First published 1997
Mick Fortney and his partner Leeds work the harbor patrol in San Diego, cruising Mission Bay in their police boat. Their usual routine involves rescuing stranded boaters, checking out pleasure craft, and pulling the occasional dead body from the water. Then the America's Cup sailing regattas arrive, flooding the city with international yacht crews, racing enthusiasts, tourists, spies, and con artists. A redheaded woman named Blaze catches their attention first with her striking looks, then with her suspicious behavior. Leeds falls hard for her from a distance while both cops sense something wrong. Blaze's strange actions pull Detective Anne Zorn and Fortney into a criminal investigation that spirals from amusing to deadly. The case leads them through San Diego's waterfront underworld as the biggest sailing race approaches. What starts as police curiosity about an attractive woman becomes a murder investigation that threatens to explode during the climactic race. Wambaugh delivers his signature blend of cop humor and crime drama against the backdrop of elite sailing culture.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, police-procedural
Setting: Mission Bay, San Diego
Period: America's Cup
291 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Bantam