Humor abounding, the stories of High on the Vine feature thrice-removed cousins, Tami & Evi Maki, who often contemplate how their lives would be vastly different, if only they did not bear the burden of marriage to Toivo and Eino. Always shirking responsibility, the two spousal reprobates tend to work as little as humanly possible and gamble beyond their means. When Toivo and Eino do win a "pot" they pass along a share of the booty to their wives with an all-expense paid trip to someplace "exotic." While this may bring a tropical paradise to mind, it turns out to be a survival wilderness weekend in the dead of winter in the middle of nowhere.
Tami & Evi punish their husbands with a hostile takeover of the boys' hunting camp. From there they explore many entrepreneurial adventures, including a "rustic" vacation rental, an Amish-run chicken ranch, and a winery operated by a group of misogynistic monks who turn out a product known as "Monk Juice." While the bottom line for Tami and Evi is always murky, the various ventures they pursue are even murkier.
"Terri Martin gets to show off her propensity for puns the best when Evi gets drunk at their weekly 'teatime' which starts with boxed wine and ends with her passing out, most often. If you like a good chuckle about Yooper foibles and follies, I highly recommend High on the Vine by Terri Martin. -- Victor Volkman, Marquette Monthly
"Readers should rejoice that all the stories now appear in one book and follow the cousins (thrice removed) from considering raising fish in a swimming pool to vacationing on a beach with a Pina Colada in hand and the Atlantic Ocean spread before them. The book is filled with grins, giggles, and out-loud laughter." Tom Powers, Michigan in Books