Friday 13th and DI Horton's luck is about to run out

Locations inspire me and so it was with THE PORTCHESTER CASTLE MURDERS no. 6 in the Detective Inspector Andy Horton Solent Murder Mystery series (previously published as Footsteps on the Shore).

This time my inspiration came from the Roman castle at Portchester at the northern end of Portsmouth Harbour. Portchester Castle is the best preserved Roman fort north of the Alps! It is owned and managed by English Heritage and is open to the public.

After the Norman Conquest a castle was built in one corner of the fort, which grew into an impressive royal residence. From 1665 Portchester Castle was frequently used to house foreign prisoners of war, most notably during the wars with France between 1793 and 1815. It is a spendid historic building and hugs the shore and I thought a very good place to put a body (fictional that is).

Other locations I have used in THE PORTCHESTER CASTLE MURDERS include the Hayling Coastal Path and the Hard at Portsmouth Harbour.

The novel opens on Friday 13th and it's not a lucky omen for Andy Horton. Horton lives on board his yacht in Southsea Marina and on heading for work he finds his Harley Davidson vandalised. A strange symbol is etched into the paintwork. Is it some kind of warning?

To make matters worse, Horton’s nit-picking boss, DCI Lorraine Bliss, has returned early from her secondment to HQ.

And a convicted murderer out on licence has gone missing. Luke Felton. Horton recognizes the name from a case he worked as a sergeant.

Now a decomposing corpse washes up in Portsmouth harbour. The bloated body is found lying in the thick slimy mud.

Before Horton can get a grip on either case, his phone rings. He doesn’t recognize the number. A voice on the other end gives him an address: Willow Bank, Shore Road, Portchester.

Horton knows it. The house belongs to a woman he’d met the day before. And now she’s dead. Her body lies in her windswept garden.

Horton’s got a lot on his plate. Can he connect the dots before anyone else dies?

There are many twists and turns in this novel with a hint of international crime behind it but I will say no more. I wouldn’t want to spoil your enjoyment of it.

"I love this series. The characters are all admirably complex, beautifully written." C. Hall

"'Again, another book l couldn't put down. It has twists and turns l didn't expect and kept me enthralled from start to finish. I would recommend this book and series to anyone who enjoys a good detective novel." Amazon

"'Procedural fans who haven’t already read Rowson should be encouraged to do so in the strongest possible terms." Booklist