Deb Baker

First Line: If my grandson Little Donny hadn't taken so long getting out of bed this morning, I would have been at Chester's hunting blind in time to see them haul Chester out.

It's been a little over a year since Gertie Johnson's husband died, and she's finally perking up a bit. She's sixty-six and is level-headed enough about her age to know she's going to let the gray hair and wrinkles slide while she focuses on life's more important matters. Listening to her police scanner is making her show more feel connected to the world again, and when Chester Lampi's body is discovered in his deer blind, Gertie decides to investigate:

"The thought of investigating Chester's death appealed to me. The more time I spent listening to my police scanner, the more I thought I'd make a pretty good investigator. After all, I had three kids to practice on while they were growing up. If nothing came of my efforts and it was a stray bullet that killed Chester like Blaze and Cora Mae thought, I'd chalk it up to on-the-job training."

Of course it doesn't help that the local sheriff (who's got nothing but retirement on his mind) has declared Chester's death an accident and a no-investigate zone... and it also doesn't help that he's Gertie's son. That's not about to stop Gertie, and soon she's on the case with the help of her friends-- man-hungry Cora Mae and bodyguard Kitty.

Everything becomes further complicated when Gertie learns that that self-same son has petitioned the court to become her legal guardian, but she and her two cohorts continue to investigate-- even when the killer starts to target them.

A previous reviewer of Murder Passes the Buck said, "Fans of Janet Evanovich, imagine Grandma Mazur with a shotgun." I wouldn't go that far. Yes, Gertie has a shotgun, but she's not as cuckoo as Grandma Mazur. I'd go hunting with Gertie; she knows not to point a gun at anyone unless she fully intends to shoot them. Where Grandma Mazur is concerned, I wouldn't be on the same block as her when she's packin' simply because I trust her to do something stupid, and I can't drop flat to the ground as quickly as I used to.

Deb Baker makes it clear that the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is another place in America where bonafide characters live and prosper. Gertie is an original and a bit eccentric, but far from being a danger to herself or to others. It was a mark of how much I'd come to care for the old girl when I learned that her son was wanting to become her legal guardian. I wanted to aim one of my boots at him and kick him to the next planet!

If you're in the mood to read about some eccentric folks doing their thing in the backwoods, by all means become acquainted with Gertie Johnson and her friends. I know I'll be reading her next adventure very soon! show less

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 show more 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. show less

I have a weakness for books with goofy titles, and one of the genres that takes pride in goofy titles is the themed murder mystery genre. This particular one's theme is doll collecting and doll repair, which isn't my speciality, but thankfully subject knowledge is rarely required to enjoy a themed mystery. Actually, doll repair and collecting is somewhat interesting anyhow, and I'm not just saying that 'cause my grandmother has a nice doll collection -- I think determining how old a doll is show more often involves a fair bit of sleuthing, and my sister and I spend enough time thinking about home repairs that learning to patch things invisibly is cool whether it's a doll or her front closet. Anyhow, this book was exactly what I wanted: a mystery with a lot of quirky characters and enough twists to make it fun. Gossip-prone doll club? Cute policeman with a doll phobia? "Psychic" aunt who purse-trains teacup sized dogs? Adorable teensy dogs? Crazy exes? Obnoxious tabloid writer? Crazy old doll-loving rich lady? It's got 'em all. Recommended if you like mysteries that are more fun than scary. show less

It’s Bear Season is Yooper Country!! That is Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the bears aren’t the only thing being hunted. A game warden is murdered right under Little Donny’s tree stand and Little Donny is no where to be found. Gertie is upset, her son, the sheriff, is wasting time trying to catch her driving without a license when he should be trying to catch a killer and find Little Donny. Does she have to do everything herself?!

Dollycas’s Thoughts
This story will leave your sides show more aching from laughter!!

Gertie is an absolute gem!! Driving all over God’s creation without a license, tramping through the woods, questioning suspects who answer the door with sawed off shotguns, she does it all. She is quite a woman and you don’t want to mess with her. You never knows what she is going to pull out of that handbag. The woman is fearless!!!

In addition to Gertie there is man-hungry Cora Mae, Carl who is willing to coat himself in chicken grease to bag a bear, Grandma Johnson who just loves to cook and good ole’ Blaze who is just trying to his job. Add in a few more wacky friends and relatives, a dead body or two, and you are in for a wild ride courtesy of Deb Baker’s vast imagination.

I have loved everything I have read by this awesome author! A master storyteller!! KUDOS DEB!!! show less