Jo Dereske

Who makes a better cozy heroine than a librarian? Most avid readers – as the cozy readers I know are – spend a great deal of time in libraries. If I were writing a mystery, I’d love putting my favorite librarian (and I won’t mention a name) in it as an amateur sleuth. Jo Dereske’s Helma Zukas is a real gem. The author, herself a librarian, knows the intricacies of that world and uses them to good advantage in her books. As you can see, there was quite a gap between books eight and nine in the Miss Zukas series, and I am happy to see the books back on a more regular publishing schedule. A Publishers Weekly review cited  Miss Zukas' integrity, great dialogue, the realistic portrayal of libraries, and the “consistently straightforward, no-nonsense prose," which was "a welcome bonus" in the novel. I haven’t read any of the Ruby Crane novels – don’t know how I missed them – but I plan to pick one up. I checked online and it seems all the books remain available, either new or used. The good news is that Avon is reissuing all the Miss Zukas mysteries in 2006 and 2007.

Books

 

Helma Zukas Mysteries

  • (2008) Index to Murder See Review
  • (2007) Catalogue of Death See Review
  • (2006) Bookmarked to Die See Review
  • (2001) Miss Zukas Shelves the Evidence
  • (1999) Miss Zukas in Death's Shadow
  • (1998) Final Notice
  • (1997) Out of Circulation
  • (1996) Miss Zukas and the Stroke of Death
  • (1996) Miss Zukas and the Raven's Dance
  • (1995) Miss Zukas and the Island Murders
  • (1994) Miss Zukas and the Library Murders

Ruby Crane Mysteries

  • (1998) Short Cut
  • (1997) Cut and Dry
  • (1996) Savage Cut

Brief Profile

I've lived in Northwest Washington State for 28 years but grew up in rural Mason County, Michigan. I longed to be a writer but as a child believed it was impossible since I didn't live anywhere near New York City. I left Michigan and headed west after college, positive I was destined to write about the wider, more exotic, world. But curiously, nearly all my books and short stories either have a connection to, or are set in, Michigan.

My first books: Glom Gloom, The Lone Sentinel, and My Cousin the Poodle, (Atheneum) were written for my two children. Since then, I've written eight books in the Miss Zukas (Avon) mystery series -- with three more on the way, and three books in the Ruby Crane (Dell) mystery series.

I've drawn heavily on my Lithuanian background and my love for the oddities of the Library world for the Miss Zukas series. Forgery, always an interest since I forged my first absence excuse in fourth grade, figures heavily in the Ruby Crane series.

I now live in the foothills of Mt. Baker in Washington State.

Photo and profile from the author’s website. Used with permission.

Author website: www.jodereske.com

Webcast: “Deft, Daring and Delightful: Mystery Writers Discuss Their Craft” (Judith Austin Memorial Lecture at the Library of Congress) Speakers: Jo Dereske, Carolyn Hart, Katherine Page, Patricia Sprinkle, Jacqueline Winspear  Date: 04/24/2006; Running Time: 56 Minutes.  http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=3888