Safe Harbor

A Pat Tierney Mystery #1

by Rosemary McCracken

What would you do to protect your family?

Financial advisor Pat Tierney’s world is shattered when a visitor to her office tells her that Pat's late husband is the father of a seven-year-old boy. Stunned by the revelation of her husband's affair, Pat is even more shocked when the woman bolts from the office, leaving young Tommy behind.

When Tommy's mother is murdered, police tell Pat that the boy may be the killer's next target. In a desperate race to protect Tommy, Pat's searches for the truth and uncovers a deadly scheme involving illegal immigrants, trafficking in human body parts and money laundering.

And Pat discovers that she'll do just about anything to keep her family safe.

Genres: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Fiction

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Rosemary McCracken, author of the Pat Tierney Mystery Series, has worked on newspapers across Canada as a reporter, arts reviewer, editorial writer and editor. Rosemary’s short fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. "The Sweetheart Scamster," published in Thirteen in 2013, was a finalist for a Derringer Award.

Rosemary’s first Pat Tierney mystery, SAFE HARBOR, was shortlisted for Britain’s Crime Writers’ Association’s Debut Dagger in 2010, and was published in 2012. Its sequel, BLACK WATER, was released in 2013, followed by RAVEN LAKE in 2016, UNCHARTED WATERS in 2020, and RIVERSONG in 2025. Jack Batten, the Toronto Star's former crime fiction reviewer, calls Pat Tierney "a hugely attractive sleuth figure."

Rosemary now lives and writes in Toronto.

Reviews

[Inga · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review:

Safe Harbor is a captivating book to read, once you have read the first pages, you are intrigued and want to know what is going to happen. This book is not only a mystery, but it touched so many other important topics like betrayal, protecting your family, human trafficking, international crime – it affects you on many different levels. Safe Harbor is well written, has an interesting plot and very enjoyable characters.

Regarding the plot:

Safe Harbor introduces you to a financial advisor Pat Tierney, who has a safe life: she has well-paid job, comfortable home and nice and quiet family life. It is all being changed when one day in the office she meets Jude. Jude is a young woman who reveals to Pat, that the little seven-year old boy is the son of Pat’s recently died husband. It seems that Jude is concerned about the safety of her and her son’s life and leaves Tommy at Pat’s office promising to come back for her son after the threat is gone.

After that meeting everything changes for Pat, her life is turned upside down. Firstly, she is shocked and heart broken by the fact that her husband cheated on her and now needs to gather the pieces of a very hurtful knowledge. Besides that, Jude is found murdered and Pat also needs to take care of her husband’s son whom she had no idea even existed.

Pat needs to make lot of quick and difficult decisions and since the threat for her own family and for Tommy is coming closer, she starts investigating why and who killed Jude and who are the persons behind wanting to kill Tommy. With persistent approach she is coming step by step closer to the killers and to the truth and it all points towards the refugee home Safe Harbor.

I really enjoyed the story! It had unexpected twists and turns and what enjoyed most of all, it was believable and real. The story was nicely supported by the characters of the book which were also brilliantly created!

I loved the title of the book! Safe Harbor mirrors many things in the plot: Pat’s choices to live her life too safely, not allowing herself to love again after her husband’s death; it mirrors the safe place for refugees to feel safe, it mirrors Tommy’s journey to finally finding a family. It was incredibly good choice for the title of the book!

Regarding the characters:

Rosemary McCracken did a very good work with the plot and she managed to create the story of Safe Harbor around very strong characters! The characters were thoroughly developed and that made them real, believable and human.

Pat Tierney is a woman which every reader would love and could relate to. What I loved about Pat was the fact that she was middle-aged. There are not many good mystery books where the main character is a middle-aged woman who is already well-established, has had a lot of life experience and who is not a perfect person. Her kids are already grown: one daughter is in the university and the other is in high school. She has loved deeply and has felt the loss of her husband. She is smart, has strong personality and last, but not least, she has a kind heart and yet is vulnerable. She has second thoughts of letting go of her dead husband and giving herself a second chance to love.

I truly enjoyed reading about Pat!

Tommy was another favorite character in the book. Rosemary did an excellent job with describing a seven-year old boy who misses his mom, who is sincere, who is accepting things as they are seen from kid’s point of view. He was adorable and I felt the pain when his father’s family did not want anything to do with him because he was born out of marriage bounds.

Another character whom I adored was Sister Celia who worked at the refugee center. I had my doubts about her in the beginning, but she was such a nice woman conflicted between doing the right thing and getting the finances to support the refugee center.

Detective Sergeant Neil Hardy was also one of the characters I liked. He was the detective in charge to investigate the murder of Jude. He was one weird police officer: from one side he seemed cold and not the wisest piece of work and the same time he was supporting and at least trying to help protecting pat and Tommy.

Farah was also an interesting character. Farah was Pat’s housekeeper and a refugee who tried to create a new life. She was so naïve, so inexperienced in the way people lived in her new country. She just did not know better and wanted so badly to live as Canadians and break out of her religion and traditions from her old country.

There were so many lovable persons in Safe Harbor: Pat’s new love interest Devon, Pat’s daughters, the Greek neighbor of Jude - Sophie, the gay colleague Stéphane who worked with Pat, Devon’s son Ryan, Tommy’s grandmother – the list would be very long! They all played an important role in the story and gave so many extra points to the book from reader’s perspective.

Rosemary balanced it out with bunch of people who were despicable and it was another strong side of the book.

Let’s start with Arlene who is Pat’s sister in law and Tommy’s aunt. She was nasty, bitchy, greedy woman who made the reader to want to slap her. The reader also met Oskar who was working at Safe Harbor and who gave you shivers down in your spine! Another funny and interesting character was Pat’s new colleague Arnie who was a son of one of the wealthiest clients who Pat had.

There were so many intriguing characters in the book and all of them had a story to tell to the reader. I loved the richness and colorfulness of the characters in Safe Harbor!

Generally:

Safe Harbor by Rosemary McCracken is a book which you want to re-read after you finished it. It stays with you for much longer than just during the reading time. It is filled with fast paced action, intriguing mystery, drama and absolutely captivating characters! I highly recommend it to read – it is such a good and interesting and entertaining book!

5 stars!

[Colleen Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pat Tierney, a financial advisor used to solving her clients' problems, faces trouble of her own when she comes face to face with her late husband's love child. Not only has the boy's mother been murdered, but he's been dumped on Pat as his wealthy family wants nothing to do with him.

Safe Harbor is a quick, suspenseful read with a hint of romance, perfect for a lazy day on the couch. Rosemary McCracken weaves an interesting and original tale of international intrigue and I'm looking forward to her next book.

[Judy Sheluk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and thought-provoking, with a satisfying ending that made me want to read book 2 and find out more about Pat Tierney and her family. Especially Tommy. A great debut.

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman bursts into your office wanting you to protect her son. But why? After all, you were just a financial advisor and you had no connection to her son…except this boy was your husband’s son. Huh…

Suddenly, Pat was in charge of someone else’s son. Now, how to get rid of him? Was there a grandma somewhere? Aunts? Uncles? Imagine having to take care of a strange kid. Talk about Baby Boom!

This was certainly an interesting dilemma, but it really wasn’t too fresh. You can just the movie, Baby Boom, for the same general idea. The diary narrative was nice, but it wasn’t anything too grand. I was kind of hoping for something a little more exciting and this just wasn’t it.

Eh, it was okay.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. You have a very unbelievable storyline. Still not sure why people killed the mom. The last 10 pages just really wraps things up in a nice little bow. It was ok, though it could have been better, but would read another book by this author to see if her other books develop better.

[RICHARD BRUMBAUGH · Rating 4 out of 5]

From One Problem to Another

A now single woman deals with her husband’s death, a new job, children, and a sudden house guest, a young boy. As she deals with each of these, she also grows her own capabilities.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable crime thriller set in Toronto, featuring an inquisitive financial advisor.

[Shelley]

Author's guest post at my blog:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2022/01...

[Lyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me about twenty pages to get into it, but it was a page turner after that. Recommend and now I’m reading the second and third. Main character is likeable and believable.

[Dori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Solid story but a bit wondering

I enjoyed this story for the most part. Although there were parts that didn't really hold my interest very well. It was easy to put down for long periods of time

[Lou Allin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Investment advisor Pat Tierney has enough on her hands as a widowed mother of two young women. Imagine her surprise when stranger Jude Seaton enters her office and begs her to take her seven-year-old, Tommy, for a few days. Their lives are threatened, but the details aren’t forthcoming. Jude seems respectable, a teacher at a parochial school working hard to pay the bills. As Pat refuses, a blockbuster revelation rocks her reality. Her dead husband, the love of her life, was the boy’s father.
I got up, went over to the window and looked out on the Toronto night. Christmas lights twinkled on Eglinton Avenue. The street looked exactly as it had for the past few weeks, but my world had changed beyond recognition.
Twisting the rings on my left hand, I studied my reflection in the glass. I saw a green-eyed blonde, hair artfully disarranged. Businesswoman, mother, a wife for nearly twenty years. A woman so stupid she didn't know her husband had been sleeping around. I swallowed back the bile that was rising in my throat.
Frantic Jude tosses down Tommy’s belongings and disappears, pursued by her own demons. Or are they real? Pat is left to juggle slender clues as she first tries to find Jude and then must bargain with Seaton’s wealthy family, who are reluctant to take the boy.
Flitting around the perimeters is the theme of international refugees. One of Pat’s employees has Somalian connections. Pat encounters Sister Celia, who runs Safe Harbor to accommodate the refugees with shelter and legal help for their cases. Not only are they strangers in a strange land, but they may carry dangerous secrets from their previous lives. The sister seems a godsend, but other figures are stalking Pat as she tries to find a safe harbor for herself and the boy. In the background is Pat’s new love interest, Devon. After betrayal by her once-beloved husband, can she share her heart and faith again?

Never have the bustling streets of Toronto or the quiet lakes of cottage country felt so sinister. Is the law powerless in the face of those who would bring violence and terror to a peaceful nation acting out of selflessness? Is it money, revenge, or something beyond comprehension? Picking up a newspaper sheds light daily on this ugly 21st century dilemma. Havens have their price. Kindness may bring danger in its innocent wake.
McCracken ramps up the action from paragraph one and never hits the brakes in this dynamic thriller. The intrepid Pat is an ideal lead for an expanded role of mother, protector, and hero. Her behaviour rings true, whether parenting her girls, taking care of her dog, or venturing into a problematical romance. She’s smart and savvy, but does she trust too much?

[Julie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pat Tierney, Certified Financial Planner, was finishing up at the office in anticipation of New Year's week up north, when a frantic woman charged into her office.

Jude Seaton "didn't look like a head case, but ..." She insisted she was in trouble and her son, Tommy, was in danger; her seven-year-old son, fathered by Pat's late husband, Michael.

Before Pat could recover from the shock, from her world being upended, Jude had fled and Tommy stood watching her with his father's eyes. The next day, as Pat is trying to come to grips with the truth, she is notified that Jude has been murdered.

Determined to protect the little boy, and find out who killed his mother, Pat is drawn into a world very different from her own. A world where Safe Harbor, a shelter run by a nun, seems to be trafficking in illegal immigrants; where immigrants mysteriously disappear, and dismembered bodies appear, all over the city.

Suddenly, the nightmare lands at her door: someone tries to run her down, her housekeeper's new boyfriend menaces her family, a strange man appears out of the darkness with an impossible story, and an inept new employee assumes a high-level position at her business.

Before it's done, Pat is knee-deep in an organ harvesting ring, money laundering schemes, and kidnapping. This is a wild ride - from the first page, to the last.

*****

I was quite surprised to learn that this was a first novel. It's characters aren't cardboard caricatures; they're well-written and believable. The families are ... normal. They argue, pout, complain, do stupid things, and sound just like yours or mine - on any given day.

And, just like real life, you can't always tell the good guys from the bad guys. Whom do you trust? Are you running toward a Safe Harbor, or away?

Happily, this is the first book in a planned series. I'm looking forward to seeing what trouble Pat gets herself into the next time. Because, you just know she will. She can't help it.


*****

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Diane Rapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

An International Mystery Filled With Suspense

A strange woman walks into Pat Tierney’s office with a young boy and shatters precious memories of Pat’s dead husband. The desperate woman claims the boy is the son of Pat’s husband, and she needs someone to safeguard him from eminent danger until she can straighten things out. Pat has two troublesome teenage daughters at home and stress at work, why should she take on a stranger’s child?

What would you do? I asked myself this question as I read the novel. At first I wouldn’t believe the woman, neither did Pat. Would I be polite? No. Could I learn to accept the truth and love a boy who looked exactly like my dead husband? That’s the crux of the novel. Pat’s heartbroken by her husband’s betrayal but the boy needs a safe harbor. The next day the boy’s mother turns up dead, and Pat realizes her own family might be in danger.

This is a complex story filled with the type of international intrigue that could be ripped from modern day headlines. It takes place in Canada but might happen anywhere. There is a place called Safe Harbor, meant to give refugees a place to stay while the government decides their cases. But Safe Harbor doesn’t live up to its name or purpose.

The stories of all the characters are expertly intertwined by a talented author, who makes the reader care what happens to Pat Tierney and her small family. I held my breath when danger loomed and sighed with relief when…you’ll need to find out for yourself. If you enjoy mystery, suspense, and a bit of romance this is a book that gives you everything in one place.

[Charles Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pat Tierney is a financial advisor, a widow with two daughters, living a relatively comfortable life until Jude Seaton comes to her office and informs her that her late-husband, Michael, was the father of 7-year-old Tommy, Jude’s son. She tells Pat that Tommy is in danger and asks her to care for him until she ‘takes care of some business.’ When Jude is later found murdered, Pat finds herself immersed in the bloody world of immigrant smuggling, body parts trafficking, and money laundering, and the target of a killer.
Safe Harbor, a first novel by Rosemary McCracken is a moving story of human relationships and the lengths to which a woman will go to protect her family. In addition, it is filled with suspense and action from page one. McCracken demonstrates a mastery of her craft that is seldom found in the first effort, with characters that you immediately love or hate, and action scenes that ratchet the tension to stratospheric levels.
We often think of good thrillers as books we can sink our teeth into, but this is one that will sink its teeth into you and hang on like an angry pit bull. If you think the life of a financial advisor is all about spread sheets and stock movements; think again. Pat Tierney is a protagonist to keep an eye out for.

[Carol Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked on this story from the very first page and I found it almost impossible to put down.

There is a veritable maze of twists and turns to this story, including a couple of connections I didn’t see coming. When one of the major players is killed I had no idea how the others were going to connect the dots to discover who was behind it. And then another player is killed and it really left me wondering.

There was so much more going on than just the murder of Jude Seaton. What’s happening to the refugees who’ve gone missing? Why is someone after seven-year-old Tommy? And how is Pat going to reconcile herself to living proof of her late husband’s infidelity?

You’re just going to have to read it for yourself to discover the answers. And trust me, you won't be sorry you did. :-)

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hold onto your hats in this fast-paced thriller set in Canada. In Safe Harbor, Pat Tierney's world was turned upside-down, when Jude Seaton stepped inside her financial planning firm. From there, she went on an emotional roller-coaster ride. First, the bombshell about her late husband's affair and son, when Jude asked her for her help, imploring that the both of them were in danger. Later on, she turned up dead. It was up to Pat to find out the truth behind Jude's life, when she tried to control her family and steer them for the truth later on, and protect Tommy from evil harm. While she managed a couple of clients, she didn't know the danger that brewed at her own firm. Pretty soon, both world collide with the shocking truth about a secret off-shore account and the disturbing truth behind the black market human organ trafficking that happened in her own backyard.

[Rosemary Cantrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good mystery. At least it was a little different. Refugees are missing and now body parts are being found. For Pat, the biggest surprise is when a woman drops off her 7 year old son, says he is in danger, and that Pat's deceased husband is the father.

Thus sets off a string of events that lead to murder, an organ harvesting ring, and plenty of other unexpected events.

While this did draw me in, especially since it was a little different, it still had its problems. The most glaring were that the pieces came together so easily. It was a quick read and I was glad that it was basically a clean read, in spite of the subject matter - no serious swearing, no sex scenes, no unnecessary vulgarity.

[Peggy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've said it before free books are a hit or miss for me this was a miss. 1st who lets a woman come in her office tell you her son is your late husbands child and then leaves the child with you because he may be in danger. 2nd I don't care if the kid looks like your husband why you just choose to believe and why wouldn't you call the police and tell them she abandoned the kid. No Pat decides she's gonna keep the kid till she can find her mother then when things start going south this money manager decides to become a detective and get not only herself in hot water but other people. I just wanted to smack this woman

[Kathy Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a young woman abandons her infant son with financial advisor Patricia Tierney, Pat is forced to take care of him, even though she is still grieving the death of her errant husband Michael. When Tommy’s mother is murdered, Tommy’s plight touches Pat in an unexpected way. She realises that Tommy’s life might be in danger too and she sets out to find out who is pursuing him and why.
In Safe Harbor, Rosemary McCracken weaves a tale of intrigue and suspense that will keep you turning the pages until the heart-stopping climax.

[Grammar*Kitten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel, but felt a little cheated by it in a way.
I found the protagonist to be a little shallow; she spent a little too much time Nancy-Drewing about when perhaps she realistically would have been a little more preoccupied with her dead husband's love child being dumped in her office by his mother? The concern she showed for the safety of her own girls didn't feel deep enough, she acted too irresponsibly without quandary. As I say, I enjoyed the short read it provided, but it could definitely have been a five star book with a little more depth of character.

[Joni · Rating 3 out of 5]

What would you do if a woman showed up at your place of employment with a young child and said, "Here you need to take care of this child for a few days, I am afraid for his life. Oh, by-the-way, he is your late husband's child." Forgot to mention, you are a widow and just entering a relationship with a divorced man. Interesting start to a well-written book. Lots of twists and turns, a few red herrings--an enjoyable read.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well written thriller set in Montreal. A CFP who is a widow is informed by a young woman that her 7 year old son is her late husband's child. The woman then takes off, leaving her with the child. The heroine looks for the woman but is unable to locate her. The next day she learns the woman has been murdered. The plot is well thought out and complex enough to hold your interest. Saying anything more would be a spoiler.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Safe Harbor will draw you in from the first page from the sinister Prologue to Chapter One when you are introduced to Pat Tierney, a financial adviser, who is asked to watch a seven year old boy by his mother, who fears for his life. The plot continues to thicken when you find out the boy is Pat's dead husband's son and then his mother disappears. The book has its ups and downs, drags at spots, but at times is an interesting page turner, short enough not to be boring.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heroine for baby boomers.

The characters are realistic, Pat is a woman that many in the almost fifty group can identify with, and the central dilemma is a real one with a few unusual twists. It held my interest. The author needs to put in three stars or a chapter when she shifts from one scene to another, to mark the shift without confusing the reader. Other than that, and a very few proofing errors, a well-written book.

[Trish Cooper · Rating 1 out of 5]

I downloaded this for free on my Kindle, so didn't really know much about it.
I gave this book one star b/c I couldn 't get past the first chapter. I do not appreciate the use of a lot of "language" in books and it really was unnecessary to the story.

[Bizzy Day · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the story but it felt a bit like I was reading a first draft. Also the lines of the protagonist were not clearly defined. Pat was a bit too much of everything which made her a frustrating character. the writing style was a bit too wordy and felt juvenile at points. overall not my thing.

[Izola · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a really good book. the author made sure to capture her reader early on and keep him/her hooked until the very end. I would have liked to had a little more in the end but it doesn't hurt to let the reader come up with their own conclusions.
I would recommend this book! :-)

[Michelle Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

NO SPOILERS....I loved this book from.start to finished I loved all the characters and I'm so happy there is a second book in this series....well worth reading .... I read this from.a box set deadly dozen.... great value

[Peggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I read book likes this I expect so much more than this book offered. Slow... could not get into it. And that after several tries. I was hoping for so much more and it just wasn't there.


*Received for an honest review*

[Doreen Dalesandro]

Kindle freebie, 5/24/12