This was a decent cozy mystery. Sometimes there were too many plotlines to follow at once. But, I probably should have read the physical book and not listened to the audiobook. The ending was okay. Some plots weren't completely wrapped up, but that's true to life so it didn't bother me too much. All in all, it was a fun few hours of reading. ( )

Got a bit annoyed with the hints of something coming at the end of evey chapter ( )

This is not a cozy series I follow. I only read a couple of early installments. I was motivated to listen to this one by the need for an "x" in the AlphaKIT. Emma Lord is publisher of the Alpine, Washington newspaper. She is engaged to Sheriff Milo Dodge. The book really seems to be more about the quirkiness of small-town life than about the mystery concerning the death of a local resident. Oh, the sheriff and Emma do investigate it, but it's more about the community than about the mystery. Emma and Sheriff Milo do elope in the book. It was a little all over the place with several story lines competing for the reader's attention. I suppose that's the way it is in the newspaper business though. I doubt I'll spend time catching up on the series. I didn't really enjoy them that much in the past, and I don't know and love the characters enough to continue it. The narrator was okay, but not outstanding. ( )

The Alpine Xanadu by Mary Daheim is a 2013 Ballantine Books publication.

It is always fun to touch base with the characters in this series. This 24th installment in the Emma Lord saga begins with a freak accident, which might actually be the murder of a distasteful resident no one really liked. Milo has his hands full with the investigation and a visit from his former wife and his troubled daughter. But, Emma and Milo have finally agreed to an engagement and are more or less living together... finally.

This mystery was especially confounding and the Sheriff has his hands full with a plethora of other issues, both professional and personal. Emma and Milo struggle to maintain professional boundaries since it would be super tempting for Emma to gain the inside scoop from Milo and vice versa. It feels awkward at times but they make it through.

I love the odd duck characters in this series, the small community atmosphere, and the dark little secrets buried there. Milo and Emma have some of the best banter between long term couples in any series I have read, often making me laugh out loud. As with many cozy mysteries, the great appeal for readers is how the story is more character driven, with the mystery sort of unfolding in the background amid all the relationships and secondary happenings. I think after a time, revisiting these characters is like touching base with old friends, and it's comforting. I am so pleased with how things are going for Emma and Milo, and hope things continue on this way.

These are the types of cozy mysteries I love to read. I have the next two installments queued up and ready to go. I'm looking forward it! 4 stars ( )

The plot is thin and the wedding/engagement of Dodge and Emma only is tested by family circumstances. ( )