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series Reading Order

Emma Lord (Series) Books in Order

28 Books
1992 – 2008 Published
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Reading order

The Recommended Reading Order

For the best experience, the Emma Lord series should be read in order of publication. Because the series spans over two decades of in-universe history, the overarching character development, town gossip, and relationships evolve chronologically from book to book. Reading them out of order will spoil major life events for Emma and the residents of Alpine.

The Main Alphabetical Series (Books 1 to 26)

The core of the series is famously structured around the alphabet, beginning with the letter A in 1992 and concluding the initial run with Z in 2015:

  • The Alpine Advocate (1992)
  • The Alpine Betrayal (1993)
  • The Alpine Christmas (1993)
  • The Alpine Decoy (1994)
  • The Alpine Escape (1995)
  • The Alpine Fury (1995)
  • The Alpine Gamble (1996)
  • The Alpine Hero (1996)
  • The Alpine Icon (1997)
  • The Alpine Journey (1998)
  • The Alpine Kindred (1998)
  • The Alpine Legacy (1999)
  • The Alpine Menace (2000)
  • The Alpine Nemesis (2001)
  • The Alpine Obituary (2002)
  • The Alpine Pursuit (2004)
  • The Alpine Quilt (2005)
  • The Alpine Recluse (2006)
  • The Alpine Scandal (2007)
  • The Alpine Traitor (2008)
  • The Alpine Uproar (2009)
  • The Alpine Vengeance (2010)
  • The Alpine Winter (2011)
  • The Alpine Xanadu (2013)
  • The Alpine Yeoman (2014)
  • The Alpine Zen (2015)

Emma Lord Returns Duology (Books 27 and 28)

After reaching the end of the alphabet with The Alpine Zen, Mary Daheim decided to revisit her beloved characters. She restarted the alphabetical naming convention with the following two books, which function as direct sequels and complete the series:

  • Alpha Alpine (2017)
  • Bitter Alpine (2020)

Decoding the Alpine Timeline: Publication vs. Chronological Order

There is no complex timeline manipulation or prequel jumping in the Emma Lord series. The chronological timeline matches the publication order exactly. The events of The Alpine Betrayal take place after The Alpine Advocate, and the sequence flows naturally all the way to Bitter Alpine. While the individual murder mysteries in each installment are solved by the final page, the personal lives of the recurring characters progress steadily, making chronological reading highly recommended.

Where to Start Reading

You should absolutely start with the first book, The Alpine Advocate. It introduces Emma Lord, explains her transition from a big-city Seattle reporter to the owner and editor of the small-town Alpine Advocate newspaper, and establishes the key figures of Alpine, Washington. Starting elsewhere will leave you confused about the complex web of local relationships and the slow-burn romance between Emma and the local sheriff.

What to Know Before You Start

Before diving into the Cascade Mountains, here is what you need to know about the tone, style, and setting of the series:

The Setting of Alpine

Alpine, Washington, is a fictional small town nestled in the Cascade Mountains. Mary Daheim based the setting on a real-life historic logging town that eventually became a ghost town. In the series, it is a bustling, close-knit community where gossip at the Venison Inn or the Upper Crust Bakery travels faster than the local news.

Emma Lord and Milo Dodge

Emma Lord is a sharp-witted, independent, and stubborn journalist whose nose for news repeatedly leads her into local murder investigations. Her chief foil and primary love interest is Sheriff Milo Dodge. Their relationship is one of the most celebrated elements of the series, moving from professional friction to deep friendship, and eventually, romance and marriage over the course of the 28 books.

The Supporting Cast

The town of Alpine is populated by a vibrant cast of recurring characters. Most notable is Vida Runkel, the Advocate's indomitable advertising manager and the self-appointed queen of Alpine gossip, who acts as Emma's primary sounding board. Other key figures include Emma's brother, Father Leo Walsh, and various colorful local business owners.

Tone and Alternative Works

The Emma Lord novels are classic cozy mysteries. They feature lighthearted humor, puzzling whodunits, and minimal graphic violence. If you enjoy Mary Daheim's writing style, she also wrote a parallel, highly popular cozy mystery series known as the Bed-and-Breakfast series (starting with Burlap to Cashmere in 1986). While the B&B series is set in the same general Pacific Northwest region, it is a separate entity and does not cross over with the Emma Lord storylines.

Frequently Asked

QWhat is the recommended reading order for the Emma Lord series?

It is highly recommended to read the series in publication order, starting with The Alpine Advocate and ending with Bitter Alpine, to properly follow the long-term character arcs and relationships.

QHow many books are in the Emma Lord series in total?

There are 28 books in total, consisting of the original 26 A-to-Z novels and the two subsequent "Emma Lord Returns" books.

QWhat are the final two books in the Emma Lord series?

The final two books are Alpha Alpine (2017) and Bitter Alpine (2020), which make up the "Emma Lord Returns" duology.

QWho is the sheriff in the Emma Lord series?

The local sheriff is Milo Dodge, who acts as Emma's primary contact in law enforcement and eventually becomes her husband.

QAre the Emma Lord books standalones?

While the mystery in each book is self-contained and resolved by the end, the overarching stories, character development, and romantic relationships build continuously, meaning they are best not read as standalones.

QDid Mary Daheim write any other series?

Yes, Mary Daheim was also the author of the popular Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery series, which features characters Judith McMonigle Flynn and Cousin Renie.