This is the 12th and last in Jo Dereske's wonderful Miss Zukas series. If you are familiar with the series, you know that Miss Wilhelmina (Helma) Zukas is a prim and proper 30-something librarian who is fiercely loyal to the principles of Library Science and extremely organized in her life as well. She might sound a little obnoxious, but her appeal lies partly in her ability to use her valuable "librarian skills" to solve crime. Her slightly hard edges are also softened considerably by her quirky friends and family and her ongoing romance with Police Chief Wayne Gallant.
When Helma's elderly Aunt Em's apartment is burglarized one of the perps ends up dead after mysteriously falling over the apartment's balcony with Em's TV. Did Em push him? What about the carving knife found on the floor? Was he working alone or did he have an accomplice who might have wanted him dead? Aunt Em, whose memory is failing, can't give much information except that a beloved box carved by her father is missing, so Helma sets out to investigate.
Avid readers will especially enjoy the local authors subplot and annoying library staff members. Everyone who loves a good mystery will be sad that this is Miss Zukas' last hurrah, but the series is wrapped up nicely at the end. Who knows, Miss Zukas may pop up again! Author Dereske has changed her mind about continuing it before!
No comments:
Post a Comment