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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780380770311
ISBN number: 0380770318
Label: Avon
Manufacturer: Avon
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 288
Printing Date: April 01, 1995
Publishing house: Avon
Release Date: September 26, 2006
Sale Popularity Level: 231053
Studio: Avon
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Product Description:
The ever-conscientious Miss Helma Zukas of Bellehaven, Washington, is not one to renege on a promise—even one made hastily . . . and too long ago to possibly remember! So when an anonymous note in the morning mail reminds her of her vow to bring her high school classmates together for a twenty-year reunion, Miss Zukas hops to and begins organizing the perfect celebration . . . despite some vague and mysterious warnings about dire consequences.
But when a secret saboteur disrupts her well-planned reunion—stranding Helma and her old classmates on a fogbound island with a murderer in their midst—the intrepid librarian-sleuth takes charge once again. With a dubious assist from her raffish friend Ruth, Miss Zukas is determined to close the books on crimes both current and overdue for solution . . . before the killer takes the alumni out of circulation permanently.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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I've been looking for a smart, sassy new cozy series and thought I would give this one a try. I have the unfortunate task of relating that this book failed to meet either critera--nor did the main character. Miss Zukas is a bossy, smug, harshly tempered librarian. She has such an exaggerated sense of propriety that all the potential fun in any given situation is virtually squeezed out before it occurs. And she doesn't even like cats! That is downright heresy in cozy-land.
In this book, Miss Zukas and her best friend, Ruth, are organizing their 20 year high school reunion. My very first thought, after doing the math, was that I had misread because that would only make Miss Zukas 38!? The picture I had in my mind, up to that point, was that of a sour "old maid" in her 70's. Are you getting my point? Anyhow, it is at the reunion which takes place on an island off the Washington state coast where the problems/murders begin... If I say anymore, I get into spoiler territory.
Ruth is a bit of an artistic "misfit" and, as indicated above, Miss Z's best friend. She has a much greater sense of playfulness and fun about her--but not enough, I'm afraid, to save the book from the wet blanket antics of our priggish protagonist. My advice is to skip any book with the highly disagreeable Miss Zukas.
Rated by buyers 
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When I saw the title I worried that this might be some ill-advised trip to Fiji kind of book. I never liked it when Agatha Christie sent Miss Marple off to islands, always preferring her to stay right in her own cozy surroundings. So I was pleased to see that Dereske sends Helma and Ruth only as far as a nearby Pacific Northwest island for their 20 year high school reunion.
Character development is huge for me, so I was interested in the womens' former classmates and nasty Cousin Ricky and how they all got along together. The crime is usually of little actual interest to me; I tend to be more thrilled by learning that Helma has a queen-sized bed and a 100% pure goose down pillow. Dereske is wise and knows her readers love the books for Helma and the returning characters, for the regional flavor, and for the (too slow-moving) relationships between Helma and her man and Helma and her cat!
Rated by buyers -
When I started my very first Miss Zukas book, I wasn't sure I'd like it. Now I'm hooked. Island Murders is my 3rd foray with Miss Zukas and she just keeps getting more enjoyable. I think her anal retentiveness is hysterical, and can't wait for Sherrif Gallant (no pun there!) to shake her up a bit.
In Island Murders, Helma and her high school classmates are trapped on an island at a 20 year reunion from hell! People keep dropping dead! Once again, it's up to calm, cool, level headed librarian Helma to solve the mystery...with the help of her effervescent friend Ruth of course!
Rated by buyers -
In this, the second book in the series (the very first was MISS ZUKAS AND THE LIBRARY MURDERS), Helma the librarian is trying to organize her mostly Lithuanian classmates into having a 20th-year high school reunion, with little or no help from her best friend Ruth, the artist. Once again, Dereske gives us a fast-paced thriller that's hard to put down. She develops the characters introduced in the very first book and adds a touch of romance, scandal, threats, anonymous letters, fog, and, of course, murder. MISS ZUKAS AND THE ISLAND MURDERS is a fun, old-fashioned cozy set on an island where murders and threats abound.
Rated by buyers -
When Helma Zukas graduated from high school, 20 years ago, she was put in charge of the class treasury and charged with organizing a 20th. class reunion. Helma is reminded of the promise by an anonymous note which spurs her on to begin organizing the event. Since she had wisely invested the class's money, she had enough to fly her classmates out to Seattle where she had moved from Scoop River, Michigan. Furthermore, her best friend Ruth, also a classmate, offered the use of her friend's island resort as a gathering place. Many surprises awaited Helma, Ruth, and their classmates on the island, and most of them were unpleasant. Dead bodies begin to appear and Miss Zukas is again in the middle of a murder mystery. A dense fog covers the island and the threat of the murderer becomes even more imminent. Helma and Ruth go through their usual amusing efforts at crime solving and finally do uncover the murderer. This is a fun and quick read!
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