RIP Jo Dereske

I first encountered Jo Dereske through Miss Zukas, specifically her novel "Miss Zukas Shelves the Evidence."  I was being facetious because Our Lady of Vilnius had its own Miss Zukas.  I read the book, loved it and read the rest of the series.  Dereske's Miss Zukas is a Lithuanian-American librarian living on one of the islands of Washington State.  She is smarter and tangier than the average "cozy mystery" heroine and the books share some pointed but subtle social commentary about gentrification.  She shares her Lithuanian heritage in the persona of Zukas's grandmother, who shares a very good recipe for kugelis in one of the novels.  There is even a Lithuanian Catholic church in Zukas's midwestern hometown.

I think one encounters a lot of Jo Dereske in Ms. Zukas and some of Ms. Zukas has filtered into me.  I now say "Oh, Faulkner" instead of the alternative and refer to any oppressors as "Dos Passos."

I had the pleasure of exchanging a few e-mails with her and learned of her passing via Google, as I was checking up on her because I had not written to her in a long time.

My condolences to all who are suffering her loss.

Here is her obituary:  Jo Dereske,  October 1, 1947 - July 5. 2025

A tribute from a friend on SleuthSayers blog: Farewell, Ms. Dereske