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The name Emma Lord refers to a series of cozy mystery novels written by Mary Daheim. Emma Lord is also the name of the series’ protagonist.
Order of Emma Lord Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Alpine Advocate | 1992 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Alpine Betrayal | 1993 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Alpine Christmas | 1993 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | The Alpine Decoy | 1994 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | The Alpine Escape | 1995 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | The Alpine Fury | 1995 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | The Alpine Gamble | 1996 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | The Alpine Hero | 1996 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | The Alpine Icon | 1997 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | The Alpine Journey | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | The Alpine Kindred | 1998 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | The Alpine Legacy | 1999 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | The Alpine Menace | 2000 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | The Alpine Nemesis | 2001 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | The Alpine Obituary | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
| 16 | The Alpine Pursuit | 2004 | Description / Buy | |
| 17 | The Alpine Quilt | 2005 | Description / Buy | |
| 18 | The Alpine Recluse | 2006 | Description / Buy | |
| 19 | The Alpine Scandal | 2007 | Description / Buy | |
| 20 | The Alpine Traitor | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 21 | The Alpine Uproar | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 22 | The Alpine Vengeance | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 23 | The Alpine Winter | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 24 | The Alpine Xanadu | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 25 | The Alpine Yeoman | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 26 | The Alpine Zen | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 27 | Alpha Alpine | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 28 | Bitter Alpine | 2020 | Description / Buy |
Emma Lord is first introduced to readers in The Alpine Advocate, the first novel in the series.
Emma runs the Alpine Advocate, a newspaper in a small town in Washington’s Cascade Mountains. And as editor, it has taken her a year, but she has finally come to terms with life in her new home.
However, things are hardly rosy. The paper isn’t doing great, and if Emma wants to give it some new life, she must break a story, something big.
Emma gets her wish when the son of an old, wealthy man dies. And when the reporter decides to investigate the murder, she has no idea that she is about to elicit the ire of a deadly enemy.
The Emma Lord series is spent following Emma around as she follows up on suspicious stories, explores mysteries and unravels difficult cases.
Emma Lord isn’t like other cozy mystery heroes and heroines. Unlike many of her peers in the genre, Emma’s sleuthing activities actually make sense.
She isn’t just another hapless individual stumbling through crime scenes and putting the skills of her disparate career to the task of solving murders. As a reporter, it is Emma’s job to snoop around other people’s business.
As such, she has an easier time slipping her sleuthing hat on and forcing her way into the lives of the victims, suspects, and witnesses of crimes.
It is worth pointing out the fact that, as with most cozy mystery novels, the Emma Lord books spend a lot of time delving into the minutiae of the heroine’s life.
Emma’s existence is primarily occupied by three things. You have her newspaper for which she is always risking life and limb, especially when she catches wind of a worthwhile story.
Then there’s her son Adam who keeps her on her toes. Emma is determined to raise him the best way she can. But she keeps fighting with Adam’s father for his attention. Emma also has a brother that flits in and out of her life.
Thirdly, you have the heroine’s relationship with Milo Dodge. Milo is the Sheriff of their small town.
The two are repeatedly thrown into situations where they must depend on one another to crack a case. Milo and Emma are also lovers. But their relationship is so casual that Emma doesn’t know what to make of it.
The Emma Lord series is a little slow. The author always takes quite a bit of time setting up all the pieces of her story.
Best Emma Lord Books
The Emma Lord novels are typical cozy mystery fanfare featuring a strong lead, exciting supporting characters, and simple but amusing mysteries, with some of the best books in the series including:
The Alpine Gamble: A real estate developer wants to build a luxury spa near Alpine. Some people think it’s a great idea. They believe the project will create the sorts of jobs that the town sorely needs.
However, opponents are not convinced. They fear that the spa will attract the wrong crowd to Alpine, people that are all too glitzy and sleazy.
The situation has split Emma Lord’s readers right down the middle. And just when it seems like things can’t get any worse, a murder shocks the community.
Now Emma is determined to solve the crime. She is joined by Sheriff Milo Dodge and her colleague Vida Runkel.
The Alpine Nemesis: Things got a little exciting two months ago when a snowboarder vanished. But life in Alpine has settled into a dull rut, as it often does.
Just when Emma is coming to terms with the fact that she will have little choice but to fill her paper with stories of graduations and local chickenpox outbreaks, a family feud flares up, leading to three deaths.
Other Book Series You May Like
You may also like the “Birds of a Feather Mystery” Series by Marty Wingate. Julia Lanchester worked for her father’s popular BBC Two show. But then her personal life imploded and she escaped to a quaint English countryside. Now Julia is determined to balance her love life, her tourist management position and all the murders she keeps trying to solve.
Another good series to read is the “Josiah Reynolds Mysteries” Series by Abigail Keam. Josiah Reynolds is a beekeeper. She earns a living by selling honey at the farmer’s market. Josiah is drawn into the sleuthing game when a dead body is found in her beeyard.
What Is The Next Book in The Emma Lord Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Emma Lord Series. The newest book is Bitter Alpine and was released on February, 1st 2020.