Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Index to Murder
Miss Zukas series #11

by Jo Dereske



      People tend to love or hate this series, without much in between, largely depending on how they view the heroine. People see Helma Zukas as either the most rigid, prim, robotic stereotype of a librarian in fiction, or a riotous, over the top send-up of that very stereotype, with glimmerings of appealing humanity constantly breaking through the obsession with data, organization, precision, and accuracy. Me, I'm in the latter camp, all appreciative grins as I read about her never needing the layered look everyone else relies on to deal with Bellehaven, Washington's mercurial weather, because she had already listened and researched about the weather patterns until she simply knew, with uncanny accuracy, which thickness of coat would be adequate for that day, or about her "rotating the plate she'd just used to the bottom of the stack of six to equalize wear to the set." Grins because I appreciate the send up, but also because, while I've no intention of ever aspiring to her level of uniform dish depreciation, I do genuinely appreciate the idea of taking time to identify answers that are there if you only look, and get things right the first time. I wish there was a bit more of it in the world.

One of the most human things about Helma is her friendship with her diametric opposite - Ruth Winthrop, a six foot whirling dervish of artistic temperament, color, and drama. When Helma suggests a project to distract Ruth from her grief at a failed love affair, she unintentionally triggers their subsequent involvement in theft, murder, and fraud. Two of the paintings from the project are stolen, leaving Helma and Ruth to figure out why steal any of the paintings, why those two were taken, and who did it. All the while dealing with the usual dramas that surround Ruth's everyday life and some signs of change in Helma's that might lack Ruth's drama, but may well be even more dramatic.

This is a favorite series that just keeps getting better as Helma lets more and more of that humanity peep through, growing as a person and letting us get to know her better. Grab a copy and enjoy. Recommended.

The Book

Avon
May 2008
Mass market paperback
978-0-06-079086-8
Mystery / amateur sleuth
More at Amazon.com
Excerpt
NOTE:

The Reviewer

Kim Malo
Reviewed 2008
NOTE:
© 2008 MyShelf.com