Reviewed by Jeanne
Gertrude is an elderly curmudgeon with a lot of “collections.” Including cats—real ones. While searching for an errant stray, Gertrude discovers two children hiding out in their trailer, waiting for their mother to come home. While not too crazy about children, Gertrude does have a heightened sense of nosiness and she decides to poke around—which isn’t easy when you don’t drive and have to get around using a walker. It seems Mom works at a local club so the first problem is finding a ride there.
Fortunately, Gertrude is 1) not afraid to ask for what she wants and 2) won’t take no for an answer. Also, having an elderly lady demand to be taken to a “nudie bar” is just confounding enough to make someone want to take her just to see what happens next.
This is a book that requires a certain suspension of disbelief. I was willing to take the leap and was rewarded with some very funny scenes. Oddly, Gertrude is just the sort of character I usually dislike and yet her determination and bull-headedness somehow won me over, and I don’t think it was just the cats. This little old lady who has her own collection of, well, EVERYTHING and can produce walkie-talkies at the drop of a hat. Some may even work.
We all know someone like this and generally try to avoid her or him, but I found watching her nag/ bully/ demand things of other people was pretty entertaining. Which is not to say that Gertrude doesn’t also have to take her lumps—she does, and she still doesn’t back down. She’s sort of the personification of “old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill.” She may not understand cell phones but Gertrude has grit and common sense and she’s not afraid to use both.
The book is helpfully printed in large type, just the way Gertrude would like, and if you are looking for a very light mystery this might fit the bill.
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