The Solent Murder Mystery Series - DI Andy Horton

MEET DI ANDY HORTON IN THESE GRIPPING SOLENT MURDER MYSTERIES


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The DI Andy Horton Solent Murder Mysteries ( 16 books) will all be published on Kindle and in paperback in 2022 by Joffe Books.

AVAILABLE NOW IN THE SOLENT MURDER MYSTERY SERIES:

  • Book 1: THE PORTSMOUTH MURDERS
  • Book 2: THE LANGSTONE HARBOUR MURDERS
  • Book 3: THE HORSEA MARINA MURDERS
  • Book 4: THE ROYAL HOTEL MURDERS
  • Book 5: THE ISLE OF WIGHT MURDERS
  • Book 6: THE PORTCHESTER CASTLE MURDERS
  • Book 7: THE CHALE BAY MURDERS
  • Book 8: THE FARLINGTON MARSH MURDERS
  • Book 9: THE OYSTER QUAYS MURDERS
  • Book 10: THE COWES WEEK MURDERS
  • Book 11: THE BOATHOUSE MURDERS
  • Book 12: THE THORNEY ISLAND MURDERS
  • Book 13: THE GUERNSEY FERRY MURDERS
  • Book 14: THE RAT ISLAND MURDERS
  • Book 15: THE LUCCOMBE BAY MURDERS
  • Book 16: THE SOUTH BINNESS MURDERS



Sixteen in this entertaining series, full of twists and turns.


The Portsmouth Murders (1)


DISCOVER YOUR NEXT FAVOURITE DETECTIVE SERIES!


Meet Detective Inspector Andy Horton. It’s his second day back in Portsmouth’s CID and things aren’t going well.

(Please note this was previously published as Tide of Death.)

DI Andy Horton is on his morning run along an isolated stretch of beach when he stumbles across a dead man. Stark naked and bludgeoned to death.

Eight months ago, DI Horton’s life fell apart when he was suspended for misconduct. His wife kicked him out and stopped him seeing his daughter.

The young woman who’d accused him went missing and the charges were dropped, but his personal and professional life are still in a mess.

And now it doesn’t look good for a detective under suspicion to be the one to find a dead body. His colleagues don’t want him on the case.

But this murder will challenge Detective Horton in every single way. And when another body turns up with the same cause of death, Horton suspects he might be the next person in the killer’s sights.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Once you get to know Andy Horton you'll be sure to name him as one of your favourite police characters in crime fiction.” James C.
 

The Langstone Harbour Murders  (2)

 

The head mistress of a Portsmouth school is found brutally murdered on an old structure in the middle of Langstone Harbour. Detective Andy Horton of Portsmouth CID leads the investigation.A note is found on the victim with the words ‘Have you forgotten ME?’ scrawled on it.

And a wad of money covered in honey, and wrapped in a five pound note is also discovered on her person.

The victim is Jessica Langley, a steely, determined woman who has made enemies on her path to success. But did any of them hate her enough to want her dead?

All the evidence points to a killer who wanted to leave a very particular message.

Horton is in a race against time to piece together the clues and stop the killer. 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. 

(Please note this was previously published as The Suffocating Sea.)

 

The Horsea Marina Murders (3)


On a foggy December night, Detective Inspector Andy Horton is called to the site of a burning boat on Horsea Marina. He finds a charred body onboard.

The autopsy reveals startling evidence of foul play. The victim was Tom Brundall, a wealthy financier from Guernsey. And Tom had terminal cancer. What made him sail back to his hometown of Portsmouth? And who would kill a dying man?

Horton is determined to find out.

But then another body is found and Horton is forced to confront the past. Not just the victim’s, but the mystery surrounding his own mother’s disappearance over thirty years ago.

As the pieces of the puzzle begin to unravel, it becomes clear that Horton is up against a deadly adversary who will stop at nothing to prevent the truth from coming out.

Can Horton catch a killer and find out what happened to his mother all those years ago?

(Please note this was previously published as The Suffocating Sea.)

The Royal Hotel Murders (4)


The Royal Hotel Murders by Pauline Rowson

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"Great protagonist and lots of odd turns and fantastic ending. I hope to read many more books from this author." Terry G.

(Please note this was previously published as Dead Man’s Wharf.)

 Detective Inspector Andy Horton has a lot on his plate.

A celebrity receives threatening phone calls.

A nursing home resident assaulted.

A man 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?

 

 The Isle of Wight Murders (5)


The Isle of Wight Murders by Pauline Rowson

Meet DI Andy Horton in this bestselling mystery.

(Please note this was previously published as Blood on the Sand.)

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. 

 
 

The Portchester Castle Murders (6)

The Portchester Castle Murders, DI Andy Horton (6)The Solent area of Portsmouth might be pretty, but the criminals certainly aren’t.

(Please note this was previously published as Footsteps on the Shore).

It’s Friday the thirteenth and Detective Inspector Andy Horton’s luck is about to run out.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'I love this series and I hope there's more to come. The characters are all admirably complex, beautifully written.' C. Hall


READ MORE


 The Chale Bay Murders (7)


The Chale Bay Murders by Pauline RowsonHe’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. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This is without doubt one of the most absorbing books I have read in a long time. In fact the complete series has been well crafted and I thoroughly recommend the seven books to any avid crime series readers." Amazon Customer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Another difficult case for Detective Inspector Andy Horton brilliantly written by Pauline Rowson. As well as the main plot we are taken further along the twisted roads of his mother's disappearance 30 years ago and the recent estrangement from his wife and daughter." Rod V.



The Farlington Marsh Murders (8)

The Farlington Marsh Murders by Pauline Rowson 

Detective Inspector Andy Horton is at the funeral of ex-con Daryl Woodley watching out for a big-time crook, who they suspect was involved in Woodley’s murder.

But it’s a perplexing case. Prior to his death, Woodley was assaulted and spent three days in hospital before discharging himself. His body was found on Farlington marshes, three miles from the hospital. How did he get there?

The funeral surveillance appears to be a bust. But the next morning Horton is called out when a woman’s body is found on a yacht wreck, stabbed in the back. She was at Woodley’s funeral.

Are the cases linked?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A brilliant book with more twists and turns than a corkscrew. A wide range of believable characters and an ending which means book 9 will have to be written." Kindle Customer



The Oyster Quays Murders (9)

The Oyster Quays Murders, DI Andy Horton by Pauline RowsonIt's August,  DI Andy Horton is returning from London.  He spots a police car outside Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. He’s supposed to be on holiday, but his curiosity gets the better of him and he stops to investigate.

Lying face down and sprawled out in Number One Dock is the lifeless body of naval historian Dr Douglas Spalding.

Then another body is found in similar circumstances in the cockpit of a boat moored at Oyster Quays.

Horton takes matters into his own hands.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Absolutely brilliant books. I read all of the 8 books in the series one after the other. Best read I’ve had in ages. Would highly recommend these books." Amazon

READ MORE


The Cowes Week Murders (10)

The Cowes Week Murders DI Andy Horton mystery by Pauline Rowson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I've found my next favorite mystery writer. Fast action, great plot and a twist at the end.  Who could ask for more?" Amazon


Detective Inspector Andy Horton is on a sailing trip to France when he gets the news: Sergeant Cantelli’s nephew, Johnnie Oslow, is missing.

Johnnie was due to take part in the Cowes Week yacht races on the Isle of Wight, but he never turned up.

Horton’s boss isn’t interested. She thinks Johnnie must have gone off with a woman.

But then the charred remains of a body are discovered in a disused tunnel.

Is it Cantelli’s nephew?

The search for a missing person soon becomes a hunt for a ruthless killer. And this killer is just getting started.

 
 

The Boathouse Murders (11)

 

The Boathouse Murders by Pauline Rowson 

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"Yet another brilliant installment in a thoroughly enjoyable, original crime series by a talented British author. Full of twists and turns, colourful characters and hints of disharmony and mistrust between colleagues in the police force." Amazon

When private investigator Jasper Kenton's naked body is discovered on a stretch of private beach on the Isle of Wight, wrapped in sailcloth, Horton becomes embroiled in an investigation that has major personal ramifications.

As he struggles to crack the case, he knows it’s only a matter of time before someone discovers he’s kept silent. And if that’s revealed, it will end his career.



READ MORE
 
 

The Thorney Island Murders (12)

The Thorney Island Murders, DI Andy Horton by Pauline Rowson

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"The stories are great as are the characters and kept me engrossed from start to finish." M. D Green (Amazon).

(Please note this was previously published as Fatal Catch.)

DI Andy Horton is called out to examine a gruesome catch by two fishermen: a human hand.

Is it that of missing violent criminal Alfie Wright – or is he the killer? And where is the rest of the corpse?  

Soon Horton finds himself immersed in a complex case where everyone has a reason to lie and no one is who they seem.

"Plenty of red herrings and a surprising culprit." Publishers Weekly


The Guernsey Ferry Murder (13)

The Guernsey Ferry Murders DI Andy Horton Solent Murder Mystery

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "It never ceases to amaze me how Pauline keeps the twists and turns coming without giving too many clues which would compromise the narrative. A strongly recommended read." Amazon

(Please not this was  previously published as Lethal Waves).

Inspector Andy Horton’s meal with his old friend, Inspector John Guilbert of the States of Guernsey Police, is cut short when a smartly dressed, affluent woman is found dead in her cabin on the ferry from Portsmouth to Guernsey.
 
Horton returns to Portsmouth and he's called in to investigate the death of a vagrant found lying partially covered under a rotting houseboat. This clearly is murder and what’s more there could be a disturbing link with the death of the woman in the cabin.





THE RAT ISLAND MURDERS (14)

The Rat Island Murders, DI Andy Horton 14Five skeletons are unearthed on Rat Island, an uninhabited island owned by the Ministry of Defence. Among them are the remains of a woman dubbed ‘Quintessa’ by the detectives, who was murdered sometime in the 1980s.

Then Horton receives a mysterious phone call from Adele Goldsby, the daughter of a Portsmouth politician who died in suspicious circumstances.

She says she has something important she wants to tell Horton and that they must meet on the Wightlink ferry — urgently.

But Adele doesn’t show up. She is nowhere to be found. What was she going to tell him?

Horton suspects the Goldsby and Quintessa cases are somehow linked. Now all he has to do is convince his bosses . . .

(Please note this was previously published as Dead Passage).


THE LUCCOMBE BAY MURDERS (15)


The Luccombe Bay Murders, DI Andy Horton 15

(Please note this was previously published as A Deadly Wake).

A man is found dead inside a log cabin nestled in Luccombe Bay on the Isle of Wight. He has no ID on him and no one knows who he is. Except Detective Inspector Andy Horton . . .

The dead man’s fingerprints match those on a card Horton was handed months ago by a mysterious man.

Horton travels to the Isle of Wight to view the body. But he’s shocked to see it’s not the same man who handed him the card. How did this man’s prints get on the card? And who is he?

As Horton explores the area around the cabin, he causes a landslip and another corpse is revealed.

Now he may have two murders on his hands.  As he follows the trail of the dead man, he uncovers some startling revelations into his own mother’s past and the truth behind her disappearance over thirty years ago.

THE SOUTH BINNESS MURDERS (16)

The South Binness Murders DI Andy Horton 16 by Pauline Rowson

An abandoned motor cruiser is found stranded on South Binness Island in Langstone harbour.

There’s a large pool of blood on the deck and heavy crimson spatter up the side of the storage lockers. But no sign of a body on board.

Detective Inspector Andy Horton is on the case. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Finally the end of Andy’s back story re his missing mother has been resolved and he’s back to solving crimes. Loved this book and without giving away any spoilers, yes pleased to the ending !!!" Amazon



Available on Amazon Kindle and in paperback

 


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Couldn't put this book down . . . I thought the story was brilliant and will definitely be reading the next book.” Nikki

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Pauline Rowson’s books are cleverly plotted with lots of twists and turns. Can’t turn the pages fast enough. For anyone who enjoys a gripping crime novel these are a must.” Darren C.
 

"A great read for mystery lovers with plenty to keep you guessing until the last moment.” Crime Book Club

"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


THE DETECTIVES

DI Andy Horton’s mum walked out on him when he was a child and he grew up in children’s home. Now he lives onboard his yacht in Southsea Marina. He rides a Harley-Davidson and never wears a suit or tie — unless it’s to go to court. He’s an instinctive copper and a man of contrasts, which often lands him in trouble with his bosses. He has a desperate need to belong, and yet is always just on the outside. Self-contained, afraid to show his feelings, but he’s a risk-taker that seeks justice.

DS Barney Cantelli is happily married to Charlotte with five children. Cantelli followed in his maternal grandfather’s footsteps and became a policeman. His brothers and sister took over their father’s ice cream business and cafés in Portsmouth. Cantelli and Horton work well together and Cantelli is, or tries to be, Horton’s steadying influence. Only Cantelli and SP Steve Uckfield know about Horton’s past. But not everything; no one knows that.

THE SETTING

Portsmouth boasts a vibrant waterfront, a diverse multicultural population, an international port, a historic dockyard, and is home of the Royal Navy. Portsmouth Harbour is one of the busiest in the world — and one of the best places to hide a body, it seems. Set against the backdrop of the sea, the Solent area of Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight is every detective’s worst nightmare. The sea is ever-changing and often the best clues get swept away by the tide.

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These absolutely gripping detective mystery is perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Joy Ellis, Rachel McClean, Helen H. Durrant, Angela Marsons, Elly Griffiths, Karin Slaughter, Matt Brolly and Simon McCleave.








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