of the Reader.......2005-04-15

I first read "The Far Edge of Darkness" shortly after it appeared. I had much on my plate and didn't worry about the sequel. I recently picked up my copy for a reread and enjoyed it much more than the first time. The development of characters was outstanding. The technique of switching between locales/character to weave an integrated whole and story required the reader to become involved. I'm very disappointed the sequel has not appeared, I searched for it. -- This eighty-year-old hopes he'll be able to read the sequel. I'm well aware of problems authors may run into when writing anything and hope Linda Evans can somehow make it back to this story.

Average customer rating:

More confusing than inspiring

Ciao Italia Pronto

Ciao Italia Pronto!: 30-Minute Recipes from an Italian Kitchen
Mary Ann Esposito
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Quick & Easy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Italian | European | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Ciao Italia in Tuscany: Traditional Recipes from One of Italy's Most Famous Regions

Ciao Italia

Nella Cucina: More Italian Cooking from the Host of Ciao Italia

Ciao Italia in Umbria: Recipes and Reflections from the Heart of Italy

What You Knead

ASIN: 0312339089
Release Date: 2005-09-22

Book Description

From her Ciao Italia kitchen, Mary Ann Esposito shows people with busy lives and those just starting out in the kitchen how to prepare an authentic Italian meal in thirty minutes, in a book filled with more than seventy mouthwatering recipes from the entire gamut of Italian cuisine: Cibatta toasts with ricotta and salami Zucchini soup with cheese and eggs Quick Chicken Cacciatore Fresh Tuna with Artichokes, Capers and Chickpeas Layered Eggplant and Zucchini Casserole Baked pears with apricots and wine Mary Ann also gives readers tips on maximizing their time in the grocery store, how to love leftovers, and how to create a Ciao Italia Pronto Pantry filled with the necessary ingredients that any busy cook should have on hand for a quick and authentic Italian meal. This is a great new book in a sleek, contemporary package, from one of televisions most beloved personalities.

Customer Reviews:

More confusing than inspiring .......2007-09-30

"Ciao Italia Pronto!" is a better cookbook in theory than in practice.

Italian food? Check! Thirty minute meals? Check! Sounds like just the thing to make a nice meal and still have some time between getting home from work and bedtime. That would be a false assumption.

American kitchens are certainly more sophisticated since the days when Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee owned the Italian cooking franchise. However, many of the ingredients called for in these recipes are still on the exotic side in my corner grocery. Sure, we have farmers markets, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, even an Italian specialty market or two but, if I have to fight traffic gridlock after work to go destination shopping for ingredients, it defeats the purpose of the Thirty Minute meal. The author recognizes this problem and provides a four page directory of mail order houses to obtain some of the required ingredients. This immediately makes about 40 percent of these recipes more trouble than they're worth.

If you do manage to find the ingredients, know that these recipes are neither simple, nor fast.

The recipe for "Lazy Lasagne" requires eight ingredients, and bakes for 30-35 minutes. That's cooking time only, and does NOT include prep time. Oh, and the tomato sauce for the lasagne is a recipe on a separate page. The sauce requires an additional eight ingredients and 20 minutes of cooking time.

Another main dish, "Fresh Tuna with Artichoke, Capers and Chickpeas," requires 12 ingredient and we're advised to make it early in the day, or a day ahead.

Some of the dishes are unfamiliar and pictures of the prepared food would have been a big help. There are only eight full page color pictures located in the center of the book, one appetizer, one soup, two main dishes, two salads, and two desserts.

If you're interested in this book for quick, convenient recipes, look elsewhere. This is far more complicated and time consuming than the advertised "....30 Minute Recipes from an Italian Kitchen." Not recommended.

Ciao Italia Pronto.......2007-02-09

a nice addition to the library but not as essential as her other books.

Recipes are very easy to follow and to prepare in limited time.

Ciao Italia Pronto!: 30-Minute Recipes from an Italian Kitchen

Average customer rating:

Ciao Italia Pronto!: 30-Minute Recipes from an Italian Kitchen
Mary Ann Esposito
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTDFLI

Average customer rating:

Focus on dog grooming business

Very Informative, Well Written Book.

wonderful info

Too much emphasis on grooming, but OK overall

Great for Groomers- not much more!

How to Start a Home-Based Pet Care Business, 2nd (Home-Based Business Series)
Kathy Salzberg
Manufacturer: Globe Pequot
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guides | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Home Based | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Start Your Own Pet Sitting Business (The Startup Series)

Pet Sitting for Profit

From Problems to Profits: The Madson Management System for Pet Grooming Businesses

101 Home-Based Businesses for Pet Lovers

The Professional Pet Sitter: Your Guide to Starting and Operating a Successful Service Edition 2005 Newly-Revised Includes Business Forms

ASIN: 0762738790

Book Description

Do you love animals? Have you ever dreamed of making them your life's work? Have you ever imagined yourself as a groomer, a dog walker/pet sitter, or an obedience trainer? This comprehensive book contains all the necessary tools and success strategies you will need to launch and grow your own home-based pet care business. Author Kathy Salzberg, a successful home-based groomer, shares her experience and down-to-earth advice on every aspect of setting up and running a thriving home-based business. Throughout these pages she will show you how to develop a business plan, estimate your start-up costs, price your services, and stay profitable once you're in business. From painless record keeping to savvy marketing techniques, her step-by-step methods are realistic, innovative, and easy to understand. From advice on zoning and insurance to pet grooming and health issues, this guide can help you experience the satisfaction of building your won home-based business. Learn all about: what it takes to be a professional groomer, dog walker/pet sitter, or obedience trainer; attracting clients and gaining their trust; equipping your home office and shop; pricing competitively; setting your daily schedule; building your reputation; managing growth. The following special features as well as workbook pages are included: business registration form; sample business plan; sample client card; sample grooming menu; pet sitter's service contract; obedience trainer's contract; business opening press release; advertising and promotion checklist. (7 x 10, 288 pages, business forms, charts)

Customer Reviews:

Focus on dog grooming business.......2007-01-09

This book was informative however please note that it is very US focussed and will not be of great assistance with regards to regulations in other countries.

The book did not provide an all round knowledgebase for setting up a dog walking business - mainly focussed on grooming.

Very Informative, Well Written Book........2006-03-16

There are two main aspects to a home-based Pet Care business, or in fact to just about any business. First is the part of the business that is special to the particular business. For a pet care business this includes such things as grooming equipment that is unique to this business as opposed say to starting a car repair shop. Second is the standard rules fo business. For instance, what do you need in the way of business licenses, will you be a corporation, what about insurance -- all that stuff. This book draws a nice balance between the two requirements.

There's only one point I would do differently, not so much differently as with a greater emphasis. That is: Get a Computer. You don't need the latest and fastest, I bought quite an acceptable computer at a thrift shop for $75. Then get some accounting software. When they get around to questioning you, the IRS will look at computer generated reports with a lot more acceptance than they will at any manual system. QuickBooks is a good package (there are others). The latest version will cost you two or three hundred dollars. Or you can buy last year's version on eBay for about a hundred, or the year before that for about $65. Each year buy an income tax package, about $20. Do your own taxes and then have an accountant go over them. You can type stuff into the package just as well as he can and he will charge you a bunch.

All in all the book is very well written, the authors clearly understand the business. The writing style is clear and informative. Highly recommended.

wonderful info.......2005-07-11

this is a great book to give a first time entrepenuer good guidance

Too much emphasis on grooming, but OK overall.......2004-03-15

This book really should have been called "How to Start a Home-Based Grooming Business".

When I first got this book I was so excited! Finally, a book that would talk about all different careers working with pets. But when I started reading it I realized that the book is about 80% on grooming.

If you want to be a groomer, this book is written by a true pro and is a wealth of knowledge for you, but for anything other business dealing with pets, it just offers some basic tips that you could find on the internet. The sections explaining other petcare businesses are too small and I feel they're just some token information thrown in to justify the title.

I personally am debating getting into pet store ownership, dog daycare or becoming a trainer and in my case this book was useless. There's excellent info on grooming, but I wish they had added some additional authors who are experienced with training, running dog day care services, dog walking services, pet stores, pet sitting, etc.

And theres a spelling error on the cover ("Write you own").

Great for Groomers- not much more!.......2002-05-09

I bought this book hoping for more information on pet sitting. I should have been warned by the fact that the author is a groomer - a good 70% of the content is geared toward starting your own grooming shop. The information appears to be thorough and well written as regards grooming and the grooming business.

If you are looking for a book with information on becoming a pet sitter, though, this book contains only general information, much of which can be had online by joining mailing lists or bulletin boards.

Book Description

Now children can keep their favorite animals, bugs, and other creatures as pets-and hold dinosaurs or the sun and moon in their hands! These irresistible little board books are small enough to fit in a tiny fist or the pocket of a backpack. Printed on sturdy boards with brief text in large bold type, Portables(tm) are great for bedtime reading or playtime. So innovative they have been patented!

Children love bugs, worms, and insects! These delightful board books are a wonderful way for young children to learn more about these intriguing garden creatures.

Customer Reviews:

A deeply penetrating psychological account.......2000-11-08

Dr. Clark has struck a sensitive nerve in the consciousness of a nation in his 1965 study of black neighborhoods. Revised in 1989 with an introduction by William Julius Wilson, and a foreword by Gunnar Myrdal, it is apparent that other scholars respect Clark's work as well. I was particularly impressed by the self-honesty of his methodology -- he calls it his "involved observer" method, which shows much more concern for the subjects of the study than traditional "disinterested observer" approaches, espoused by so-called "value-free" social scientists. Also recommended are other books by Clark, and most anything by Cornel West, Lewis R. Gordon, Allen Spear, and Alex Kotlowitz. A related book to "Dark Ghetto" is "Racism & Psychiatry," by Alexander Thomas and Samuel Sillen, with an introduction by K. Clark.

Average customer rating:

Dark Ghetto, Dilemmas of Social Power.
Kenneth B. Clark
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000L1W4AM

Average customer rating:

Dark Ghetto, Dilemmas of Social Power
Kenneth B. Clark
Manufacturer: Harper and Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I4VJJ4

Average customer rating:

DARK GHETTO: Dilemmas of Social Power.
Clark
Manufacturer: Harper & Row Pub.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CMS0Q

Average customer rating:

Dark Ghetto Dilemmas of Social Power
Kenneth B. Clark
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000L1RT52

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Dark Ghetto: Dilemmas of Social Power
Kenneth Bancroft Clark
Manufacturer: Harper Torchbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NTB2F0

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Dark Ghetto Dilemmas of Social Power
Kenneth B Clark
Manufacturer: UNSPECIFIED VENDOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SHNFWU

Average customer rating:

Dark Ghetto Dilemmas of Social Power
Kenneth B Clark
Manufacturer: UNSPECIFIED VENDOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PX1R86

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Dark Ghetto Dilemmas of Social Power
Kenneth B Clark
Manufacturer: UNSPECIFIED VENDOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UDRXXE

Average customer rating:

Dark Ghetto Dilemmas of Social Power
Kenneth B. Clark
Manufacturer: HARPER & ROW
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PX5LZQ

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