Death Takes a Buggy Ride: A John Lapp/Sallie Stoltzfus Mystery

Ron Yeakley
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595404278
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (2/08)


Ron Yeakley has moved from his Pennsylvania Dutch roots neighborhood to the sunny skies of California. But he still remembers his grandparents were tenant farmers and spoke Pennsylvania Dutch. Ron grew up in Myerstown, Pennsylvania and his parents spoke the language. His main character is based on his Pennsylvania Dutch upbringing. Yeakley started the novel about four years ago when he attended the Southern California Writers Conference in San Diego and paid for an appointment with an agent. The agent’s first question to him was, "Could this be a series?" Here we have the first book of that series.

State Trooper John Lapp, who left the Amish faith 15 years earlier, is brought in to investigate a grizzly murder. An Amish man, Jacob Stoltzfus, is murdered and Lapp is called in because it is believed he can better relate to the Amish people.

John Lapp grew up with Jacob Stoltzfus, so that made it even more personal for him since John was once in love with the victim's widow, Sallie. John remains professional for the most part but there are times that his memory flashes back to those wonderful early days. John finds himself torn between his duty as an officer and his love of Sallie and his past life.

While in the course of his investigation, John learns a few secrets that his Amish friend kept hidden from his family and friends. Sallie tells John of Jacob’s dream (which was contrary to the Amish way). This just opens up a world of possible suspects to Trooper Lapp. From Jacob’s own brother to close friends of the deceased Amish man, John covers them all. That’s when he comes across the man that is a main link to the murder. 

“Death Takes a Buggy Ride” was a good read and it had an interesting storyline. I liked the fact that the writer was very knowledgeable about the subject and the surroundings. Ron made the book an exciting read by not boring the reader between highlights. I gave “Death Takes a Buggy Ride” an upstanding A; it had good editing, quality cover and pages and is a mystery worth reading.

Anyone wishing to read a good murder mystery should definitely give “Death Takes a Buggy Ride” a worthy look.

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