Cut and Dry [Paperback]

Jo Dereske (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 11, 1997

The strangulation death of a woman from Ruby Crane's small Michigan town ignites a chilling investigation into the dark side of the quiet community--and Ruby Crane becomes the target of a killer. When she strikes up an acquaintance with the mysterious stranger across the lake, she finds an ex-cop who's willing to help her. But he has his own dark secrets that drove him to this small town--secrets he wants no one to know.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The strangulation death of a woman from Ruby Crane's small Michigan town ignites a chilling investigation into the dark side of the quiet community--and Ruby Crane becomes the target of a killer. When she strikes up an acquaintance with the mysterious stranger across the lake, she finds an ex-cop who's willing to help her. But he has his own dark secrets that drove him to this small town--secrets he wants no one to know.

From the Inside Flap

The strangulation death of a woman from Ruby Crane's small Michigan town ignites a chilling investigation into the dark side of the quiet community--and Ruby Crane becomes the target of a killer. When she strikes up an acquaintance with the mysterious stranger across the lake, she finds an ex-cop who's willing to help her. But he has his own dark secrets that drove him to this small town--secrets he wants no one to know.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Dell (August 11, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440222222
• ISBN-13: 978-0440222224
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #392,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jo Dereske grew up in western Michigan and now lives in the foothills of Mount Baker near Bellingham, Washington. She draws on her Michigan background and Lithuanian heritage for her books, especially in the Miss Zukas and Ruby Crane mysteries. She's a former librarian who believes that libraries are one of our last truly public institutions, where the entire world can mix and mingle amid the written word - what could be better! Jo's website: www.jodereske.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy Read, August 9, 2004

By 

J. Jewell (Silver City, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cut and Dry (Paperback)

This book was an entertaining and easy read. The characters were interesting, the story line moved right along. If you want a story that doesn't get involved in a lot of details, this is for you. The beauty shop is not the main focus, but is the local hairdresser that is killed. The handwriting analysis is an added feature if you want to know some tricks of that trade.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Cozy, November 4, 2006

By 

Julie Norman "Julie" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cut and Dry (Paperback)

I love Dereske's Zukas books and decided to read this while waiting for the next one. It took me a few tries to get into this one but I ended up liking it. Ruby Crane is a likable and believable character. Her life is hard; handicapped daughter, little money and trying to adjust to living in her hometown once more. On top of that, she's been asked to look into the murder of a friend.

The mystery that unfolds is well told and can keep you guessing whodunit until the end. However, the confrontational scene seemed a little rushed and I didn't quite buy it. But the rest of the book was told well with a strong narrative voice. There was always something going on and the story seemed to pick up after the first few chatpers. There was a bit overtelling or explaining in some parts but that's par for the territory in these types of books.

Read this if you want a nice cozy mystery and a likeable and strong protagonist.

If there are any other Zukas fans out there - I noticed that Ruby's daughter, Jesse had some mannerisms that are similar to Miss Zuaks'; lining things up exactly, logical sequential, etc. Perhaps that type of personality was the prototype for Helma later.