The Alpine Pursuit

March 1, 2004
Emma Lord, the heroine of Daheim's so-so 16th cozy (after 2002's Alpine Obituary to feature the newspaper publisher/sometime sleuth, has been a resident of Alpine, Wash., for 13 years, but she's still somewhat of an outsider in this small, closed community, with its tight-knit loyalties and lasting enmities. The revival of an amateur theater troupe that began in Alpine before WWI and shut down in 1929, utilizing the talents of local citizens and aided by a drama professor from Skykomish Community College, leads to an onstage death. Is it an accident or murder? And is the mysterious stranger seen hanging around the theater before the shooting real or a figment of overheated imaginations? The town-and-gown atmosphere requires Lord to find out more about campus politics and the lives of neighbors and friends as she assists, prods and frustrates Sheriff Milo Dodge, her former lover. Daheim effectively uses the harsh winter weather (rain, snow, slush, floods and cold) as a backdrop for her story, but only diehard fans of the series will have much patience with the mostly lackluster characters and the strained humor. The ongoing saga of Emma's place in the sun (or perhaps rain would be more appropriate) holds small attraction in a mystery that stretches to an unconvincing, unsatisfying conclusion.

February 1, 2004
Small-town newspaper editor/publisher Emma Lord sometimes feels stuck in Alpine, WA, especially during the drifts of winter. Challenges intrude, however, when she witnesses the shooting death of an actor onstage during the town's premiere of a derivative play authored by a community college instructor. It seems that all kinds of issues reach the town despite its remote locale, so Emma's sometime boyfriend Milo, the sheriff, must investigate both campus and town politics-while Emma second-guesses him. Solid prose, remarkable characters, and entertaining plot distinguish Daheim's 16th novel in her Emma Lord series and her hardcover debut.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2004
Alpine, Washington, may not have a lot going on, but newspaper editor Emma Lord will make sure whatever does happen in the tiny town is recorded in the pages of the " Alpine Advocate." That usually amounts only to chronicling the local social scene--until murder comes to Alpine. During the opening night performance of a play written by Destiny Parsons, Emma's unfriendly neighbor, a fake shooting scene turns deadly when blanks are replaced by real bullets. The victim, Hans Berenger, prickly dean of students at Skykomish Community College, had more enemies than friends. Investigating the crime is Emma's part-time lover, Sheriff Milo Dodge. While helping find the killer, Emma also tries to determine why Milo seems to be giving her the cold shoulder. Snippets of Emma's past with former fiance Tom are related through italicized paragraphs that distract more than they enlighten. Still, fans of small-town cozies where the quirky townspeople are the main attraction will find plenty to enjoy here.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)