Praise for P. L. Gaus’s
AMISH COUNTRY MYSTERIES
“Gaus brings a refreshing authenticity to his unusual setting and characters. There are no wisecracking gumshoes here, but instead believable characters whose faith is explored with respect. Anyone who enjoyed the film Witness should take to this fine mystery debut.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A pleasure to read.”
—Library Journal
“Gaus writes with authority and warmth about the mysterious Amish. . . . This well-written, insightful first novel bodes well for Gaus’s planned Professor Branden series.”
—Booklist
“The charm of Gaus’s first novel lies in its gently penetrating portrait of conflicts within the deceptively quiet contemporary Amish community.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“No one who enjoys a fresh approach to the mystery novel, plus an insider’s look at Ohio’s Old Order Amish culture, should miss Blood of the Prodigal. P. L. Gaus gives us a kind, gentle, and intriguing look at crime inside Ohio’s famous Amish colony.”
—Tony Hillerman
“Gaus has done successfully what would seem nearly impossible: to meld a mystery novel with a description of Amish life in Holmes County without scanting either one. . . . An impressive debut novel.”
—Ohioana Quarterly
“P. L. Gaus’s voice in his first mystery is so assured and polished, it’s hard to believe this is his first book. . . . The strength of the descriptions of the Amish . . . is such that as a reader you almost resent being away from it for a moment.”
—Aunt Agatha’s Newsletter
“This story is written in the tradition of Tony Hillerman: Gaus presents a deeper understanding of an American subculture and why—though it interacts with mainstream American society—it stubbornly chooses to remain separate and follow its own unique doctrines. Enthusiasts of mysteries, American sub-cultures, or those interested in learning more about Amish ways will find much to glean from Gaus’s work.”
—ForeWord
“In addition to the very interesting portrayal of Amish culture, I most enjoyed the characters and relationships at the heart of the book. . . . The small-town flavor revealed through the interplay among this cast of characters is both believable and endearing.”
—Deadly Pleasures: A Mystery Magazine
“The characters are full-bodied and finely wrought. . . . The plot is solid and well paced. And Gaus informs us about the life and practice of the Old Order Amish without instructing or lecturing.”
—Mystery Review
“The Amish setting is as strange and intriguing as that of any foreign country, and the strong-willed characters challenge the reader’s prejudices and values. This novel, the first in a series, opens the door for further exploration of the nature of these characters and their culture.”
— Wendy Foster Leigh, The King’s English, Salt Lake City
“[Broken English] . . . was nearly impossible to put down.”
—The Daily Record (Wooster, OH)
Blood of the Prodigal
AMISH COUNTRY MYSTERIES
by P. L. Gaus
Blood of the Prodigal
Broken English
Clouds without Rain
Cast a Blue Shadow
A Prayer for the Night
Separate from the World
Harmless as Doves
Blood of the Prodigal
AN AMISH COUNTRY MYSTERY
P. L. Gaus
Ohio University Press
Athens
Ohio University Press, Athens, Ohio 45701
© 1999 by P. L. Gaus
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved
New revised paperback edition 2020
Paperback ISBN 978-0-8214-1010-3
Ohio University Press books are printed on acid-free paper
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gaus, Paul L.
Blood of the prodigal / P.L. Gaus.
p. cm.
“An Ohio Amish mystery.”
ISBN 0-8214-1276-0 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN 0-8214-1277-9 (paper : alk. paper)
I. Title.
PS3557.A9517B58 1999 98-45883
813'.54—dc21
to my wife, Madonna
Contents
A Journey through Holmes County’s Doughty Valley
Discussion Questions for Reading Groups
Preface
All of the characters in this novel are purely fictional, and any apparent resemblance to people living or dead is coincidental.
Many of the places in this novel are real, and the author has strived in those cases to make them as true to life as possible. For Holmes County, in particular, most of the descriptions and locations are authentic. The same is true of the Bass Islands area of Lake Erie, near the towns of Port Clinton, Lakeside, and Marblehead. For those interested, the best Holmes County map can be obtained at the office of the County Engineer, across the street from the Holmes County Court House and the old Red Brick Jail. Millersburg College is entirely fictional. Leeper School is still in use, but it is not located in the Doughty Valley.
I am grateful for the kind and valuable assistance of Seaman Anthony Muccino, U.S. Coast Guard, of Holmes County Sheriff Tim Zimmerly, and of Wooster, Ohio, Police Chief Steve Thornton. Thanks also to Pastor Dean Troyer, Eli Troyer, and Kathy Chapman, as well as to Tony Hillerman for encouragement and advice. The author also most gratefully acknowledges the kind and expert assistance of the late Professor William I. Schreiber, whose excellent book Our Amish Neighbors, © 1992 by William I. Schreiber, can still be obtained through the Florence O. Wilson Bookstore, The College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio 44691.
I am especially grateful for the insightful work of my editors, David Sanders and Nancy Basmajian, of Ohio University Press.
All