Custard's last stand

George Custard, a Kentucky colonel, has his eye on Hernia, Pennsylvania, the hometown of Magdalena, and he considers it too charming to pass up. He plans to erect a large five-star hotel there, along with road improvements that would bring crowds of affluent visitors. Many residents fear the enormous building would ruin the little town's old-fashioned character. The town also has a second worry: rumors that Bigfoot is wandering the surrounding countryside.

At a council meeting, Magdalena and several other outspoken locals voice their opposition to Custard's scheme. Not long afterward, the colonel is shot dead at the PennDutch Inn. Plenty of people had no trouble telling him off, but murder is another matter. When the police inquiry stalls, Magdalena sets out to learn who ended Custard's life. She has to stay ahead of gossip and the construction crews while she works to settle the case and protect the town she loves.

This eleventh entry in the Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery with Recipes series includes six custard recipes.