Final Notice: A Miss Zukas Mysterybk 3

I wish I had discovered the Miss Zukas series years ago. I found most of the characters amusing and yet identifiable (although they do seem to run across an inordinate number of dead bodies!). I'm looking forward to many more books to come in the series.

Helma Zukas' brother calls with the news that their Aunt Em has had an accident and is unable to care for herself for awhile. Helma steps in and volunteers to take time off from her job as a librarian to take care of her favorite aunt. As soon as Aunt Em arrives, strange things begin to happen, from stolen suitcases to the appearance of a dead body. Aunt Em seems to be at the center of the occurrences and Helma begins to suspect that her aunt's past is not quite as pristine as she had believed. She and her best friend Ruth begin to investigate the people who surround Aunt Em and finally discover a motive for the crimes which have been committed. Aunt Em is blissfully unaware of the stir that she is causing and proceeds to befriend several people in Bellehaven. She is a delightful character who would be an asset in future books. As always, this Miss Zukas Mystery, is a fun and enjoyable read.

I read this book cover to cover, putting the book down once! I just loved it. True, it may not be the Miss Zukas we have grown to know and love, but I found it very interesting to see a side of her that we haven't seen previously in her other books. Aunt Em was delightful and Ruth hilarious as ever! I can't wait for the next book!

Jo Dereske's Helma Zukas, librarian and amateur sleuth, is one of my favorite fictional characters. This series always keeps me laughing, both at Helma and and her friend Ruth's exploits, and at the shenanigans going on at Helma's library. This latest adventure is no exception, as Helma's elderly aunt gets involved in a murder. Ruth is her usual over-the-top self, and Helma has to suply the common sense for all of them. It will be interesting to see if the author works Helma's aunt into upcoming books. Highly recommended

Shame on you, if you're a school or public librarian and haven't yet devoured these Helma Zukas murder mysteries! The plots become even merrier with every fun-poking gibe at current librarianship. In "Final Notice," Helma's aunt takes center stage as she visits Bellehaven from her native Michigan. Murder and intrigue come with her, and it's up to Helma (as usual) to decipher who the culprit is before he/she can wreak more havoc. The running romantic sub-plot between the librarian and police chief Wayne Gallant is a continuing saga with subtle nuances that reflect real life experiences. These books can be enjoyed by ANY mystery lover, and not just those of us in the book-loaning trade.