I don't want to turn anyone off of these books because the concept of a librarian who solves crime is great, and most people really like Dereske's mysteries. If I really disliked the books, I wouldn't give them three stars. That being said, Miss Zukas in Death's Shadow is a book I want to like, but can't. I want to like it because Miss Zukas is a librarian, she solves mysteries, and her library is in a fictional town in Washington State. However, I can't drum up any sympathy for Miss Zukas -- she is not a likeable person. She's stuck up, "holier than thou," and overly paranoid. I have read other Miss Zukas books, and the same annoying characteristics are in those, too. In this story, Miss Zukas is working in the evenings in a homeless mission as a punishment for not paying a ticket she thought was unjust. Of course someone is murdered on her first night at the mission, and she butts in to solve the case -- she actually goes to the widow's house to question her, and calls the victim's insurance man to ask him questions -- which he answers! Admittedly, these are quick reads, and not intended for someone who reads more complicated mysteries, but I am a librarian, and a law enforcement analyst, and I live in Washington, so the flaws in these books are hard for me to ignore. ( )

Very light read. Very stereotyped, two-dimensional characters. Miss Zukas is a librarian. See her catalog her household belongings! See her research how to pack her knapsack! Bleh.The minor characters were mildly amusing, although the fiction children's librarian, somewhere between airhead, Baby Spice and actual toddler, and Director Moon the utter new age crystal freak - who hired her? - also suffered from stereotypitis. ( )

Miss Zukas works in a homeless shelter as community service for a ticket she sees as unjust. Of course there is a murder. ( )

Rendezvous Review: A Miss Zukas Mystery. Librarian Helma Zukas is sentenced to fifty hours of community service when she refuses to pay an unjust traffic fine. She chooses Promise Mission for Homeless Men. Brother Danny makes a difference, but he needs help and asks for a grant from a foundation. As Helma and Brother Danny prepare for the meeting, they discover Quentin Vernon Boyd's body. Quentin had been a thorn in everyone's side, and he'd served on the library board also. Helma becomes involved, with her friend Ruth's help, in solving a series of crimes including thieves at the mission. This time, Helma wants to finish this before she becomes a serious suspect. Ms. Dereske has developed her own style and has quite a fan club which is well-deserved. (Reviewed February 2000 by Nancy McCann) ( )