Mary Daheim Mystery Collection

Mary Daheim Novels

The Alpine Nemesis by Mary Daheim

Two months after an unlucky snowboarder vanished on the slopes above Alpine, his disappearance is old copy. Emma Lord, publisher of the Alpine Advocate, is back to writing about graduations and the latest outbreak of chicken pox?until the town?s oldest family feud flares up, leaving three people dead, their bodies stowed in a meat freezer. The startling discovery of a fourth body sharing the victims? chilly repose launches Emma on the story of a lifetime. But as she races to scoop the upstart radio station with the late-breaking news, Emma unwittingly uncovers a shocking conspiracy that will change her life forever. . . .

A Streetcar Named Expire : A Bed-And-Breakfast Mystery by Mary Daheim

For Sale: Luxury Condos, Corpse Included; Just a stone's throw from Judith McMonigle Flynn's thriving Hillside Manor, workmen are busy renovating the elegantly decrepit Alhambra Arms into pricey condominiums. But concerned contractor George Guthrie fears that well-heeled potential buyers may blanch when they learn about the four-decades-dead body that was stashed behind the crumbling walls of the moldy manse. And ever-inquisitive Judith's discovery of some much more recent remains on the premises threatens to se property values through the floorboards--and Guthrie through the roof! Both her professional detective husband Joe and her partner-in-crime solving cousin Renie think Judith is bonkers to suspect that the two killings are connected. Nevertheless, Judith's ready to build a strong case to that effect -- unless some homicidal someone decides to deconstruct her first!

Wed and Buried : A Bed-And-Breakfast Mystery by Mary Daheim

Ask not for whom the wedding bell tolls, it tolls for Judith McMonigle Flynn's son Mike--and the Hillside Manor b&b is packed to the rafters with relatives. However, Mama Judith's unrestrained joy is somewhat dampened when, during the rehearsal dinner downtown, she spies a tuxedo-clad gent tossing a bridal-gowned beauty off the roof of a nearby hotel. Always one to eagerly exclaim "I do!" when offered the opportunity to investigate nefarious deeds, Judith's determination to unveil a killer could put undo stress on her own marital bliss with policeman-hubby Joe. But she remains wedded to her mission--and she's not about to take a honeymoon from amateur sleuthing until she's gotten to the bottom of the homicidal hanky-panky surrounding a match made in hell.

The Alpine Legacy by Mary Daheim

Emma Lord, editor and publisher of The Alpine Advocate, has never faced such cruel competition--especially not the fierce personal attacks mounted by Alpine's radical new publication, Crystal Clear. So when Crystal Bird, the editor, commits suicide, Emma sheds no tears. But Sheriff Milo Dodge determines that Crystal was murdered, and the little town is out for blood--namely, Emma's. Pursued by hate mail and flying bricks, Emma vows to draw some blood herself--from the enemy who set her up to take the fall. . . .

Suture Self : A Bed-And-Breakfast Mystery by Mary Daheim

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Judith McMonigle Flynn, the proprietress of Hillside Manor, a bed and breakfast located somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, ranges further afield than previously in Suture Self, the first hardcover mystery in Daheim's series. Wheeled away from her innkeeping duties and rolled into Good Cheer Hospital for a much-needed hip replacement, Judith brings her own hospital roomie: her trash-talking cousin Renie, who's checked into Good Cheer with Judith for a little orthopedic surgery of her own. Renie, who makes doctors, nurses, and hospital administrators want to take back their Hippocratic oaths and run for the hills, is a bitchy, whiny, sarcastic candidate for the most obnoxious patient of the year.
While Renie terrorizes the good sisters who run Good Cheer, Judith worries that the unlikely run of bad luck that's turned up the toes of a baseball star and an actress (both of whom checked into the hospital for minor surgery and checked out in body bags) will follow her into the operating room too. And when a third death occurs just as Judith and Renie are beginning their post-op convalescence, the cousins get their sleuthing act together and try to figure out what the killer's victims have in common and why they met their ends in a place devoted to the healing arts. Of course, that places the temporarily disabled ladies squarely in the sights of the murderer, whose identity is clear almost from the start to everyone except our gals. This isn't Daheim's strongest book; Creeps Suzette, Just Desserts, and Fowl Prey are better reads. But her many fans won't mind the slow pace and somewhat plodding unraveling of the plot, especially if they've ever had a bad hospital experience. There are people who love B & Bs and delight in near-bloodless mysteries. If you're looking for a get-well present for one of them, Suture Self might be it.

The Alpine Menace by Mary Daheim

For once, Emma Lord, editor-publisher of The Alpine Advocate, isn't thrilled by having an inside track. The Seattle strangling murder of Alpine native Carol Stokes is generating headlines, but the accused killer is Emma's long-lost cousin Ronnie, who swears he was out drinking when his girlfriend was strangled. But he can't prove it, and neighbors claim they heard the couple fighting moments before the murder. Now Emma and supersnoop Vida, the Advocate's house-and-home editor, must find another suspect. Someone who hated Carol enough to write a tragic ending to her life story. Someone who is preparing to edit Emma and Vida right out of existence. . . .

Creeps Suzette : A Bed and Breakfast Mystery by Mary Daheim

The off-season blahs, a pyromaniacal mom, and a recently retired husband who is constantly underfoot have poor Judith McMonigle Flynn going stir crazy at Hillside Manor. So the harried R&B hostess leaps at cousin Renie's suggestion that Judith accompany her to Creepers--the stately estate of kindly old Leota Burgess. The wealthy senior is certain that someone is determined to do her in for money--most likely one of her disreputable relatives--and Judith and Renie have agreed to look into her allegations. And when they stumble upon Leota's bruised but still breathing body at the foot of the grand staircase, they realize the old lady's fears may be well-founded. But the decidedly dead corpse lying on top of Leota--his head bashed flatter than the proverbial French pancake--suggests that there's more to these homicidal doings than meets the eye. And now it's up to the cousins to follow the clues to the creep who's creeping around Creepers with murder on the mind.

The Alpine Kindred by Mary Daheim

The brutal stabbing of local philanthropist Einar Rasmussen Jr. outrages folk in the old logging town of Alpine. But, strangely, editor Emma Lord of The Alpine Advocate can scarcely pry a word out of the victim's reclusive relatives. Sheriff Milo Dodge isn't much help either, now that he and Emma are no longer an item. So intrepid Emma goes solo, hot after a story that sparks through town like wildfire, fueled by rumor, malice, and the deadly antics of a maniac. . . .

Holy Terrors by Mary Daheim

Catering the annual pre-Easter brunch and egg hunt is a hare-raising hassle for Judith McManigle, hard-working hostess of the Hillside Manor. And this year's egg scramble gets particularly messy when the reclusive wife of a local scion is fatally perforated my a fiend dressed in a bunny suit. Never one to pass up a good murder, Judith solicits the help of her sometime-beau policeman Joe and her irrepressible Cousin Renie to get energized and get hopping down the floppy-eared assassin's trail. But soon the list of suspects is multiplying faster than a hutch-full of rabbits. And Judith might very well end up a basket case-or worse-before this whole thing is through...now the the party-planning sleuth's unsolicited snooping has put a killer hot on her cottontail!

September Mourn : A Bed-And-Breakfast Mystery by Mary Daheim

Fall has fallen upon Judith McMonigle Flynn, leaving her Hillside Manor nearly devoid of guests. And what better cure for the off-season blahs than a brief bout of B&B sifting for a friend amid the quiet rustic splendor of secluded Chavez Island? Judith and cousin Renie both are more than ready for some relaxation. But their peace goes to pieces when Renie conks an odious interloping blowhard on the noggin with a heavy china dish-and, moments later, the woozy lout takes a fatal tumble down an inconvenient staircase. Judith suspects that death by dinnerware was not the real cause of this fellow's demise. But to prove her cantankerous cuz innocent, she'll have to uncover the real killer from among the motley island crew. And that could pile a lot more nastiness on Judith's plate than the harried bed-and-breakfast hostess can consume in one sitting!

Fowl Prey by Mary Daheim

Leaving the Hillside manor in capable hands, bed-and-breakfast hostess Judith McMonigle heads north to Vancouver's Hotel Clovia with her irrepressibly voracious cousin Renie for a pre-Thanksgiving getaway. But when an addled and impoverished popcorn vendor is murdered-along with his foul-mouthed pet parakeet-a local copper's suspicious gaze settles on the two visiting Americans. The cousins, in turn, suspect one of the "Sacred Eight" -- an odd-duck assortment of glamorous showbiz glitterati currently gathered at the historic hotel. And unless Judith and Renie can pluck a killer from the secretive, star-studded group, their geese will be thoroughly cooked in short order!

Bantam of the Opera by Mary Daheim

Bed-and-breakfast hostess Judith McMonigle Flynn isn't exactly bellowing "Bravo!" over the news that obnoxious opera star Mario Pacetti and his entourage are coming to stay at the Hillside Manor. The world-class tenor is a renowned pain-in-the-neck -- a bloated buffoon who could easily eat her out of house and home. So when the puffed-up, would-be Pavarotti inadvertently drinks poison and falls down dead on his tosca, accusing eyes turn to Judith and her amateur sleuthing partner, cousin Renie. Now it's curtains unless the cousins can unmask the real culprit -- before a killer's final, fatal encore.

Dune to Death by Mary Daheim

Bed-and-breakfast hostess Judith McMonigle and her policeman beau Joe Flynn hgave finally gotten hitched-and they're off on a sunny honeymoon to beautiful Buccaneer Beach. But an unfortunate confrontation with a dune buggy run amok puts hubby Joe in hospital traction-leaving his beleaguered blushing bride stranded in paradise with a bad case of ennui by the sea. Luckily irrepressible cousin Renie has selflessly agreed to keep Judith company. And when the landlady of their cozy, costly cottage by the shore turns up dead in their living room, the cousins suddenly have a murderous mystery to keep them afloat. Rumors of a fortune in buried pirate gold add spice to their adventure. But digging up both a treasure and a killer is dirty business-and Judith and Renie might end up digging their own graves.

Auntie Mayhem by Mary Daheim

Though lurching through London is ever so jolly, hostess on-holiday Judith McMonigle Flynn and her cantankerous cousin Renie are looking forward to an unharried weekend at a real English country manor. They find the estate taxing, however, what with vacationing relations crowding every nook and cranny of Ravenscroft House, while its awesomely aged mistress, Aunt Petulia, holds court--until a box of poisoned sweets hastens the dour dowager's demise. Soon Judith and Renie are up to their American necks in a muck of murder most British--as they set out to unearth a fatal family secret...and unmask the culprit who was anti-Auntie enough to do the old girl in.Though lurching through London is ever so jolly, hostess on-holiday Judith McMonigle Flynn and her cantankerous cousin Renie are looking forward to an unharried weekend at a real English country manor. They find the estate taxing, however, what with vacationing relations crowding every nook and cranny of Ravenscroft House, while its awesomely aged mistress, Aunt Petulia, holds court--until a box of poisoned sweets hastens the dour dowager's demise. Soon Judith and Renie are up to their American necks in a muck of murder most British--as they set out to unearth a fatal family secret...and unmask the culprit who was anti-Auntie enough to do the old girl in.

A Fit of Tempera by Mary Daheim

Poor Judith McMonigle Flynn! All she wants is a much-needed break from the rigors of running Hillside Manor. But she and cousin Renie have barely set foot in their family's backwoods vacation cottage...and already they're having a brush with the local law. It appears someone has painted their neighbor, world-renowned artist Riley Tobias, permanently out of the picture. And the artful slayer has managed to frame luckless Judith for the crime! But the model amateur sleuth isn't about to sit still for this , as she and her cuz canvas the countryside in search of a killer. Judith is certain the culprit can be found in the rogues' gallery of oily agents, malicious mistresses, and crafty critics who inhabited the defunct da Vinci's surrealistic world. But the cousins could be painting themselves into a dangerous corner with this unofficial investigation...and setting themselves up for another fatal art attack.Poor Judith McMonigle Flynn! All she wants is a much-needed break from the rigors of running Hillside Manor. But she and cousin Renie have barely set foot in their family's backwoods vacation cottage...and already they're having a brush with the local law. It appears someone has painted their neighbor, world-renowned artist Riley Tobias, permanently out of the picture. And the artful slayer has managed to frame luckless Judith for the crime! But the model amateur sleuth isn't about to sit still for this, as she and her cuz canvas the countryside in search of a killer. Judith is certain the culprit can be found in the rogues' gallery of oily agents, malicious mistresses, and crafty critics who inhabited the defunct da Vinci's surrealistic world. But the cousins could be painting themselves into a dangerous corner with this unofficial investigation...and setting themselves up for another fatal art attack.

Snow Place to Die : A Bed-And-Breakfast Mystery by Mary Daheim

Judith McMonigle Flynn knows how to make guests feel at home at Seattle's popular Hillside Manor Bed-and Breakfast inn. When Judith and her zany cousin Renie venture off to nearby Mountain Goat Lodge to feed and finess a group of phone company big shots on retreat, the attending executives begin taking permanent vacations...one by one. Judith McMonigle Flynn knows how to make guests feel at home at Seattle's popular Hillside Manor Bed-and Breakfast inn. When Judith and her zany cousin Renie venture off to nearby Mountain Goat Lodge to feed and finess a group of phone company big shots on retreat, the attending executives begin taking permanent vacations...one by one.

Nutty As a Fruitcake : A Bed-And-Breakfast Mystery by Mary Daheim

Hillside Manor's neighbors all adored proprietor Judith McMonigle Flynn's festive suggestion to deck the halls and houses in their cul-de-sac with eye-catching Christmas finery -- except Enid Goodrich. The grumpy old humbug refused to cooperate. Then someone cooked her Christmas goose -- silencing Enid's objections with a handy hatchet. Though Judith's already got a lot under her tree -- what with holidy business booming and the anticipated unwanted arrival of hubby Joe's soused ex-spouse -- she's not about to let murder mess up what's left of her seasonal spirit. With the help of irrepressible cousin Renie, Judith's determined to wrap up this case for Christmas -- and expose the Scrooge-slayer who felt strongly that the only Goodrich is a Deadrich.

The Alpine Christmas by Mary Daheim

Christmas in the town of Alpine means fresh snow, carolers, even a sleigh. But then the discovery of a woman's leg in the lake, along with that of another young woman's nude, half-frozen body, deflates everyone's high spirits. But as Emma Lord, editor and publisher of The Alpine Advocate, follows up on the story, the bits and pieces of the young women who keep turning up start adding up to a murder scheme so sinister it may well land Emma on her own obituary page . . .

Alpine Icon by Mary Daheim

Editor-publisher Emma Lord and her Alpine Advocate staff suspect excitement when glamorous Ursula O'Toole Randall returns to Alpine to marry her third husband. But hers is a lethal homecoming. . . .
Ursula, clad in satin pajamas, is found dead in the shallow waters of the Skyhomish River. Sheriff Dodge suspects foul play. Yet as Emma hunts for a stop-press story, a snake-in-the-grass killer, unappeased by one murder, slithers unnoticed through the shadows. . . .

Murder, My Suite by Mary Daheim

Gossip columnist Dagmar Delacroix Chatsworth and her yappy lapdog Rover's recent stay at the Hillside manor left hostess Judith McMonigle Flynn's nerves, and best bed linens, in tatters. So Judith joins cousin Renie for some well-earned off-season R&R at Canada's famous Bugler Ski Resort -- only to discover with horror that the swanky getaway is the next stop on detestable Dagmar's itinerary. But it seems the cousins aren't the only guests with serious grudges against the dirt-disher and her malicious mutt. And when one of the despised lady's entourage is murdered on the snowless slopes, Judith sets out to corner a killer -- before more hapless hangers-on discover that Dagner's company can be even more poisonous than her pen. Gossip columnist Dagmar Delacroix Chatsworth and her yappy lapdog Rover's recent stay at the Hillside Manor left hostess Judith McMonigle Flynn's nerves, and best bed linens, in tatters. So Judith joins cousin Renie for some well-earned off-season R&R at Canada's famous Bugler Ski Resort -- only to discover with horror that the swanky getaway is the next stop on detestable Dagmar's itinerary. But it seems the cousins aren't the only guests with serious grudges against the dirt-disher and her malicious mutt. And when one of the despised lady's entourage is murdered on the snowless slopes, Judith sets out to corner a killer -- before more hapless hangers-on discover that Dagmar's company can be even more poisonous than her pen.

Legs Benedict : A Bed and Breakfast Mystery by Mary Daheim

A week of "mayhem-as-usual" at Hillside Manor kicks off with the arrival of a mysterious "Mr. Smith" and his floozie "Mrs." from New York City--and it accelerates into chaos when Mr. Smith himself kicks off, a victim of the foulest of plays. Hostess Judith McMonigle Flynn is shocked to learn that her now-defunct roomer was actually "Legs" Benedict--hit man for the notorious Ronzini Family--and that virtually every other guests at her B&B had good reason to want Legs broken. Judith's policeman-hubby Joe is understandably peeved that homicide happened (again!) under his own roof. And when the FBI moves in--more interested in nabbing a Nazi nutcase than a malicious mobster murderer--the local cops clear out, leaving Judith, Joe and irrepressible cousin Renie to find out who whacked the wiseguy before the hits keep coming.

Just Desserts by Mary Daheim

When the garishly grotesque clan of wealthy carpet-sweeper magnate Otto Broadie sweeps down upon Judith McMonigle's Hillside Manor Inn, it looks like there'll be a wild night of drinking, dining, and fortune-telling in the offing. But when their soothsayer-for-hire Madame Gushenka drops dead after someone douses her tea leaves with bug killer, harried hostess Judith and her irrepressible cousin Renie are left to clean up the mess. One of the Brodie bunch would dearly love to sweep the Madame's murder under the rug, however, and that might mean eliminating the nosy Ms. McMonigle as well. But with the help of her one-time beau, policeman Joe Flynn, Judith is determined to rattle the dust off some closeted family skeletons, in order to coax a killer out of hiding before coffee is served.

The Alpine Hero by Mary Daheim

Emma Lord, the Advocate's editor, finds the body in the facial room of Stella's Styling Salon *anonymous under a mud pack, throat slashed.
The victim turns out to be the sister-in-law of Sheriff Dodge's girlfriend, who had initially made the appointment for herself. Perhaps she was the killer's intended target. After all, no one in Alpine really knew the dead woman personally. Then rumors begin to fly, shady strangers turn up in town, and a young woman disappears into thin air. What looks like the story of the year is fast developing, and Emma means to have it *or die trying . . .

The Alpine Gamble by Mary Daheim

THE ALPINE ADVOCATE IS ON A ROLL.
The big story is the five million dollar luxury spa that Los Angeles real estate developers want to build around Alpine's mountainside mineral springs--hot news and fierce controversy for Advocate readers, and for the paper's editor and publisher, Emma Lord.
Pro-spa Alpiners cite the prospect of sorely needed new jobs. Those against it predict glitz, sleaze, and an avalanche of "Californicators." No one foresees the murder that shocks the town. Aided by her House & Home editor, Vida Runkel, and tongue-tied Sheriff Milo Dodge, Emma lines up her biggest, blackest headlines and goes hunting--for a brilliant killer and the strange story behind an almost perfect crime.

The Alpine Decoy by Mary Daheim

An Emma Lord mystery by the author of "The Alpine Christmas."
When a beautiful young African-American nurse with a shady past takes a job in Alpine, some locals show their true bigoted natures, filling editor-publisher Emma Lord with disgust. But when a second newcomer -- a young black man -- is found shot through the head, Emma is stuck with a story she will never forget.
Though Sheriff Milo Dodge connects the victim to the nurse, Emma believes there's something more sinister afoot. So she and Vida Runkel, her formidable house-and-home editor, try writing their own scenario. But the case offers too many subplots, too many suspects, and one crafty killer who leaves no tracks. That is, until Emma hits the deadly trail . . .

Major Vices by Mary Daheim

Though they'd rather be boiled in oil, Judith McMonigle Flynn and her cantankerous cousin Renie have agreed to cater a seventy-fifth birthday bash for their batty old Uncle Boo Major, the billionaire breakfast mush magnate. Luckily their culinary obligations keep them busy in the kitchen of the sprawling Major manor and away from most of their contemptible kin -- until the septuagenarian birthday boy is discovered deceased behind his locked den door. Someone slew Uncle Boo...but who? A plethora of last wills popping up all over the place makes virtually everybody a suspect -- Judith and Renie included. And that's forcing the cousins out on a limb, where they must attempt to pick the true culprit from among the many nuts on their twisted family tree.

Alpine Fury by Mary Daheim

For generations the venerable family-owned bank has served the old logging town in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. But suddenly Marv Peterson, bank president and family patriarch, seems unnaturally distracted; his heirs and employees are jittery. And when a banker from Seattle comes to town, allegedly on a fishing vacation, Emma Lord, editor and publisher of The Alpine Advocate, decides to do a bit of fishing herself.
Abetted by her unsinkable house-and-home editor, Emma snoops for a story and ends up investigating murder--the strangling death of the bank's sexy blonde bookkeeper after a rendezvous at a local motel. Did she die because of whom she knew or what she knew? Sheriff Milo Dodge hasn't a clue, but Emma and The Advocate get set to roll with the shocking reality and the biggest story in history....

The Alpine Journey by Mary Daheim

Murder is news--even when editor-publisher Emma Lord is away from The Alpine Advocate. A picturesque Oregon seashore village may not be Emma's traditional beat, but when a sensational headline-grabbing murder occurs, she's on the case.
It all begins as sexy Audrey Imhoff emerges from her nightly nude dip in the Pacific--and a killer makes it her last. A week later Audrey's husband disappears, and the couple's three adolescent children seem strangely relieved by his absence.
What's the story behind all this bizarre behavior? Emma Lord will find out-- or die trying. . . .

The Alpine Escape : An Emma Lord Mystery by Mary Daheim

At forty-two, newspaperwoman Emma Lord decides she needs time off to do some soul-searching. But her old Jag breaks down in the picturesque Pacific Northwest town of Port Angeles, and instead of finding herself, she ,s helping friends find the truth about a grisly discovery: a skeleton in their basement. The bones belong to those of an unknown young woman, buried in a crumbling mansion nearly a century ago. A crushed skull, a garnet earring, a locket containing a telltale keepsake *all whisper of tragedy. Ancient photographs reveal more. But Emma has to fish in dark and dangerous waters to get the whole story of a wealthy, ruthless family, a story that twists and turns to a shocking conclusion that should never be told....

The Alpine Betrayal by Mary Daheim

Returning to her hometown to shoot a new film, Hollywood star Dani Marsh is shocked when her former husband, Cody Graff, is murdered, a crime that sends single mother Emma Lord out to investigate.

The Alpine Advocate by Mary Daheim

After a year as publisher-editor of the Alpine Advocate, Emma Lord feels fine about her move to this small town in the foothills of Washington's Cascade Mountains. What she really needs for her paper, though, is a big story. And she gets it--when handsome Mark Doukas, grandson of rich, old Neeny Doukas is murdered. Emma discovers that trying to get straight answers out of Neeny and his thin-lipped son is like poking a nest of sleeping rattlesnakes. What begins with an innocent story about the murdered man, ends with Emma conducting the most interesting, and probably the last, interview of her career from the wrong end of a .38....

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