Gertrude, Gumshoe Cozy Mystery Series

"Don't call me elderly!" Gertrude is still feeling confident after her first gumshoe victory. So when she finds a murder victim at her local thrift store, she is excited to tell the Sheriff's Department everything she's learned at the scene of the crime. Unsurprisingly, they don't listen. So Gertrude must solve the mystery herself. And the only way she can figure to do this is to go undercover—as the Mattawooptock Thrifty-Help's newest team member. Anyone who knows Gertrude knows this probably isn't the best idea. She'll probably get fired. Or arrested. Or worse. Merrill’s second comic mystery featuring a curmudgeonly sleuth (after Introducing Gertrude, Gumshoe) is even funnier than her first… Readers who enjoy tongue-in-cheek whodunits will find themselves grinning frequently. —Publishers Weekly

WARNING: Gertrude can be a bit cranky! She shoots from the hip, is unburdened by tact, and likes things done her way. Yet, the people who know her adore her. It's a mystery. Speaking of which, Gertrude never set out to be a sleuth. But when one of her many cats goes missing, she goes out searching and learns that one of her neighbors has also disappeared. And when she starts poking around, Gertrude finds out she's got quite a knack for snooping. Join her as she gets herself into ridiculous situations and then laugh out loud as she bumbles her way out of them. Just don't expect her to mind her Ps and Qs. "Gertrude’s inept doggedness will entertain readers who don’t take their mysteries too seriously." -Publishers Weekly The Gertrude, Gumshoe Books in Order: Book 1: Introducing Gertrude, Gumshoe Book 2: Gertrude, Gumshoe: Murder at the Thrift Store Book 3: Gertrude, Gumshoe and the VardSale Villain Book 4: Gertrude, Gumshoe: Slam Is Murder Book 5: Gertrude, Gumshoe: Gunslinger City Book 6: Gertrude, Gumshoe and the Clearwater Curse Gertrude in South Dakota Book 1: Gertrude, Gumshoe: S'more Murder Gertrude in South Dakota Book 2: Gertrude, Gumshoe: Haunted Hotel Gertrude in South Dakota Book 3: Gertrude, Gumshoe: Cowboy Shoot Gertrude also makes an appearance in The Prima Donna.

A young woman is missing, and her boyfriend is desperate to find her. Desperate enough to hire Gertrude, Gumshoe. Thrilled to have her first real client, Gertrude gets right to work. But is she ready for a real case? Can she catch a kidnapper without getting snatched up herself?

There just isn't enough crime in Mattawooptock, so Gertrude has to convince Calvin to go to the big city—Portland, where she will go undercover as the newest slam poet on the scene. But have any actual crimes been committed, or is this just Gertrude's wild imagination at work?

Gertrude's never been so busy. There's been a murder at a Wild West theme park, and Gertrude is on the scene. But she can't stay long, because there's been another murder in Mattawooptock. To complicate matters, Deputy Hale has lost his patience with her eccentric sleuthing. Can she avoid his handcuffs long enough to solve a murder? Or two?

Twenty years ago a teenager drowned in Clearwater Lake. Now her ghost is haunting its shores. Gertrude knows there's no such thing as ghosts, and she's going to prove it—even if it means spending some time in the water herself.

Gertrude is back! After being thrown in the clink for private investigating without a license, she's fled the state to go where her talents will be more appreciated: South Dakota. She has big plans to set up shop, but an injury halts her journey shortly after crossing The Sunshine State's state line. She and Calvin are forced to hole up in a struggling campground, and when Gertrude finds the body of the campground owner, she is certain the man has been murdered. She is the only one who is certain of this. Can she convince the sheriff that there's been a crime? Can she convince the good people of South Dakota that she is a talented investigator they should want to keep around? (Gertrude in South Dakota is a continuation of the Gertrude, Gumshoe Cozy Mystery Series.)