Miss Zukas and the Library Murders by Jo Dereske

I really, really liked this book. For one thing, I found our main character, straight-laced, OCD Helma (short for Wilhemina) Zukas absolutely enchanting. She was both amusing and interesting and her interference in this mystery--a murder in her library!!--was natural and clever. I generally dislike mysteries where the "regular Joe" steps in to work on something that should be left absolutely to the police. But I didn't have those feelings about our Helma Zukas.

Helma is a detail-oriented librarian, who, after a dead body is found in the fiction stacks, finds herself involved in a mystery. She cold shoulders those whose behavior is unacceptable, blushes in the presence of the chief of police and loves--despite herself--her lifelong friend, Ruth--an unconventional, sloppy and trouble-prone artist named Ruth.

The mystery itself was rather less interesting than Jo Dereske's characters, but it was still interesting enough to make this book an enjoyable read. I will definitely read more of these!