The Alpine Winter: An Emma Lord Mystery    by Mary Daheim Order:  USA  Can Ballantine, 2011 (2011) Hardcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Bob Walch Emma Lord, editor and publisher of the Alpine Advocate, a newspaper in the town of Alpine in Washington's Cascade Mountains, is caught between breaking news stories and a depleted staff. Emma's star reporter has left after learning that his son has escaped from prison. A decomposed corpse found in a cave on Mount Sawyer demands journalistic attention, as does Postmaster Roy Everson, who shows up with the bones he believes belong to his mother, who has been missing for the past sixteen years. Good gracious, what's going on in this normally bucolic mountain community? If that were not enough to unsettle the normally calm editor, she and her lover, Sheriff Milo Dodge, are probably going to have to inform Emma's brother and son of their relationship. That may create a few waves if not an avalanche of family angst since both men happen to be priests! Besides personal matters the blissful pair also face a rather serious problem since they seem to have acquired a determined adversary who is set on making sure their romantic relationship comes to a bittersweet end. This character driven mystery series has been a hit with readers for decades and this 23rd installment attests to the fact that Mary Daheim can still spin a riveting plot that will keep her fans glued to the page. The Seattle native is a direct descendant of former residents of the real Alpine which was abandoned in the late 1920s. Thanks to Daheim's series, the deserted site was named a Washington State ghost town last year. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews