Back to school for DI Andy Horton in THE LANGSTONE HARBOUR MURDERS

The children return to school after the UK summer holidays, so I thought it only fitting to feature this DI Andy Horton Solent Murder Mystery as it's back to school for DI Andy Horton in THE LANGSTONE HARBOUR MURDERS, number two in the series published by Joffe Books on Amazon Kindle, Kindle Unlimited and in paperback.

The head mistress of a Portsmouth school is found brutally murdered on an old structure in the middle of Langstone Harbour - a Mulberry. Hayling Island and Langstone Harbour were used as a site for the construction of the Mulberry Harbours, artificial harbours created to help the Allies land their forces in Normandy.  Once built, they were sunk nearby until they were needed. One of them developed a fault and could not be used: it remains in Langstone Harbour to this day. 

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.

About DI Andy Horton

Andy Horton is an instinctive cop with a highly formed sense of justice. Raised in a succession of children's homes he finds he can never quite trust. He is tough and resilient, but deeply empathetic. A dry sense of humour is the key to Horton’s investigative approach. It’s how he keeps people at arm’s length and stays detached from the crimes he investigates. His greatest strength is his ability to put himself in a victim’s shoes, to imagine events from their perspective (even the moments up to their death), making leaps of deduction few would be able to. And he’s most often right.

Horton is especially tough on bullies, or people who abuse their power or position, as they remind him of those in the children’s homes. He feels a duty of care to the victims of the crimes he investigates and often feels he’s the only person looking out for them; the only one who can bring the guilty to justice so that the dead can rest. No one cared about him when he was a child; he won’t let that happen to anyone else.

In the first fourteen DI Andy Horton Solent Murder Mysteries, Horton embarks on a quest to find the truth about what happened to his mother, Jennifer while solving complex crimes and having battles with his bosses.  In number fifteen in the series, THE LUCCOMBE BAY MURDERS, he finally discovers the truth and it is a massive shock. If youlre tempted to read number fifteen first, be warned that you'll miss out on all the build up!  And what really makes Andy Horton tick.

There are currently sixteen in the DI Andy Horton Solent Murder Mystery series with number 18 being published bu Joffe Books in November 2023.

(Please note THE LANGSTONE HARBOUR MURDERS was previously published as Deadly Waters).