Solent Murder Mystery

The game of cat and mouse begins... Following an eight month suspension for gross misconduct, Detective Inspector Andy Horton returns to his job after the charges are dropped, but the stain on his career and personal life persists. When Horton stumbles across a naked corpse, brutally bludgeoned, he sets out to find the killer. And while his colleagues want him off the case, fate has other plans. As a second body surfaces, chilling similarities send shivers down Horton's spine - is he the killer's next target? A gripping detective mystery perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Joy Ellis, and Rachel McLean. The Portsmouth Murders © 2023 Pauline Rowson

Dark waters hide deadly secrets. When the headmistress of a Portsmouth school is found brutally murdered on an old structure in the middle of Langstone Harbour, Detective Andy Horton of Portsmouth CID is assigned to the case. The victim, discovered with a note with the words 'Have you forgotten ME?', was a steely, determined woman who made enemies on her path to success. But did any of them hate her enough to want her dead? With the clock ticking and Superintendent Uckfield pressing for results, Horton is forced to make a decision that will put his life on the line. This absolutely gripping detective mystery is perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Joy Ellis, and Rachel McLean. The Langstone Harbour Murders © Pauline Rowson 2023

The stakes are high, and time is running out... When a charred body is discovered on a burning boat at Horsea Marina, Detective Inspector Andy Horton is called to investigate. The victim is identified as Tom Brundall, a wealthy financier from Guernsey, who was terminally ill. Puzzled, Horton wonders why a dying man would return to his hometown of Portsmouth and who would want to kill him. As Horton digs deeper, another body surfaces, forcing him to grapple with not just the victims' pasts but also the unresolved mystery of his own mother's disappearance three decades earlier. As he pieces the puzzle together, it becomes evident that he's facing a ruthless foe who determined to bury the truth. Can Horton catch the killer and find out what happened to his mother? This absolutely gripping detective mystery is perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Joy Ellis, and Rachel McLean. The Horsea Marina Murders © Pauline Rowson 2023

Detective Inspector Andy Horton has a lot on his plate. A celebrity receives threatening phone calls. A nursing home resident is assaulted. A man is found in a pit with several of his fingers severed. Perry Jackson and his team are filming a new TV series about wrecks in the Solent and staying at the large and luxurious Royal Hotel on Portsmouth's seafront. Shortly after they've checked in, Jackson receives a series of threatening phone calls telling him to watch his back and you've been warned. Horton thinks it's a publicity stunt to promote the new TV show. Meanwhile, at the Rest Haven Nursing Home, Mrs Kingsway says she's been assaulted by an intruder, but there's no sign of a break-in. The staff thinks she's lost her marbles, but her son wants action from the police. And now a man in diving gear is found dead in Oldham's Wharf. Several of his fingers are missing. The pressure is on. Detective Horton's deep in a web of intrigue, deception and corruption that stretches back into the past. Can he find his way back and stop a killer? This absolutely gripping detective mystery is perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Joy Ellis, and Rachel McLean. The Royal Hotel Murders © Pauline Rowson 2023

A cold, grey January morning. A woman with a gun in her hand. A corpse on an abandoned golf course. Detective Inspector Andy Horton is taking a break on the Isle of Wight. But even when he's on holiday trouble follows him... On an abandoned golf course, Horton finds a distraught, young woman with a gun in her hand, crouching over one of the derelict bunkers. Then the smell hits him. A dead man lies there. Dressed in walking gear, his body decomposing. The woman with the gun says she's his sister. The local police think she killed her brother, but Horton's not so sure. Then Horton's boat is broken into and another body is found in a barn. The victim stabbed in the back with a pitchfork. Horton must race against time to uncover the truth before the killer strikes again. This absolutely gripping detective mystery is perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Joy Ellis, and Rachel McLean. © Pauline Rowson 2023

It's Friday the thirteenth and Detective Inspector Andy Horton's luck is about to run out. His Harley-Davidson is vandalized, a strange symbol etched into the paintwork. A convicted murderer, Luke Felton, a name he recognizes, has gone missing. A decomposing corpse washes up in Portsmouth Harbour. A mysterious phone call leads him to another in a windswept garden in Portchester. To make matters worse, Horton's nit-picking boss, DCI Lorraine Bliss, has returned early from her secondment to HQ. Horton's got a lot on his plate. Can he connect the dots before anyone else dies? This absolutely gripping detective mystery is perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Joy Ellis, and Rachel McLean. © Pauline Rowson 2023

Meet DI Andy Horton. He's a risk-taking Harley-Davidson-riding detective who doesn't always play by the rules . . . which often lands him in trouble with his bosses. Suspicious lights at sea, decomposing bodies and an old flame send Horton down a rabbit hole in this captivating crime thriller. An elderly man obsessively watches the coast from his Victorian house high on the hill above Ventnor. When he observes mysterious lights out at sea, he reports them to the police. The local police think he's a bit of a nuisance. And when Horton interviews him he's inclined to agree. A judgement he may bitterly regret. Meanwhile a call comes through from Horton's partner, DS Cantelli. A woman's decomposing body is pulled out of the sea, wearing a Victorian-style dress. The post-mortem gives them a massive shock. And when another body is found, Horton thinks he's got a serial killer on his hands. © Pauline Rowson 2023

When the past refuses to stay buried, danger surfaces in the most unexpected places. Detective Inspector Andy Horton attends the funeral of ex-con Daryl Woodley, tasked with keeping an eye out for a feared crime boss linked to Woodley's murder. But the case already defies explanation: Woodley was brutally assaulted, spent three days in the hospital, then vanished – only to be discovered dead three miles away in the Farlington marshes. Horton's surveillance yields nothing… until dawn brings a new victim. A woman Horton recognises from Woodley's funeral. As the two deaths intertwine, Horton races against time – and a chilling warning – to unmask a cunning killer before they strike again. Perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Angela Marsons, and Elly Griffiths. "The Harley Davidson-riding, boat-dwelling Horton is a fascinating man to get to know, and his thoughtful approach to detection is a pleasure to read." Publishers Weekly

DI Andy Horton – a Harley-riding maverick with a nose for trouble and a knack for uncovering the truth – is back in this twisty murder mystery! Supposedly on holiday, Horton can't resist the lure of flashing blue lights at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. There, he finds the body of naval historian Dr Douglas Spalding. His boss is quick to dismiss it as suicide, but Horton's gut says otherwise. When a second body turns up in eerily similar circumstances, Horton knows this is no coincidence. With his superiors unwilling to act, he risks his career to dig deeper. A gripping, atmospheric police procedural set on England's South Coast. Perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Joy Ellis, and Elly Griffiths. "The Harley Davidson-riding, boat-dwelling Horton is a fascinating man to get to know, and his thoughtful approach to detection is a pleasure to read." Publishers Weekly "A great read for mystery lovers with plenty to keep you guessing until the last moment." Crime Book Club

DI Andy Horton is enjoying a sailing trip to France when the call comes in: Sergeant Cantelli's nephew, Johnnie Oslow, has vanished right before the prestigious Cowes Week yacht races on the Isle of Wight. Horton's boss dismisses it - probably just a romantic escapade - until charred remains turn up in an abandoned tunnel. Could it be Johnnie? What begins as a missing person case quickly spirals into a deadly game of cat and mouse. A ruthless killer is on the loose - and he's far from finished... Perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Joy Ellis, and Angela Marsons, this is an utterly gripping detective mystery that will keep you hooked until the final, chilling twist.

Detective Inspector Andy Horton is handed a troubling new case on the Isle of Wight - the disappearance of private investigator Jasper Kenton. Kenton had been tailing a man whose wife suspected him of an affair. But when Kenton's naked body is found wrapped in sailcloth on a private beach, a simple surveillance job becomes a chilling murder investigation. The post-mortem reveals a brutal execution: Kenton was shot at close range with a crossbow. Now Horton must navigate a web of secrets, lies and betrayal along the south coast of England. The deeper he digs into Kenton's last investigation - and the secretive world around the Isle of Wight - the more he realises this case has devastating personal consequences. Horton is forced to conceal vital information, knowing that if his silence is exposed, it won't just destroy the investigation - it will end his career. Perfect for fans of gritty British crime fiction and atmospheric coastal mysteries, including readers of Elly Griffiths, Joy Ellis, and Rachel McLean.