A conclusion to the long-running mystery series finds Emma investigating the arrival and illness of a young woman who is searching for the mother who abandoned her, a case that is complicated by Vida's altered state, a stalker and a reclusive artist.

"The final installment in Mary Daheim's beloved and long-running small-town murder mystery series featuring newspaper editor-publisher Emma Lord. An unsettling visit from Ren Rawlings, a strange young woman in search of the mother who abandoned her, sparks Emma's curiosity--especially when the woman suddenly collapses and lands in the hospital. Matters become even more baffling when Emma's husband, Sheriff Milo Dodge, finds a corpse and Ren claims that the remains are those of her father. Under ordinary circumstances, Emma would enlist the aid of House & Home Editor Vida Runkel to help sort through the latest mysterious doings, but Vida hasn't been herself lately. Adding to Emma and Milo's problems, is a stalker loose in Alpine, leaving the couple scrambling to protect the small town's citizens. But the most shocking turn of events comes when circumstances force Emma to seek out the reclusive artist Craig Laurentis--only to discover that Ren Rawlings is eager to get to him first"-- Provided by publisher.