THE ALPINE ZEN

New York: Ballantine Books, 2015. Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine to Fine. The 26th novel in Daheim's cozy mystery series set in Washington's Cascade Mountains and featuring the small town of Alpine's weekly newspaper, "The Alpine Advocate," and its editor, Emma Lord. This time in the midst of a heat wave, Emma and her staff must deal with a young woman who comes to the Advocate's office to announce her parents have been murderer; a house & home editor who won't speak to the rest of the staff and then disappears; and a man, too long dead to identify, who surfaces at the town dump. First edition, first printing (as stated, with complete numberline). About 5 3/4 x 8 1/2 inches, 330 pages in black, paper-covered boards with silver lettering on spine. Dustjacket's front panel shows pictorial banner across middle with a July 4th/American flag illustration on left, a skull decorated with floral design in the center and a mountain stream on the right. Lettering is red and blue on front panel and spine. Boards and text show no noticeable damage or flaws. Book is complete, clean and unmarked; binding is tight and square. Not ex-library, not remaindered. Dustjacket a touch of rubbing and shelf wear, o/w no tears, no creases, no bumped corners. Not price-clipped. A collectable copy.