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Emma Lord #24
The Alpine Xanadu
A new exhilarating installment in Mary Daheim’s beloved and long-running small-town murder mystery series set in Alpine, Washington, and featuring unforgettable newspaper editor Emma Lord.
Winter in the small mountain aerie of Alpine should be as quiet as new-fallen snow on the Cascades, but from the Grocery Basket to the Venison Inn, the town is humming. At the Alpine Advocate, editor Emma Lord and her staff are on deadline with a feature about the opening of RestHaven, a new rehab and mental health facility. Front Street is buzzing with gossip about Emma’s recent engagement to Sheriff Milo Dodge. And now that fool Wayne Eriks has climbed an electric pole in the middle of a storm and got himself electrocuted.
Sheriff Dodge doesn’t buy the idea that Wayne’s death is an accident. But how—and, more important, why—he died is only one of the conundrums that keep the sheriff and Emma working overtime. Why is RestHaven giving Alpine so many restless nights? What to make of allegations that someone’s trying to kill the richest man in town . . . or whispers of a rash of indecent behavior at the local high school? After Vida Runkel, the Advocate ’s stalwart House & Home editor, disappears into thin air, Milo and Emma suddenly have too many loose ends to solve before they can even think about tying the knot.
Featuring beloved characters from the series alongside some sinister new ones—not to mention a mystery that will shake Alpine to its core— The Alpine Xanadu may be Mary Daheim’s most delicious novel yet.
Praise for Mary Daheim and her Emma Lord mysteries
“Always entertaining.”— The Seattle Times
“Mary Daheim writes with wit, wisdom, and a big heart. I love her books.”—Carolyn Hart
“Daheim writes . . . with dry wit, a butter-smooth style, and obvious wicked enjoyment.”— The Oregonian
“The characters are great, and the plots always attention-getting.”—King Features Syndicate
“Even the most seasoned mystery fans are caught off-guard by [Daheim’s] clever plot twists.”—BookLoons Reviews
“Witty one-liners and amusing characterizations.”— Publishers Weekly
Winter in the small mountain aerie of Alpine should be as quiet as new-fallen snow on the Cascades, but from the Grocery Basket to the Venison Inn, the town is humming. At the Alpine Advocate, editor Emma Lord and her staff are on deadline with a feature about the opening of RestHaven, a new rehab and mental health facility. Front Street is buzzing with gossip about Emma’s recent engagement to Sheriff Milo Dodge. And now that fool Wayne Eriks has climbed an electric pole in the middle of a storm and got himself electrocuted.
Sheriff Dodge doesn’t buy the idea that Wayne’s death is an accident. But how—and, more important, why—he died is only one of the conundrums that keep the sheriff and Emma working overtime. Why is RestHaven giving Alpine so many restless nights? What to make of allegations that someone’s trying to kill the richest man in town . . . or whispers of a rash of indecent behavior at the local high school? After Vida Runkel, the Advocate ’s stalwart House & Home editor, disappears into thin air, Milo and Emma suddenly have too many loose ends to solve before they can even think about tying the knot.
Featuring beloved characters from the series alongside some sinister new ones—not to mention a mystery that will shake Alpine to its core— The Alpine Xanadu may be Mary Daheim’s most delicious novel yet.
Praise for Mary Daheim and her Emma Lord mysteries
“Always entertaining.”— The Seattle Times
“Mary Daheim writes with wit, wisdom, and a big heart. I love her books.”—Carolyn Hart
“Daheim writes . . . with dry wit, a butter-smooth style, and obvious wicked enjoyment.”— The Oregonian
“The characters are great, and the plots always attention-getting.”—King Features Syndicate
“Even the most seasoned mystery fans are caught off-guard by [Daheim’s] clever plot twists.”—BookLoons Reviews
“Witty one-liners and amusing characterizations.”— Publishers Weekly
319 pages, Hardcover
First published January 29, 2013
173 people are currently reading
354 people want to read
About the author
Mary Daheim
94 books441 followersMary Rene Richardson Daheim was an American writer of romance and mystery novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
August 8, 2018
This is not a cozy series I follow. I only read a couple of early installments. I was motivated to listen to this one by the need for an "x" in the AlphaKIT. Emma Lord is publisher of the Alpine, Washington newspaper. She is engaged to Sheriff Milo Dodge. The book really seems to be more about the quirkiness of small-town life than about the mystery concerning the death of a local resident. Oh, the sheriff and Emma do investigate it, but it's more about the community than about the mystery. It was a little all over the place with several story lines competing for the reader's attention. I suppose that's the way it is in the newspaper business though. I doubt I'll spend time catching up on the series. I didn't really enjoy them that much in the past, and I don't know and love the characters enough to continue it. The narrator was okay, but not outstanding. (2.5 stars)
August 20, 2019
It seems like a long time since I picked up a mystery in the Emma Lord series. I’ve been reading them since The Alpine Advocate. Since then, we’ve had nearly a complete Alpine Alphabet since this one represents “X.” I hope Mary Daheim completes the alphabet, but The Alpine Xanadu is written as though it “could” be the last. It ends in a very comfortable space with a lot of relationships settled and a very warm feeling. Of course, we could be seeing The Alpine Yeti or The Alpine Yakuza before we know it. After all, the fictional town of Alpine set in the very real Cascade Mountains of Washington (and near Snohomish Pass as far as I can tell) must have the highest per capita homicide rate in the nation. After a while, you start to wonder if Publisher Emma Lord is just unlucky or if she’s creating the murder rate to sell newspapers like William Randolph Hearst was once accused of doing (maybe not murdering, but “creating” the news).
Still, Alpine is a marvelous place to visit from the comfort of one’s own chair. It’s a lot safer. People like Vida Runkel seem a lot more humorous when one is turning the page than if you were to meet her in real life. She’s the kind of old, small town crank that you’d expect to look on every newcomer with suspicion. In fact, she castigates my former residence of Bellevue, Washington at least twice during this book. The idealistic reporter, Mitch, a refugee from Detroit, reminds me of my younger days and all of that idealism and some of those old retired geezers seem uncomfortably close to where I am now. So, I enjoy my vicarious visits to Alpine through Daheim’s pages very, very much.
The Alpine Xanadu didn’t refer to what I thought it did for much of the book. I thought it was talking about the monstrosity of a mansion that Ed Bronsky, the lazy salesman who reminded me of at least one who worked for me except for the overeating part, built with his quickly wasted inheritance money. In this novel, the mansion has just been converted into a rest home/mental hospital/care facility. So, I thought the Xanadu reference was referring to the monstrosity come of service to society. Instead, the metaphor has a very precise meaning that is revealed in the last few pages. I won’t spoil it because it made the book that much more memorable to me.
I particularly enjoyed the fact that this mystery was so focused on relationships—even those which had little or nothing to do with the centerpiece murder—that it felt very real. Spouses and “exes” mingle with former girlfriends/boyfriends as well as current flings and affairs. Even in this tiny town, pornography, molestation, and child abuse show their ugly faces. Everyone seems to have a hidden connection with everyone else and these connections are not only fascinating, but they remind me of some communities where I’ve lived. Marital spats, blossoming relationships, break-ups, problems, and runaways create a tapestry of the human element throughout what would normally be a fairly straightforward story. Misunderstandings in the workplace and rivalries across the media (and politics) form some more of the backdrops behind the main plotline.
Usually, I have an idea of the killer before I’m halfway through a mystery. This one was so wide open that I had only a glimmer of a suspicion until late in the game. I don’t know whether that meant I was off my (guessing) game or if the plot was more intricate in usual. Or, perhaps, the clues were so mundane that I just wasn’t picking them up. Regardless, The Alpine Xanadu was something of a Xanadu for me as I escaped into a fictional Neverland that left me in better spirits than when I entered it.
Upon re-reading this book, I was still fooled and had apparently forgotten that I had read it six years ago! Here's an updated review:
What if an old Washington ghost town had survived into the modern age? This is the thesis underpinning the cozy series built in a fictional community based on the actual ghost town known as Alpine, Washington. At the time of the printing of The Alpine Xanadu in paperback, the series was two novels away from completing the alphabetical series begun with The Alpine Advocate. The eponymous first title is the name of the weekly newspaper published by the protagonist, Emma Lord. For fiction’s sake, Alpine (the fictional one) has a skyrocketing murder per capital rate. It seems like the Chicago of small communities, but that’s merely the straw that stirs the drink. The real beauty of this series is the single mother editor/publisher frustrated in love and surrounded by a cast of fallible (often to the point of comedy) characters.
Vida, the gossip … er … “House and Home” columnist, has served as comic relief and keeper of the mental archives, unofficial town historian. Yet, her once overly self-righteous attitude has mellowed. Now, her main character flaw is the blind spot she has for her grandson Roger, the ne’er-do-well who has created both comedic confusion and agonizing frustration in past novels. Leo, the advertising director, is not only successful as a result of a media partnership with KSKY radio, but he seems to have licked his alcoholism problem. Former ad director, Ed Bronsky, is still as incompetent as ever, but he still provides some critical comic relief from scene-to-scene.
As for the mystery, there is more than one crime occurring in this volume and the solution to one doesn’t lead directly to another. Yet, we find that some are related in the wrap-up. Even as a veteran of both series by Mary Daheim, I must confess that I was unable to unravel the perpetrator until extremely late in the book. I was way off-base in my suspicion and, yet, delighted to be surprised. However, I do have to warn readers that The Alpine Xanadu, while still full of cute zaniness interspersed with the clues, has a much darker backdrop than most of the mysteries in the series. Alpine has some ugly little secrets which are unveiled in this one, secrets most often associated with the inner city. Of course, since my parents retired to a small town in another state, I can tell you that even itty-bitty towns have their dark secrets and Daheim’s characterization of Alpine’s closeted skeletons is extremely credible. And satisfying! One would think such a series would have lost steam by this point, but I still enjoy each and every one.
Still, Alpine is a marvelous place to visit from the comfort of one’s own chair. It’s a lot safer. People like Vida Runkel seem a lot more humorous when one is turning the page than if you were to meet her in real life. She’s the kind of old, small town crank that you’d expect to look on every newcomer with suspicion. In fact, she castigates my former residence of Bellevue, Washington at least twice during this book. The idealistic reporter, Mitch, a refugee from Detroit, reminds me of my younger days and all of that idealism and some of those old retired geezers seem uncomfortably close to where I am now. So, I enjoy my vicarious visits to Alpine through Daheim’s pages very, very much.
The Alpine Xanadu didn’t refer to what I thought it did for much of the book. I thought it was talking about the monstrosity of a mansion that Ed Bronsky, the lazy salesman who reminded me of at least one who worked for me except for the overeating part, built with his quickly wasted inheritance money. In this novel, the mansion has just been converted into a rest home/mental hospital/care facility. So, I thought the Xanadu reference was referring to the monstrosity come of service to society. Instead, the metaphor has a very precise meaning that is revealed in the last few pages. I won’t spoil it because it made the book that much more memorable to me.
I particularly enjoyed the fact that this mystery was so focused on relationships—even those which had little or nothing to do with the centerpiece murder—that it felt very real. Spouses and “exes” mingle with former girlfriends/boyfriends as well as current flings and affairs. Even in this tiny town, pornography, molestation, and child abuse show their ugly faces. Everyone seems to have a hidden connection with everyone else and these connections are not only fascinating, but they remind me of some communities where I’ve lived. Marital spats, blossoming relationships, break-ups, problems, and runaways create a tapestry of the human element throughout what would normally be a fairly straightforward story. Misunderstandings in the workplace and rivalries across the media (and politics) form some more of the backdrops behind the main plotline.
Usually, I have an idea of the killer before I’m halfway through a mystery. This one was so wide open that I had only a glimmer of a suspicion until late in the game. I don’t know whether that meant I was off my (guessing) game or if the plot was more intricate in usual. Or, perhaps, the clues were so mundane that I just wasn’t picking them up. Regardless, The Alpine Xanadu was something of a Xanadu for me as I escaped into a fictional Neverland that left me in better spirits than when I entered it.
Upon re-reading this book, I was still fooled and had apparently forgotten that I had read it six years ago! Here's an updated review:
What if an old Washington ghost town had survived into the modern age? This is the thesis underpinning the cozy series built in a fictional community based on the actual ghost town known as Alpine, Washington. At the time of the printing of The Alpine Xanadu in paperback, the series was two novels away from completing the alphabetical series begun with The Alpine Advocate. The eponymous first title is the name of the weekly newspaper published by the protagonist, Emma Lord. For fiction’s sake, Alpine (the fictional one) has a skyrocketing murder per capital rate. It seems like the Chicago of small communities, but that’s merely the straw that stirs the drink. The real beauty of this series is the single mother editor/publisher frustrated in love and surrounded by a cast of fallible (often to the point of comedy) characters.
Vida, the gossip … er … “House and Home” columnist, has served as comic relief and keeper of the mental archives, unofficial town historian. Yet, her once overly self-righteous attitude has mellowed. Now, her main character flaw is the blind spot she has for her grandson Roger, the ne’er-do-well who has created both comedic confusion and agonizing frustration in past novels. Leo, the advertising director, is not only successful as a result of a media partnership with KSKY radio, but he seems to have licked his alcoholism problem. Former ad director, Ed Bronsky, is still as incompetent as ever, but he still provides some critical comic relief from scene-to-scene.
As for the mystery, there is more than one crime occurring in this volume and the solution to one doesn’t lead directly to another. Yet, we find that some are related in the wrap-up. Even as a veteran of both series by Mary Daheim, I must confess that I was unable to unravel the perpetrator until extremely late in the book. I was way off-base in my suspicion and, yet, delighted to be surprised. However, I do have to warn readers that The Alpine Xanadu, while still full of cute zaniness interspersed with the clues, has a much darker backdrop than most of the mysteries in the series. Alpine has some ugly little secrets which are unveiled in this one, secrets most often associated with the inner city. Of course, since my parents retired to a small town in another state, I can tell you that even itty-bitty towns have their dark secrets and Daheim’s characterization of Alpine’s closeted skeletons is extremely credible. And satisfying! One would think such a series would have lost steam by this point, but I still enjoy each and every one.
June 25, 2022
Haven’t read one if these in a long time and struggled to get my head around the huge cast of characters. All are citizens of a small town in Washington State — that and the fact that the central character is a female journalists add to the appeal for me. But the whole thing was hard to follow and felt like almost nonstop gossip.
Read
April 24, 2023DNF at 15 pages.
I got this from a library sale not realizing how far into a series it was. While I do think you could read this without knowing what has previously happened (the main character gives constant dialogue about the other people in town and what has happened to them) this is not the book for me. I had to check when this was written because of the poor language related to mental health and pregnancy just in the first few pages. This is a hard no for me.
I got this from a library sale not realizing how far into a series it was. While I do think you could read this without knowing what has previously happened (the main character gives constant dialogue about the other people in town and what has happened to them) this is not the book for me. I had to check when this was written because of the poor language related to mental health and pregnancy just in the first few pages. This is a hard no for me.
May 4, 2020
I read series to watch beloved characters grow. This title is a perfect exemplar of character change and growth. Read the Emma Lord books in order. Please.
December 2, 2021
I read this book to fulfill a reading challenge prompt. I'm hooked and will be reading from #1 in the series.
March 8, 2013
Plenty of action and a bit of romance in this delightful cozy mystery. Taken from my review at RomanceJunkies.com:
Emma Lord, an editor with the Alpine Advocate newspaper in her small town of Alpine, Washington, has recently become engaged to Sheriff Milo Dodge. She and her staff are busy trying to put together a special edition, informing everyone about the grand opening of Resthaven, the town’s new rehab and mental health facility. While trying to interview those involved with the rehab, Emma begins to get strange vibes about the place and those running it. But even when longtime resident Wayne Eriks is electrocuted while working on the electrical lines at Resthaven, during a thunderstorm, it is, at first, considered an accident…that is, until they receive the results of a second autopsy.
Sheriff Milo Dodge wants nothing more than to proceed with his wedding to Emma, but with a troubled daughter at home who has just taken a handful of pills, it seems nearly impossible to find time to be together. To make matters worse, his daughter’s actions have also brought her mother to town. Eager to start his new life with Emma, Milo has picked up the marriage license applications and wants to have an immediate civil ceremony, but there is a complication; the Catholic Church is taking its time annulling Milo’s previous marriage. Milo’s job as sheriff is also keeping him busy. He believes there is something strange about Wayne’s death, the richest man in town thinks someone is trying to kill him and doesn’t believe that Milo is doing enough to find the culprit and there are whispers of a problem at the local high school.
As they try to keep their private and their public lives separate, Milo and Emma are forced to hold off their wedding until they can solve some of the problems facing them. But how long will they have to wait before they can start their new life together?
Filled with intrigue, action, complex characters, small town dynamics and romance, THE ALPINE XANADU, the latest book in amazing author Mary Daheim’s ALPINE series, is a delightful cozy mystery which will captivate you from the beginning. Not far into the new year, Milo and Emma are trying to recover from the events from the previous book which nearly left them dead and led to giving depositions and dealing with the media ambush. Newly engaged, they should be happy, but finding time to be together is now the problem. Eccentric characters, a small town setting, surprising plot twists and turns, humor and romance all combine to form an engaging story that will keep you guessing. Once you read one of the books in Ms. Daheim’s wonderful ALPINE series, you may soon find yourself invested in this series, whose book titles range from A on up to the present X. With two long running series to her credit, Ms. Daheim does a wonderful job of keeping her stories stimulating and appealing with plenty of action, mystery and a bit of romance. A longtime fan of this series, I look forward to the next addition to this delightful series. In the meantime, be sure to pick up your own copy of THE ALPINE XANADU. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great story with plenty of mystery and a bit of romance. Highly recommended!
Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com
Emma Lord, an editor with the Alpine Advocate newspaper in her small town of Alpine, Washington, has recently become engaged to Sheriff Milo Dodge. She and her staff are busy trying to put together a special edition, informing everyone about the grand opening of Resthaven, the town’s new rehab and mental health facility. While trying to interview those involved with the rehab, Emma begins to get strange vibes about the place and those running it. But even when longtime resident Wayne Eriks is electrocuted while working on the electrical lines at Resthaven, during a thunderstorm, it is, at first, considered an accident…that is, until they receive the results of a second autopsy.
Sheriff Milo Dodge wants nothing more than to proceed with his wedding to Emma, but with a troubled daughter at home who has just taken a handful of pills, it seems nearly impossible to find time to be together. To make matters worse, his daughter’s actions have also brought her mother to town. Eager to start his new life with Emma, Milo has picked up the marriage license applications and wants to have an immediate civil ceremony, but there is a complication; the Catholic Church is taking its time annulling Milo’s previous marriage. Milo’s job as sheriff is also keeping him busy. He believes there is something strange about Wayne’s death, the richest man in town thinks someone is trying to kill him and doesn’t believe that Milo is doing enough to find the culprit and there are whispers of a problem at the local high school.
As they try to keep their private and their public lives separate, Milo and Emma are forced to hold off their wedding until they can solve some of the problems facing them. But how long will they have to wait before they can start their new life together?
Filled with intrigue, action, complex characters, small town dynamics and romance, THE ALPINE XANADU, the latest book in amazing author Mary Daheim’s ALPINE series, is a delightful cozy mystery which will captivate you from the beginning. Not far into the new year, Milo and Emma are trying to recover from the events from the previous book which nearly left them dead and led to giving depositions and dealing with the media ambush. Newly engaged, they should be happy, but finding time to be together is now the problem. Eccentric characters, a small town setting, surprising plot twists and turns, humor and romance all combine to form an engaging story that will keep you guessing. Once you read one of the books in Ms. Daheim’s wonderful ALPINE series, you may soon find yourself invested in this series, whose book titles range from A on up to the present X. With two long running series to her credit, Ms. Daheim does a wonderful job of keeping her stories stimulating and appealing with plenty of action, mystery and a bit of romance. A longtime fan of this series, I look forward to the next addition to this delightful series. In the meantime, be sure to pick up your own copy of THE ALPINE XANADU. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great story with plenty of mystery and a bit of romance. Highly recommended!
Dottie, RomanceJunkies.com
January 31, 2013
Things are crazy in Alpine! RestHaven, a new rehab and mental health facility is finally opening and the Advocate staff in on deadline to get the feature out that will introduce it to the community. The town is buzzing about the news that Emma and Sheriff Milo Dodge are engaged. Then that fool Wayne Eriks has climbed an electric pole in the middle of a storm and got himself electrocuted. Or did he? Something is not adding up for the sheriff. Add to that allegations that someone’s trying to kill the richest man in town . . . or whispers of a rash of indecent behavior at the local high school… and Vida Runkel, the Advocate’s stalwart House & Home editor, disappears into thin air. Milo and Emma have no time to even think about a wedding. They have too many mysteries to solve. Their happiness will just have to wait.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Every visit to Alpine is entertaining and fun! This edition is jam packed with action and keeps the reader on their toes. Twists and turns galore. It is hard not to get caught up in the tangled web of these characters lives.
I don’t know if my husband could away with some of the comments the sheriff makes to Emma but for Milo they just fit. Emma and Milo have grown into that comfy couple. They respect each other but at times one of them wants to strangle the other. When you talk about characters evolving over the life of a series Emma and Milo are excellent examples.
Now Vida is the one I want to strangle. She needs to take off one of those huge hats and hit her grandson Roger with it! That kid needs to grow up and get on with his life and she needs to stop coddling him. She is an absolute treasure to Alpine. Who else who keep all these friends, foes and relatives straight? but she is not helping that boy a bit.
My heart aches for Mitch and Brenda and their family. Dealing with a son in prison has to be tough especially when he keeps escaping.
Emma’s family takes a smaller role in this installment but Milo’s ex-wife and daughter are right on the scene. After 24 stories there are several characters the make minor appearances in these stories but Daheim does her best to keep us in the loop with as many families as possible. Each book is like a mini vacation to Alpine, Washington.
Mary Daheim writes intelligent and complex mysteries full of humor, intrigue and a bit of romance. In a previous review I called her a beacon on the cozy mystery horizon. She has created two longing running series and keeps them engaging and fresh. I look forward to each and every one.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Every visit to Alpine is entertaining and fun! This edition is jam packed with action and keeps the reader on their toes. Twists and turns galore. It is hard not to get caught up in the tangled web of these characters lives.
I don’t know if my husband could away with some of the comments the sheriff makes to Emma but for Milo they just fit. Emma and Milo have grown into that comfy couple. They respect each other but at times one of them wants to strangle the other. When you talk about characters evolving over the life of a series Emma and Milo are excellent examples.
Now Vida is the one I want to strangle. She needs to take off one of those huge hats and hit her grandson Roger with it! That kid needs to grow up and get on with his life and she needs to stop coddling him. She is an absolute treasure to Alpine. Who else who keep all these friends, foes and relatives straight? but she is not helping that boy a bit.
My heart aches for Mitch and Brenda and their family. Dealing with a son in prison has to be tough especially when he keeps escaping.
Emma’s family takes a smaller role in this installment but Milo’s ex-wife and daughter are right on the scene. After 24 stories there are several characters the make minor appearances in these stories but Daheim does her best to keep us in the loop with as many families as possible. Each book is like a mini vacation to Alpine, Washington.
Mary Daheim writes intelligent and complex mysteries full of humor, intrigue and a bit of romance. In a previous review I called her a beacon on the cozy mystery horizon. She has created two longing running series and keeps them engaging and fresh. I look forward to each and every one.
May 10, 2015
The Alpine Xanadu by Mary Daheim is a 2013 Ballantine Books publication.
It is always fun to touch base with the characters in this series. This 24th installment in the Emma Lord saga begins with a freak accident, which might actually be the murder of a distasteful resident no one really liked. Milo has his hands full with the investigation and a visit from his former wife and his troubled daughter. But, Emma and Milo have finally agreed to an engagement and are more or less living together... finally.
This mystery was especially confounding and the Sheriff has his hands full with a plethora of other issues, both professional and personal. Emma and Milo struggle to maintain professional boundaries since it would be super tempting for Emma to gain the inside scoop from Milo and vice versa. It feels awkward at times but they make it through.
I love the odd duck characters in this series, the small community atmosphere, and the dark little secrets buried there. Milo and Emma have some of the best banter between long term couples in any series I have read, often making me laugh out loud. As with many cozy mysteries, the great appeal for readers is how the story is more character driven, with the mystery sort of unfolding in the background amid all the relationships and secondary happenings. I think after a time, revisiting these characters is like touching base with old friends, and it's comforting. I am so pleased with how things are going for Emma and Milo, and hope things continue on this way.
These are the types of cozy mysteries I love to read. I have the next two installments queued up and ready to go. I'm looking forward it! 4 stars
It is always fun to touch base with the characters in this series. This 24th installment in the Emma Lord saga begins with a freak accident, which might actually be the murder of a distasteful resident no one really liked. Milo has his hands full with the investigation and a visit from his former wife and his troubled daughter. But, Emma and Milo have finally agreed to an engagement and are more or less living together... finally.
This mystery was especially confounding and the Sheriff has his hands full with a plethora of other issues, both professional and personal. Emma and Milo struggle to maintain professional boundaries since it would be super tempting for Emma to gain the inside scoop from Milo and vice versa. It feels awkward at times but they make it through.
I love the odd duck characters in this series, the small community atmosphere, and the dark little secrets buried there. Milo and Emma have some of the best banter between long term couples in any series I have read, often making me laugh out loud. As with many cozy mysteries, the great appeal for readers is how the story is more character driven, with the mystery sort of unfolding in the background amid all the relationships and secondary happenings. I think after a time, revisiting these characters is like touching base with old friends, and it's comforting. I am so pleased with how things are going for Emma and Milo, and hope things continue on this way.
These are the types of cozy mysteries I love to read. I have the next two installments queued up and ready to go. I'm looking forward it! 4 stars
April 10, 2015
It’s February 2005 and small town newspaper publisher Emma Lord is engaged to the local sheriff Milo Dodge but life keeps getting in the way of their finally getting married. Murder, assault, mental patients who go missing, porn in the local high school, former husbands and wives who apparently can’t stay away from each other, convicts released on bond, the wrath of a miffed Vida Runkel, a reporter who thinks he’s still in a big city, endless rain that would dampen the spirits of anybody who’s not used to such weather…sounds like a depressing soap opera, doesn’t it?
Not in the least—this is just life in the small mountain town of Alpine, WA, and its citizens would hardly know what to do with themselves if there wasn’t so much scandalous and criminal behavior going on. Think of it as the West Coast version of Cabot Cove where there’s a body on every corner. Weekly newspaper publisher Emma Lord and Sheriff Milo Dodge might be the only really sane people in town but life is certainly never dull. The big question might be what is Vida up to and why is she in such a snit?
This is (obviously) the 24th in Ms. Daheim‘s series and is a return for me to a series I have loved in the past but had drifted away from. The Alpine Xanadu is every bit as entertaining as the earlier books I’ve read and reminds me of why I loved Alpine and its denizens at the time. Now I think I’ll have to go back and catch up on the ones I’ve missed while I await #25, The Alpine Y…?. I’m also very happy to note that the author hints on her website that the series will continue beyond the completion of the alphabet.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, January 2013.
Not in the least—this is just life in the small mountain town of Alpine, WA, and its citizens would hardly know what to do with themselves if there wasn’t so much scandalous and criminal behavior going on. Think of it as the West Coast version of Cabot Cove where there’s a body on every corner. Weekly newspaper publisher Emma Lord and Sheriff Milo Dodge might be the only really sane people in town but life is certainly never dull. The big question might be what is Vida up to and why is she in such a snit?
This is (obviously) the 24th in Ms. Daheim‘s series and is a return for me to a series I have loved in the past but had drifted away from. The Alpine Xanadu is every bit as entertaining as the earlier books I’ve read and reminds me of why I loved Alpine and its denizens at the time. Now I think I’ll have to go back and catch up on the ones I’ve missed while I await #25, The Alpine Y…?. I’m also very happy to note that the author hints on her website that the series will continue beyond the completion of the alphabet.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, January 2013.
March 23, 2013
Maybe 2.5 stars. I usually like this series, but I felt befuddled through this one. I never got a handle on the story, and, quite frankly, never knew what was going on. Seemed to spent much of the book referring to characters from years past - "do you remember so-and-so" type comments. By the last few chapters either my brain kicked in or the story gelled, and it got good again.
February 15, 2013
I enjoy this series in spite of the extraneous crazy characters, which I complain about in some series. I can't quite say why but this particular installment really drew me in and I wanted to read it until I finished.
November 10, 2016
I didn't love this one but I didn't dislike it entirely, either. It was the first novel I've read/listened to for this series. I really don't like doing that because I feel like I miss way to much of the backstory and it seems that was definitely the case for this story.
I am not sure I'd listened to another book in the series but I would definitely read it. I am still learning the ups and downs of audiobooks. Some narrators are awesome; other's not so much. I am still undecided about this narrator.
When I decided to take a chance on this series it's because I understand firsthand the life of being a small-town newspaper editor and I couldn't wait to relive that. The author etches that lifestyle with dead accuracy - from the cigarettes to the coffee. It was awesome.
And I liked the characters - some more than others but isn't that true of most stories?
I am not sure I'd listened to another book in the series but I would definitely read it. I am still learning the ups and downs of audiobooks. Some narrators are awesome; other's not so much. I am still undecided about this narrator.
When I decided to take a chance on this series it's because I understand firsthand the life of being a small-town newspaper editor and I couldn't wait to relive that. The author etches that lifestyle with dead accuracy - from the cigarettes to the coffee. It was awesome.
And I liked the characters - some more than others but isn't that true of most stories?
May 11, 2017
For the most part, I really enjoy the prolific Daheim's other series, but I'm just a sporadic visitor to Alpine, WA, where newspaper publisher Emma Lord lives out her trials and tribulations. And reading only once in a while leaves me at a loss when characters say things like "you remember the terrible thing that happened to his sister-in-law's brother!" No, as a matter of fact, I don't. Emma and sheriff Milo have made their engagement official, but Milo is still entangled by problems with his ex-wife and his daughter, traumatized by the terrible events... Emma is concerned with the new rehab center that will bring jobs to town, maybe; especially after a lineman is found electrocuted nearby. His wife doesn't seem very upset, and his daughter disappears, as does the great-grandson of Emma's co-worker, who is related to almost everyone in town.
December 13, 2019
Xanadu
Very good. I wish Vida would take off her rose colored glasses about her grandson. He is a big problem of course she doesn't see it. The story was good and I never saw who the murderer was. To be honest I'm not sure who done what. The story was well written except for me I think when she says Milk lighted her cigarette I think it should be Milk lite her cig. Maybe it's just me out it bothered me. I know silly. The characters are as always good. I missed a few of books so am reading back trying to catch up to Zen and all that went on. I'm almost caught up. It's a bit confusing reading order backwards. I suggest you read it in order. Good story you will enjoy it. New characters introduced and all together a pleasant read.
Very good. I wish Vida would take off her rose colored glasses about her grandson. He is a big problem of course she doesn't see it. The story was good and I never saw who the murderer was. To be honest I'm not sure who done what. The story was well written except for me I think when she says Milk lighted her cigarette I think it should be Milk lite her cig. Maybe it's just me out it bothered me. I know silly. The characters are as always good. I missed a few of books so am reading back trying to catch up to Zen and all that went on. I'm almost caught up. It's a bit confusing reading order backwards. I suggest you read it in order. Good story you will enjoy it. New characters introduced and all together a pleasant read.
January 26, 2018
It's been a while since I picked up a book in my other alphabet series. I saw Mary Daheim had gotten to Z, so I picked up where I left off. The biggest thing that happens here is that Emma and Milo finally get married. There's a somewhat obscure murder and a lot of bickering. For such a small town, there's been a lot of murders. Every other person has something dark in their past. Still it was a fun, quick read.
September 1, 2018
this is the first time reading this author. The main characters are Emma and Sheriff Dodge. She owns the local paper and ends up in the middle of any investigation going on. She gives him a new look at things and he tells her about investigation that are going on. They work together to solve a murder while dealing with all kinds of family problems and neighbors interference.
I love forward to reading more of the adventures.
I love forward to reading more of the adventures.
October 27, 2020
I was not impressed by this story. The storyline was all over the place. It was so much about the town and it's people and not really the mystery, I had to keep reminding myself who died. Emma is so in love with the Sheriff and talks about how great he is but I found him borderline verbally abusive and his manipulation is not loving.
February 17, 2021
This was a decent cozy mystery. Sometimes there were too many plotlines to follow at once. But, I probably should have read the physical book and not listened to the audiobook. The ending was okay. Some plots weren't completely wrapped up, but that's true to life so it didn't bother me too much. All in all, it was a fun few hours of reading.
May 31, 2025
Having read most of the previous books in this series, I stil enjoy it.
Alpine has some quirky characters but it is never boring.
Just when I thought Emma and the sheriff would just live happily ever after, strange things keep happening (as always).
I truly love this series and I love the Bed-and-Breakfast series by Mary Daheim, too.
Alpine has some quirky characters but it is never boring.
Just when I thought Emma and the sheriff would just live happily ever after, strange things keep happening (as always).
I truly love this series and I love the Bed-and-Breakfast series by Mary Daheim, too.
September 4, 2021
Pretty good read. I did find it rather annoying at the beginning how much past history of the characters was thrown at us so quickly though. And it did seem like too many events were muddled together. But it held my interest and that is what a cozy mystery should do.
May 15, 2022
Living in a small town isn't what it's cracked up to be. Gossips, murderers, paedophilia, and nosy Vida, who believes her nephew can do no evil, all end up in the weekly newspaper as if it is everyone's right to know each others business.
July 16, 2024
This is an episode that will really appeal to those of us who’ve read the whole series, but no spoilers! As usual various locals and visitors, including people who have moved away, are part of a complicated mystery, solved together by Emma, the sheriff and the indomitable Vida.
November 2, 2017
It's so neat to get a glimpse of Emma's married life finally and with a good story too.
May 5, 2018
Had trouble keeping track of all the characters of course, everything came together at the end. Liked the busybody Vida who knew everything about everyone.
December 4, 2018
Character Rich
Small town Washington state at it's quirkiest. Add murder and mayhem to a sweet love story and you've got a page turner.
Small town Washington state at it's quirkiest. Add murder and mayhem to a sweet love story and you've got a page turner.
July 1, 2019
Not sure why I read her Alpine books. Vida is a bully, too much of Emma and Milo personal life not enough plot. Makes me want to skip to the end.
October 2, 2019
I found the beginning confusing, so I didn't finish the book.
June 7, 2020
Another good book in the series. The town of Alpine and its colorful inhabitants continue to make for entertaining reading.
June 8, 2020
I love this series but i found the subject matter at the end uncomfortable. It did not fit in with the story line.
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