Jo Dereske (1947–2025)

Well, I had a really good time with this one. Our Miss Zukas (Wilhelmina Zukas, if you please) is a slightly prissy perfectionist...too young still to be the stereotype of an old maid librarian, but treading along that path for sure. Excuse me, for "certain". She corrects her co-workers, even her boss, for usage gaffs such as that one; finds her personal satisfaction in neatness, order and correctness in all things. She habitually chides her oldest friend, Ruth, for using a nickname she show more dislikes (although she has apparently voluntarily shortened her own first name to "Helma", most likely to avoid the inevitable mispronunciations she would have to deal with if she hadn't). Yet, when a murdered man's body shows up in the library, Miss Zukas proves she is capable of some pretty creative thinking and even a little daring action. This was cozy without being twee, and I anticipate Miss Zukas may be destined to loosen up just a little, under the influence of an old friend and a potential new flame. show less

As the book opens, librarian Helma Zukas has finally accepted police chief Wayne Gallant's proposal. Before she has a chance to tell her family, she gets an urgent call from her mother. Helma's Aunt Emily was alone in the retirement home apartment she shares with Helma's mother when a burglar broke in. Now the man is lying dead in the parking lot, having fallen from the apartment's 4th floor window. The police have questions, but Aunt Em's memory isn't good on the best of days. Helma must show more try to figure out the motive behind the burglary and recover her aunt's missing possessions while fending off her mother's attempts to plan her wedding for her.

This is the final book in one of my favorite cozy series, and I couldn't have asked for a better ending. It had all of the elements I've enjoyed in the series – Helma's no nonsense personality paired with her unconventional best friend Ruth; Helma's library colleagues and her eccentric boss, Miss Moon; Helma's neighbors at the Bayside Arms; Boy Cat Zukas; Carter Houston, the homicide detective Ruth loves to torment; and of course, the gallant Chief Gallant. Helma solves the crime with her usual efficiency, and all of the ongoing series threads are neatly resolved. Turning the last page was a bittersweet moment for me. It's hard to say goodbye to characters I've enjoyed so much. Somehow I missed a book along the way so I'll have the pleasure of one more “new” adventure with Helma. I'll save it for a rainy day. show less

Straight-laced librarian Miss Zukas is a bit of a dark horse. In addition to being a prim and proper librarian, she has a history as a canoeist. But her efforts to train for the big race and help the library's team beat the city planning department are interrupted. A dead man is found outside Miss Zukas's friend's house, and said friend Ruth becomes the prime suspect in the subsequent investigation. In her efforts to clear Ruth Miss Zukas finds herself in danger.

This is by all accounts an show more entertaining, quick read. Miss Zukas is starting to look a bit more human by this third book in the series. It's still not clear to me why all men in the general vicinity seem to have a crush on Helma Zukas- perhaps it's the stuffy/sexy librarian trope? Still, I suspect I'll be reading more in the series. These are fun books. show less

When Helma's Aunt Em arrived in Washington for a visit Helma is expecting the staid, responsible woman who was Helma's role model. Instead, she finds a woman who likes to kick back and have a good time. Aunt Em is recovering from a brain injury and her memory has suffered its effects. She brings numerous odd artifacts with her, things from her past whose meaning is a mystery. As Aunt Em starts remembering Helma stands to learn a great deal about her aunt's past, and a dangerous mystery is show more uncovered.

Helma is her usual irritating self in this novel. It's still unclear to me why the police chief puts up with her unwillingness to commit, though a relationship in which the female half is the commitment-phobe is certainly a refreshing change. The part of the book I found most problematic was the new age chief librarian, Moonbeam's color-personality test. The library staff are required to take it- if they refuse Moonbeam will answer the questions for them. Now, I happen to live in the area where the Miss Zukas mysteries are set. This region is full of people who would be all over a color-aura-personality management scheme. What doesn't make sense is the library director answering questions for people. Perhaps this is a sign that I've lived here too long, if I'm irritated that it doesn't follow the rules of hippie logic. Whatever. In any case, there's nothing out there quite like the Miss Zukas series. Anyone who enjoys quirky, cozy mysteries should give this a try. show less