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RP Dahlke
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A Dead Red Oleander (The Dead Red Mystery Series, Book 3) Kindle Edition

by RP Dahlke (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 4,119 ratings
What if quitting your boring job put you in line for murder?

Her beloved great aunt wants to barbecue dad's side-kick, Bruce the goat, her man-hungry cousin has her sights set on her top pilot, and her new hire is really a CPA hiding from a vicious Las Vegas hitman. Then things really start to get messy.

Nominated for a Global Award in Mystery

"This author is an exceptional talent bringing her characters to life--you feel like you've met them before! My only regret--I am finished reading and have to wait who knows how long for my next "fix" from this author! Read it and enjoy!" Tech Teacher, Amazon Review

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  1. Book 3 of 7
    The Dead Red Mystery series
  2. Print length
    259 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    June 10, 2012
  5. File size
    1.0 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"It's safe to say, if you like Janet Evanovich, you'll love R.P. Dahlke. It's the same breezy, quick action style, with unforgettable characters and a strong, female lead. Only I personally think Lalla Bains has a little more going for her than Stephanie Plum." Allene, Amazon review,
Verified Purchase

"The book was easy to read, easy to root for the good people, entertaining from the first page to the last, and that's how books are supposed to be. Although she is a fictitious character, I kind of had a crush on Lalla Bains by the end of the book" Forrest, Amazon review

I''m so happy that Lalla Bains is back! This is my favorite book of the three and it's all there: crime, mystery, suspense and great characters! I really liked the glimpses into Lalla's thoughts as she goes back and forth with new theories. Her dad completely lost in a house full of women as Lalla's great-aunt and her cousin (Pearlie) come from Texas for her wedding is hilarious. I Matos, Amazon review"This author is an exceptional talent bringing her characters to life--you feel like you've met them before! My only regret--I am finished reading and have to wait who knows how long for my next "fix" from this author! Read it and enjoy!" Tech Teacher, Amazon ReviewAlso at Amazon/Kindle

From the Author

I got to thinking why I so very much like reading and writing about strong women. To be honest with you, I think it's because I've spent most of my life as a wimp, doing as I was told, minding my manners, saying all the right, and expected, things,  until one day I realized being miss-goody-two-shoes was getting me exactly nowhere. Since then, I've been called disrespectful, annoyingly forward, and my favorite--uppity.  To make up for lost time, I now suit up as Lalla Bains, born again bachelorette, ex-NY Model, crop-duster, sometime amateur sleuth.   I might as well let her tell it... she's crowding me for the spotlight anyway.  

 Lalla Bains here, and I seldom do as I'm told especially after my lyin', cheatin' whoring  second ex-husband took up with yet another too-tasty-to-resist side-dish.  
 So what if I took a baseball bat to his recently restored vintage Caddy? It was worth it just to watch him  try to yodel  his way out of this latest lie... like I didn't catch him and his secretary fogging up the windows of his pimp-mobile. 
I smashed in the headlights, the driver's side window, and just for good measure, slashed the tires. That way, he had to get a tow.  I skinned him of the Caddy in the divorce and, just for spite, painted it candy apple red. 
That's me, hell raiser--well, sort of. Flying and partying don't mix during the long hard days of summer.  Even if I had the energy  I get too damn little sleep as it is and now that I'm fu-fuuu-fu-forty.--'kay, that's--that's just--rude to laugh. You try my life for a day--up at three a.m., chasing after lazy pilots and the smart mouthed ground crew I inherited when my dad went  in for a triple by-pass. 
"Would you mind coming home and taking over the crop-dusting business?" he says, coughing lightly into the phone. "I might not be around much longer."  
Miraculously recovered, my tight-wad father is now too busy to take back his desk, what with rediscovering  a whole new wardrobe from the back of his closet.  He's in leisure suits, squiring local widows to funerals and scarfing up free meals at the wakes while I try to shake off the ankle biting Chihuahua we inherited from the last murder case. 
On the bright side, my love life is finally out of the dumps since I have a wonderful relationship with Sheriff Caleb Stone. Well, that is, it would be, if only I could do as I'm told and stay away from solving crimes. It's not my fault that people die at my feet, or they're found six feet under a local lake strapped into the front seat of my trophy red caddy.
But, If I did as I was told and stayed out of trouble,  I never would have solved those cases.  Besides, it helps keep my mind off turning fu-fuu-forty.  So, now you understand why well behaved women seldom make history is now my motto.
Note to self: tattoo the above quote somewhere I can clearly see it when I'm in another jam.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008ALR6GC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dead Bear Publishing; 4th edition (June 10, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 10, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.0 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 259 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 4,119 ratings

About the author

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RP Dahlke

RP Dahlke

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My protagonist for the Dead Red Mystery series is a tall, blond ex-model turned crop-duster who, to quote Lalla Bains, has "been married so many times they oughta revoke my license."

Lalla is no Danielle Steele character & she's not afraid of chipping her manicure. Scratch that, the girl doesn't have time for a manicure. The first three books are based on my time running my dad's crop-dusting business in the Central Valley of California. Beginning with A Dead Red Alibi, I moved just about everybody to South East Arizona where Lalla and cousin Pearlie continue to chase down criminals.

A Dead Red Cadillac

A Dead Red Heart

A Dead Red Oleander

A Dead Red Alibi

A Dead Red Miracle

A Dead Red Gamble

A Dead Red Horse Thief

A NEW mystery series featuring a paranormal woman detective (who doesn't know she's got this gift) and her side-kick, Mai-Lin Song (who doesn't know she's a dog). Hiding in Plain Sight, Book One is coming soon on Kindle.

My romantic suspense books are also on Kindle: A Dangerous Harbor, and Hurricane Hole. If you liked my Lalla Bains series, I know you'll love these books: More romance, more suspense, in an exotic location with nastier bad guys and a bald parrot!

My website features deals and steals for my books and author's I can honestly say I enjoy reading.

Oh, and one more thing: I do prizes every month, mostly from my travels. Sign up here: https://rpdahlke.com/contest/

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4,119 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this mystery book witty and easy to read, with a fascinating plot that keeps them guessing. They appreciate the colorful characters, humor, and romantic elements, describing it as delightful. The pacing receives mixed reactions, with some finding it light-hearted while others say it's slow at the beginning. The mystery content also gets mixed reviews, with some saying it keeps you guessing while others find it too predictable.

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558 customers mention "Readability"520 positive38 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and recommend it as a quick read.

"...place is quite familiar to me, so as I read the book, it was easy for my minds eye to imagine exactly how things looked, and the people in the story..." Read more

"...It's the same breezy, quick action style, with unforgettable characters and a strong, female lead...." Read more

"This was a delightful book to read. I enjoyed it so much, that I was sorry to see the end of it. The suspects were more than worthy of suspicion...." Read more

"...I found it to be just an okay book. I found the character's names and antics to be a bit hokey...." Read more

429 customers mention "Suspenseful"396 positive33 negative

Customers find the book suspenseful with a fascinating plot that involves both mystery and intrigue, featuring twists and turns that make it more relatable to real life.

"...As for Lalla Bains, she is awesome, way down to earth, and comes across as someone even I might know, and so are the other characters in the book...." Read more

"A Dead Red Oleander, by R. P. Dahlke; is both funny, and serious, an altogether good read...." Read more

"...The suspects were more than worthy of suspicion...." Read more

"...It is light reading and somewhat of a fairly short mystery." Read more

248 customers mention "Character development"221 positive27 negative

Customers enjoy the characters in the book, finding them funny and colorful, with one customer noting how they keep readers engaged throughout the story.

"...Although she is a fictitious character, I kind of had a crush on Lalla Bains by the end of the book, as she seems to be a never-a-dull-moment kind..." Read more

"...It's the same breezy, quick action style, with unforgettable characters and a strong, female lead...." Read more

"...The characters were real in their looks, and attitudes, and just as convoluted in their thinking, and rationalization of their reasons for doing..." Read more

"...the first two books for the back stories on all of these wonderful characters. Wonderfully written and a great read!" Read more

139 customers mention "Humor"129 positive10 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor and suspense, describing it as a fun mystery with witty dialogue.

"A Dead Red Oleander, by R. P. Dahlke; is both funny, and serious, an altogether good read...." Read more

"...a reader interested by maintaining a cracking pace peppered with plenty of humour and good dialogue...." Read more

"...P. Dahlke is a fast-paced mystery with lots of action and a Texas-sized dose of humor...." Read more

"What a fun mystery! Lalla Bains is no ordinary lady. She has spunk, her dad has spunk and her other relatives are interesting too...." Read more

24 customers mention "Wit"24 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the wit of the book, with one review highlighting the spunky woman solving mysteries and another noting the interesting characters.

"...quick action style, with unforgettable characters and a strong, female lead...." Read more

"...-divorced Lalla Bains—continues to enchant me with her gutsy and chancy take on life...." Read more

"What a pair of mystery solvers!..." Read more

"...They're interesting people, and I love getting to see what each of them will do or say next...." Read more

16 customers mention "Romance"16 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the romance in the book, describing it as delightful and cheerful.

"A memorable bunch of loveable and not so loveable characters. Lalla and Pearlie seem to have more guts than brains at times, but lots of luck...." Read more

"Delightful!...." Read more

"...CUTE BOOK" Read more

"Good twists and turns. A little love, suspense, family dynamics. Kept me reading till I was done. I will now read the other books in the series." Read more

17 customers mention "Mystery content"11 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the mystery content of the book, with some saying it kept them guessing while others found it too predictable.

"Always keeps you guessing, laughing and wondering what could possibly happen next. A lot of the unexpected in a hilarious yet dangerous encounter...." Read more

"...were times that things seemed to jump around and the sequences of events seemed scattered, like the author had a thought, started to write about it,..." Read more

"...well-written novel keeps the characters hopping and the reader guessing from page to page...." Read more

"I do enjoy a good detective story. This one kept me guessing right up to the end. My only complaint is that it ended too soon. Really a fun read." Read more

17 customers mention "Pacing"7 positive10 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it light-hearted while others note it was slow in the beginning.

"...It was pretty engrossing for several chapters, then the pacing seemed to be off and there were sudden changes in location of the scenes...." Read more

"...I highly recommend it if you like light-hearted, funny murder mysteries." Read more

"...Descriptions got too detailed in a few places, bogging down my little mind, otherwise it a 5 star little read." Read more

"...Dahlke's books are so full of feelings and real life. I found myself wanting to go and visit Lalla and her family...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • forrest
    5.0 out of 5 stars A down to earth real adventure book
    Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    After reading so many books about aliens, monsters and horror, I thought I'd read something different, and boy was I pleasantly surprised. The geographical area where the story takes place is quite familiar to me, so as I read the book, it was easy for my minds eye to imagine exactly how things looked, and the people in the story also remind me of people I know or knew growing up. I was a logger in the Sierras east of Modesto, and now live in the Bay Area, which caused me to pass through the area on a regular basis, and I can still remember the crop dusters flying along the road right alongside me and spraying the crops, they seemed to be quite talented, and I don't know why but the familiarity of the place and background of the story made the book even better. As for Lalla Bains, she is awesome, way down to earth, and comes across as someone even I might know, and so are the other characters in the book. The book was easy to read, easy to root for the good people, entertaining from the first page to the last, and that's how books are supposed to be. Although she is a fictitious character, I kind of had a crush on Lalla Bains by the end of the book, as she seems to be a never-a-dull-moment kind of girl, but loyal to a fault, and very loving as well, and after a couple of wives and a bunch of girlfriends, she seems to be what dreams and good books are made of , too perfect to be real. Now I can't wait to read the rest of her adventures, but slowly like fine wine.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Allene
    4.0 out of 5 stars Funny, serious, and loads of fun
    Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    A Dead Red Oleander, by R. P. Dahlke; is both funny, and serious, an altogether good read. In this book, Lalla Bains, an aero-ag pilot (crop duster) seems to find her way into more than a field of pesky bugs. At the opening of A Dead Red Oleander we find Lalla in a sizzling, hot, cotton field, laying underneath her Dad's old pickup, handcuffed to the frame. So, what's up with that? That's what a California State Trooper wants to know.

    Backtracking reveals events happening fast and furious, starting with a newly hired pilot, with the unlikely name of Dewey Treat, dying without preamble at Lalla's prenuptial hot dog roast. Did the wife kill him with a poisonous oleander stick? Why did Mad Dog, the other aero-ag pilot, bring a stranger to that party? And, what did the stranger know about the dead man?

    Lalla takes it on herself to find out the secrets that surround the dead Dewey Treat; and the wife who isn't what she seems. It leads her into a frantic fracas of car wrecks, attempted kidnapping, dead bodies, and explosions. Sharing her harrowing adventures is wedding guest, Cousin Pearlie, a crack pilot with a penchant for romance. Did I mention she carries a gun? Add an eccentric Texas Granny, a grumpy Dad, his goat, Billy, and his girlfriend Shirley. Mix it up with a Federal agent, and don't forget the bridegroom, Caleb, who just happens to be the county sheriff. He's not only interested in solving the tangle of who's killing whom, and why, he's struggling to keep Lalla alive long enough to be his bride.

    It's safe to say, if you like Janet Evanovich, you'll love R.P. Dahlke. It's the same breezy, quick action style, with unforgettable characters and a strong, female lead. Only I personally think Lalla Bains has a little more going for her than Stephanie Plum. Just my opinion.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • jonnie hammon
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Dead Red Oleander (The Dead Red Mystery Series)
    Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This was a delightful book to read. I enjoyed it so much, that I was sorry to see the end of it. The suspects were more than worthy of suspicion. Living in one of the town's mentioned, made me laugh, because I could definitely see it happening here in Fresno. The characters were real in their looks, and attitudes, and just as convoluted in their thinking, and rationalization of their reasons for doing what they did. The main. Character,Lalla Bain , is engaged to the county sheriff, who is frustrated with keeping her safe, which leads to some anger from him, but knows he still loves her and wants to marry her.., which is an endearing quality. She doesn't really want to get involved with murder, but feels she has to, in order for the crimes to be solved. Her loving, but crazy family are there offering opinions, and help, making her worry about their safety, more than her own. She is impulsive, one of the things her fiancee is aware of, and is designed to. There is a lighter side in this story, that works well, with the dark. Just as well as the sun works with the moon, and is welcomed in this type of story.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Lady J
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Fast
    Reviewed in Canada on November 30, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    From the first page to the last, this book is a wonderful read. Very reminiscent of the Stephanie Plum series.
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  • Ann Stanmore
    5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and fun
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    After enjoying books 1 and 2, I wondered if this would be as good. I needn't have worried, this was equally enjoyable.

    Great characters, well written, as previous books witty and fun
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  • Sally Williams
    5.0 out of 5 stars Really enjoyable
    Reviewed in Australia on March 22, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Great setting, sassy characters and a determined crime-stopper who is not fazed by a professional hit man, bodies piling up, attempted kidnappings, or her own upcoming wedding.
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  • DaveL
    4.0 out of 5 stars Light-hearted read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    A good plot and the interplay between characters is effective even when there are breaks between the action. A few surplus words here and there where sentences were probably rewritten but the editing not done properly, but my biggest criticism is the time sequence after Pearlie's rental car gets smashed up. She and Lalla wait for the police, and the tow truck, and a replacement rental car, and are cleared of questioning, yet after all that the person they were tailing is barely a hundred yards from them!

    That evening they return from a bar and Lalla intends to go home but then decides to stay with her cousin Pearlie. Suddenly it is 3am and the bars are closed! Then, after a brief conversation it's almost seven in the morning! It doesn't actually affect the story so I still give it 4 stars!
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  • Hoener, Birgit
    4.0 out of 5 stars unique characters, dry humour, good plot
    Reviewed in Germany on August 17, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Agricultural pilot Lalla, whose wedding with the local Policeman Caleb is scheduled, gets mixed up in crimes and "helps" her fiancé to solve them.
    This I think was the third in a series and was quite enjoyable, written with a lot of humour and very likeable, unique characters. I understand the series should be read in consecutive order, but not knowing the first books did not prevent me as a reader from getting into the story. Also, if anything from the past books was really required, the author very deftly put it into the current story as a flashback or a short explanation by the characters - enough so that it made me curious to read the other books as well eventually.
    I only wish author and editor had put as much effort and diligence in proofreading and correcting spelling and grammar errors, but to be honest, there were not too many of them - still, the ones I saw were annoying.
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