Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Blood of the Prodigal by P.L. Gaus

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Blood of the Prodigal
Plume; Reprint edition (September 28, 2010)
by
P.L. Gaus


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Paul took an interest in writing fiction in 1993, and with the advice and encouragement of author Tony Hillerman, he began writing mystery novels set among the Amish in Holmes County, Ohio. The first of Gaus's mysteries, Blood of the Prodigal, An Ohio Amish Mystery, was published by Ohio University Press in June of 1999, and a total of six novels have appeared in this series: Broken English, 2000, Clouds Without Rain, 2001, Cast a Blue Shadow, 2003, A Prayer for the Night, 2006, and Separate from the World, 2008. A seventh novel in the series is in preparation.

All of Paul's stories have now been republished by Plume (a division of Penguin Group USA) as The Amish-Country Mysteries, and these editions have been embraced by Christian retailers such as CBD.com, Family Christian Stores, and LifeWay. Future mysteries in the series will still first be published in hard cover editions, as The Amish-Country Mysteries by Ohio University Press, with Plume bringing out the soft cover editions some time later.

Paul and his wife Madonna still travel frequently in Holmes County. He lectures widely about Amish culture at libraries, bookstores, literary societies, and the like, and his books have been featured at Book Expo America and similar professional shows around the country. Paul's novels have been reviewed in prominent journals and newspapers, for instance, Kirkus Reviews, ForeWord Magazine, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Ohioana Quarterly, and the New York Times Book Review.

ABOUT THE BOOK

For Jonah Miller, shunned by his Old Order sect and cast into the wider world, the summer begins with his decision to kidnap his ten-year-old son from the home of the bishop who had exiled Miller a decade earlier. In his desperation to retrieve the boy, the bishop appeals for help to the only "English" men the sect would ever approve.

Professor Michael Branden and Pastor Caleb Troyer had been looking forward to the kind of sleepy rural summer they had enjoyed as boyhood friends growing up in the small college town of Millersburg. Instead, they plunge into the normally closed Amish culture to find the boy. When the kidnapping leads to murder, they can no longer keep the case from the law. Working sometimes at cross purposes with his friend Sheriff Bruce Robertson, Professor Branden digs through the past to uncover truths that many would prefer to leave undisturbed. Little does he suspect that even the anguished bishop, torn by an insoluble moral dilemma, tragically does not tell everything he knows about the case. Suddenly the vast tangle of Amish and Mennonite settlements that sprawl among several thousand small farms and homesteads seems less bucolic than unknowable and impenetrable.

As they inquire delicately among the peaceful ones, Branden and Troyer learn that the troubles of Jonah Miller began far earlier than the kidnapping, with his Rumschpringe - the customary wild year before taking Amish vows. But his grand Rumschpringe had exploded into a decade of drugs, whiskey, and women, in the company of people no Amish person should meet.

In the tradition of Tony Hillerman, P. L. Gaus depicts a culture that successfully stands outside the mainstream yet interacts with it in complex and fascinating ways, a culture that is every bit as susceptible to the undertow of the human spirit as any we might know.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Blood of the Prodigal, go HERE.

Cut Here

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Posting Information


The book link is: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0452296463

Author's picture is:

The book cover photo is:

The code for this post is:

P.L. can be reached through the Contact link on her Website

Note: Sometimes you will find missing posts for bloggers. The main reason is that their book has been delayed. We do not expect a review it they haven't had the opportunity to read the book :-) Check the comments for additional posters and follow our list of bloggers for this tour:

Abi at Scraps of Life
Adam at Meaningful Suspense
Amy at My Life
Andie at Radiant Light
Angel at A Heart for Words
Becky at Joyful Mother
Bonnie at Bonnie Writes
Carly at Carlybird's Home
Carol at Blogging With Carol
Christine at The IE Mommy
Christy at Christy's Book Blog
Dave at Novel Spotlight
Deanna at Deannna's Corner
Debra at Soul Reflections
Deena at A Peek At My Bookshelf
Edyth at Great Reads by Jasmine
Ernie at Writing: My Adventures In Words
Janis at The Nearsighted Bookworm
Jenn at One House Schoolroom Reviews
Jenny at Come Meet AusJenny
Jill at Artistic Blogger
Kathleen at Reviews From The Heart
Kay at Views & Reviews by K
Kim at Window To My World
Kristi at Stamped With Grace
Kristy at heartscribblings
Lauri at Knits, Reads, and Reviews
Linda at Mocha With Linda
Linda at Reading For His Glory
Loren at The Heart Of A BookWorm
Lori at Noggin Bits
Marjorie at The Writer's Tool
Mark at Thoughts Of A Sojourner
Michelle at Raising Little Women
Molly at Book Reviews by Molly
Nora at Finding Hope Through Christian Fiction
Pam at Daysong Reflections
Rulan at Fiction Showcase
Sabrina at Hijinks From The Heartland
Tara at Tara's View On Books
Victoria at Overlooked Orchid

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Post is up.

Ernie W. said...

Post is up.

Nora said...

Posted = review to follow! Almost done.

Deanna said...

Posted

Pam at Daysong Reflections said...

Posted with short review.
http://www.daysongreflections.com//?p=7419

Heart2Heart said...

Can't wait to continue the entire series. What a great idea!

http://reviewsfromtheheart.blogspot.com/2011/04/blood-of-prodigal.html

Love and Hugs ~ Kat

Jasmine said...

SCHEDULED TO POST TOMORROW

Tarasview said...

posted

CarlybirdH said...

Posted:
http://carlybirdshome.blogspot.com/2011/04/blood-of-prodigal-by-pl-gaus.html

Adam Blumer said...

Posted: http://adamblumer.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-book-blood-of-prodigal-by-p-l-gaus.html

Ausjenny said...

posted with review

Jill said...

My post is up!

heartscribblings said...

i'm up--interesting book!

Jim Thompson said...

http://bookreviewsucanuse.blogspot.com/2011/04/this-week-christian-fiction-blog_14.html

Mocha with Linda said...

Mine will post within the hour.

Christy Lockstein said...

I'm up with review

Christine said...

http://www.theiemommy.com/2011/04/15/the-blood-of-the-prodigal-by-p-l-gaus/

Marjorie Vawter said...

Posted with a short review. Excellent story. I am looking forward to reading the rest in this series.

Anonymous said...

My son had surgery this week but I have FINALLY posted this! Thanks!