The Portsmouth Murders

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.

Eight months ago, Horton was suspended for misconduct. Then the young woman who accused him went missing and the charges were dropped, but his personal and professional lives are still a mess.

On his morning run along an isolated stretch of beach, he stumbles across a dead man. Stark-naked and bludgeoned to death. And it doesn’t look good when a detective under suspicion of misconduct is the one to find a dead body. His colleagues don’t want him on the case.

But when another body turns up with the same cause of death, a clue makes Horton suspect he might be the next person in the killer’s sights.

A gripping detective mystery perfect for fans of Ann Cleeves, Joy Ellis, and Rachel McLean.

The Portsmouth Murders © 2023 Pauline Rowson


THE DETECTIVE
Abandoned as a child, DI Andy Horton grew up in a 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 and afraid to show his feelings, but also a risk-taker that seeks justice.

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.

Pauline Rowson is the author of twenty-four gripping, fast-paced, atmospheric crime novels including the popular SOLENT MURDER MYSTERY series featuring the rugged and troubled DI Andy Horton. She is a member of the Crime Writers' Association and the Society of Authors.