What's
in a name? An awful lot as far as an author is concerned. Getting the
right name for the characters in my crime novels can be a tricky
business. Sometimes they can come to me completely out of the blue,
other times I will struggle to find the name that best suits that
particular character and until I do the personality refuses to come
alive. The name also needs to fit with the age and nationality of that
character although you can have exceptions.
A
Killing Coast, like all the Inspector Andy Horton crime novels, is set
against the atmospheric backdrop of the sea in the Solent on the South
Coast of England, in the waterfront city of Portsmouth and the
surrounding towns, and the stunning coastal locations of the Isle of
Wight. It's April and Andy Horton finds himself engaged in a new complex
murder investigation.
"Meticulous police work leads Horton to a particularly callous and ruthless killer as well as theft and blackmail…includes a few unexpected twists.” Publishers Weekly
"Multilayered, twisted, and complex...a surprising conclusion and a satisfying read." Booklist
A
Killing Coast, like all the Inspector Andy Horton crime novels, is set
against the atmospheric backdrop of the sea in the Solent on the South
Coast of England, in the waterfront city of Portsmouth and the
surrounding towns, and the stunning coastal locations of the Isle of
Wight.
Locations
are always a great inspiration for me and trigger ideas for many of my
crime novels particularly those in the series featuring my flawed and
rugged Portsmouth copper, Inspector Andy Horton.
For number seven in the Horton crime series, A Killing Coast, I was
first inspired by the beautiful and rugged coastline on the east of the
Isle of Wight, in particular the stretch from Ventnor to St Catherine’s
lighthouse which takes in the rocky Woody Bay, a good place to put a
body!
In
2012 the Guardian newspaper ran an article asking writers for their ten
rules for writing. I penned my top ten tips for writing deadly crime
fiction and now looking back on them they still hold true with one or
two little tweaks and additions. 
It's
always a pleasure to talk to a library audience and those at Bishops
Waltham Library in Hampshire got the taste for murder on Thursday 6
April 2017 when I revealed the secrets of my successful crime writing
and
talked about my crime novels featuring the rugged and
flawed sailing detective, Inspector Andy Horton, who appears in fifteen
crime novels and Art Marvik,
undercover investigator for the UK's National Intelligence Marine Squad
(NIMS) who is appears in four crime novelsThis was, of course, long before the Coronavirus pandemic struck
in 2020 and all social gatherings like these were banned. I know many
people are missing events and I am missing entertaining the lovely
audiences . However the good news is that my first LIVE talk is booked
for July 2021 when once again we will be free to socialise in England
(hopefully). Meanwhile I am looking back at some of the talks I have
conducted over the years.
In A DEADLY WAKE, (15) Andy Horton discovers a buried body exposed during a landslip on the Isle of Wight.
Here are some snippets of forensic facts uncovered during my research for this and for the others in the DI Andy Horton mystery series.
Investigators will check whether the soil has been disturbed. They
will look for any unusual depressions or indentations in the ground. As a
body beneath the surface decomposes, the soil above it will slump
further into the grave. The soil will also be looser and softer than
the surrounding compacted soil, which can be another indicator of
disturbed earth.
Studying the soil colour, texture and consistency can also be used to determine if the soil has been previously disturbed.
Soil collected will be analysed by forensic soil scientists. The type of soil a body is buried in can alter its rate of decomposition—acidic soil can cause a body to break down up faster than alkaline soil so this can be useful if the body has been missing for several years.
Forensic archaeologists also look at plant growth or death, and at changes in appearance to an area. These clues can help investigators obtain information regarding the presence of a possible grave.
So there you have it!
Inspector
Andy Horton has another two complex investigations on his hands in
April, but not in the same year. April sees him hot on the trail of a
killer after a body is found floating off Spitbank Fort in the Solent.
At first Horton believes it to be accidental or suicide but soon he
realizes he's got that wrong. A KILLING COAST is number seven in the
series of currently fifteen.
What's in a name? An awful lot as far as an author is concerned. Getting the right name for the characters in my crime novels can be ...
