Murder Trims the Tree by Deb Baker

Title: Murder Trims the Tree, a Gertie Johnson Christmas Mystery
Author: Deb Baker
Format: eBook
Genre: Novella, Cozy, Amateur Sleuth, a Gertie Johnson mystery
Rating: B+
Source: Purchased at Barnes and Noble.

Gertie Johnson has an investigative service she calls The Trouble Busters. Problem is, The Trouble Busters have run afoul of the law. Just a little thing called obstruction of justice, you see. Ordered to perform community service, Gertie and her gang wait until the last second to pack into the vehicle and head for Applegate Senior Living, an assisted care facility nearby.

A bad snowstorm is headed their way, but Gertie is certain that they can put in their full day of community service. If they don't get this done, they'll all be behind bars come the new year. Grandma Johnson is hoping to kindle a flame with Earl (one of the Applegate residents), Cora Mae is prepared to do a shampoo and set for anyone who wants one, and Kitty's going to make sure that all the residents have every bit of legal advice they could possibly need or want. Of course with this gang, nothing is going to run according to plan, and you know they're going to stumble over at least one body and one person up to no good.

If you've never read any of Deb Baker's Gertie Johnson mysteries, this novella is an excellent place to start. If you're already a fan, you're going to love Murder Trims the Tree. It's fun to try to piece all the clues together as to what's going on at Applegate, the characters provide plenty of laughs, and there's plenty of holiday spirit. Plus the length is perfect to start a new holiday tradition of reading this story aloud on Christmas Eve. How can you resist?

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Murder Passes the Buck by Deb Baker

Title: Murder Passes the Buck
Author: Deb Baker
ISBN: 9781448635405
Publisher: Createspace, 2009
Paperback, 274 pages
Genre: Humorous, Amateur Sleuth, Cozy mystery, #1 Gertie Johnson Backwoods Adventure
Rating: B+
Source: Purchased from Amazon.

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 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!

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