Gertie Johnson: Yooper Mysteries Books

When her neighbor is shot and killed in his hunting blind, sixty-six-year-old widow Gertie Johnson seizes the opportunity to move on with her life by investigating his death. Gertie is abetted (and hindered) by her grandson Little Donny, man-hungry best friend Cora Mae, and word-of-the-day challenger, Kitty. It doesn’t help that Chester’s death has been ruled an accident by the sheriff of this backwoods community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Or that Sheriff Blaze Johnson happens to be Gertie’s son. Whether it’s interrogating neighbors, spying, or impersonating the FBI—not to mention staying one step ahead of Blaze—Gertie will do whatever it takes to solve the case, even when the killer takes aim at her.

Note: NO animals are harmed in this romp through the backwoods! On opening day of bear hunting season in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a game warden is murdered right under Little Donny’s tree stand. Little Donny disappears into the backwoods, forcing sixty-six-year-old Gertie to use her “unique” investigative techniques to find her favorite grandson. Gertie’s search is hampered by her pin-curled bodyguard Kitty, her man-hungry friend Cora Mae, and Grandma Johnson—who should be mushing peas between her new false teeth in the Escanaba nursing home instead of setting up camp at Gertie’s place. To top it off, Gertie’s son Blaze, the local sheriff, seems more concerned with arresting his mom for cruising down Highway M35 without a driver’s license than finding Little Donny or catching the killer.

In her third Yooper mystery (as in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, or U.P.), Baker’s lively protagonist, Gertie Johnson, is minding her own business, standing in line at the bank when it gets robbed. From her position on the floor, Gertie watches as a gunman on the roof of a nearby building shoots the bank robber dead. She quickly decides that she and the other two members of her Trouble Buster Investigative Company (all single women of a certain age) need to help their hapless sheriff solve the case. The trouble is feisty Gertie has a lot on her plate, what with her extended family, her other investigations, and a tentative new romance. The deeper into the bank robbery she goes, the more complicated and seriously dangerous it gets. Intrepid Gertie is a wonderfully drawn character, whose view of the U.P.’s denizens and their surroundings makes for enjoyable storytelling. ~ Booklist

A Yooper Mystery Novella, Murder Bites the Bullet From National Bestselling Author, Deb Baker Sixty-six year old Gertie Johnson and cohorts Cora Mae and Kitty have a knack for stirring up trouble in what was once a quiet backwoods community in the heart of the Michigan Upper Peninsula. When Finnish resident Harry Aho (sometimes pronounced A-hoe) takes a bullet at his kitchen table, Gertie suspects it has something to do with the public shooting range he set up right on the property line next to a Swede. The Trouble Busters bring out the big guns to crack this one, including deer cameras, a riot gun, and faithful Fred, the semi-retired police dog. PRAISE FOR THE SERIES: "(A) delight to read. In addition to the engaging mystery, it's a wonderful story of the love of family and friends." ~ Hidden Staircase Mystery Books "Deb Baker has perfectly captured the spirit and lifestyle of those who dwell above The Bridge." ~ Traverse City Record-Eagle "If you're looking for a chuckle-filled read, visit Stonely at every opportunity. Suddenly, your own crazy relatives won't seem so bad!" ~ Mysterical-E "One of the most memorable heroines in recent crime fiction." ~ Lansing State Journal "Take a wild ride through the North Woods with Deb Baker's latest Yooper Mystery. Murder Talks Turkey is a laugh out loud, action-packed romp with some of the zaniest mystery investigators ever. Armed with walkie-talkies, stun gun, and Wonderbras, Gertie Johnson and friends hunt for the killer--and create more trouble than they started out with. It's a hoot and a half." ~ Maggie Sefton, author of A Killer Stitch "The heart of Murder Talks Turkey is Gertie. If she lived in the south rather than the far north, we'd call her a 'steel magnolia.' When she is on the lam, Gertie does it in a style not before seen in crime fiction.” ~ Cozy Library "[A] hilarious light-hearted mystery." -- Book Lover Blog

Yooper Mystery Short, Murder Trims the Tree From National Bestselling Author, Deb Baker When Gertie and her cohorts decide to do their court-ordered community service at the local assisted living home during the Christmas season, they get more than they (plea) bargained for. "A hoot with a heart." Cozy Library "A delight to read. In addition to the engaging mystery, it's a wonderful story of the love of family and friends.” Mysterious Review "One of the most memorable heroines in recent crime fiction." Lansing State Journal

Gertie Johnson has her hands full with her wily ninety-two-year-old mother-in-law, who is writing a secret guide to controlling husbands and using local stories as examples. When an old-timer goes missing and winds up right next to a dead body with the murder weapon clutched in his fist, The Trouble Busters spring into action. Before this investigation is over, Gertie will have a few behind-the-scenes relationship stories of her own. She doesn’t know it yet, but living to tell them is going to be the tricky part. PRAISE FOR THE SERIES: "(A) delight to read. In addition to the engaging mystery, it's a wonderful story of the love of family and friends." ~ Hidden Staircase Mystery Books "Deb Baker has perfectly captured the spirit and lifestyle of those who dwell above The Bridge." ~ Traverse City Record-Eagle "If you're looking for a chuckle-filled read, visit Stonely at every opportunity. Suddenly, your own crazy relatives won't seem so bad!" ~ Mysterical-E "One of the most memorable heroines in recent crime fiction." ~ Lansing State Journal "Take a wild ride through the North Woods with Deb Baker's latest Yooper Mystery. Murder Talks Turkey is a laugh out loud, action-packed romp with some of the zaniest mystery investigators ever. Armed with walkie-talkies, stun gun, and Wonderbras, Gertie Johnson and friends hunt for the killer--and create more trouble than they started out with. It's a hoot and a half." ~ Maggie Sefton, author of A Killer Stitch "The heart of Murder Talks Turkey is Gertie. If she lived in the south rather than the far north, we'd call her a 'steel magnolia.' When she is on the lam, Gertie does it in a style not before seen in crime fiction.” ~ Cozy Library "[A] hilarious light-hearted mystery." -- Book Lover Blog

Yooper Christmas Short, Murder Decks the Halls From National Bestselling Author, Deb Baker It’s the season to be jolly in the Michigan Upper Peninsula, and the Trouble Busters are looking forward to the annual holiday lull in crime solving. But Gertie’s plan to relax inside her ice shanty and catch a few fish is blown to smithereens when a stick of dynamite takes out one of the Hall brothers. With the help of Cora Mae and Kitty, Gertie is determined to reel in the biggest fish yet - hook, line, and sinker. PRAISE FOR THE SERIES: "(A) delight to read. In addition to the engaging mystery, it's a wonderful story of the love of family and friends." ~ Hidden Staircase Mystery Books "Deb Baker has perfectly captured the spirit and lifestyle of those who dwell above The Bridge." ~ Traverse City Record-Eagle "If you're looking for a chuckle-filled read, visit Stonely at every opportunity. Suddenly, your own crazy relatives won't seem so bad!" ~ Mysterical-E "One of the most memorable heroines in recent crime fiction." ~ Lansing State Journal

From National Bestselling Author, Deb Baker A full-length uncensored hoot of a backwoods caper. Gertie Johnson is on cloud nine when Grandma Johnson goes away on a week-long outing. But after cohorts Cora Mae and Kitty fail their concealed carry class, they soon realize that someone is aiming to kill. PRAISE FOR THE SERIES: "(A) delight to read. In addition to the engaging mystery, it's a wonderful story of the love of family and friends." ~ Hidden Staircase Mystery Books "Deb Baker has perfectly captured the spirit and lifestyle of those who dwell above The Bridge." ~ Traverse City Record-Eagle "If you're looking for a chuckle-filled read, visit Stonely at every opportunity. Suddenly, your own crazy relatives won't seem so bad!" ~ Mysterical-E "One of the most memorable heroines in recent crime fiction." ~ Lansing State Journal