The Alpine Traitor (Emma Lord Mysteries, No. 20) (Hardcover)

by Mary Daheim (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Murder and mayhem once again rock the placid town of Alpine, Wash., in Daheim's 20th cozy to feature newspaper publisher Emma Lord (after 2007's The Alpine Scandal). When the two grown children of Emma's deceased long-ago lover, Tom Cavanaugh, offer to buy her paper, the Advocate, Emma refuses. Soon after leaving for Seattle for the weekend, Emma gets a phone call from Sheriff Milo Dodge, who tells her the driving force behind the attempted takeover, Tom's daughter's husband, Dylan Platte, has been murdered. A suspect herself, Emma joins Milo in the search for Dylan's killer. Not until violence strikes again, this time close to home, can Emma put the pieces together and come to terms with Tom, his family and her own painful past. An intriguing plot and the usual cast of lovable characters make this another winner. (Feb. 26)
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From Booklist
In this twentieth installment in the long-running series, small-town newspaper owner Emma Lord must deal with a buyout attempt from her former fiancé’s children as well as train an inept reporter in how to write for her weekly paper. When one of the would-be purchasers is murdered, Emma becomes a suspect and begins her own investigation, which prompts memories of her own fiancé, who left her pregnant and alone years ago. Emma is a likable, principled, caring character and an engaging narrator, and her account of the trials of running a small newspaper provides a fascinating frame. --Sue O'Brien

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (February 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034546818X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345468185
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #246,415 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 20 in The Alpine Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Emma Lord is back, March 16, 2008

By	T.B. Grant (New York) - See all my reviews

The Alpine series is a delight and I look forward to each outing. Emma Lord is back in another wonderful mystery set in Alpine, Washington. Tom Cavanaugh's family comes to town and starts trouble for Emma and her staff at the Advocate, and turmoil erupts.

I won't go into detail about the plot of the book, but I will say this is another winner in the long-running Alpine series. However, I agree with a few other fans that Ms. Daheim should retire her bed-and-breakfast adventures and focus her attention on this mystery series. Although I have read only one book in the B&B series, "Just Desserts," I prefer the books with Emma Lord and her friends in Alpine, Washington. The characters are more developed, interesting and three-dimensional.

I look forward to Daheim's next Emma Lord capers. Although the town of Alpine, Washington is homey and fun to read about, I tire of the atmosphere and can only hope Daheim takes Emma far away from her hometown, like she did in THE ALPINE ESCAPE and THE ALPINE JOURNEY.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best in the series, March 28, 2008

By	S.D. (NY) - See all my reviews

I have read all of the books in the Alpine series, enjoying each of them. I think "Alpine Traitor" is a favorite, hated to put it down, couldn't wait to pick it up again.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Visitors from Emma's past, March 3, 2008

By	Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Emma Lord is shocked when the children of her deceased fiance, Tom Cavanaugh, try to take over her small-town newspaper, the Alpine Advocate. She is determined to resist the takeover and is disappointed that Tom's children are so hostile to her. There is a murder and a shooting and suddenly Emma and her employees begin to fear for their lives. This 20th. book of the Emma Lord Mystery Series has all of the usual characters, from Emma's son, Adam, to her eccentric sidekick, Vida. The plot is somewhat convoluted and keeps the reader guessing until Mary Daheim chooses to reveal the bad guys at the end of the book. This is another good entry in this long-running series.