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Wisconsin mystery author finds crime in dolls and Yoopers

Mary Helen Becker  —  8/28/2008 6:00 am

Wisconsin mystery author Deb Baker, of Hartland, has two new novels out this summer: "Dolly Departed" and "Murder Talks Turkey."

An avid doll collector herself, Baker uses the collecting world as a backdrop for her series with amateur sleuth Gretchen Birch. While the books can be considered "cozies," Baker emphasizes the attitudes of collectors -- acquisitive, competitive, greedy, occasionally unscrupulous -- which apply no matter what is being collected, whether it be antiques, guns, paintings or plants.

In "Dolly Departed," Gretchen and her mother, Caroline, have a doll restoration business. Caroline's sister, Gretchen's Aunt Nina, trains "purse dogs," tiny animals who can accompany their owners everywhere -- even places where dogs are not welcome -- by hunkering down in large purses. (The trend was popularized by celebrity heiress Paris Hilton.)

Local collectors are invited to a doll shop for a party but discover that the owner of the shop has died in a mess of broken exhibits. Gretchen and her friends and relatives are soon embroiled in a deadly game. Baker spins a tale of suspense, danger and a bit of romance. Look for Gretchen's next adventure in December.

Baker's hometown of Escanaba, Mich., figures prominently in her separate "Yooper" mystery series set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In previous books, she wrote about the bear hunting and deer hunting seasons, but she sets the latest, "Murder Talks Turkey," in April during turkey hunting season. Amateur detective Gertie Johnson, a 66-year-old widow, has formed the Trouble Buster Investigative Co. with her friends Cora Mae and Kitty.

The tale opens with Gertie's town abuzz with excitement for the start of turkey season, but the first shots are actually fired down at the local credit union. Gertie is waiting in line when a robber bursts in and demands money, but is shot before he can get away. It seems like an open-and-shut case, until local law enforcement on the scene insist they didn't shoot him, and then discover that the stolen money is actually play money.

Somewhat more violent than the previous adventures, "Murder Talks Turkey" is still a comic narrative about Yooper crime and punishment. Baker is an expert in evoking the culture of the local Swedes and Finns who live in the area.

Gertie (who, in a nifty tie-in with Baker's other series, is Gretchen Birch's aunt) is a delightful character whose preposterous adventures are enhanced by real family feeling and some senior citizen romance. When you are looking for a new detective story to read, buy local and give Gretchen and Gertie a try.

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Dolly Departed

by Deb Baker

Berkley Prime Crime

288 pages, $6.99

Murder talks turkey

by Deb Baker

Midnight Ink

264 pages, $13.95

Mary Helen Becker  —  8/28/2008 6:00 am