Introducing DI Andy Horton: The Detective Who Lives On A Yacht

Every detective needs somewhere to belong.

For DI Andy Horton, that place is Portsmouth.

A city shaped by the sea.

A city of naval history.

A city where secrets can disappear beneath the tide.

When I created Andy Horton, I wanted a detective who felt different.

Someone who wasn’t always comfortable following the expected path.

Someone driven by instinct and justice.

And so DI Andy Horton was born.

A Detective With A Difference

Andy Horton lives aboard his yacht in Southsea Marina.

He rides a Harley-Davidson.

He doesn’t wear a suit unless he has to.

And he has a habit of irritating his superiors.

But underneath the tough exterior is a man with a strong moral compass.

A detective who cares deeply about victims and their families.

The First Case

The Portsmouth Murders introduces Horton.

Returning to Portsmouth CID after eight months away, he is trying to rebuild his life.

His career has been damaged.

His personal life is in pieces.

Then, during his morning run along Southsea beach, he discovers a body.

A brutal murder.

A case nobody wants him involved in.

But Horton has never been someone who walks away from a challenge.

Portsmouth as a character

The Solent is more than a setting.

It shapes the stories.

The changing tides.
The foghorns.
The harbour.
The marinas.
The coastline.

Portsmouth becomes part of the mystery.

Because in coastal crime fiction, the sea always has secrets.

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