Pauline Rowson joins fellow authors to protest at proposed library closures

I am one of many authors who are lending their support to the campaign to stop Hampshire County Council from closing several libraries and cutting the hours of many others in the county.  I joined authors across the county on Monday 13 January on the steps of the council offices in Winchester to hand over an open letter of protest to Councillor Woodward, executive member for recreation and heritage at Hampshire County Council.

Save not slay them - protest against cuts to Hampshire Libraries

The local authority announced on 9th January that it was consulting on shutting the facilities in a bid to save £1.76m from its libraries budget. Remaining libraries could also see their opening hours slashed under the scheme and four community-run venues could shut if they don’t find a new funding model.

A letter organised by writer James McConnachie and signed by forty Hampshire-based authors warns the options being proposed would be "disastrous" for local communities. A Twitter account for the authors, Hampshire Authors for Libraries, has also been set up @HantsAuthors.

Pauline Rowson being interviewed by ITV Meridian

Pauline Rowson being interviewed by BBC South

Libraries change lives, they are the heartbeat of our communities and have already suffered appallingly nationally from cuts, with many closing and the loss of valuable librarian positions.  Many of those that have already been turned into volunteer run libraries are closing, they do not have the expertise or resources to succeed.  Over the last ten years central government has consistently failed in its legal duty to adequately fund libraries, causing many to struggle and providing an excuse to local councils to say they are not working. Once a library in a community is closed it is gone forever.

Libraries do not discriminate, they are freely available to all and unite all generations.  They make a huge difference to lives and I am an example of that.  I come from a household where there weren't any books and my parents didn't read.  If it hadn't been for the opening of a small local library in my home town of Portsmouth, giving me access to free books, I would never have discovered the joy of reading and gone on to have a successful business career and ultimately become a crime author'

The consultation is open until 18 March and can be completed on line or at a Hampshire library.   

Open letter - Hampshire Authors get behind protest over Library Cuts

We are writing to contest Hampshire County Council’s shameful decision to cut £1.76m from the county’s libraries budget. The two options in the public ‘consultation’, launched on Thursday, are to close ten or more libraries in Hampshire, or to drastically cut the hours of all of them. Both proposals will be disastrous for Hampshire’s communities. We reject them.

We are authors who live, work or were brought up in Hampshire. Libraries are where we learned about books, and where we learned to love them – they are where everyone who reads learns to love books. They are the magical open door at the back of the wardrobe, a door that is open to every child, from every background – and every adult too. 

Now that 1 in 8 schools do not have a library at all, public libraries are all the more vital. And libraries are about far more than books and literacy. They are havens, refuges and gateways, the vibrant hearts of the towns and villages they serve. A library is a place where a community comes together, from toddlers enjoying rhyme time to older visitors finding a place to browse and meet friends – and of course people simply wanting to borrow a good book, for free.

An open library is proof that we value community and culture. A closed library is a sign of a society – and a county council – that is turning its back on both. 

We urge Hampshire County Council to reverse this shameful decision.

Tickets on sale for Pauline Rowson's talk on crime writing still available

Tickets on sale for my talk at Hythe Library. Hope some of you in Hampshire can join me @hantslibraries @HytheLibrary https://t.co/rw7OqYQf6w pic.twitter.com/KyfzYXfEzm

— PaulineRowson (@PaulineRowson) January 20, 2020

Hampshire Authors Campaign to save libaries - that's me in the blue hat and grey coat!

Our petition to SaveHantsLibraries is launched! Please sign, forward, retweet, post, and do everything you can to spread the word. Word of mouth is most valuable of all... https://t.co/Zo8l8Bbs5S via @38_degrees

— Hampshire Authors for Libraries (@HantsAuthors) January 21, 2020

Pauline Rowson to talk about crime writing at Hythe Library, Hampshire

Join me at Hythe Library, Hampshire on  Monday 10 February  2020 for an afternoon of entertainment hearing about the secrets of successful crime writing and how I plot, research and write my crime novels set on the South Coast of England including the DI Andy Horton crime novels (14) the Art Marvik mystery thrillers (3) and my new 1950 set mystery, DEATH IN THE COVE, introducing Inspector Alun Ryga.

I will be at Hythe Library Monday 10 February 2020 at 2pm. 

Tickets cost £5.00 and can be purchased from Hythe Library 38 Pylewell Rd, Hythe, Southampton SO45 6AQ or buy online.

The inspiration behind DI Andy Horton mystery LETHAL WAVES

LETHAL WAVES is another multi-layered and complex investigation in the DI Andy Horton crime novels series (14). It is set once again against the backdrop of the sea, my trademark or brand if you like to call it. While Horton gets a step closer to discovering the truth behind Jennifer's disappearance he is also embroiled in an emotional case which demands all his intuition and skills to solve, uncovering dark secrets that have led to lethal waves of destruction.


"This heart-breaking story of ambition, greed, jealousy, and revenge makes a good choice for fans of no-nonsense British procedurals." Booklist

The inspiration behind DI Andy Horton Mystery - Lethal Waves

The inspiration for Lethal Waves, Horton's thirteenth outing, came from seeing one of the regular ferry services sail from Portsmouth into the Solent and out around the Isle of Wight on its way to the Channel Islands, the Condor Commodore Clipper Ferry.

I started with the idea of a body on that ferry, that of a woman who is found dead in her locked cabin when the ferry docks at Guernsey in the Channel Islands. Of course I asked Condor for their permission to allow me to have a fictitious body on their ferry and was delighted when they agreed and even more so when they offered to give me free reign of the boat and the opportunity to question their staff in aid of my research.

Pauline Rowson on board Condor Ferry for Lethal Waves, DI Andy Horton mystery

Pauline Rowson with Captain Leake on the Bridge of the Condor Ferry for Lethal Waves, 

DI Andy Horton mystery

 When the ferry docks in Guernsey Andy Horton is on the spot about to dine with his old friend, Inspector John Guilbert, who is mentioned in two of the Andy Horton crime novels, The Suffocating Sea and Fatal Catch. Horton is there because he is on the trail of a fresh clue into his mother's disappearance, Jennifer Horton, over thirty years ago. Guilbert gets called to view the body and he asks Horton to accompany him because the ferry had sailed from Horton's patch, Portsmouth, earlier that morning. It looks to be natural causes or suicide. It's not Horton's case. He returns to Portsmouth after, disappointingly, the clue he was following up regarding Jennifer seems to be a dead end.

Horton is perplexed as to why the affluent and smartly dressed woman was travelling on the Condor ferry without luggage and had paid by cash. But he gets little time to dwell on it because no sooner does he arrive back in Portsmouth when he is called out to investigate the death of a vagrant under one of the rotting houseboats close to the marina where he lives on board his small yacht. This clearly is murder.

I liked the contrast between the body on the commercial ferry and another under a rotting and stationary houseboat. I also liked the contrast between an affluent woman and a tramp. But it's not as simple as that. (When is it?) Appearances can be very deceptive.

"Nothing in this police procedural is as it first appears. 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

Captain Leake, Condor Commodore Ferry and Pauline Rowson

Lethal Waves is available in paperback, hardback, as an e book, Kindle and on Kobo. It is available from all good booksellers and for loan in public libraries.

Where are the DI Andy Horton crime novels set?

A map of where the Inspector Andy Horton crime novels are set, including the latest DI Andy Horton, DEAD PASSAGE. Just click on the pointers and up will pop the name and details of the Inspector Andy Horton crime novel set in that location. Have fun.

Crime author Pauline Rowson joins author protest against library closures

Crime author, Pauline Rowson is one of over forty authors who are lending their support to the campaign to stop Hampshire County Council from closing several libraries and cutting the hours of many others in the county.  Pauline Rowson joined authors across the county on Monday 13 January on the steps of the council offices in Winchester to hand over an open letter of protest to Councillor Woodward, executive member for recreation and heritage at Hampshire County Council.

Hampshire author protest against proposed library cuts and closures

 The local authority announced on 9th January that it was consulting on shutting the facilities in a bid to save £1.76m from its libraries budget. Remaining libraries could also see their opening hours slashed under the scheme and four community-run venues could shut if they don’t find a new funding model.

A letter organised by writer James McConnachie and signed by forty Hampshire-based authors warns the options being proposed would be "disastrous" for local communities. A Twitter account for the authors, Hampshire Authors for Libraries, has also been set up @HantsAuthors.

James McConnachie reading out the authors letter of protest

Pauline Rowson says, 'Libraries change lives, they are the heartbeat of our communities and have already suffered appallingly nationally from cuts, with many closing and the loss of valuable librarian positions.  Many of those that have already been turned into volunteer run libraries are closing, they do not have the expertise or resources to succeed.'

Pauline Rowson being interviewed by ITV Meridian

'Over the last ten years central government has consistently failed in its legal duty to adequately fund libraries, causing many to struggle and providing an excuse to local councils to say they are not working. Once a library in a community is closed it is gone forever.  Libraries do not discriminate, they are freely available to all and unite all generations.  They make a huge difference to lives and I am an example of that.  I come from a household where there weren't any books and my parents didn't read.  If it hadn't been for the opening of a small local library in my home town of Portsmouth, giving me access to free books, I would never have discovered the joy of reading and gone on to have a successful business career and ultimately become a crime author.'

The consultation is open until 18 March and can be completed on line or at a Hampshire library.   

Open letter - Hampshire Authors get behind protest over Library Cuts

We are writing to contest Hampshire County Council’s shameful decision to cut £1.76m from the county’s libraries budget. The two options in the public ‘consultation’, launched on Thursday, are to close ten or more libraries in Hampshire, or to drastically cut the hours of all of them. Both proposals will be disastrous for Hampshire’s communities. We reject them.

We are authors who live, work or were brought up in Hampshire. Libraries are where we learned about books, and where we learned to love them – they are where everyone who reads learns to love books. They are the magical open door at the back of the wardrobe, a door that is open to every child, from every background – and every adult too. 

Now that 1 in 8 schools do not have a library at all, public libraries are all the more vital. And libraries are about far more than books and literacy. They are havens, refuges and gateways, the vibrant hearts of the towns and villages they serve. A library is a place where a community comes together, from toddlers enjoying rhyme time to older visitors finding a place to browse and meet friends – and of course people simply wanting to borrow a good book, for free.

An open library is proof that we value community and culture. A closed library is a sign of a society – and a county council – that is turning its back on both. 

We urge Hampshire County Council to reverse this shameful decision.

The art of writing realistic dialogue

Dialogue is a critical element of characterisation. No matter how much research I do beforehand when creating characters for my novels they don’t come alive until I start to put dialogue into their mouths and they begin to interact with other characters. 

Many beginner writers find it difficult to write realistic and believable dialogue. This is usually because they are not in the minds of the characters they have created.  You need to hear them in your head, to know what they are thinking and feeling, and what they are contemplating doing before you can write words into their mouths. 

Dialogue is there to give life to your characters but a couple of words of caution.

 

Use dialect sparingly.  Dialect can convey your character and give local colour to your story, novel or passage but too much is very wearing on the reader. 

Likewise swearing.  Many readers tell me that they dislike excessive swearing in novels, a view I personally share. In particular, those who listen to audiobooks tell me this is very off putting.  I often feel that a good film or television programme is ruined by overuse of foul language, often completely unnecessary, in fact it’s a lazy way to convey an emotion. Yes, many people now swear as part of everyday language but that doesn’t mean to say it should be replicated in your dialogue, at least not all the time.  In addition, swearing needs to be in keeping with the character and the situation.   Just beware of over doing it. 

Writing believable dialogue in fiction is a long way from dialogue in 'real life' which is peppered with a chaos of ums and ahs, you knows, basicallys and many more superfluous words and fillers. If used in a novel, or short story, these fillers will only serve to slow the flow and frustrate the reader. So be ruthless, cut them out.

Dialogue helps to move the plot forward and impart necessary information.  

 

It helps to break up the narrative and improves the look on the page.  It can also add speed, depth and emotion to a passage but it must be there for a purpose- i.e. to create and develop the scene.  Examine your passages of narrative and ask can this be told in dialogue?

There are alternatives to ‘said’ that can also convey action, your character’s feelings and their personality and emotions – for example, snapped, sniped, chanted, mused, exclaimed, and so on but don’t overload with these, and ask yourself if they are really necessary.

Bits of action tacked on to speech can also help.  And you don’t have to name the character who is speaking after every line of dialogue. In some passages it is obvious but ensure the readers doesn’t lose track of who is speaking. Start each new character’s dialogue on a new line so as not to confuse the reader who is speaking (an exception is the translations of George Simeon’s Maigret novels).  You can also add names into the dialogue.

Here is an example of the above points taken from the first page of my 1950 set mystery introducing Inspector Alun Ryga in DEATH IN THE COVE:

 

‘Inspector Ryga?’
‘Yes.’
‘Sergeant Jack Daniels. Like the whisky, I’m an acquired taste.’
Daniels’ handshake was firm and dry. Ryga returned the smile. ‘I bet you’ve said that a few times.’
‘Hundreds. I don’t mind. It helps to break the ice.’ Daniels opened the boot of the Wolseley and Ryga placed his holdall and the brown briefcase inside.
‘Where to, skipper? Sorry, sir.’
‘RAF?’
‘Yes. Not for long though, the war was over before I could do much damage. You?’
‘Prisoner of War, Germany.’
‘Oh. Sorry.’
‘Why? You didn’t start the war, did you?’
‘No, but . . . Sorry, sir, I didn’t mean . . .’
‘Forget it, and you can call me skipper if you prefer. Although your superintendent might not like that.’
‘He’s laid up with a broken ankle.’
‘I know.’ Ryga climbed in.
‘Of course, sorry. There I go again apologizing.’
‘Do I make you nervous?’ Ryga swivelled to study Daniels.
‘Not really, well, a bit, yes. Never had Scotland Yard down here on a case. In fact, I’ve never met a detective from Scotland Yard before and neither has anyone else around these parts.’

Not one single ‘said’ used there, the characters aren’t named on every line, and lots of action included, as well as information conveyed.

DEATH IN THE COVE is available in paperback, ebook, on Kindle and Kobo and as an audio book on Audible narrated by Jonathan Rhodes and produced by B7 Media.

Pauline Rowson is the author of twenty crime novels; fourteen featuring the flawed and ruged Portsmouth detective, Inspector Andy Horton; three in the mystery thriller series with undercover investigator Art Marvik; two standalone thrillers and the  1950 mystery novel DEATH IN THE COVE  featuring Inspector Ryga.

Dead Passage a DI Andy Horton Mystery - Horton investigates the gruesome find on Rat Island

DI Andy Horton mystery BLOOD ON THE SAND is set in a cold grey January

BLOOD ON THE SAND ( no. 5 in the DI Andy Horton series) opens on a cold grey January morning in Bembridge Marina on the Isle of Wight, where Andy Horton has decided to put in on his small yacht. It's hardly the sailing season but after a difficult Christmas - his first spent apart from his young daughter, Emma - and following some tough criminal investigations, Horton, has decided to take a few days break. He also needs time to think through the startling revelations he's uncovered about his mother's disappearance thirty years ago.

Until two months ago he'd always believed his mother, Jennifer, had abandoned him because she'd grown tired of having a young kid in tow. During an investigation into the discovery of a body on a burning boat (THE SUFFOCATING SEA no. 3) he learns that this might not necessarily be so. Then the death of an elderly lady in a nursing home (DEAD MAN'S WHARF no. 4) throws up more revelations and a link to Jennifer's disappearance. Andy needs to consider how important this is to him, should he pursue his own personal investigation into Jennifer's disappearance or leave it in the past?

Sailing helps him to think but he barely gets the time to do so when walking across the abandoned golf course on the Duver near Bembridge Marina he finds himself facing a distraught young woman with a gun in her hand leaning over a corpse in one of the discarded bunkers.

Bunker, The Duver, Isle of Wight in DI Horton Mystery, 

BLOOD ON THE SAND

When Thea Carlsson professes to be the dead man’s sister and psychic, Horton’s old adversary, DCI Birch of the Isle of Wight's Criminal Investigation Department, is convinced she is mentally disturbed and the killer, but Horton is not so sure. He finds himself drawn to Thea, perhaps because he recognizes someone who, like him, is haunted by their past.

Although he dismisses her psychic powers he nevertheless feels the presence of his mother on the island. He tells himself that can be explained by a vague memory of going there with her as a child, (it is five miles across the Solent from their home town on Portsmouth) but it can't explain how when with Thea he feels close to Jennifer as though she is trying to tell him something through her. Perhaps that is wishful thinking on his part.

Abandoned Golf Course, The Duver Isle of Wight in DI Andy Horton Mystery 

BLOOD ON THE SAND

While investigating the murder of Thea's brother, Horton also has some personal problems to deal with, such as trying to get access to his eight year old daughter, Emma, despite his estranged wife, Catherine's attempts to prevent him.

As the murder investigation in BLOOD ON THE SAND unfolds, Horton finds himself deep in a web of intrigue that has its roots in the past.

'Another solid entry in a consistently well written series. Like Ed McBain, Rowson works many subtle variations on the procedural formula (including very interesting relationships between Andy and a couple of his superiors). A definite winner in the crowded field of British procedurals.' Booklist

'A very enjoyable read.' Eurocrime

Blood on the Sand is available in paperback and as an ebook, on Amazon Kindle and on Kobo. It is also available as an unabridged audio book narrated by Gordon Griffin.

Fantastic trailer produced for DEATH IN THE COVE a 1950 set mystery by Pauline Rowson

The inspiration behind DI Andy Horton Mystery DEAD MAN'S WHARF

TV diving personality Nicholas Farnsworth's life is threatened. A deranged elderly lady in a nursing home claims she's been attacked by an intruder. A mother's conviction that her son's death on Christmas Eve was no accident...are the incidents related? Horton believes not but soon he's forced to consider otherwise and finds himself caught up in a complex investigation with far-reaching international implications.

'Rowson turns out an exemplary procedural with the requisite plot twists, double-crosses and all loose ends tied up neatly in a sailor’s knot.' Starred Review Kirkus (USA)

The inspiration behind DEAD MAN'S WHARF, number four in the DI Horton series of fourteen

Dredger unloading - Dead Man's Wharf DI Andy Horton Mystery

There are two wharves close to where I live, Kendall’s Wharf and Bedhampton Wharf both fronting on to Langstone Harbour, which is on the eastern side of the coastal city of Portsmouth. Both wharves deal in shingle and gravel extracted from the sea bed which is then delivered to the wharves and I often see the ships sail up the harbour on the high tide to unload their cargo. This shingle is then used in property and road building. Kendalls Wharf in Portsmouth was the inspiration behind the Inspector Andy Horton crime novel DEAD MAN'S WHARF.

Without giving away the plot of Dead Man’s Wharf I wondered if I could have a body found there. I contacted Kendall’s Wharf who were kind enough to spare me the time to explain their operations and show me around. From that visit came further ideas for the plot line.

Dead Man's Wharf a DI Andy Horton Mystery by Pauline Rowson

Dead Man’s Wharf doesn’t start with the discovery of a body though.

 

The story begins in January when Inspector Andy Horton and Sergeant Barney Cantelli are detailed to investigate a series of threatening telephone calls being made to a TV personality who fronts a popular television series called ‘Wrecks Around Britain’. Horton is convinced it is a publicity stunt and is annoyed that their time is being wasted when their workload is so heavy.

Then he and Cantelli are called to a nursing home where the relative of an elderly lady suffering from dementia claims she has been attacked in the night. This time Horton is not so sure this is a case of dementia-driven delusions especially when he discovers that the elderly lady’s room-mate has died. Furthermore there is a link to her son’s recent death in prison.

As if that isn't enough Horton is troubled by a mother's distressed insistence that her son’s fatal car accident on Christmas Eve was not an accident.

Dead Man's Wharf - A DI Andy Horton Mystery by Pauline Rowson

It’s difficult to explain where all the threads of this crime novel came from (or indeed any of my crime novels come to that) but I start with an idea usually a location – the wharf in this instance – and begin to ask myself questions: how does it feature in this crime novel? Is a body found there? If so whose? How did it get there? Why was he/she killed? What other pressing cases does Horton have to investigate? Are they linked or any they separate?

Then there is the matter of Horton’s personal and professional life. Horton is still reeling from the startling discovery (The Suffocating Sea #3) that the disappearance of his mother, Jennifer, thirty years ago was not as he thought, a single mother abandoning her child because she didn’t want a kid in tow, but could be linked to an international criminal.

Not only is Horton trying to establish what happened to Jennifer but he is also newly separated from his wife, Catherine, who is determined to prevent him from having access to their eight year old daughter.

And to cap it all Horton has a new boss, the overly ambitious Detective Chief Inspector Lorraine Bliss who has been catapulted into CID from another division. It is clear that Bliss and Horton will never see eye to eye on policing and other matters.

This crime novel like my others is multi-layered and soon Horton is drawn into a complex investigation that holds danger for him and Cantelli.

Available in paperback, as an ebook, on Amazon Kindle and Kobo and as an unabridged audio book. It can also be loaned from public libraries.

DI Andy Horton Mysteries set in January

Three of my crime novels featuring the rugged and flawed Portsmouth detective, Inspector Andy Horton, are set during the month of January, Dead Man's Wharf, Blood on the Sand and Lethal Waves.

Here is a taste of  what's in store for DI Andy Horton in each of them.

Dead Man's Wharf - DI Andy Horton (4)

Dead Man's Wharf the fourth in the DI Andy Horton crime series by Pauline RowsonTV diving personality Nicholas Farnsworth's life is threatened...
A deranged elderly lady in a nursing home claims she's been attacked by an intruder... A mother's conviction that her son's death on Christmas Eve was no accident...are the incidents related? Horton believes not but soon he's caught up in a complex investigation with far-reaching international implications.

'Rowson turns out an exemplary procedural.' Starred Review Kirkus (USA)

Blood on the Sand - DI Andy Horton (5)

Blood on the Sand, the fith in the DI Andy Horton series by Pauline RowsonA cold grey January morning, a woman with a gun in her hand - a corpse on an abandoned golf course. Is she a killer? Horton doesn't think so. Soon he's uncovering a web of intrigue that ripples down the years and which someone is determined should never be revealed.

'Another solid entry in a consistently well written series,' Booklist USA

Lethal Waves - DI Andy Horton (13)

Lethal Waves, an Andy Horton Marine Mystery by Pauline Rowson On his return from Guernsey, Horton is called out to investigate the death of a vagrant whose body is found under a rotting houseboat on the shores of Portsmouth.

"Nothing in this police procedural is as it first appears. 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

"This heart-breaking story of ambition, greed, jealousy, and revenge makes a good choice for fans of no-nonsense British procedurals." Booklist


There are fourteen in the DI Andy Horton mystery series, with DEAD PASSAGE, number 14 published in 2018.  I have also written number fifteen in the series, which will be published either later in 2020 or early 2021.  Meanwhile there are plenty to catch up on if you have yet dipped your toe in the water with DI Andy Horton.

The Inspector Andy Horton crime novels in order

Inspector Andy Horton - a man defined by a tormented past, but with hopes for his future.

The setting for the Andy Horton Crime Novels

Set against the visually strong, unique, vibrant, diverse and atmospheric backdrop of the sea in the Solent area of Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight on the South Coast of England.  Horton's investigations take him across the Solent and into the harbours of Langstone and Chichester and its surrounding coastal towns.

The Inspector Andy Horton police procedural crime series has been hailed as "exemplary," "multi-layered" "cleverly plotted" with an "especially good series hero, a likeable fellow with plenty of street smarts and the requisite personal baggage"

See a map of where the DI Andy Horton crime novels are set

The mystery of the man in the pin striped suit - DEATH IN THE COVE by Pauline Rowson