A Dangerous Harbor

Romantic Sailing Mystery #1

by R.P. Dahlke

When Katrina Hunter is forced to shoot her sister's stalker, she takes the required leave of absence from the SF police department as her one chance for a long over-due sailing vacation. But discovering a floater close to her first port-of-call in Baja, Mexico will change everything she knows about dealing with crooks, liars, cheaters and murder.
Her nerves start to unwind when a handsome Italian-Mexican inspector ferrets out the one secret that could ruin her hard-won career. But now that the inspector has the tool he needs to tie her to a murder investigation involving Americans in his port, what will he do with his growing attraction to this pretty young woman?
In spite of the inspector's blackmailing techniques, there's a mutual attraction between this lonely inspector and the pretty American sailor--but can Katy trust her heart, and the inspector's own dangerous secrets?

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

288 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2011

About the author

I write the Dead Red Mystery series,
and a romantic sailing mystery trilogy starting with A Dangerous Harbor and now Hurricane Hole. I LOVE to hear from readers! e-mail me: rp@rpdahlke.com

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Reviews

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This PG rated story is good, clean escapism fun. Feisty writing and well developed characters mesh with an exotic locale to keep the plot moving.

Although most readers won't care, from a writer's perspective, some poorly delineated POV changes and trouble with excessive gerunds mar the otherwise snappy prose. A few scene changes too quick to follow might have readers back peddling pages but those problems are minor.

And this sailor wonders how the protagonist's sailboat went from wheel to tiller steering in one scene. Okay, I know that's a bit ‘overboard' picky but I couldn't resist!

Update: My tiller / wheel jibe (gotta stop the sailing puns!) caught the author’s attention and she uploaded a corrected version of the book. Wow! That kind of attention to detail is the mark of a pro. I’m looking forward to more from this talented and fun author.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

SFPD detective, Katrina Hunter, stumbles upon a dead body on her way to Mexico on vacation. Well, stumble might not be the right word, since the body was in the water and she spotted it from her boat. Anyway, she dutifully reports it to Mexican authorities and gets drawn into an investigation that turns out to be much more than she bargained for. Not too hard since she wasn’t bargaining for anything to begin with.

I love all the boating info. Having only been on a few boats in my life I found it all fascinating. The murder mystery wasn’t as enthralling as I would have liked and there are a lot of characters in this tale, but despite a slow pace it pulls together in the end. Maybe a bit too tidily, but that’s ok. I’m not too sure about the romance that pops up between Kate and the hot detective, but I’ll let it slide. Gabe is an irritating character, but serves his purpose. Overall an enjoyable read.

[Martha Cheves · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dangerous Harbor – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts


‘Katy leaned over and deftly nudged the weedy raft around so that its reluctant passenger was facing her, and then ever so gently, pushed back the wet strands of black hair. Dark wings of brow stood out in stark relief on pale olive skin. It was a girl, maybe all of sixteen, she guessed. “Where’d you come from?” She wondered to no one in particular. As if to answer at least part of her question, the ocean swelled, lifting up the maiden’s bier until Kate was looking into slightly open eyes. There were no petechiae, the telltale red dots freckling the cornea and typical of strangulation. “Not strangled, but still…” A frothy red bubble clinging to the nostril and a few more at her mouth said drowned, but not in the water very long as the limbs were still pliant and the skin wasn’t bloated or damaged by fish or sea birds.’


Detective Katrina Taylor Hunter, of the San Francisco Police Department, was forced to take a sabbatical after shooting her sister’s stalker. While the investigation was going on, she decided to take sail down to Ensenada, Mexico to clear her head and hopefully return to her position on the force. After discovering a floater Katy has doubts about the head clearing part of her trip. Her doubts are confirmed when after spending hours at the Ensenada Police Station she bumps into Gabriel Alexander, a former ‘love of her life’ who is being investigated as a possible connection to the dead girl found by Katy. And to make matters worse, she meets Chief Inspector Raul Vignaroli. Her reaction to him is immediate attraction. One problem…he wears a wedding ring and Katy has no desire to become involved with a married man. So will she be able to handle being around him after he cons her into helping with the investigation? Also, how will she handle her feelings for Gabe, the man she loved so deeply in her younger days?


Following Katy as she uncovers what appears to be a sex slave market being run by not only one of the boat captains but also the drug cartel, will keep you on your sitting on the edge of your seat, biting your nails and guessing. I had several ideas for who the killer(s) would turn out to be but found myself wrong most of the time. I have to say that the real killer, whom is not exposed until the end, surprised me. A Dangerous Harbor has turned out to be just as good as the Lalla Bains books A Dead Red Cadillac and A Dead Red Heart, both written by RP Dahlke. All three will keep you on the edge.



Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com Stir, Laugh, Repeat

[R.P. Dahlke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bleary-eyed and sleep deprived after a long overnighter into Mexico, solo sailor and SFPD police detective, Katrina Hunter, thinks the mermaid twenty yards behind her thirty-two foot Westsail is nothing more than a sailor’s hallucination But everything she knows about floaters convinces her to turn her boat around for another look.
Now, alone and isolated in the Mexican port’s police station for six hours she’s convinced that reporting the body of a floater to authorities was a mistake. Even the arrival of a handsome, if somewhat dour, Mexican/Italian investigator does nothing to dispel her growing anxiety that she’s about to be charged with the murder.
Chief Inspector, Raul Vignaroli, is as surprised by the attractive solo-sailor as he is to find that she’s a respected member of the San Francisco police force, and after some well-placed phone calls he’s sure that he’s found the perfect partner to help him solve a murder, if not the cure for his broken heart.
Released, she's free to go. But leaving the police station hits a snag when two policemen march in, dragging a listless prisoner between them. But before Katy can dodge them for the exit, the prisoner raises his head and a startling pair of aquamarine eyes meet hers.
He straightens his back, wincing at the angle of his cuffed wrists. “What the… Whisper?”
Suddenly, the sound of the ceiling fan is terribly loud. Blood pounds in her ears, her mouth goes dry, her palms are damp and her feet are nailed to the floor. In a knee jerk reaction, she hisses, “Don’t call me that!”

[Jinx Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dangerous Harbor, R.P. Dahlke, Kindle version


Katrina Hunter's life had suddenly spun out of control. One day she was a San Francisco cop, engaged to be married soon, and the next she was on suspension for a shooting, and her fiancé dumped her to protect his political career.

With time on her hands until the investigation for shooting her sister's stalker is settled, she set off to drown her own sorrows via a single-hand sail to Mexico on her sailboat, Pilgrim. A good voyage with the exception of that floater she snags off Ensenada.

The victim was young, female, and very dead. Katrina was alone in foreign country and did what most Americans are told never to do; she reported the body to the Mexican Navy, resulting in her passport being seized, and her being held in a Mexican jailhouse for questioning.

A Dangerous Harbor is a romantic suspense novel, not my usual cup of tea, but this book is good. The author catches the spirit of boating in Mexico, along with all the off-beat characters one meets along the way. A very handsome Mexican policeman, a bevy of loose women, an old flame, and the usual dock jockeys turn Katrina's Mexican vacation into a suspense-filled nightmare while she tries to find out who is killing off first the girl, then one of the suspects.

I highly recommend A Dangerous Harbor.

[Coco.V]

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[Yvonne G · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sail away to exotic lands with this 'cozy' romantic murder/mystery"

Having checked out the synopsis and read several existing reviews, prior to accepting "A Dangerous Harbor' for review, I wasn't really expecting that it would turn out to be a serious piece of police procedural work, or for that matter too gruesome a thriller story. A `cozy' romantic/suspense novel was what I was expecting and that was exactly what I got.

Whilst the storyline did touch on the many very real and sadly all too prevalent issues of abduction, murder, forced prostitution, rampant police corruption and the ever present power of the drug cartels; which still exist in modern day Mexico; it was dealt with by the author on a very superficial level, which left me wanting to delve more deeply into this troubled society. I wish that there had been a little more indepth knowledge and research, just to flesh out the bare bones a bit more and offer more substance and authority to the narrative, however, it did whet my appetite to find out more.

Despite the fact that `A Dangerous Harbor' did not offer a very sophisticated plotline, the story was very fast paced, complex and action packed, with many twists and turns, which kept me guessing right until the end ... and my assumption as to the identity of the murderer, certainly wasn't the right one.

Our heroin, Katrina Hunter, is a strong character when she wants to be, yet is very vulnerable in her hitherto disastrous private life and is delusional in her belief and hope that she can simply sail away into foreign waters and hope to escape the mistakes she has made in her recent past, which have put her continued career in the SFPD on the line.

Chief Inspector Raul Vignaroli seems convinced that Katrina is the ideal partner to help him solve a local murder, albeit in a location which is predominantly populated by US citizens, any one of which may well be the killer. However I found myself questioning Katrina's committment to her police service career, as she revives past mistakes, begins to let her heart rule her head for a second time and places more importance on her personal life than on her career.

The sizzling sexual tension between Raul and Katrina continually threatens to overpower the murder investigation, with Katrina also waging her own private battle with past relationships and jealousies, and Raul desperately trying to overcome personal grief and tragedy in order to free his heart so that he can move on with his life and love again.

The murder suspects pile up thick and fast and even manage to inject a modicum of humour into the whole story, with their vast array of dysfunctional personalities and hidden agendas. We are introduced to undercover FBI agents, IRS investigators, as well as the murderer themselves, all forming part of a steady stream of slightly larger than life characters, who move from the wings to centre stage, act out their individual scenes, then depart again.

None of these individual characterisations holds up too well under scrutiny and all are a little one dimensional, without a great deal of depth, however with the real murderer being able to remain hidden amongst this melee of self-centred individuals, I certainly didn't spot them until they were eventually unmasked by Katrina.

In conclusion, `A Dangerous Harbor' is a fast paced, sexy sizzler, with a little mystery and intrigue added to the mix, not to be taken too seriously and great as a book to cozy up with on a cold winters evening, or as a summer beach read.

[Sandra Valente · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Dangerous Harbor was an entertaining read albeit full of characters which can sometimes be confusing. This story starts with Katrina (Katy) sailing to Mexico and finding a body floating in the ocean. She reports it to the Mexican authorities and meets Chief of Police, Raul Vignaroli. From the beginning there’s an underlying attraction between them. Her ship is impounded and here she stays until all is resolved. Enter Gabe, her ex which complicates matters even further.

The story line is good and so was the ‘who did it’ suspense part of the book. All the characters are likeable enough, but as I mentioned to the author previously, the MC’s could have been better developed namely Katrina Hunter and Raul Vignaroli. She’s a cop with the San Francisco PD, is sort of on probation due to killing her sister’s stalker yet comes across, to me, as just too timid and meek for the type of person I perceive a cop to be. She fell short of this expectation and one of the reasons is that throughout the book, she seems to fear certain situations or things that should have made her more determined to figure out, yet in one scene, it’s stated that she could bring a man to his knees. Didn’t gel for me. As for Raul, he is the Mexican Chief of Police and my feelings towards him were exactly the same. He works with/for the President, yet comes across as laid back and not typically a man, who in a position such as his, we would expect to be somewhat gruff and one who takes no prisoners so to speak. I almost felt like he had no backbone. I sound horrid, but really, I wanted to slap some ‘man’ into him. I liked them as people, just not convinced of their character portrayal. MC’s are highly important in any book/story and always need to stand above all others. I feel that had they been better developed, this book could have been better than entertaining.

Everyone in Enselada, where she’s been impounded, is involved in something or other and/or has something to hide. There are a few twists and turns which kept me wanting to know what would happen next, plus some unexpected discoveries. R.P. Dahlke does have a good and well thought out story. It wasn’t extremely suspenseful in what I like to call a ‘nail biting’ way, but it certainly kept me guessing until the end. The romance aspect was sweet but again, Raul was just too ‘sweet’? Actually, there were a few romances going on and a cat fight or two. As for the antagonist, I didn’t have a clue who it was until the end and that for me is a good thing.

Although I wasn’t ‘wowed’ by the book, it is nevertheless an entertaining read.

[Lelia Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dangerous Harbor
R.P. Dahlke
Dead Bear Publishing, October 2011
Ebook

Katrina “Katy” Hunter, on involuntary leave from the San Francisco Police Department, is sailing her beloved boat towards Mexico when she finds a young girl caught in a patch of sea grass. Following protocol, she calls the Mexican Navy and, hours later, is still being held at the Ensenada police station, at the mercy of the slow-moving local cops. Chief Inspector Raul Vignaroli finally makes an appearance and instantly raises Katy’s irritation level when he seems to think of her as a suspect. Suspect in what? Was the girl murdered?

A piece of Katy’s past comes to light when Gabe walks into the police station and back into her life after many years. Clearly, Gabe is on the detective’s list of murder suspects but he is released for the time being and Katy makes it clear she wants nothing to do with him despite his charm and his plea for understanding and belief that he is not guilty of this particular crime.

With a little strong-armed persuasion from the inspector, Katy agrees to be his eyes and ears in Marina Mar under the premise that the occupants of the docked boats are more likely to talk to a fellow American but it doesn’t take long for her to realize that everyone seems to know she’s a cop. That changes her approach but increases her interest in the case. Unfortunately, it also leads to her being a victim herself. Muddying the waters is a steadily growing attraction to Raul who has his own secrets.

There are a few construction errors, such as occasional brief changes of font and one chapter written in a different tense, and one has to wonder what a “goosey looking” man might be or why the only available soft drink is always Coke. These quibbles are overshadowed by a head-scratching crime and an entertaining collection of characters, among them a very rich man, his golddigger girlfriend, a handsome captain, some apparently lowlife hangers-on, a magician and his assistant and some engaging local citizens. The result is a very enjoyable read and I’d like to see Katrina and friends again.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, February 2012.

[Christine Kling · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a female single-handed sailor, I enjoyed this fast-paced tale of romance and adventure in the various harbors of Ensenada, Mexico. R.P. Dahlke spent several years living aboard a sailboat and cruising in the waters around Baja, and it shows in her expert descriptions of sailing and life in a marina community.

Katrina Hunter is completely believable and very likeable as a female solo sailor and policewoman on leave from her department after a shooting that is under investigation. Her sail from San Francisco to Mexico is meant to help her escape her problems, but instead leads her into another case after she discovers the body of a young girl floating out at sea. When asked by the sexy Chief Inspector Raul Vignaroli to help out with the murder investigation, Katy has her own reasons for accepting, not the least of which is the reappearance of an old beau who soon makes it onto the suspect list. Once she gets to know the crowd at the marina, the list of suspects grows longer, and try as I might to figure it out, I did not see it coming before the murderer was finally revealed.

The sexual tension between Katrina and Raul adds both heat and entertaining comedy to the plot as they must keep their growing attraction and working relationship a secret. Raul is delightful as the romantic lead who, though he has a family business and fortune, chooses to fight for justice against the drug cartels that are ripping his country apart. This noble man is not beyond dressing up as a chauffeur or a scruffy boat boy, though, in order to spend time with Katrina. While Dahlke gives a realistic portrayal of the corruption in the Mexican police, in Raul she has created a complex character who defies the stereotype of the macho Mexican.

A DANGEROUS HARBOR is an entertaining and suspenseful nautical romp through the marinas of Ensenada with their quirky floating residents, and I would recommend it as as a fun off-watch read to all my fellow sailors.

[Elizabeth (Stuffed Shelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Katrina's life goes from perfect to bad in a blink of an eye. She's a San Francisco cop with a powerful fiancé that instantly turns into being suspended off the force, and dumped by her fiancé so he can save his own career. She was suspended from the force because she shot her sisters stalker. So to deal with her life as it has become, she sails to Mexico on her personal boat, the Pilgrim. As if life couldn't get any more screwed up for Katrina, the plot thickens into murder and darkness.

While sailing out to her vacation, she finds a dead girl that she mistakenly reports to the Mexican officials, landing her in Mexican jail. Could they possibly believe that she is some how connected to this young girl's death?

The author does a great job at expressing the agitation and struggle Katrina goes through. I could definitely feel her angst and confusion as her life seems to fall apart suddenly. This is a great murder mystery that will have you clenching your book in anticipation on what is to come. I would rate this PG so it's not too much for those out there that do not enjoy the mushy romance that sometimes comes with the murder mystery's.

I found some of the writing to be a bit confusing, especially when the author changes up points of view, and quick scene changes. At times, the book seemed to be written in a different tense. I found myself backtracking through the book to keep up with the plot. The characters did not match their personalities or descriptions. For example, it seemed that Raul, the Mexican Police Chief should have had more of a bad-ass personality to back up his dialogue. In my opinion, he sounded very weak and could have been developed a bit more for being a pretty big character throughout the book.

Overall I found this to be a typical murder mystery book with many dramatic turns that destroyed the main character's life. Isn't that how most of them go? I would rate this book a 3/5. It was good, but could have been better.

[Marilyn Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this delightful romantic suspense, Dahlke has covered a lot of ground. Katy, a temporarily suspended police officer from San Francisco, sails into a harbor in Mexico. Not only wanting to get away from her job problems, she’s also licking the wounds from her broken engagement. Instead of a relaxing vacation, Katy runs into an old boy friend who is in hiding--and he’s not the only one. She gets involved in a murder investigation and learns more than she ever wanted to know about drug cartels. When she meets the handsome and mysterious police chief, the plot takes an intriguing turn.

In A Dangerous Harbor we’re given some quick lessons in sailing, and treated to the most unusual setting of a Mexican village that is a shelter to ex-patriots from America as well as its own natives. We’re given a realistic vision of the rich and the poor. What Dahlke does best is developing her unusual cast of characters while the mystery becomes more and more complicated. And if you like a bit of spicy romance, you’ll definitely enjoy this book. To pique your interest a bit more, believe it or not, a feather-less parrot plays an important part.

Highly recommended to all mystery lovers.

[BCMUnlimited · Rating 3 out of 5]

See official review: http://www.bookscompletemeunlimited.c...

This book was fun to read. It puts me in the beach mindset. I love the water and a good mystery especially a mystery with a strong female lead. Katie, the lead character, is a California female police officer on leave. She gets caught up in a murder investigation in Mexico. Katie was supposed to just sail around the Pacific to pass the time away while on mandatory leave. She comes across a body and turns it in to the Mexican police. She meets many people from all walks of life while in Mexico. Some of the characters are interesting to me and some are just plain mean. She meets an old boyfriend who is running from the law. She meets a Mexican Police Chief, who she thinks she might be falling in love with him but he is wearing a wedding ring. She meets many people at the marina where she docks her boat. Then to top everything off, her sister, the soap opera star, shows up. It is an interesting story to read.I love trying to figure out who did it while reading the book. I figured this one out very quickly.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Give me a good suspenseful love story and I am on cloud nine. This book had me from the beginning. I have read lots of suspense novels, romance novels and suspense love story novels and this one is at the top of the list.

I had never read anything by this author before but will most definitely read her other books. I have all of them that are for sale now and am not afraid to read any one of them. This one was full of the twists and turns that keep me turning pages and makes me want to try and figure out who done what, who loves who and will it all work out in the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be starting the next in the series as soon as possible.

If you want a book that will leave you wanting to know more, keeps you reading until the wee hours of the morning and has characters that you will not forget for a long time this is the book for you. The descriptions of the surrounding areas areas were written where you could picture it. I could see the blue skies, feel the water on my skin and feel the same feelings as the characters felt. But I did not figure out who the murderer was and that made it even better. I loved it!!!

[Ellis Vidler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dangerous Harbor is a fast-paced, lively story that centers around the illegal activities of a group of Americans in Ensenada, Mexico. Katy Hunter, a San Francisco cop on forced leave, is sailing there when she finds a body in the water, and against her better judgment, reports it to the Mexican authorities. She quickly becomes embroiled in the investigation, which is filled with surprises and turns. Among Katy's problems are her unwelcome attraction to the local police chief and the bumbling efforts of a former lover. Although not the focus of the story, corruption, sexual slavery, fraud, illegal weapons, and drugs all play a part with the rich cast of characters. Katy has good reason to distrust the many suspects. The whodunnit kept me guessing through most of the book.
I enjoyed the story and the interesting characters—Katy's a nice mix of tough and tender. This is an exciting read that I'd rate PG—suitable for any adult.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life was good for Katrina Hunter. She was a successful officer in the SFPD and was engaged to marry the man of her dreams. Then in the blink of an eye she was on suspension for a shooting and her fiance dumped her so that he could save face in his own career.

In order to get her mind off things, she took out her boat to sail for a while. While she's out, she stumbles upon a floating body. Since she's not in SFPD anymore and to top it off she's in Mexico, she turns it over to the police department. Her life continues to spin out of control while the investigation is underway and she can't seem to pull herself out of the tailspin her life has put her in.

This is a thrilling mystery that captivates the reader. Each chapter brings something new for the reader to sink their teeth into. The character development is good and everything is clear and precise. Definitely a recommendation to anyone who likes murder mysteries.

[Kerry Reis · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being put on a forced leave while Internal Affairs investigates her shooting of her sister's stalker, San Francisco PD Detective Katrina Hunter has taken her sailboat on a solo cruise to Mexico in order to find peace and solitude - if only she had not come upon the floating body at the mouth of the Ensenada port. Now she has discovered that an old boyfriend who she helped jumped bail years ago is a suspect in this murder and Chief Inspector Raul Vignaroli is using this information to compel her to help in the investigation by being an undercover interrogator among the American suspects in an exclusive harbor. However, can she trust the mutual attraction she is feeling with Raul as the case turns dangerous when a local cartel connection comes up. Beyond the setup, the main mystery is intricately plotted with a nice set of suspects, each hiding his or her own secrets, leading up to a suspenseful thriller ending that should please most mystery fans.

[Martha Bryce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thriller/romance story. The heroine, Katy Hunter is on leave from the San Francisco Police Department for shooting her sister's stalker. She has also broken her engagement, even though the wedding is only a few weeks away. Katrina is on her sailboat and ends up in Ensenada, Mexico as a person of interest because she found the body of a lovely young woman, murdered and floating in the ocean. With her police background, she is shifted from a person of interest in the murder to an interesting person who may be able to help local police Chief Inspector Raul Vignaroli solve the murder by infiltrating an enclave of rich, bored and suspicious Americans docked in Ensenada. Sparks fly between Katy and Raul despite the unexpected presence of the ex-husband of Katy's first and disastrous marriage. This is a great, light beach read!

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detective Katrina Taylor Hunter of the San Francisco Police Department is detained in Mexico after discovering a young woman’s body floating in the Mexican waters as she’s finishing up a vacation while on sabbatical from the department. There she meets handsome, married Chief Inspector Raul Vignaroli who enlists her help in the investigation.

While in Ensenada, Katrina meets several of the locals and not-so-locals, among whom are several pathological liars and an old beau of hers from high school and college days.

Author Dahlke clearly shows her knowledge of boats and I find myself looking up a few words.

Engaging and fun with a quirky cast of characters.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and fast read. Katy, the protagonist is a San Francisco Detective on a forced leave (she shot her sister's stalker). She is sailing alone to Mexico and discovers a female body floating nearby. This takes her into Encinitas where the Mexican Police keep her for six hours interviewing her about the remains. The Chief, Raul, is, of course dark, attractive and mysterious. The mystery takes her to a couple of yacht harbors and deals with murder, cons, the IRS and general mayhem. It is well written with both wit and humor and a plot that will keep your interest.

[L.W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how the book started and had a hard time putting it down. I got to the middle and found myself getting impatient to see what happened. By the end, there were enough twists and spins to keep even my interest and I have to admit I liked this book very much. I believe this is the third book I've read by this author and she is one I'll put on my list to check out her work as it becomes available. As far as the book and plot... You'll have to read it yourself!

[Marsha Cornelius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dangerous Harbor is a fun little romp set on the west coast of Mexico, a sort of Casablanca where crooks and n'er-do-wells allude detection. The book starts with the discovery of a body, floating out on the ocean, and it doesn't end until all the loose ends are tied up. There are lots of romances involved, both past and future. I enjoyed the writer's style, particularly her descriptive narratives. If you read Catherine Coulter, you should like R.P. Dahlke.

[J.C. Wing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new series by R.P. Dahlke, the author of the witty and cleverly written Dead Red Series. This book had an altogether different feel than the other series and I am looking very forward to finding out which direction Dahlke will take this one. This was a very good story with a sweet bit of romance and a nicely written prose. I enjoy Dahlke's writing very much and eagerly anticipate the next installment.

[Robin Van Auken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan.
R.P. Dahlke's book "A Dangerous Harbor" is a fast-paced whodunit filled with quirky, interesting characters. The heroine is a sailor on a solo journey to Mexico, a daunting task and a daunting destination. Add a body (or two), a former lover on the lam, confrontations with seedy criminals, and a sexy, smoldering Mexican-Italian police chief and you've got a combustible book that moves so fast you'll be disappointed when it's over.

[NVTony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sailing mystery with lots of twists. Really enjoyed this adventure. Author knows how to paint picture with words.

[Jakenv · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a real winner in mystery department. Liked characters and found story moved quickly with appropriate information to stay in action. Reading more from this talented author.

[The Kara B · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVEEEED IT!! I need a sequel though!!

[Richard Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun Story filled with Sailboats, bad guys, crazy women, (I've sailed with some crazy women myself) and of course a little romance. "A dangerous harbor" has all ingredients to make a great tale.

[Janine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt as though I was missing great chunks of this book as it was very disjointed.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story

San Fransisco detective Katy Hunter takes a small vacation to get away from work and a fallen apart engagement just weeks before her wedding, she decides to sail down to Ensenada, Mexico. Hoping for a little reprieve to clean up her boat and relax she winds up in the middle of a murder and more. Plus she runs into an old flame. In Mexico?
At first she is a person of interest before the Chief finds her credentials are legitimate he then recruits her to help him keeping her passport as hostage. She reluctently agrees not having much choice and for good measures she wakens in the morning to find her boat chained to the dock locked and keyed. She is the Chief's prisoner. Now she is mad. Real mad, screaming mad. And the Chief is enjoying it.
As you will as well. The events that happen is kinda like playing Russian roulette, who is going to die next. Read and see.