The Alpine Quilt

Emma Lord #17

by Mary Daheim

“[A] well-paced and compelling murder mystery.”— Romantic Times

Quilters at the Burl Creek Thimble Club in Alpine, Washing-ton, are planning a fête to welcome back returning member Genevieve Bayard. But Gen’s homecoming is cut short when she dies suddenly at a dinner party. Emma Lord, owner and publisher of the local newspaper The Alpine Advocate, vows to sleuth her way to the truth, and enlists the help of her trusted “House & Home” editor, Vida Runkel. Surprisingly, Vida seems downright unwilling to get involved. To make matters worse, murder isn’t the only crime in Alpine. There have been several burglaries, which may or may not be connected to Gen’s de-mise. As Emma digs, she uncovers a shocking scandal that may point the finger of guilt at one of her nearest and dearest . . . while changing the history of Alpine itself.

“[Daheim] amiably captures the rhythms and crosscurrents of small-town life.”— Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 26, 2005

About the author

Mary Rene Richardson Daheim was an American writer of romance and mystery novels.

Reviews

[Glenn Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every book in this series is a good one, which is remarkable considering the small size of both the town and the number of regular characters. Mary Daheim keeps finding ways to make the mystery interesting and to let the townspeople evolve--including, of course, our heroine Emma Lord.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and it’s a while since I dipped into small US town cosies. I enjoyed the detailed daily life of a small town newspaper (while being astounded at the level and amount of mundane detail in which a small community appeared to be interested). The book does not resolve the ethical dilemma of what is in the public interest. By default the individual decides based on their own loyalties.

I liked the writing style and the main characters are engaging. There were, however, rather too many community members to keep track of. The romance element was not too intrusive, even though I find the whole flirtation ritual tedious and at odds with the rest of the narrative.

The writing and newspaper setting fitted the mystery and engaged me.

[Gab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I found out after starting to read this book that it was number 17 in the series, it was still good as a stand alone book. The story is a cozy mystery set in the town of Alpine in Washington state where a long gone local resident of the town comes back for a visit - and ends up being poisoned. Emma Lord owns the local newspaper and has become the town's sleuth. This death really bothers her as it happened at the presbytery where her brother is the priest. As she digs further, she realises that her friend and colleague, Vida, may know more than she's letting on.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sudden death of a woman returning to the community after many years exposes a cold case mystery involving one of the central characters in this series. The resolution is fascinating. And in unravelling both mysteries, the author does a great job of demythologising the Catholic priesthood, as the two closest family members of the protagonist are both priests.
An interesting and different addition to an enjoyable series.

[GreenBayTina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting mystery combining religion, small town life, old secrets, the bonds of families and friendships, murder, and a little romance. I am familiar with most of the communities in the story, having been born in Spokane, Washington, lived in Everett, and hiked in the Cascade Mountains and in and around. Gold Bar area. Being able to picture where the story takes place always adds something special to the story. This was book 17 of the series, but the first one I’ve read.

[A-bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Consistently good

The alpine mysteries run from a to z in name, and obviously I'm enjoying them because I just finished Q. This isn't high literature, but they're consistently good little mysteries. I read them mostly to find out what's going on in the lives of the town's folk. They're fun.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As this series progresses, the reader learns more and more about the characters who populate Alpine and their histories. This book is a perfect example. As the clues are uncovered, more than just the facts surrounding the mystery event is revealed about current characters and those from the past. I only wish I had not skipped so many of the earlier books in the series.

[Candyce Rude · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing!

Growing up in a small logging town East of Seattle myself and knowing nearly everyone in this community I truly enjoyed this story. I liked the unpredictable twists to this book.

[Carolann Hiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series

It feels like coming home to greet old familiar characters set in Washington State. Long time fan of Mary Daheim

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a whodunit. I was so overwhelmed by detail it was difficult to keep track of the story. Keeps the reader hanging until the very end.

[Pat Frieman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, good plot. I'll definitely get into more of the series.

[Tomavalon · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh

[Weffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful I was LOL

As a quilter and mystery lover, I found this fun and fascinating with bits of humor throughout. A Surprise ending.

[Chris Blackton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this series! Worth reading!

[Susan Moxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written story that was a real page turner.

[Beverley Lombardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the plot. I did not guess the ending. The characters are believable. I have read Mary Daheim novels before and I will continue to do so.

[Karen O'Conor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book. Very well plotted.

[Kathleen Sartwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is always fun to read. In

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed reading this book, it was not particularly memorable. Which is my excuse for finding out I had read it previously.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 17th book in the Emma Lord series. A light, cozy mystery.

[Sharon Bezrutczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working my way through this series is such fun..

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

quilt mystery are cool

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of names throughout the story line and difficult to keep track of who was who at times. A mystery in the end.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice, easy read, and I enjoyed it. I got it free on my Kindle, or I would never have picked it to read. The book had a concept that held my interest, and I liked the way the author brought the eccentric group of friends together towards a shared conclusion. I also learned that this book is #17 in a series, and I might just try to read another of Ms. Daheim'a offerings.

[Katy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book disappointed me. It was a good idea but it wasn't developed well. Emma Lord is a newspaper editor in a small town in Washington. Her weekly paper carries any item of interest to her readers, so it wasn't unusual when the local quilters gave Genevieve, a local woman who left many years ago, a party upon her return visit. The next day Genevieve was dead. So begins the mystery, who killed her and why?

I continued to read this book because occasionally the author used a word I didn't know. When I looked up the word, I realized she should have used a different synonym instead of interspersing "big words" in the writing. The only part I truly liked about the writing was Emma's reflection upon the human condition, which was found in the last few pages of the book after the murderer confessed. I'm sorry Daheim didn't weave this thread throughout the story, building up to this conclusion.

I'm not sure if I will read future Emma Lord stories. This one disappointed me.

[Mallory · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn’t a book I would typically pick up (got it at CCPL Staff Day last year from the table centerpiece), but I tried to read it with an open mind. Some quirky characters, but nobody I could really relate to and an interesting, but not particularly memorable story. So many names pop up in the opening chapters that I felt a little lost in keeping track of who’s who. Evidently, there are a good number of previous “Alpine” books, however, so I’m guessing that most of the characters are pretty well established already. There were enough funny situations to keep me entertained, but the mystery itself didn’t draw me in. Catholics, quilts, newspaper journalism, and murder – just not my cup of tea.

Favorite quotes: “That’s the trouble with the Sacrament of Penance. God can forgive people, but often they can’t forgive themselves.” – Father Ben Lord

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because I am a quilter. I liked that it takes place in WA state where I live. The main character Emma is funny at times, I found myself giggling out loud. She owns the local newspaper "The Advocate" it keeps her busy and up to date on all the local town gossip and gets involved in the solving a quilters death after she comes back to the small town of Alpine. An entertaining quick read, just what I needed prior to starting a trilogy that is calling for me! Mary Daheim captures life in a small town and introduces characters and develops them along the way. I may have to read more of her books!

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good installment, with the characters back in character (which was my biggest complaint with the previous installment). The mystery was interesting, and served as a bit of overall series exposition, though waiting until the 17th book felt a bit odd for that much background/exposition.

This was not my favorite installment of the series, but it was a good, enjoyable read, and the mystery was interesting. I would say it was hard to figure out, but I read the end first so I knew the killer most of the way through the book and that changed how I saw the characters.

[Scilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quilter comes back to the town where she grew up in Washington State and dies of poisoning from diabetes medication. She has sold quilts from someone elses designs during the time she was away. The murder begins to look like it relates back to an earlier death of another woman's husband. The plot is complicated by local robberies and a mew man for the heroine. There were too many threads for my taste.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've ready by Mary Daheim. I liked it. It's about an owner of a newspaper in a small Washington State town. Her son and brother are Catholic priests. Because of a small town there are lots of recurring characters which can be quirky. There are a lot of books in this series and I'm going to start from the beginning. I liked the characters, not too grizzly so far, almost light reading.