Gertrude, Gumshoe Cozy Mystery Series

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.

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?

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.