Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thought it was a very good story...i have been wondering when Roger was going too get his. he reminded me of a nephew of mine...spoiled rotten.
i like the idea that emma was finally showing her hidden feeling for the sheriff. also the waking up of vida to her grandsons ways.. there were other instances that deal with today's events in the pacific northwest..
that hit close to home, with a lot of families...
great job mary

I have read all of the Alpine books, mostly in order. I advise newcomers to the series to start with the first book, "The Alpine Advocate," and keep going. Some are better than others, but all allow the reader to spend time with an entertaining cast of characters. I miss them when the books end and look forward eagerly to the next.

It was a happy day when I saw that this book was available on Kindle. I've been following this series for many years and as always, this book did not disappoint. Reading about all my favorite characters really gives me that "cozy" feeling. Would highly recommend this series to any new readers.

Emma Lord and her friend Sheriff Milo Dodge are shaken up over an apparent murder which took place in a local pool hall. There were a number of witnesses, but the amount of alcohol they had consumed that night led to a difference of opinion about what happened. Added to this is a tragic auto accident which leads to the death of more Alpine residents. There were so many characters at the pool hall, that they become confusing and, frankly, the crimes are not all that interesting.
Fans of this series may want to read it, but it is not the best of the Emma Lord Mysteries.

The weekly Alpine Advocate newspaper covers the brawl between car mechanic Alvin De Muth and trucker Clive Berentsen at the Icicle Creek Tavern. De Muth was killed and Berentsen arrested by Skykomish County Sheriff Milo Dodge for the homicide. The paper's editor-publisher Emma Lord has doubts as the witnesses contradict one another as to what they saw and none saw the actual killing blow. House & Home editor Vida adds to her concerns when she insists most locals despised De Muth.

Unlike the law and the townsfolk, Emma and Vida believe there is enough doubt to warrant further inquiries, which they do. Meanwhile Milo who is not just covering his butt decides on a second autopsy of De Muth because he begins to doubt also since no one admits they saw the punch that killed him. A traffic fatality of a young man high on drugs leads Emma to believe a dealer is in town but that and the death remain unsolved even as she ends up in a cat fight with a woman wanting to kick her butt in.

The latest Alpine journalistic mystery is an engaging whodunit with a support cast seemingly that could fill up Qwest Field, but as always belongs to the reporting BFFs especially Emma. The story line is fun to follow as Emma tries to tie together seemingly unrelated events. Although not a new underlying theme of a universally loathsome person getting murdered, fans will enjoy Emma and Vida seeking to find the truth when chaos and satisfaction prevail.

Harriet Klausner

What a delight to find this unread book in my bookcase. I had bought THE ALPINE UPROAR (2009) by Mary Daheim last year and absent mindedly put it with the rest of my collection of Emma Lord mysteries. For some reason I forgot about it, so was especially delighted to come across it the other day. That was after I had read the latest in the series THE ALPINE VENGEANCE (2011).

Emma Lord is the owner and publisher of the Alpine Advocate, a weekly newspaper in the former logging town of Alpine, situated in the foothills of Washington's Cascade Mountains. At times the little town seems to revert to its rough and tumble past, including fatal bar fights at local taverns. This time, the dead man is a skilled auto mechanic whose past is unknown and who has next to no social life. Then there is a second death, that of a well-liked young local man who died as the result of a traffic accident on the dangerous highway out of town.

In this series, Mary Daheim, who is a top notch storyteller, brings her captivating cast of characters to life. The most endearing characters are the staff of the newspaper. They are often the most irritating as well, but fortunately those either reform or leave their jobs for some reason. Emma is still getting over the shooting death five years ago of her longtime love Tom, father of her grown son, just as they were about to be married at long last. Vida Runkel, her otherwise perspicacious House and Home Editor, is still doting on her lazy grandson whose conduct does not merit her devotion.

Emma and the local sheriff, Milo Dodge, always friends and sometimes lovers, continue to get in each other's way as they solve the mystery who killed the two dead men and why. Since we're getting close to the end of this series (only four more letters in the alphabet), I am already beginning to mourn the loss of these familiar friends who are more interesting to me than the mysteries they solve. I guess this means that the series is more character driven than plot driven, at least that's the way I see it.

I would rate THE ALPINE UPROAR a four star read and advise that this series be read in order from the first book, THE ALPINE ADVOCATE.

Typical Daheim. An easy read and a continuation of the characters we've enjoyed in the previous Alpine books.

One of the best in the series. Sure hope she doesn't quit when she reaches the end of the alphabet!

This latest Alpine mystery did not disappoint...It had some good twists and turns..The characters never cease to disappoint either..I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Saga of Emma Lord and her town of Alpine.

I really enjoy Mary Daheim's Emma Lord mysteries. This one kept me riveted from the first page! A great read.