- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Ballantine Books (28 Mar 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0345468147
- ISBN-13: 978-0345468147
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 15 x 3 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,705,220 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Alpine Recluse
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Product Description
Product Description
For many mystery readers, Alpine, Washington–Mary Daheim’s fictional small town in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains–has become a beloved second home, a delicious retreat from the stresses of life. Yet the editor of The Alpine Advocate, Emma Lord, knows all too well that the picturesque old logging town is loaded with scandal: family feuds, illicit romance, chicanery, and sometimes deadly violence.
THE ALPINE RECLUSE
In the middle of a hot midsummer night, Emma is awakened by fire trucks rushing to a blaze at the nearby home of newlyweds Tim and Tiffany Rafferty. At daybreak, Tiffany and her unborn child are safe, but Tim, never blessed with good luck in all his thirty-plus years, has perished in the fierce conflagration. Sheriff Milo Dodge suspects murder and arson, and rumors fly from the Burger Barn and Mugs Ahoy to the Grocery Basket and the Venison Inn. Some swear the Rafferty marriage was crumbling. Others hint at stock fraud. A few mention momentary sightings of a possibly mad recluse known as Old Nick.
Sacrificing the heady enticements of a budding romance to nail down a great story, Emma shifts into high investigative gear while her fearless House & Home editor, Vida Runkel, rushes in where angels fear to tread: straight into the private lives of some of Alpine’s most respectable–and now terminally edgy–citizens. But neither Emma nor Vida suspects the unbelievable truth.
THE ALPINE RECLUSE
In the middle of a hot midsummer night, Emma is awakened by fire trucks rushing to a blaze at the nearby home of newlyweds Tim and Tiffany Rafferty. At daybreak, Tiffany and her unborn child are safe, but Tim, never blessed with good luck in all his thirty-plus years, has perished in the fierce conflagration. Sheriff Milo Dodge suspects murder and arson, and rumors fly from the Burger Barn and Mugs Ahoy to the Grocery Basket and the Venison Inn. Some swear the Rafferty marriage was crumbling. Others hint at stock fraud. A few mention momentary sightings of a possibly mad recluse known as Old Nick.
Sacrificing the heady enticements of a budding romance to nail down a great story, Emma shifts into high investigative gear while her fearless House & Home editor, Vida Runkel, rushes in where angels fear to tread: straight into the private lives of some of Alpine’s most respectable–and now terminally edgy–citizens. But neither Emma nor Vida suspects the unbelievable truth.
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Amazon.com:
12 reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Murder and arson in Alpine
12 April 2006
Format:Hardcover
Mary Daheim returns with another installment in the Emma Lord Mystery Series. Emma is the editor of the small-town paper, "The Alpine Advocate", in Washington state. All of the favorite characters are here, although her son Adam and her brother Ben just get a brief mention. Things are unusually hot weather-wise in Alpine, but they get hotter when a fire kills a local man named Tim, who was about to become a father. Further investigation shows that Tim was murdered, and this sets Emma off on another another sleuthing adventure. She discovers that all was not well with Tim and his wife and this casts his wife and his mistress into the role of suspects. Old Nick, a reclusive and mysterious figure is also seen around town, and several people begin to suspect that he is the murderer. Daheim manages to throw in the right amount of red herrings, and the identity of the murderer is quite a surprise at the end. This series is still going strong and it looks as if readers can look forward to 8 more books to round out the alphabetically-titled cozies.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
A good cozy!
30 Mar 2006
Format:Hardcover
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.
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.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Fire In The Night
11 Jun 2006
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
It's the middle of the night, when Emma Lord, owner of the Alpine Advocate, the local newspaper is awaken by fire trucks. The house down the road is on fire. Standing out with the rest of the neighbors, Emma is worried about newlyweds Tim and Tiffany and their unborn child.
At daybreak things look up as Tiffany is found to be safe, unfortunately the same can't be said for poor Tim. It's even more unfortunate when Sheriff Milo Dodge confirms that Tim was murdered before the fire was started.
Suspicion seems to fall on either local recluse Old Nick, who is rarely seen and seems to live somewhere in the forest. Or possibly on Tiffany herself, as there are rumors of marital discord.
As usual, Milo doesn't seem to be investigating fast enough for Emma, so she decides it up to her to start her own investigation and find the killer before an innocent person is accused of the crime.
Highlights:
Emma is always a delightful character and I always enjoy her communications with her son, Adam, who's a priest serving at the North Pole.
The Alpine residents. Leo Walsh & Vida Runkel from the paper. The Town Fool - Ed Bronsky who in this installment decides he might run for the county commission board. Emma's son, Adam and Spence, her rival, who owns the local radio station, thereby being able to scoop the paper on all the breaking stories.
Milo Dodge - The Sheriff, besides Emma, is the best character in the book and the best partner for her.
Lowlights:
Rolf Fisher. Emma's new boyfriend. We had to suffer through book after book with the love of her life, Tom and now it's looks like we're stuck with another jerk. Rolf is also a reporter and should understand Emma's responsibilities as the owner and editor of the Advocate. But when she forgets a date they have due to the murder that just happened and she's trying to cover, instead of being understanding when she says she'll still come down but she'll be late, he tells her he already made other plans that afternoon and not to bother. Anyone who makes other plans before finding out if you're going to show up for the date needs to be dropped instantly.
The mystery: I hated the murder, hated the resolution. I can't say why this entire mystery was so bad due to not wanting to give anything away.
You can't expect every book to be a gem, and I can't wait for the next book.
At daybreak things look up as Tiffany is found to be safe, unfortunately the same can't be said for poor Tim. It's even more unfortunate when Sheriff Milo Dodge confirms that Tim was murdered before the fire was started.
Suspicion seems to fall on either local recluse Old Nick, who is rarely seen and seems to live somewhere in the forest. Or possibly on Tiffany herself, as there are rumors of marital discord.
As usual, Milo doesn't seem to be investigating fast enough for Emma, so she decides it up to her to start her own investigation and find the killer before an innocent person is accused of the crime.
Highlights:
Emma is always a delightful character and I always enjoy her communications with her son, Adam, who's a priest serving at the North Pole.
The Alpine residents. Leo Walsh & Vida Runkel from the paper. The Town Fool - Ed Bronsky who in this installment decides he might run for the county commission board. Emma's son, Adam and Spence, her rival, who owns the local radio station, thereby being able to scoop the paper on all the breaking stories.
Milo Dodge - The Sheriff, besides Emma, is the best character in the book and the best partner for her.
Lowlights:
Rolf Fisher. Emma's new boyfriend. We had to suffer through book after book with the love of her life, Tom and now it's looks like we're stuck with another jerk. Rolf is also a reporter and should understand Emma's responsibilities as the owner and editor of the Advocate. But when she forgets a date they have due to the murder that just happened and she's trying to cover, instead of being understanding when she says she'll still come down but she'll be late, he tells her he already made other plans that afternoon and not to bother. Anyone who makes other plans before finding out if you're going to show up for the date needs to be dropped instantly.
The mystery: I hated the murder, hated the resolution. I can't say why this entire mystery was so bad due to not wanting to give anything away.
You can't expect every book to be a gem, and I can't wait for the next book.
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