Emma Lord is the newspaper editor in small town Alpine, Washington. Labor Day weekend is approaching, and the upcoming election about whether they should elect a county manager is looming. Timber bigwig Jack Blackwell would like the job if it’s chosen, but he is a jerk who rubs many people the wrong way. Somebody is so bothered that they try to take a shot at him at the Labor Day picnic. Other big news in town is the murder of a newcomer waitress. Emma’s sheriff husband Milo Dodge wonders if it’s related to other murders in the area and if there might be a serial killer on the loose. Emma and her receptionist Alison set out to investigate and try to figure out what’s going on, but hopefully neither of them will be the next victim.

This is the first book I’ve read of this series even though it’s #27, but it will probably be the last. It was fine but it was just your typical small town cozy mystery. There were SO MANY secondary characters and I had a hard time keeping them straight. If I’d been reading the series all along, I’m sure I would have gotten to know each of them and wouldn’t have that issue, but it was too much for a newcomer. I also hated Emma and Milo’s relationship. He’s super grouchy all the time except when he’s insinuating they should have sex (they’re newlyweds). But they’re constantly calling each other names, or saying, “I hate you,” and I’m sure it’s supposed to be banter, but it doesn’t feel playful; it feels mean-spirited and like they kind of mean it. There was also much more swearing than I would prefer in a cozy mystery. Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook.

This was the first one of the Alpine series that I have read, but it definitely won’t be the last. I LOVE a good murder, and the author has created a great storyline that is filed with twists and turns and a wonderful cast of well developed characters.

As I reached the end of the book, I still had questions, of stuff that is going on that which needs to be resolved! What happens next? Hopefully, another installment in this series!

I was excited to see this book. I hope it's the beginning of a new series and there are twenty-five more books to look forward to. It was a relaxing book and just as good as the other series.

This was the first time I’ve read one of the Alpine series of books, but it definitely won’t be the last. First of all, I LOVE a good murder, but add twists and turns and I practically do a happy dance. And the fact that there were multiple twists with this one, I was practically doing a jig.

The characters are interesting and I kind of want to go visit the town. My thing is I got to the end and I still have questions, not cliffhanger questions, but there’s stuff going on that needs to be resolved! What happens next?

I love Mary Daheim. This is a series that I have been reading for years. I am always excited to see a new book for it. It is nice to see Emma Lord back.

Jack Black’ is back up to his old tricks, giving Milo plenty to worry about. The atmosphere in Alpine, turns a little dark and tense, when a young woman is found murdered and Milo suspects she might be the latest victim of a serial killer.

Emma believes there could be a connection between Jack Black and the murders, so she retains her receptionist, Alison, to do a little sleuthing . Emma soon begins to worry that Alison has started to enjoy playing detective a little too much which could land her in trouble.

Part of what makes this series so great is touching base with the characters, returning to the special locale of Alpine, as well as spying on all the drama and mayhem. Even if you haven’t read all the series the crime elements are exceptional, the characters wonderful, and the dialogue is sharp and witty.

Fans of Emma Lord will love this one. For those new to the series this might be a great place to jump on board, as well. Obviously, there is some history you may feel you are missing out on, but this installment also has a ‘fresh start’ feel to it.

After completing the A to Z adventures of Emma Lord, editor and publisher of the Alpine Advocate, Ms. Daheim is continuing the series with Alpha Alpine. I wonder if Beta B...... is next?

The story is a riveting one with many twists and turns: a highly contested local referendum, a serial killer, abusers and so much more. Emma and Milo are finally married, continuing their loving, squabbling relationship. Vida has decided to retire "sometime". There's a new employee of the paper who is trying her hand at investigation.

Ms. Daheim manages to keep the series interesting and fresh. I'm looking forward to the next book and the continuing adventures of Milo, Emma and all the quirky Alpine citizens. I think this one could be read as a stand alone but it might take some concentration to keep the threads from becoming tangled.

Alpha Alpine is the twenty-seventh book in Mary Daheim’s Emma Lord series. This series fits perfectly when you want a nice, “cozy”, easy read. However, I am finding myself now struggling to finish the book without rolling my eyes every few pages. The main problem is the main character, Emma Lord’s, husband, Milo. For some reason, I find him annoying and unlikeable. His dialogue always feels so condescending. My advice is to let him be the next murder case and save the series.
I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great story. I really enjoyed the Characters . I am looking FORWARD to read another book from this author. Thanks to Netgalley, for this free copy. My opinion is my own.

Not having read any of the other 26 books in this series is a disadvantage that I was able to overcome, mostly by promising myself to go back and read them! That being said, I found this to be a good mystery with colorful characters and perfect for a rainy day! I received a free copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

It’s almost Labor Day weekend in Alpine, Washington, a small town in the Cascades, and newspaper publisher Emma Lord has plenty to fill the pages of her Alpine Advocate. For example, Jack Blackwell, local powerbroker, has plans to become the county manager…and that’s even before three deaths occur plus an attempted murder.

Emma enlists the help of the newspaper’s receptionist Alison to do a bit of digging and help her discover some facts about what’s going on in their community. But will Alison find herself in danger when she starts nosing around?

Emma’s husband Sheriff Milo Dodge suspects there’s a serial killer in their little town and is working hard to make an arrest before either Emma or Alison finds herself in the murderer’s line of fire.

Getting to know the inhabitants of Alpine introduces you to an eclectic group of characters from newspaper ad salesmen to reporters, deputies, and various other community members. There is always lots going on and the plot of Alpha Alpine will keep you turning the pages…who is the murderer and what is the motivation? And is the town’s hotshot timber tycoon involved or is he a potential victim? Motives and questions abound in this next in the Emma Lord series.

I really enjoyed this book except for Alison's constant whining about getting married. Thank you netgalley for sending me this free book. My review is freely and honestly given

Really good characters and the plot was an attention grabber. It seems to be a book that would be more enjoyable if you know the back story, or stories in this case as there are several books which come before the Alpine Alpha. The story leaves you with unanswered questions and a feeling of “huh”so I will do my best to find the beginning stories and catch up before the next one comes out.

The 26th Emma Lord mystery comes after a hiatus of a couple of years in the series set in a small town in the Pacific northwest. I've read several, although not in order, and certainly not all of them, but enough to remember each time I visit Alpine the main characters who populate the small town. Maybe it would be best to read these in order, as Emma's life and those of her friends and family and fellow Alpiners change over the series. The town and its characters always feel familiar to me, and Daheim provides enough background that each can be read as a standalone or out of order. In this entry, several young women are killed, and Emma and Milo have to determine if there's a serial killer amongst their neighbors while they deal with an unexpected visit by Milo's brother and sister-in-law. I didn't enjoy this novel as much as I have other Alpine stories in the past, and I'm not sure if that's because the series is starting to sputter.

Alpha Alpine is the 27th (wow!) book in Mary Daheim's Emma Lord series, but it can definitely stand alone. With that caveat, I have to say that while reading you realize a whole lot has gone on in Alpine before this particular book started and that you're a little bit behind the times. However, I found this book to be a very enjoyable read, enjoyed the town of Alpine and its many characters, as well as the relationship between newspaper owner and editor Emma and her sheriff husband Milo. The mystery is complex, and the book has many twists and turns as well as red herrings, with the ending taking me completely by surprise. This series is one that I definitely want to get into and recommend, and I look forward to starting Emma's adventures in The Alpine Advocate (this series goes from A-Z in the titles, and is now back to the letter "A").

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A fun cozy mystery with interesting characters.
And, of course, a great "bad guy" to dislike.

A amazing author and this her 27th book in the series is a favorite of mine.
I was delighted to return to such well loved characters. Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.
I was so happy to hear that Mary Daheim was continuing this series beyond Alpine Zen. This is another great Alpine mystery that kept me guessing to the very end. I struggled to guess the outcome but the author has such a masterful style with her mystery plots I was unable to guess and pleasantly surprised. There were newcomers to Alpine, which made it very hard for news editor Emma and her police chief husband Milo to solve the mysteries . I love how the author adds each characters depth to the story and plot. Emma is a amazing sleuth and I look forward to the next in series. A excellent mystery!

Emma Lord, owner of The Alpine Advocate, a small-town Washington state newspaper, and Alpine Sheriff Milo Dodge have finally married in the 27th book in Mary Daheim’s alphabetical series. Alpha Alpine begins the second alphabetical set. Milo and Emma are settling into married life when everything starts to go crazy. Vida Runkel, busybody and long-time newspaper employee, announces her retirement, and Milo’s arch-rival, Jack Blackwell threatens to become the county manager putting Milo out of a job, while Milo’s wacky and forgetful brother and sister-in-law are on their way from Texas in an RV for an extended visit. Things really spiral out of control when Milo’s daughter finds the corpse of a young woman, a victim of a possible serial killer, in Milo’s unlived-in old house, and The Advocate’s offices are bombed while Emma is working late. To top things off, Emma has encouraged her new receptionist to investigate, much to Milo’s chagrin.

I am not a regular reader of this series, but I do pick one up from time to time. They are a very light read, and for the most part, the plot holds together well. I was interested in this one because I thought the last one was possibly the end of the series, and I wanted to see if there had been any changes. Going forward, I think some of the long-term characters will be replaced with fresh new characters if this book is any indication.

This book was possibly a little harder for me to read than some of the others as there seemed to be a lot more mention of previous books with which I am not familiar. I think one would have a difficult time reading this book as a stand-alone. There are also so many characters mentioned in the book, both old and new, that one needs a list to keep them all straight.

There were also instances in this book that didn’t seem to make much sense to me – I have no idea what the purpose of Milo’s brother’s visit was. Unless it was comedic filler, it did not add to the plot or my enjoyment of the book in any way. There was also a rather strange party/press conference near the end of the book that utterly baffled me. Several times, I noticed a rather abrupt segue to a new idea in the middle of a paragraph, and I had to go back and reread to make sure I understood what was happening.

This is a pleasant series, but I think a new reader would be better served by starting at the beginning of the series with the first A, instead of this one. Series fans will no doubt enjoy this return of Emma, Milo and the rest of the Alpine regulars.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

This is #27 in the Emma Lord series. TWENTY SEVEN!!!!! How could I have missed so many????? It actually was rather interesting jumping into the middle of these characters who have known each other and been interacting for 27 books. I didn't feel terribly lost because I was gently guided by the characters with brief introductions of the backstory. That said, I did feel somewhat the intruder and while able to appreciate the current action, I couldn't relate to many of the characters with much depth. The plot was interesting enough and there was plenty of action.
I am giving only 3 stars but it's not the book's fault that I didn't get it all and I am pretty sure that readers of the series would give it 4.

This isn't a bad book, it just isn't at the top of the list. It is the first book of this series that I have read, and that might have contributed to the disconnect I felt. I couldn't connect with the main character, and I think that is because I really didn't get her back story. There were a lot of somewhat odd characters who probably featured in other books, as well. The mystery was the least part of the story, it seemed, and there wasn't any kind of clear trail. So I think it would be better to start at the beginning of the series.

Alpha Alpine by Mary Daheim is a 2017 Alibi publication.


It feels so good to touch base with my old book friend, Emma Lord!!

Once I’d turned the final page of ‘Alpine Zen’, I felt certain the series was at a close. The ending of ‘Zen’ was almost perfect and set the stage for Emma and Milo to peacefully move forward with their life and marriage, free of some heavy personal burdens standing in their way.

But, deep down I hoped it wasn’t really the end. To my great delight I discovered Dahiem was continuing the series and wasted no time requesting this latest installment from Netgalley!!

For those following the series, the story picks up where we left off, more or less, with most of the loose ends tied up.

But, ‘Jack Black’ is back up to his old tricks, giving Milo plenty to worry about. But, the atmosphere in Alpine, turns a little dark and tense, when a young woman is found murdered and Milo suspects she might be the latest victim of a serial killer.

Emma believes there could be a connection between Jack Black and the murders, so she commissions her receptionist, Alison, to do a little sleuthing on the side. However, Emma soon begins to worry that Alison has started to enjoy playing detective a little too much, which could land her in the killer's cross hairs.

The mystery here touches on some timely issues, and seemed just a tiny bit edgier to me for some reason. But, the familiar characters we’ve come to know are here, and the banter between Emma and Milo has settled into newlywed bliss, but with an 'old married couple' slant to it. They are such a cute couple and laugh out loud funny sometimes. For those just joining us, you may find their banter a bit shocking, but once you get to know them, you will see just how crazy they are for each other.

For me, part of what makes this series so great is touching base with the characters, returning to the idyllic locale of Alpine, and spying on all the drama and mayhem. But, even if you haven’t read all the books in the series, or are starting out with this one, the crime elements are exceptional, the characters were exactly on cue, and the dialogue is sharp and witty.

Every time I read a book in this series, I wish I had the time to go back and read the series from the beginning, because it really is that good.

Fans of Emma Lord will love this one, but this one might be a great place for people who haven’t read the series to jump on board, as well. Obviously, there is some history you may feel you are missing out on, but this installment also has a ‘fresh start’ feel to it. Reading ‘Alpine Zen’ would set the stage for you a little better, but you won’t need to read all the twenty-six installments to catch up.


Overall, I enjoyed this story. It may not be the strongest chapter of the series, but after twenty-seven installments, it is still fresh, still sharp, and Emma and Milo are as delightfully cranky as ever.

4 stars