Jo Dereske’s CATALOGUE OF DEATH is the fifth novel in the series featuring prim and proper librarian Wilhelmina “Helma” Zukas and a goofy slew of ancillary characters who are as charming as they are quirky and independent.
In this installment, an aged benefactor of the library has promised them a prime building site for a new library. But the man’s brothers are dead set against giving the land to such an enterprise. Instead, they hope to build condos on the site and make some serious money. When the elderly booklover – along with one of his long-standing enemies – is blown to bits by a hunk of C4 explosive, the future of the new library looks grim, indeed. Miss Zukas is on the case.
The first half of the book is very likable, as Dereske gently paints her macro-setting of northwestern Washington, and her micro-setting of the library in which Miss Zukas works. I can’t get used to calling her Helma, which goes a long way to explain just how good Dereske is at her characterizations. The players make this book what it is: a fun and pleasant read about people you care about, but who go about their business in odd and counterproductive ways.
There’s Miss Zukas, of course, who is almost obsessive-compulsive about her cleanliness and her comportment; there’s her wild artist friend, Ruth, who is a polar opposite; there’s Dutch, the ex-soldier turned cataloguer; the sheriff and his detective; the casino bus driver; and the stranded Chinese dragon lady. All of these characters are well-drawn and interesting. This is no mean feat in a mystery novel that whisks one along fairly quickly into the investigation surrounding the old man’s death.
But it’s the investigation that falls apart toward the second half of the book. Seriously loopy decisions are coupled with a town and sheriff’s department that don’t seem all that interested in solving the case. An unnecessarily complicated explanation of how the deed was committed just beggars belief. And the hidden secret behind the final crime seems so benign, especially since it was a secret that occurred a hundred years ago, that it leaves one not at all convinced in the fiction.
This is a shame, because the characters and setting are very appealing. There is definitely something here worth reading, so if some of the other books in the series have a more coherent plot, it may be worth your time to seek them out. Mystery lovers need a good series about a resourceful librarian, and the hidden powers that can be found in the book stacks. –Mark Rose
