Customer Reviews

The Alpine Kindred: An Emma Lord Mystery (Emma Lord Mysteries)

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Emma is such a well developed character that just gets better with each story. All of her fears and trying to make it in the world just makes the mystery plots even better. This author writes a couple of great series and we only wish they could be written at even a faster pace.

Finally the long-anticipated junior college is opened in Alpine, and the economically deprived area is given a boost. Einar Rasmussen Jr. has donated large amounts of money to the college, but his arrogance has not won him any friends. When he is found murdered, there are no end of suspects, including his eccentric and reclusive relatives. He is also reputed to be a ladies' man, so there are several jealous husbands who are also suspects. Emma Lord, publisher and editor of the Alpine Advocate, is confused as she begins investigating the murder and she is being given no help by her ex-boyfriend Sheriff Milo Dodge. To add to the puzzle, a skeleton is discovered on nearby property as well as some gold pieces. Finally Sheriff Dodge makes an arrest, but many people think that it's a mistake. This is another good Emma Lord mystery and is a good read for "cozy" fans.

It was the beginning of a bad day for Emma Lord, owner and publisher of the Alpine Advocate, Einar Rasmussen Jr. local bigshot and the man who put a large chunk of money into the community college is in a rage.

Carla Steinmetz, *ace reporter* has forgotten to show up and take his picture for the newspaper. After promising Carla will set up another appointment, Emma breaths a sigh of relief over another crisis solved.

Not exactly, when Carla goes to the college to take the picture, she stumbles across Einar, dead on the floor in the college kitchen.

Milo Dodge, the town sheriff, and Emma's former lover doesn't waste time and arrests Ron Bjornson's who works as a night security guard on campus. Rumors say that Einar was having an affair with Ron's wife, Maylene, the librarian.

Emma is convinced Milo has the wrong person. There are too many other suspects, including Einar's family. His mean mother, Thyra, His brother Harold. And why won't his wife Marlys see anyone. And why hasn't anyone seen his son Beau?

On top of everything, Milo refuses to speak to Emma. He tells her he doesn't want to become friends again, he'd rather stay mad.

So she can't get any information on the box of gold nuggets that was discovered in a burned out warehouse the previous year. (This happened while Emma and Vida were in Cannon Beach - Alpine Journey) Carla's story about it reads like her usual stories, no information included. Nor can she find out about the skeleton that was uncovered while escavation of the burned out warehouse was being done.

At first it seemed it might be the owner of the gold nuggets who might have been killed 100 years ago, but the coroner says it's only been there about 8 months, since the time of the fire.

This time Emma and Vida's snooping turns serious, as Vida gets shot and then nearly strangled and Emma winds up face to face with the killer.

Highlights:

Carla, is pregnant and going to marry the Dean of the community college Ryan Talliaferro. She's also going to quit the Advocate and start a new job as Advisor to the student newspaper at the college. (And people wonder what's wrong with todays reporters).

Ed Bronsky hiring an au pair girl from Sweden.

Ginny Burmeister Erlandson's year old son Brad whom she is allowed to bring into the office while working. Ok when he was confined to his carrycot, but not he's moving.

Milo telling Emma he didn't want to be friends and that she was crazy if she thought Tom Cavanaugh was going to ride into town on a white charger and carry her off.

Lowlights:

Tom Cavauaugh, (There is a major storline here, otherwise I had promised not to mention this guy in my reviews anymore.) Father of Emma's son Adam. Tom married Sandra for her money, had an affair with the twenty-two year old Emma, who worked for him. Promised marriage and undying love, but managed to get both Emma and his wife pregnant at the same time. Did nothing to help Emma raise Adam. (She said she would do it herself, but that shouldn't have stopped him from insisting on knowing his son and helping to support him.) Twenty years later he decided to meet Adam. Then he gets together with Emma during a conference. Says he's leaving Sandra, asks her to marry him and then dumps her again. It's over a year since they've spoken and now Emma finds out through Leo, her ad manger, that Sandra had died several months before. And Tom never called her.

Emma broke up with Milo because she couldn't get past her relationship with this jerk. What makes me so angry about this storyline is that when this series started, Emma was thinking about finding someone to be with, maybe having another child. But she has wasted her entire adult life waiting for this creep. And the fact that her family and friends think he's so wonderful only makes it more irritating. I think eventually, the author is going to hook Emma up with him. The fact that she should be with Milo, where she always noted she felt safe and secure, just doesn't appear to be in the cards.

But this mystery was better than the last few and I really enjoyed it. Vida is becoming more irritating, rather than the quirky funny person she was in the beginning.

I've been on vacation so I've been reading these books one after another and am getting close to the end of this series.

As always, an excellent book. I find that I enjoy Emma Lord when she stays near Alpine. Occasional trips to Seattle or to nearby towns are okay, but stay away from wandering too far afield. Emma is in danger of losing her staff. The new college is adding a broader much needed scope to Aline by bringing new blood into a little town. Unfortunately, old blood seems to be spilt when new blood comes to town. I recommend this book to all who enjoy a good mystery.

Please start with Alpine Advocate and read your way to this one so you can enjoy the changes in Alpine and its varied characters.

Great humor, mystery and mayhem in Alpine. Makes you wish you lived there. Enjoy this series immensely.