Emma Lord, publisher of the small town weekly, Alpine Advocate, is awakened by the distant wail of fire engines. When Emma looked out her window she saw an orange glow in the sky and sparks not more than a hundred yards away. Her neighbor's home was burning. Tim and Tiffany Rafferty own the house. The couple had been married less than a year and Tiffany was pregnant.

At first it was assumed that both Tim and Tiffany were at work but as the firemen fought through the flames they found Tim's body in the bedroom. The coroner soon discovered it and Tim had died of a blow to the head prior to the fire.

The small town is shocked and anxious for the Sheriff to discover the villain. Emma is also anxious and begins to investigate on her own. Vida that works at the paper is anxious to fill Emma in on the background of the families involved and gets involved in Emma's investigation herself. It seems Tiffany is more concerned with Tiffany and her baby than Tim's death. Tim's sister is in shock but also has to deal with her mother who has been placed in a nursing home due to Alzheimer's.

Some of the citizens of the town are pointing their finger at Old Nick, a hermit, who comes to town occasionally.

This is a good cozy and Mary Daheim has written a number of previous books about the town of Alpine. The characters are very interesting and some very humorous.

REVIEWED BY PATRICIA REID