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THE ALPINE QUILT is the 17th in Mary Daheim's series set in the small town of Alpine, in the mountainous area of Washington State. The small town setting and some cranky characters probably mean that THE ALPINE QUILT would be categorised as a cozy mystery by many readers, but I think of investigative journalists as non-amateur sleuths, and I think this would appeal to readers of more medium-boiled fare too. I hope some of them give it a try, as this is a gem, and doesn't rely on you knowing what went before. For those not familiar with the series, the main protagonist is Emma Lord, proprietor of The Alpine Advocate, the weekly newspaper for Alpine. Emma is a single mother in her 40s, whose son is now at college, out of town, and almost all her time is taken up with reporting for and running the paper. Recent events in her personal life have been pretty appalling, but she is now pulling herself back together, helped by the arrival of her brother Ben. Ben is a Catholic priest and is working in Alpine for a short time while the usual clergyman takes a break. He has a great sense of fun. Unfortunately, before long he also has a dead body in his dining room. It is initially unclear whether the victim was accidentally poisoned, or murdered, and Emma starts investigating the story for the paper. The death isn't the only crime in Alpine at the moment, though, as there is a run of burglaries and Emma senses there maybe a connection. She finds it hard work to keep on top of the investigations because Vida Runkel, her eccentric friend and fellow columnist who is usually a wealth of information on the local denizens, seems uncharacteristically disinterested and distracted which is a cause of concern in itself. The plot is perfectly paced, new facts emerge throughout its course and generally surprise the reader, without ever seeming contrived or unbelievable. In retrospect the clues are all there to help one untangle the mystery, but I pretty much missed them all as my mind moved in different directions as the story wound to its surprising conclusion. I found the characters interesting and in particular thought Emma realistic, complex, strong, and very likeable. I've read a lot of cozy mysteries lately and many have irritated me in one way or another. Not so here. This is how it should be done. Perfect pace, perfect plot, interesting characters and good writing.
Reviewed by Bridget Bolton, April 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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