Customer Reviews

Murder Passes the Buck: A Gertie Johnson Backwoods Adventure (Yooper Mysteries)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a fun book. I really enjoyed it. Right from the start you know the heroine, Gertie, 60 something, is no run of the mill granny. She has bright orange hair, a dye job gone wrong, and she just can't seem to stay out of trouble. From the minute she suspects that her neighbor, Chester Lampi's death was no accident until the conclusion, she's in it. And we, and her friend Cora Mae, also 60 something in her come hither outfits and an eye for the guys, and self appointed body guard, Kitty, are along for the ride. And this ride includes Gertie teaching herself to drive mid-investigation! She's seen others do it. How hard can it be? Whoops! She soon becomes intimately acquainted with a lot of Upper Michigan ditches. This all horrifies and worries her son Blaze, the local sheriff, who's ruled the death accidental. His mother is causing so much attention with her investigation that she's in danger and he fears for her life and even her sanity! (She named her three children after horses: Heather, Star and Blaze.)
What's especially attractive about this book is the age of the heroines - mid 60s. It's a refreshing change to have a book with mature heroines who can have adventures, get the job done and not even have to stop and take a nap!
And as for the word fun at the start of each chapter, I was very relieved to discover that I knew each one!

Picture Grandma Mazur of the Stephanie Plum series sporting hunting orange, living in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, and trying to operate her own PI business, and you have the laugh-a-minute fun of Murder Passes the Buck. The mystery itself takes a backseat to the wacky characters, but if you love slapstick fun, you won't mind. I found myself laughing out loud every few pages.

Gertie has been on my radar since I began searching out other elder-sleuths. (FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm writing mysteries with an elder-sleuth, too.) There aren't many in our niche, but I was attracted to Deb Baker's Gertie series especially because I lived in the UP for seven years when I was a child, 1946-52. It is reassuring to know there are still lots of trees standing tall, and that snow up there is high quality. Gertie, too, is high-quality, if a little more colorful that the people I recall. However, she is believable because there were people just as eccentric when I lived there. I am not so sure they were as well-connected as Gertie, which was the tough part for me to overcome: would a real sheriff's mom dare to do the things she does? Maybe in a small town. Or maybe because the UP is still a little wild it's to be expected. I will read some more Gertie adventures just for fun (especially in the summer when it is over 100 degrees here in Arizona). I wish I could take a toboggan ride with her -- and we could share a sauna and talk about how we got our wrinkles.
Karen Dahood

As a big Evanovich fan, I was really looking forward to reading this based on the reviews. It didn't disappoint. Laugh-out-loud humour, a great story, and a really fun read. I'll definately be reading more from Gertie!

If you've spent any time in Upper Michigan, you KNOW Gertie and her friends and family! If not.....you should come meet them. I would think that they are found in most rural communities around the country. These are not glamorous PI's, and not backwoods hicks (well, not all of them anyway!) They are likable characters getting into sticky situations. And getting out of them too!
Gotta love Gertie and her determination to get things done...down to earth senior heroine with her mildly dysfunctional family and friends are believable, entertaining, and always find a chuckle too. (ok, I laughed out loud...)
Really hooked on Gertie, and hoping she comes back soon! I feel like I've lost touch with a friend!

I really enjoyed this book a lot. So much that I am happily reading the series. Love the quirkiness of Gertie and her family and friends. I laughed a lot while reading the book and the killer was a surprise.

After her neighbor is shot in his hunting blind 66-year old Gertie Johnson, a widow living in the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) in Michigan forms an ad hoc investigation agency consisting of her man-hungry best friend, Cora Mae (think Blanch Devereaux,), and larger than life, pin-curled friend Kitty to find the killer.

Gertie is a hoot; she's feisty, snarky, and wholly independent (despite her son's petition to get her a guardianship). While I didn't laugh out loud per se, it did bring lots of grins and knowing smiles to my lips. Few cozy mystery heroines are this funny and entertaining. I can't believe this series hasn't been nominated for a Lefty Award (humorous crime novels)!

While the mystery is really secondary to Gertie, her friends and her family, Baker still does a fine job of creating a cozy mystery and I really didn't figure it out until Gertie did, so all in all it was a fun romp of a read perfect for a lazy summer vacation. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Gertie Johnson lives in Stonely, in the Michigan Upper Peninsula, the U.P., where her son Blaze is the Sheriff and he lives on Gertie's East 40 with his wife Mary, daughter Star lives on the West 40 with Gertie residing on the middle 40. Daughter Heather lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her son, Little Donny, Gertie's favorite grandson, has come to visit for Deer Hunting Season as usual. Gertie's husband, Barney passed away not long ago and she is working on life without him.

Her friend Cora Mae, had given her a police scanner after Barney died. She finally hooked it up and was one of the first to know that her neighbor had been shot and killed in his hunting blind. Blaze tells her it was an accidental shooting, but Gertie doesn't believe that for a second. So the sixty six year-old widow decides to become a detective and do an investigation on her own. Let's just say Blaze is not happy or amused by this development and the fact that his mother is always just one step ahead of him doesn't help. What Gertie didn't plan, was putting herself in the line of fire, but she is not giving up until she solves the case.


This book is hilarious!!!! Gertie is such a capricious character and the others are more than quirky. Every family has a few unusual relatives and every town has its share of offbeat citizens, but this family and the town of Stonely are overrun with both, which makes this story side splitting funny. I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. There is a part with some sled dogs that had me crying with laughter. I also loved the idea of learning a new word every day. A great way to start each chapter.

Along with all the high jinks there is a wonderful mystery, plotted well, with several twists to keep the reader guessing. A truly excellent story written so well you won't be able to put this book down. I can't believe it took me so long to discover the marvelous Gertie Johnson and her Backwoods Adventures. Need a light entertaining book to tickle your funny bone and tease your mind, this is the perfect book for you. Gertie is a hoot and a half!!!!



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

This book is a hilarious book. If you like Janet Evanovich's Grandma Mazur you will love Gertie Johnson and her friends. I laughed until I had tears running down my cheeks. Absolutely 5 stars!!

This was such a fun book! Definitely brings to mind Grandma Mazur of the Evanovich books. I just loved the characters...the author did a great job of bringing them to life. I will definitely be reading the other yooper books and recommending them to my friends.