Dereske, Jo. Miss Zukas in Death’s Shadow (New York: Avon Twilight, 1999) 210 p.

This is another satisfying mystery. Ms. Moon confesses to buying her personal books using the library’s discount but nobody cares. It seemed to me that Ms. Zukas is becoming cavalier about work hours, frequently arriving at the library late or leaving early. 

Dereske, Jo. Final Notice (New York: Avon Books, 1998) 228 p.

Helma Zukas, the staid strong-willed librarian in Washington State brings her considerable powers to another murder case. At the same time Ms. Moon, the library’s new-age director has plans for the staff to wear “I love myself” buttons and take personality tests that will classify each of them into their respective colors. Helma firmly refuses to comply with each nutty decision and the rest of the staff relies on her to save them all from this nonsense. The story opens with a quarrel between library patrons over use of an Internet computer, so Bellehaven Public Library is continuing to automate.

Dereske, Jo. Out of Circulation (New York: Avon Books, 1997) 212 p.

Miss Zukas has an adventure in the Cascade Mountains. Not much library action here, except that the nonlibrarian employees of the public library go on strike. They want to be called something else besides "nonprofessionals."

Dereske, Jo. Miss Zukas and the Raven's Dance (New York: Avon Books, 1996) 242 p.

Bellehaven Public Library has a new employee, the glum taciturn Harley Woodworth. The library staff seems to have adjusted to an online catalog. Now Miss Zukas is assigned to catalog the private collection at the local Indian Cultural Center. She bones up on Dewey Decimal Classification, and "the immutable rules of book cataloging." (p. 25). The job at the cultural center had been started by Stanley Plummer who lacked an MLS but paid careful attention to detail. Stanley was found murdered, and Miss Zukas is on the trail of another mystery. 

Dereske, Jo. Miss Zukas and the Stroke of Death (New York: Avon Books, 1995) 210 p.

In this continuation of the adventures of Helma Zukas we get to know her co-workers at Bellehaven Public a little better. Ms. May Apple Moon, the library director, is a transplant from California. She calls meetings "harmony circles" and is trying to make the library more popular by organizing overnight camp-outs for gradeschoolers. Ms. Moon had moved to Bellehaven two years earlier, and "although still unaccountably tan, had exchanged her California slenderness for a more Northwest luxuriousness." Roberta Seymour, the Washington history and genealogy librarian is dating George the cataloger but wants to keep it quiet. We also get to know Mrs. Carmon (a circulation clerk), Roger Barnhard, and the aloof, formal Patrice. It seems Helma is in the habit of cutting out pictures from magazines. She enjoys the act of cutting very carefully around objects so as to get the whole item without any of the background.

Dereske, Jo. Miss Zukas and the Island Murders (New York: Avon Books, 1995) 212 p.

Now Bellehaven Public Library has a new director. Ms. Moon is very concerned with the image of the library and librarians. "She encouraged those who wore glasses to exchange them for contact lenses and to wear what she called 'personal power' clothing. 'Smile, smile,' she liked to exhort. 'Let the warmth of your inner librarian shine through.'" (p. 5). Miss Zukas embodies many stereotypical librarian traits. She wears glasses and sensible shoes. She has had the same hair style since high school. However, we learn that Helma does not like cats. And of course, she is very good at solving mysteries. Helma uses author's names as substitute curses. When annoyed, for example, she will say, "Oh, Faulkner."

 Dereske, Jo. Miss Zukas and the Library Murders (New York: Avon, 1994) 218 p.
Helma (Wilhelmina) Zukas is a librarian of Lithuanian descent who grew up in a small Michigan town. She specializes in history and applied sciences at Bellehaven (read Bellingham, Wash.) Public Library.  The library director is Mr. Upman, who's head is bald and bespectacled, but who has the body of an Olympic marathoner. Mr. Upman "liked to touch" (p. 6). The library staff also includes Eve Oxnard (fiction and music), Roger (children's), Patrice (social science and periodicals), and George Melville, the cataloger whom no one seems to trust.
Mr. Upman is choosing a computer system to replace the old card catalog, but without any input from the staff. Some of the staff are upset at not being consulted, others are upset about losing the card catalog.
A body stabbed with a card catalog drawer rod is found in the fiction stacks, and Miss Zukas is busy finding clues to the murder.