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Custard's Last Stand
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Plot Summary of Custard's Last Stand
"

NAL, Feb 2003, 19.95, 240 pp.
ISBN 0451207823

Unlike those in Lancaster and similar towns, the Amish and Mennonite of Hernia are not a tourist attraction and the townsfolk want to keep it that way. There is only one place to stay when visiting Hernia and that is the PennDutch Inn, a place where the rich, famous and powerful flock to when they want to get away from it all. The owner Magdalena Yoder is looking forward to a visit from George Clooney but due to a misunderstanding she winds up with business Mogul Colonel George Custard, his cook and his chauffeur.

Magdalena is horrified to learn that the Colonel wants to build a five star hotel that will cater to society's blue bloods. She embarks upon a campaign to have the zoning variance issued by her brother in law revoked. When she returns from a meeting, she finds the Colonel dead, a victim of a gunshot to his head. Her brother-in-law the chief of police asks Magdalena to investigate, but with so many suspects not wanting Custard's hotel in their area, solving the crime is proving quite difficult.

CUSTARD'S LAST STAND is a humorous amateur sleuth novel with no violence or bloodshed. There are numerous suspects, but none apparently with a strong enough motive to kill. The heroine's knowledge of the town's history enables her to find a path towards solving the case, but even with that Magdalena has plenty of work left. Tamar Myers once again provides a fascinating cozy that is a delicious one sitting shoe fly pie.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Custard's Last Stand
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 80%
Kind of investigator - skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - life in that culture
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - small businessman
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - a little
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - homemaker
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - revenge
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 2
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Custard's Last Stand
Murder at a Vineyard Mansion by Philip R. Craig
Rumpole and the Primrose Path by John Mortimer
The Bishop Goes to the University by Andrew Greeley
Death in a Hammock by Kinley Roby
The Bridge of Sighs by Olen Steinhauer


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