At the start of the book Revered Shrock dies at a chili cook-off. But all is not as it seems with his apparent heart attack, it was in fact murder of the beloved preacher. This one is full of shocking twists and turns. The Reverend was not as pure and innocent as he seems. His mean wife goes over the edge after his death and ends up in a mental institution. This is unlike some of the other books and some of the main characters that we've come to know in the series may not be in it any longer. Will be interesting to see where the series goes from here. ( )

When Reverend Schrock dies while judging a chili bakeoff, his widow, convinced that someone murdered her husband by putting peanut butter into the chili (he was allergic) asks Magdalena Yoder to investigate. Magdalena has been helping her brother-in-law, police chief Melvin Stoltzfus, solve cases for years and is happy to oblige. When Melvin tells her he is quitting her job, Mags find herself working alone. As she works to solve the case, Magdalena uncovers many secrets about Reverend Schrock that shock her. Little does she realize that more surprises will come her way, including a long buried family secret. But the biggest shock of all will come when she realizes who murdered Reverend Schrock.

"Assault and Pepper" is an entertaining mystery. Magdalena, a somewhat naive Mennonite with a taste for hot chocolate, is a hoot, especially as she discovers that Reverend Schrock was not quite was he seemed (not only was he a bigamist and an embezzler, but (gasp!) he was a bowler!) As always, the supporting characters are larger than life, especially Melvin, but are still fun to read about. Magdalena can be a bit acerbic, but the affection between her and her cook, Freni, and even her sister Susannah keep her lovable. Author Tamar Myers even pokes fun at herself, as astute readers who have visited her website will notice.

Unfortunately, while this book is better plotted than some of the other books in the series, which sometimes rely too heavily on humor, the plot still has some flaws. The motive for a second murder is never explained and Magdalena looks for what is supposedly a key piece of evidence, but why it is so important is not explained either.

Still, flaws aside, Assault and Pepper is a good read, with a surprising ending (in more ways than one) which may take the series in an entirely different direction. ( )

This thirteenth book in Tamar Myers's series about wisecracking Mennonite innkeeper and sleuth Magdalena Yoder features the murder of her beloved Pastor Schrock. In the process of determining whodunit, Magdalena discovers a plethora of secrets she'd rather not have known, and the solution of the mystery will change the town of Hernia forever.

Unlike the previous books in this series that I've read, Assault and Pepper changes a lot of things about Magdalena's beliefs about her town, her life, and the people she knows. It will be interesting to see what happens next. ( )