Murder Passes the Buck

Gertie Johnson: Yooper Mysteries #1

by Deb Baker

Alternate Cover Edition for ASIN B002KHMJ6Y

Gertie Johnson may be outspoken, distrustful of banks, and a quick draw with the pepper spray, but she hasn't lost her marbles. Her son Blaze, the sheriff in a backwoods community of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is petitioning to become her legal guardian, but Gertie, a sassy sixty-six-year-old widow with a taste for detective work, has got bigger fish to fry: solving the murder of Chester Lampi who was shot dead in his deer blind. Blaze-who's more interested in retiring than investigating-rules Chester's death as a hunting accident. So, Gertie takes on the case with help from her friends, man-hungry Cora Mae and pin-curled Kitty. Interrogating neighbors, spying, impersonating the FBI . . . the stubborn, spunky grandmother won't give up the chase even when the killer takes aim at her.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Humor, Crime, Amazon

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Bestselling, award-winning author Deb Baker writes the hilarious Gertie Johnson mystery series set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A native Yooper herself, Deb brings her blend of humor and sass to everything she writes, including mysteries written under her pen name Hannah Reed.

In addition to the Yooper mysteries, Deb/Hannah also penned a doll collecting series, beekeeping mysteries, and a Scottish Highland trilogy.

Reviews

[Mary Welk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a laugh-out-loud kind of mystery that I really enjoyed. 66-year-old widow Gertie Johnson is my kind of heroine -- brash, smart in the ways of the world, troublesome to her kids, loyal to her family and friends, and the kind of neighbor you could rely on if she lived next door to you. I loved Baker's take on the U.P. (that's Michigan's Upper Peninsula) where Gertie lives. It's beautiful country, but you'd better be careful during dear hunting season or you could wind up dead like Gertie's neighbor, Chester Lampi. Everyone thinks poor Chester was the victim of a hunter's misplaced bullet -- even the sheriff, who just happens to be Gertie's son Blaze (who hates his name so much that he legally changed it to Brian, even though everyone still calls him Blaze). But Gertie decides to investigate Chester's death, and aiding and abetting her are her best friend Cora Mae and second best friend Kitty. Poor old Blaze is driven to distraction by his mother, who won't take no for an answer when Blaze refuses to share info about Chester's death. At the same time, Gertie's mother-in-law, Grandma Johnson, is driving Gertie nuts with her sharp tongued criticism of everything Gertie does. It's a wonder Gertie doesn't clamp antlers on the 92-year-old woman's head and dump her in the forest where some sympathetic hunter would "mistake" her for a deer and permanently silence the old bat. This is a real whodunnit with characters so down-home and real that you'll enjoy every minute of their struggle to catch a killer.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I had never heard of "Yoopers" before, I have grown to love them since reading this fine book. Besides having me laugh out Loud and forcing me to read aloud sections to my husband...I learned words of the day and fell in love with the main character, Gertie.

I am off to the next in the series and expect more good fun.

[Christmas Carol ꧁꧂ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finished this book partly because my Kobo is still quite new & I'm finishing everything, partly because I had previously read another book by this author & partly because I thought it had to get better - but it didn't. What were meant to be endearing quirks of our heroine had me grinding my teeth with rage & by the end of the book I no longer cared whodunnit. Avoid.

[Anne Turnley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange people

These folk from the Upper Peninsula are a quirky bunch. Gertie seems more normal than most, except for thinking that she can solve crimes! I see a future for her with George.

[Nola Arganbright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too funny

Bertie has decided to take up investigating against the advice and wishes of her son the Sheriff. Gertie is a good and can get in more trouble than a bull in a China cabinet. This is a laugh out loud mystery to enjoy any time!

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book free awhile ago for my nook, and to be honest I wasn't expecting much, but this book surprised me and I loved it!

Gertie was a hilarious, one of a kind person, and Cora Mae, and Kitty were, too. They all didn't really care what people thought, and, instead, listened to themselves.

I loved the setting, and the fact that even if you owned a lot of land, you were most likely still poor.

The mystery was okay, I felt like the killer was sort of way out there, but it all tied up well in the end. The ending was a bit rushed, also, but overall this was a simply hilarious book. I laughed out loud more times than I can count when reading this. I'll be buying the next one!

[Lorna Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a hair-raising ride when Gertie Johnson gets behind the wheel, and readers will enjoy the trip. Unique characters, headed by Gertie, drive the action when her neighbor is found dead with a bullet hole in the head, fired from his own gun. Gertie believes it was murder, but the local Sheriff (her own son) thinks Gertie is out of her mind--and the tries to prove it. Sometimes Gertie's her own worst enemy, but that also drives the humor as she somehow manages to wriggle out of one uncomfortable situation after another. Bring on the next in the series, Deb!

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by Deb Baker and it won't be my last one. What a funny story and with a murder thrown in too. Gertie Johnson reminds me of an older version of Stephanie Plum. For a 66 year old widow she can sure get around and trouble follows. She is out to solve the case since she thinks her son Blaze the sheriff doesn't know what he is doing. The story takes place in the backwoods of Michigan's UP. A hard book to put down and very enjoyable too. Great cast of characters that interact so well. Read the book today.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.”

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a joke. Gertie Johnson is a 66-year-old widow who talks like a hick (she drops her 'gs' on all her words although no one else around her talks like that). True redneck woman living in the UP. I've lived in the UP and never heard anyone talk like her.

She decides to solve a murder because her son, who is the police chief, says it's an accident. According to her, her son doesn't do anything but collect a paycheck while he's waiting to retire. I guess in small towns it's okay to let murders go unnoticed if you want to retire. Plus, her son treats her like crap. He wants to become her guardian so he can manage her money (in my translation: give her an allowance and tell her what to do). He doesn't believe anything she says, and thinks she vandalized her own home. I guess growing up with her she must have done that sort of thing before, because people don't usually just decide one day to vandalize their homes. There's a history of doing that kind of thing by the time you're 66.

Her mother-in-law hates her, and everyone in the family knows it. When she comes to dinner and picks on Gertie, her kids sit there like logs and let it happen. I'd go ballistic on ANYONE who picked on either of my parents, especially if my grandparent was the one doing the picking. Her son even picks up the grandmother and brings her to his mother's house because he's mad at his mother. What kind of a son is he? Sadistic?

Her 63-year-old friend Cora Mae is a "mantrap". At 63? Really? There are plenty of good-looking 63 year old women out there, I'll admit, but they don't dress or act like this woman. I'd be embarassed if a relative of mine was out there blatantly chasing men like her. Have a little discretion, woman! Let the man WANT you to pursue him!

The ending - and here is the big spoiler - is horrible. The mother-in-law decides to move in with Gertie. I would take her backside right back to the nursing home in a heartbeat. I will not be reading any more in this series.

I don't know how anyone could find this book funny. The people were annoying, the way her kids treated her was disgusting. There was nothing funny about this book except the title.

[Sibel Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder Passes the Buck is a fun story! I enjoyed it.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder Passes the Buck is book one in Deb Baker's Gertie Johnson Yooper Mysteries series. When Chester Lampi died, sixty-six-year-old Gertie Johnson decided to investigate against her son Blaze's wishes, who is the sheriff of this rural community in Michigan. The readers of Murder Passes the Buck will continue to follow Gertie Johnson's investigation to discover what happens.

Murder Passes the Buck is the first book I have read by Deb Baker, and I had trouble engaging with the story and the characters. Although the book is funny in parts, I needed the plot to be more attractive to engage with it. I enjoyed Deb Baker adding Gertie's pancake recipe at the end of this book. However, I appreciated how Deb Baker portrayed her characters and their interactions with each other. I did enjoy that Deb Baker brought humour into her story. I also enjoyed the settings of this book.

I recommend this book.

[Allison Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't like cozies where the MC acts like an idiot and somehow manages not to die and to solve the mystery. A certain level of ridiculousness is to be expected, but there is silly and then there is just dumb. Gertie and her friends are definitely dumb. Won't continue.

[Candida · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good mystery set in the U.P. during deer hunting season. A local man is found shot to death in his hunting blind. Gertie, a recent widow, hears about it on her police scanner and goes to check it out. Her son Blaze, the town sheriff, is already there and tells his mother to butt out of the investigation, which she promptly ignores. What ensues is an irreverent investigation which touches on many facets of Yooper culture. The solution to the mystery was a bit of a surprise at the very end but I still figured it out beforehand.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery. Some of my favorite parts were Gertie's words of the day and I loved how independent Gertie was throughout the book. She really showed how important it is to be yourself, no matter how eccentric others may think you are.

[Karyn The Pirate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was a bit disjointed but it made me laugh out loud. I like any book that can make me laugh out loud. The main character's name is Gertie, which in itself is funny to me. The quirky characters remind me of Joan Hess's Maggody series or the Southern Sisters series by Anne George, or even the television show called The Red Green Show which is out of Canada. The setting in the UP brings home memories of when my parents lived in Michigan and would talk of the UP as a totally different place, like it was really not part of Michigan. The other nice thing about this book is that I read it in one sitting, something I have not done with a book in a long time. I am going to read the second in the series to see if I like the series enough to read on.

[Spuddie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, I marked it read, but I didn't. I DNF'd it. My gosh. I just don't even know what to say. The whole scenario and the main character were totally unbelievable. The main character was like a hyped up cliche of a northern backwoods redneck woman...so very fake...I actually read about 15% of the book because I kept thinking it would get better, but I finally realized it wouldn't. A total insult to actual living eccentric northern backwoods redneck women, of whom I know a few. Phew!

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just could not put this book down- It is the first in the Gertie Johnson series! And what a beginning. Gertie is the best character I have come across in a while. She is tough, independent and her own woman. Her sidekick Cora Mae is much the same- but a bet more of a man's woman. Give this one a try and you will laugh and want more.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another adventure with Gertie and her girls! This gun toting, fiesty, and snarky grandma makes for festive adventures in the UP.

[Deb Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, this is a wonderful series :)

[Terry Odell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the humor, liked the characters, but the ending felt too much like a rushed summary

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character's antics aren't just poorly thought out; they are actively stupid. The acts are so stupid that they feel completely fake and tacked on for laughs and/or drama.

[Roddy Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

There appears to be a subgenre of murder mysteries, possibly inspired by Christie's Miss Marple, in which elderly ladies take it upon themselves to investigate suspicious deaths. This is the third I have come across, this one set in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan where the residents are known as Yoopers.
If nothing else, it is an interesting and affectionate portrait of the area, settled in the main by Swedes and Finns who no doubt found the somewhat wintry climate much like home.
Gertie Johnson is an elderly - but surprisingly spry - woman, mother to Star, Heather and Blaze (the local sheriff) who has never forgiven his mother for naming him after John Wayne's horse.
When one of Gertie's neighbours is found shot through the head in his hunting blind, Blaze writes it off as a hunting accident but Gertie is unconvinced and sets out - with the aid of her friends Kitty and Cora-Mae - to track down the murderer.
It's not at all a bad read, filled with eccentric and often none-too-bright characters, with a wonderfully evocative setting.
Gertie is obstructed in her investigations by her son Blaze who is gathering evidence to show that his mother is not mentally competent to run her own affairs. He has a point since Gertie occasionally does things that seem a little out of character such as deciding she will help her son by respraying his rusting police car with a can of yellow spray paint. To be honest these aberrations seem at odds with Gertie's obvious intelligence and niggle a little.
However, the plot is good. There are some misdirections, red herrings and a good sense of pace and on the whole it works very well.
The only real complaint I have is that the book covers for the series are just terrible. I'm not sure why the publisher sanctioned these garish nightmares but they did. I imagine the idea was that they'd stand out on the shelves, which I'm sure they do, but for all the wrong reasons.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun story, and I really like Gertie and her friends Cora Mae and Kitty, but I wasn't overwhelmed by either the story or the writing. While I was definitely curious about unraveling the mystery, I was okay with putting the story aside - it wasn't a "have to finish this NOW!" type of story. In fact, for me the mystery was less interesting than the character studies of each of the characters Baker describes. I could have just reveled in these character sketches without really needing the mystery to keep me going.

I should mention that I read the Smashwords edition of this book, and I see that there are other editions - including Nook and Kindle editions - with about 100 more pages than the edition I read (this edition had 143 pages) - the other editions have 270 pages plus. Maybe the longer versions have a bit more information to explain why Gertie's son Blaze is so dead-set on trying to get her declared incompetent to care for herself - it's not clear what that's all about in this story. Why? Because of her "eccentricities"? But, she's clearly able to think things through logically - and pretty much everyone else in town thinks she's mentally competent - if "colorful."

Even with the 3-star rating, I liked the writing and characters enough to want to read other titles in the series - and dive into other Deb Baker titles.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book but I found it a bit disappointing. The characters were certainly interesting and the central character, Gertie, was rather a breath of fresh air. The mystery was pretty good and moved right along. So what was lacking? I think it was the humor that just missed the mark for me. I'm used to outright zaniness and belly laughs from writers like Jana Deleon and Ann Charles and this book fell just a bit short for me. It was a freebie that's been one my "to read" list for a long time. It was worth the time to read but I don't think I'll be continuing on with the series.

[Sharon Frye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book by Deb Baker I read. I went back for more! Light-heated, fun (sometimes laugh out loud), seemingly everyday occurrences that always lead to unexpected problems, in-law and grown children problems, etc. Written in first person, the characters soon feel like friends. These books are easy reading and will pass the time with fun. Probably the fact that the main character is mid-60s made it even funnier since I truly can relate. 😉 Looking forward to discovering more Deb Baker jewels.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it's because I'm the same age as the main character, but I didn't find her all that appealing. I didn't read it - it was audiobook for walking. Maybe I would have liked it better had I read it. The 66 yr old woman sounded old! lol. The mystery was meh. I have read other books by this author (Hannah Reed) that I thoroughly enjoyed. Sadly this one was not up to par with those. It promised laugh out loud moments and failed to deliver. Won't be reading any more in this series.

[Bette · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when you are 66 and have recently lost your husband, you find new interests. Gertie has decided she will investigate the death of a neighbor because her son Blaze, the sheriff, has called it a hunting accident without looking at the scene. With her friends Cora and Kitty, they begin checking out every possible suspect leading to some different situations.

Fun cozy mystery.

[Penny Post · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book what can I say

I needed a light read and this was it. Gertie and her friends are investigating a murder. Gertie always thinks someone was murdered. I smiled, I laughed and truly enjoyed the crazy adventures of Gertie. Also loved all the references to the UP and descriptions of many of their lifestyles in the small towns. Plus, there are recipes in the back.

[Ruthanne Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun. I will definitely read the next book in the series. I love the colorful characters & the fun story line which has enough twists & turns to keep you guessing & enough humor to keep you giggling.