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Published Apr 2005
320 pages
Genre: Mysteries
Publication Information
Members of the Burl Creek Thimble Club, a quilting circle in small-town Alpine, Washington, are planning a fete to welcome back Genevieve Bayard, who left the group, and Alpine, decades ago. But Gen’s homecoming is cut decidedly short when she dies at a dinner party. Emma Lord, owner and publisher of the local newspaper, The Alpine Advocate, immediately arrives on the scene to report the incident and sleuth her way to the truth.
Though it appears that Gen wasn’t adored by everyone in the Alpine community, her untimely death still comes as a shock. To help solve the mystery, Emma turns to Vida Runkel, the Advocate’s trusty House & Home editor. Such a notorious story would normally have Vida chomping at the bit, but to Emma’s surprise Vida is hesitant, even downright unwilling to get involved.
The demise of Genevieve Bayard, however, isn’t the only crime in Alpine. There has been a rash of burglaries, including at Emma’s own cozy log cabin. Are the break-ins and the murder connected? As Emma digs, she uncovers a shocking scandal that may point the finger of guilt at one of her nearest and dearest . . . while single-handedly changing the history of Alpine itself.
"Daheim sympathetically portrays the small mountain town and its denizens, particularly Emma and her brother, Ben, a priest who's serving as St. Mildred's interim rector." - PW
"Daheim fans will welcome another encounter with the ever-enchanting Emma." - Booklist
"Cosy mystery...amiably captures the rhythms and crosscurrents of small-town life, even though Alpine sometimes seems overwhelmed by its enormous cast.' - Kirkus Reviews
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Seattle native Mary Richardson Daheim lives three miles from the house where she was raised. From her dining nook she can see the maple tree in front of her childhood home. Mary isn't one for change when it comes to geography. Upon getting her journalism degree from the University of Washington (she can see the campus from the dining nook, too), she went to work for a newspaper in Anacortes WA. Then, after her marriage to David Daheim, his first college teaching post was in Port Angeles where she became a reporter for the local daily. Both tours of small-town duty gave her the background for the Alpine/Emma Lord series.
Mary spent much of her non-fiction career in public relations (some would say PR is fiction, too). But ever since she learned how to read and write, Mary wanted to...
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