The Alpine Traitor

Emma Lord #20

by Mary Daheim

Emma Lord is shocked to hear that the Advocate is embroiled in a ruthless takeover bid. Soon, battle lines are drawn and war is declared. Then the first casualty is discovered facedown at the Tall Timber Motel. The victim is Dylan Platte, front man for the buy-out offer Emma turned down cold. Naturally, Emma is a prime suspect. Then it turns out that the dead man has a big surprise for the living–one that involves the glamorous Ginger Roth, a bodacious Alpine newbie who can perform the dumb blonde act in her sleep. Emma’s ever-inquisitive House & Home editor, Vida Runkel, plumbs her extensive grapevine, from the Burger Barn to the Venison Inn, determined to connect the dots. But when an Advocate insider is next to take a bullet, Emma and the rest of the Alpiners make it their mission to find a killer.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, American, Crime, Cozy

495 pages, Hardcover

First published February 26, 2008

About the author

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

Reviews

[Debra]

I really enjoy the characters and setting in this series.

[Kirsten]

Mary Daheim series has turned a corner since she killed off poor "Tommy" Cavanaugh. When I first started this series many moons ago with The Alpine Advocate, it was a proper cozy series that was set in my home state of Washington. But since the death of Emma's love interest, the series has gotten progressively darker. The stories are more serious, but still have the wonderfully quirky characters. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but I still enjoy the series.

[Kathy]

Not as good as some of the other books in the series - more like 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. There seemed to be a disconnect between the main characters this time around. This book seemed to be an excuse to add to a major storyline from previous books that I am sure will develop as the series continues.

[PeachyKeenTom]

An interesting story with well-defined characters we can know well and like quite a bit or dislike for good reason. The environment and situations are well-described in ways that are a pleasure to read. I like her writing and story, though there's a lot of complexity that increases and doesn't unwind until the closing parts of the story. The only reason for just 3 stars is that it's just not my kind of story.

[Mary Newcomb]

This series is running a bit thin but I have invested too much time to stop now. A very confusing cavalcade of people arrive in Alpine to buy something, one is found dead. Emma Lord tries to figure it all out, perhaps more will be clear in the next book.

[Marseydoats]

I didn't realize that this is series. Might have understood it better if I'd started at the beginning. Took awhile to get into it, but I did like it. Although I'm still not sure why anyone would pay for lazy, whining Ed Bronsky's food. I would buy his kids something to eat, but he could starve.

[Helen]

Another absorbing episode in the life of Emma Lord and her friends in the small town of Alpine. This one had some interesting twists involving the two people who would have become her stepchildren, if their father hadn’t been killed a few books ago.

[Sammcnair]

I started this, then decided it just wasn’t appealing to me. Didn’t get very far.

[Linnea]

Emma and Milo and all the rest. Conflict was interesting but did not tie together well.

[Sue Smith]

Nice light read

[Darinda]

The 20th book in the Emma Lord series. A light, cozy mystery.

[Sharon Bezrutczyk]

I cannot wait for the next book I. This series.

[Stefanie Jones]

""

[Sue]

Started and finished all in one day, a day of being very very tired and inclined to doze off after a busy day before. It was a very enjoyable companion for a day like this, with a good pace and sympathetic main characters. The past comes back to spoil precious memories for local newspaper owner/editor Emma Lloyd, which threaten her current life, too. It seems that nobody is as they seemed - and the plot develops through a series of convoluted twists and turns as she seeks to find the truth and safety.

[Caroline]

I had given up on the Alpine series for a while and this is the first book I've read lately. To be truthful, I'm glad that all the "Tom" things are kind of "done" with this book. I also have the next book in the series, The Alpine Uproar, so I'm eager to see how things move forward from here. I do still really enjoy Daheim's Bed and Breakfast series.

[M]

I'm tired of getting bogged down in the details of life in Alpine. I skipped to the last fourth of the book, and read to the end, without, I think, missing much. This may be the last Emma Lord mystery book for me.

[Mary]

Very convoluted theme. I got lost in all of the relations and impersonations but it was interesting. Again, it wasn't totally resolved to my satisfaction but I do enjoy these characters and the works of this author.

[Glenn Harris]

Sinister people plotting to take over The Alpine Advocate, bitter memories brought back to the fore, and multiple shootings...not a good time for editor/publisher Emma Lord or the other residents of Alpine.

[Felicia Maffia]

Had read this before. Not as good as her earlier works.

[Carolyn]

Another murderous, but entertaining adventure with Emma Lord in Alpine, Washington! Love the interaction of the characters and the with that Daheim uses in the story. Enjoyable read!

[Andrea]

pretty interesting. i like that it was centered around a newspaper. :)

[Vicky]

Good mystery

[Maria Smith]

My favorite in the Alpine series. If you live in Washington and like a light mystery, this series is for you.

[Christine]

I felt like this was really convoluted, and re-hashed all the old nonsense about Tom that I thought we had finally gotten past in this series.

[Aimee]

Decent summer mystery. I liked it pretty well but the ending fell flat for me. This is the first Mary Daheim book that I've read. I liked it enough to try another.

[Fmorlan]

good

[Grace]

Enjoyed until the last few chapters.

[Bobbi Foster]

Loved this book. Couldn't put it down.

[Nan Hurley]

I love this series and I loved this book. Fun characters, fun town and a good mystery.

[Sharon]

love both of her series