Miss Zukas Shelves the Evidence is the eighth book in Jo Dereske's Miss Zukas mysteries. As the book opens, her librarian heroine is having trouble deciding what to wear. What ails the normally-decisive Helma Zukas? She's about to meet handsome, divorced Police Chief Wayne Gallant's children. For four years Joseph and Syndi have been only a changing series of pictures on their father's desk to her. The boy is 14 and his sister just turned 13. Helma doesn't have a lot of experience with children. Before they can even show up, her new next-door neighbor needs a favor.

TNT Stone is a former prize fighter. He's flustered because his beloved stepdaughter is crying and he can't stand to see her cry. He feels she needs the comfort of a woman. Mary Lynn Dixon has good reason to cry: her middle-aged husband, Lewis, died that morning. Miss Zukas succeeds in getting her to stop crying, but the arrival of Chief Gallant at TNT's doorway leads the widow to conclude her husband was murdered. Is it the coincidence the police chief assures her it is, or was it murder?

Our first impressions of the young Gallants is not good. Joseph is intent on appearing to be stone faced-cool. His sister is clearly hostile to her father's lady friend.

Cat lovers should be amused by the evidence that Boy Cat Zukas isn't restricting himself to his wicker basket near Helma's balcony, the only place he's allowed to be inside her apartment. ( )

Miss Zukas' friend and more the police chief is seriously hurt while his children are visiting. Meanwhile there's a murder to solve. ( )

I’ve read the other books in this series. While, in a way, they’re cute, Helma Zukas has developed into such a stereotypical, self-righteous, uptight librarian that I’ve begun to hate her. Ah well. ( )