Tamar Myers As The World Churns

As The World Churns

Tamar Myers

Obsidian, Feb 2008, $21.95, 270 pp.

ISBN 9780451223029

The day Magdalena has always been waiting for has finally come and now she is six hours into her honeymoon with Gabe Rosen, a doctor from New York City who came to Hernia Holstein to get away from the pressure. Unfortunately, his possessive mother Ida calls them on their honeymoon. When the phone rings again Magdalena thinks it is Ida, but it turns out to the warden at the state penitentiary; he tells her a murderer escaped. He is the ex-chief of police of Hernia who targets her family.

The honeymoon ends abruptly because Magdalene wants to make sure her loved ones are protected and because she wants to make sure everything is ready for the guests who are coming in for the first Hernia Holstein competition. The originator of the contest Doctor Shador is beaten up and can't remember who hurt him. Magdalena gets Gabe to judge the contest but soon after that he and Magdalena's step-daughter Alison disappear. Magdalena rounds up a posse to find them.

AS THE WORLD CHURNS is as tasty as shoofly pie. This is a delightful mystery due to the characters, especially the secondary and recurring ones. Although "Monster-in-Law" is obviously not a new relationship concept, Ida as the mother in law from hell is Magdalena's worst enemy as she came to town to find Gabe which results in keeping the storyline fresh. Tamar Myers has quite a few shocks in store for the reader. These surprises will change Magdalene's thoughts about herself and everybody will not see the final surprise coming because the protagonist never thought it could happen.

Harriet Klausner