Blood of the Prodigal

Title:                  Blood of the Prodigal

Author:              P.L. Gaus

Publisher:          Ohio University Press

Market:              Mystery

Genre:                Fiction

Series:                Ohio Amish Mystery Series #1

Length:              230 pages

Pub. Date:          June 1, 1999

Description (from Amazon):

From the choppy waves of Lake Erie's Middle Bass Island to the too-tranquil farmlands of Holmes County's Amish countryside, mystery and foreboding lurk under layers of tradition and repression before boiling up to the surface with tragic consequences.

For Jon Mills, the journey begins with his decision to retrieve his ten-year-old son from the hands of the Bishop who had ten years earlier cast Mills out of the Order, the same Bishop who is Jon Mills's father.

When Mills turns up dead, dressed in Amish garb, and with the boy missing, Professor Michael Branden plunges headlong into the closed culture to unravel the mystery and find the boy. Working in tandem sometimes and at cross purposes at others with his old friend Sheriff Robertson, Professor Branden digs through the past, recent and otherwise, to uncover the truths that many would prefer to leave undisturbed.

In the tradition of Tony Hillerman, P. L. Gaus depicts a culture that stands outside the norm, but one that is every bit as susceptible to the undertow of the human spirit as any we might know.

My Review:

At the library, I was looking for an Amish book that was different from the usual romances that I enjoy.  This one jumped out from the card catalog, and I selected the first book in the series.  This is the first book I’ve read by P.L. Gaus, and I appreciated the disclaimer in the front of the book that says this is a complete work of fiction, not based on actual events.

I really liked the mystery with the Amish setting, and it is evident that Gaus is familiar with Amish culture.  The descriptions of the bishop and women fit with other Amish books that I’ve read.  Prayer, as a way of handling problems, was both realistic and frustrating for someone who comes from our modern culture.

I did like Mike Branden’s character.  He was respectful, knowledgeable, and played by the rules of the Amish.  Michael didn’t show off his knowledge, and he showed strength of character.  I find it ironic that the bishop thought Branden was prideful.  Robertson was a bit brash.  I questioned his motives and character on more than one occasion, which may have been Gaus’ intent.  I liked Neill, too.  I wondered if there was going to be a plot twist with his character, but none came up in this novel.

This mystery kept me guessing the whole time.  I thought I had the suspects narrowed down, but in the end I was wrong.  The fact that the bishop was not transparent from the start was upsetting, but within the character of an Amish person speaking to an “English” person.  The action really picked up in the last quarter of the novel.  In the end, the mystery was solved, but I’m not sure I’d call it a completely happy ending.  Usually I like a happy ending.  Gaus did a great job writing, and I enjoyed his writing style, but I would have liked to see more of the end at the beginning.  You know, maybe a flashback type of novel showing Jonah’s past with present and the company he was keeping.  I am fascinated by the Amish (maybe because I was a JW – another high control religious group- for 10 years).  However, they frustrate me beyond belief, too.  The “must-keep-separate-from-the-world” philosophy is prideful in itself.  Following a religion or a book (the Ordnung) rather than Christ is craziness to a Christian.

If I could change something, I would have have learned more about Jonah’s character and background rather than be limited to what the bishop or Miss Beachy had to say.

Bottom line, I liked the book.  It wasn’t fast paced until the end, but it was still interesting and cultural.  I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Amish and won’t be too frustrated by their closed yet interesting lifestyle.  I plan to read more books in this series.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars