The Hand That Rocks the Ladle by Tamar Myers (2000, Paperback)

Pennsylvania Dutch innkeeper Magdalena Yoder is an amateur sleuth who is a Mennonite of Amish descent. She runs the PennDutch Inn in the small town of Hernia, PA, and if guests wants the A.L.P.O. (which stands for Amish Lifestyle Plan Option, she charges them an extra twenty dollars a day to make their own beds and clean their own rooms. For an extra thirty dollars a day she lets them help in the kitchen. This is just one of the quirky traits of Magdalena, who is intelligent, headstrong, and lovable. Her sister Susannah, who wraps herself in yards of fabric instead of clothes and carries a miniture dog in her bra, is one of the many amusing support characters. This book is one of a series of books featuring Magdalena, all of which are humorous and give you a taste of the Amish/Mennonite life, complete with recipes. They are also nice, cozy mysteries, which I like, since I don't go for the blood and gore type of mysteries. So I wholeheartedly recommend "The Hand that Rocks the Ladle," because of the good characters, good mystery, good recipes, and good information on a different kind of life.