The Alpine Recluse

Emma Lord, editor of The Alpine Advocate, is awakened by the fire truck sirens. She goes out to investigate and finds that the nearby home of Tim and Tiffany Rafferty, newlyweds, is going up in smoke. Later that day she discovers that Tiffany and her unborn child are safe. Unfortunately Tim wasn't so lucky. He perished in the fire. Sheriff Milo Dodge suspects it was murder and arson. Emma does some investigating of her own. It appears the Rafferty marriage wasn't that solid. There is also rumors of stock fraud. Some of the town's residents mention sightings of Old Nick, a local recluse. Some fear he caused the fire. Emma isn't so sure, but she's never seen Old Nick and sets out to learn more about him. Vida Runkel, The Alpine Advocate's House & Home editor, assists Emma in her investigation. Can Vida and Emma uncover the truth without putting themselves in danger? I love this series. Emma and Vida are such fun characters. The other residents of Alpine, Washington, just add to the enjoyment of this series. Being from Washington State myself, I enjoy the landmarks that are mentioned. The author always does such a great job of crafting a wonderful plot that leaves you guessing as to the culprit's identity. The Alpine Recluse will not disappoint. I highly recommend it!

Daheim writes with compassion and longing in her latest book. Every year, the series gets better with each new outing. THE ALPINE RECLUSE draws readers into a peril world of fear and deceipt. Besides the juggle of running a newspaper and solving crime, Emma and Milo's dispute between each other make this book a winner. Vida's gossipy personality also creates a world of mischief in Alpine, Washington. The ending may be a bit of a stretch here, but not all the books can be winners. Nonetheless, I enjoy every Emma Lord caper to date, and hope for future adventures with one of my favorite editors in the publishing business.

Mary Daheim has done it again. She's one of the best writers of this genre that I can recall. It's a must to read.

Once again, Mary Daheim has forced me to abandon my social life in order to catch up on the latest exploits of Emma Lord and her loyal staff at the Alpine Advocate. After 20 odd books, each character feels like family -- so much so, that I'm tempted to draw up a genealogy of the residents of this demi-mythical town! My husband can't understand my obsessions with series of mysteries like this; imagine his confusion when I recently discovered that Mary had written an entirely different series I have yet to complete! Here's an example from the Bed-and-Breakfast series... Major Vices (Bed-And-Breakfast Mysteries) Brew a good cuppa tea and enjoy!

This is the 18th installment in the Alpine Advocate series. In the small town of Alpine, Washington, set in the Cascade Mountains, Emma Lord runs the small weekly paper, the Alpine Advocate. She is helped by her House and Home editor, Vida Runkel who knows everything about everyone in town, and her young reporter, Scott Chamond. One hot summer night, a house a few blocks from her own home, burns to the ground, and a body is found inside--the young owner, Tim Rafferty. His pregnant wife, Tiffany, was working the evening shift at the local supermarket. It turns out Tim was battered with a baseball bat before the fire was set, and it is a case of murder for Sheriff Milo Dodge. Self-absorbed, spoiled Tiffany does not seem to be too distraught. An eccentric recluse dubbed "Old Nick" has been seen in the area. Could he have witnessed something? There is gossip that Tim was having an affair with Toni, a dispatcher for the sheriff's office, who suddenly seems upset and calls in sick a lot. Tim's sister Beth is especially strained, with her work and also helping to care for her mother suffering from Alzheimer's. Emma befriends both Toni and Beth, trying to figure out why they are both so upset, and learns secrets that might help in the investigation. Emma tries to help her friend Sheriff Dodge, but Vida is pretty much on top of the clues and figures it out before anyone else. Emma does discover the identity of "Old Nick" and forges a special relationship with him. Armchair Interviews says: This light, cozy mystery set in the beautiful mountains of Washington State during a summer heat wave, with its fun and quirky characters, is perfect for a winter weekend read.