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DI Andy Horton #12
Fatal Catch
Trust no one. Believe nothing . . .
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. Assailed by doubts both in his personal and professional life, Horton desperately tries to keep his emotional feelings under control and his focus on his work. His instincts tell him to trust no one and believe nothing; he's not sure, though, whether this time he'll succeed . . .
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. Assailed by doubts both in his personal and professional life, Horton desperately tries to keep his emotional feelings under control and his focus on his work. His instincts tell him to trust no one and believe nothing; he's not sure, though, whether this time he'll succeed . . .
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 20, 2015
348 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Pauline Rowson
61 books157 followersPauline Rowson is the author of thirty- one crime novels - nineteen featuring DI Andy Horton in the Solent Murder Mystery series; five in Art Marvik mystery thrillers series, six in the 1950s set historical mysteries with Scotland Yard's Inspector Ryga, who is sent out to solve baffling coastal crimes and two standalone thrillers. All her crime novels are set against the backdrop of the ever changing sea.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 7, 2024
Two men out fishing find a hand in a container, that of a known criminal. But where is his body. And why washed killed. DI Horton and his team investigate and then more bodies are found.
An enjoyable mystery
An enjoyable mystery
January 2, 2016
Pauline Rowson's hero is DI Andy Horton, who is embroiled in an extremely complicated murder mystery.
From the beginning the reader is drawn in as two fishermen reel in a severed human hand. DI Horton is called in to investigate the problem of finding the rest of the body but who is the murder victim?
Horton struggles with collating all the clues, as so many of the suspects are just not believable, so sifting out the facts becomes an almost impossible task. This is further complicated due to his personal life impinging on his professional role.
Even though I enjoyed the marine setting of Portsmouth and the surrounding area, I found that there were almost too many red herrings and sub plots, so I awarded "Fatal Catch" four stars.
By Peggy Sutton. AKA Galadriel
Breakaway Reviewers were given a copy of the book to review
From the beginning the reader is drawn in as two fishermen reel in a severed human hand. DI Horton is called in to investigate the problem of finding the rest of the body but who is the murder victim?
Horton struggles with collating all the clues, as so many of the suspects are just not believable, so sifting out the facts becomes an almost impossible task. This is further complicated due to his personal life impinging on his professional role.
Even though I enjoyed the marine setting of Portsmouth and the surrounding area, I found that there were almost too many red herrings and sub plots, so I awarded "Fatal Catch" four stars.
By Peggy Sutton. AKA Galadriel
Breakaway Reviewers were given a copy of the book to review
October 5, 2022
Whilst the main plot was good, this book got lost with the numerous personalities introduced alongside the many sub plots. For this reason I completely lost the identity of the main characters, which is why I would only rate this with 3 stars.
January 9, 2017
Rather a convoluted almost tortuous British police procedure story. Many stories poorly intertwined.
I thought it would get better so I endured to the end. Sorry I did!
I thought it would get better so I endured to the end. Sorry I did!
Read
November 30, 2018Miniseries: A DI Andy Horton Mystery
October 17, 2025
I made this my series of books to read for this year but, with only 2½ months to go, it doesn't look like I'll finish it. This series started out well enough - decent, if clichéd characters, OK plotlines and an area where I used to live, so I knew many of the places mentioned, which is always a plus. Then, the books became formulaic - someone would get killed, Horton would come up with some stupid theory (or ten), Uckfield wouldn't believe him, Bliss would threaten to sack him, Horton would ask himself pages of rhetorical questions, in between moaning about his ex-wife, mooning over his daughter and going on about his mother (that REALLY has got tedious). Then, back at the investigation, about 10 pages from the end, he'd figure out who the killer was, confront the perp, het beaten up, but the day would be saved and everyone went home for tea. Then, at about Book 6 or 7, he stopped getting beaten up (more's the pity) and the mother thing started coming in on page one of the books. Oh and he never quite got round to going out with Dr Clayton.
On the technical side, geographical and naming inaccuracies crept in, commas and hyphens crept out, the writing got slack and some phrasing got odd and ambiguous.
This book has all of the bad traits, plus a totally ridiculous storyline. I will flog on with the series, after a break, but it really does feel like a 'flog' now. I hope that no more books in the series are released before I finish...
On the technical side, geographical and naming inaccuracies crept in, commas and hyphens crept out, the writing got slack and some phrasing got odd and ambiguous.
This book has all of the bad traits, plus a totally ridiculous storyline. I will flog on with the series, after a break, but it really does feel like a 'flog' now. I hope that no more books in the series are released before I finish...
October 31, 2022
Originally published in 2016.
Three people are missing. DI Andy Horton's mother who went missing in 1978, the rest of the body of a felon whose hand was found by a pair of fishermen, and one of those fishermen who reportedly had a bad heart but disappeared before reporting to the station for his formal statement. So begins this complicated set of investigations. Great characters in a fantastic twisty plot, but I wish that I had read at least one of the earlier books in series. I loved it anyway.
Three people are missing. DI Andy Horton's mother who went missing in 1978, the rest of the body of a felon whose hand was found by a pair of fishermen, and one of those fishermen who reportedly had a bad heart but disappeared before reporting to the station for his formal statement. So begins this complicated set of investigations. Great characters in a fantastic twisty plot, but I wish that I had read at least one of the earlier books in series. I loved it anyway.
August 31, 2022
A Good Series
When two fisherman find a hand in a box while out fishing, DI Andy Horton is soon investigating. He likes to do things his way and avoids his bosses as much as he can. He is still trying to find out what happened to his mother. She disappeared when he was a child and there seems to be a wall of silence which he cannot break through. I am really enjoying this series and look forward to the next book.
When two fisherman find a hand in a box while out fishing, DI Andy Horton is soon investigating. He likes to do things his way and avoids his bosses as much as he can. He is still trying to find out what happened to his mother. She disappeared when he was a child and there seems to be a wall of silence which he cannot break through. I am really enjoying this series and look forward to the next book.
July 7, 2024
Horton Rides Again
I'm enjoying this series. I still find that this author loads up her stories with far too many characters to keep straight. And it gets confusing because everyone has a similar name. This book was alright. I committed to finishing it. Not a favorite. Just OK. I'm taking a break from this series as the books are starting to run together. A worthwhile series. I just need to read something else after 5 of these in a row!
I'm enjoying this series. I still find that this author loads up her stories with far too many characters to keep straight. And it gets confusing because everyone has a similar name. This book was alright. I committed to finishing it. Not a favorite. Just OK. I'm taking a break from this series as the books are starting to run together. A worthwhile series. I just need to read something else after 5 of these in a row!
August 25, 2022
Again another good read in this series, I have enjoyed them all and can’t wait for the next one. The background story concerning his mother could do with moving on with either a major find, not the little bits that come out each book, the repetitive sections in the books re his mother can get a bit boring altho the main story to each book is well written and holds your interest to the end.
August 19, 2022
Good series and looking forward to the next in the series.
It would be good for our hero to sort out his history and his mother. The dual story line , while providing links from book to book, does confuse the flow of the story. Let’s hope book 13
Centres on his mothers story line.
It would be good for our hero to sort out his history and his mother. The dual story line , while providing links from book to book, does confuse the flow of the story. Let’s hope book 13
Centres on his mothers story line.
June 14, 2023
The Thorney Island Murders (Solent Murder Mystery Book 12)
Another amazing book from Pauline Rowson. The mysteries and murder keep on happening but the Mystery surrounding the Mother of one of the main characters is still not solved. Perhaps in the next book.
Another amazing book from Pauline Rowson. The mysteries and murder keep on happening but the Mystery surrounding the Mother of one of the main characters is still not solved. Perhaps in the next book.
September 23, 2023
There are waaaaay too many characters in this book, which made it very confusing. Also, the thread about his mother, Jennifer, is so annoying and not needed. It just adds even more characters to a confusing narrative.
August 15, 2022
Wonderful books. I just finished 12. Can’t wait until 13.
October 22, 2023
Great story as always, love Andy Horton & all his colleagues. One step closer to finding his Mother & putting his past to bed. On to the next story.
July 21, 2025
Great
Not quite Graham Hurley but a great series none the less. Not sure why some place names are changed and others andent.
Not quite Graham Hurley but a great series none the less. Not sure why some place names are changed and others andent.
September 6, 2022
I wonder if policing is really like these, and other books, would have us think. Is it really the person you least suspect that commits the crimes? Or does that just make cracking reading? True or not of the former, it is certainly true of the latter. I look forward to the next one.
November 19, 2015
Andy Horton is still very much pre-occupied with what happened to his mother Jennifer when she disappeared twenty years earlier. This theme alone would make it difficult to read these novels as stand alones although considerable detail is repeated from one novel to the next. Andy is gradually piecing his mother's story together and now he is contacted by a woman who says she is conducting university research into missing persons who choose not to resurface. Jennifer Horton is one of the people she is interested in.
Each novel is based around a current case, this time a severed hand which some fishermen haul in. The hand is identified from its fingerprints, and then Andy's team is told to back off - the man is purported to be a police informant, but Andy thinks this is most unlikely and out of character.
Meanwhile one of the fishermen who found the hand goes missing and then turns up dead.
This is #12 in the Andy Horton series and I would like Andy to hurry up and solve the mystery about his mother. While I have been enjoying the ride, and there is no doubt that each novel is well written, I am ready for something else to occupy Andy's attention. Surely the end of this plot line is in sight?
Each novel is based around a current case, this time a severed hand which some fishermen haul in. The hand is identified from its fingerprints, and then Andy's team is told to back off - the man is purported to be a police informant, but Andy thinks this is most unlikely and out of character.
Meanwhile one of the fishermen who found the hand goes missing and then turns up dead.
This is #12 in the Andy Horton series and I would like Andy to hurry up and solve the mystery about his mother. While I have been enjoying the ride, and there is no doubt that each novel is well written, I am ready for something else to occupy Andy's attention. Surely the end of this plot line is in sight?
November 4, 2015
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Severn House Publishers!
I love crime procedurals and I read a lot of them. Fatal Catch was not the worst, but it didn't quite tickle my fancy. It is well written and suspenseful at times, but I found my interest lagging at some points. I may have been lacking the background of the overall story of Andy Horton, whose mother apparently went missing when he was a child and his efforts to find out what happened are part of the overarching plot. At the same time, he is investigating the murder of a petty criminal. I liked this part the most, and the culprit was unexpected. Horton and his comrades are also very well developed. Not bad for fans of crime novels.
I love crime procedurals and I read a lot of them. Fatal Catch was not the worst, but it didn't quite tickle my fancy. It is well written and suspenseful at times, but I found my interest lagging at some points. I may have been lacking the background of the overall story of Andy Horton, whose mother apparently went missing when he was a child and his efforts to find out what happened are part of the overarching plot. At the same time, he is investigating the murder of a petty criminal. I liked this part the most, and the culprit was unexpected. Horton and his comrades are also very well developed. Not bad for fans of crime novels.
May 28, 2018
Phooey! #13 will not be here for a few weeks! They were all ordered together, but have had to come from different sources.
More and more details regarding Andy's mother, and possibly his father.
It's a good job I have a TBR pile.
More and more details regarding Andy's mother, and possibly his father.
It's a good job I have a TBR pile.
February 6, 2017
Another well crafted book from Pauline Rowson. Readers are required to have knowledge of the previous books in this series to understand sub-plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews