I didn't realise this was part of a series so I thought that the book dfragged a bit and was a bit confusing, but that could be because I hadn't read the first 16 books. All in all it was a good police procedural with some red herrings thrown in to keep you guessing.

The Tipner Lake Murders by Pauline Rowson.
The Solent Murder Mysteries Book 19.
This was a good read. I liked the cover and blurb of this book. I didn't realise it was a series. I haven't read by this author. I do love discovering new authors. I liked DI Andy Horton. I liked the writing style and the story. I liked that Andy knew to dig deeper. He wouldn't give up. It wasn't who I thought it was. Definitely red herrings. I will be looking at the rest of the series.

Here is my review for The Tipner Lake Murders by Pauline Rowson

I thought this was a brilliantly intricately written police procedural that hooked me as soon as I started reading the story. Roxanne Keay was the first victim found stabbed to death. They found out that she was serving on jury duty trying Justin Haslegrave for a smuggling trial. The police are trying to find a link between the two when only days later Justin is found dead, stabbed the same way as Roxanne! Is this a coincidence or a killer with a reason to kill? This was such a brilliant story and I loved reading it. I thought it was an intriguing plot that had been extremely well thought out by the author. I really liked Detective Inspector Andy Horton and how his character was portrayed in the book. All the characters were well thought out and written with such realization. The story was written in superb descriptive detail and everything was described in great detail. I liked the author’s writing style and I found it really easy to get into. I really liked the synopsis which drew me to read this story and I most certainly wasn’t disappointed by the story as I loved it. This is book nineteen of the series and the first book I have read but I loved everything about it and I would like to read more books in the series.

Blurb :

A BRAND-NEW BRITISH POLICE PROCEDURAL SET IN PORTSMOUTH, FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR PAULINE ROWSON. OVER 900,000 BOOKS READ!

Old friends. Dark secrets. Vicious murders. Could this be the case that finally breaks Detective Andy Horton?

Roxanne Keay is found on the shore of Tipner Lake. Her long dark hair plastered over her grey, lifeless face. Her blue coat open to reveal a single stab wound to the chest. At first, it looks like a senseless act of violence. But DI Andy Horton isn’t convinced.

Roxanne wasn’t a random victim. She’d been serving on the jury of a high-profile smuggling trial. Justin Haslegrave is the man in the dock. If convicted, he’s facing a long stretch in prison.

But days later, Justin is found dead. Stabbed — just like Roxanne.

Horton soon uncovers a chilling link: Roxanne and Justin shared a dangerous secret — one they took to the grave. But someone else knows the truth . . . Horton’s on the trail of a ruthless killer, one who’s determined to silence anyone who gets in their way.

A tense, atmospheric British police mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Fans of Angela Marsons, Ian Rankin, Elly Griffiths and Bill Kitson will devour this dark and twisted tale.

THE DETECTIVE
DI Andy Horton’s mum walked out on him when he was a child and he grew up in a children’s home. Now he lives on board 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, afraid to show his feelings, but he’s 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.

The Tipner Lake Murders by Pauline Rowson is the 19th book in the DI Andy Horton series and I loved this book. I have enjoyed reading all these books within this series and they have all been a good read.

When a body of a woman is found dead on the shore of Tipner Lake. Her beautiful long dark hair was plastered over the her grey lifeless face. Her blue coat is open to reveal a stab wound to her chest. DI Andy Horton is called to the scene to investigate, it all looks straight forward murder and a random act of violence. But as DI Andy Horton looks closer something is not right.
The dead woman is Roxanne Keay, and she was on the jury of high-profile trial that very week. This was the big trail of Justin Haslegrave,, he was accused of smuggling illegal goods into the country!

A few days later, Justin is murdered and under similar circumstances, this case has now takes a chilling turn.

Do, Roxanne and Justin knew a deadly secret?

One they were willing to take to the grave. Now it looks like they weren’t the only ones . . . . . . .

More people who are connected to the case now are turning up dead, DI Horton realises he’s dealing with something — or someone who is far more sinister than he could have ever imagined.

Will he find the killer before they kill again?

But the Clock it ticking. . . . . and time is running out for the next victim!!!

WoW this book was so good I ended up reading it all day, which was great as Paulin's books are a very easy read and addictive especially as there are 19 of these within the DI Andy Horton series which is set around my home town Portsmouth and surrounding area's.

The impact of past experiences comes to the fore in this police procedural, which brings together multiple strands before the mystery is solved. I loved the cast of characters, some of who, are easy to hate while Mike Horton navigates his way through events as the protagonist, the pacing was a bit off for me, with some plot points heavily laboured and others almost skipped over, but overall the book is a strong, enjoyable mystery with plenty to recommend it.

Part of a series featuring DI Andy Horton. The main character is excellent but the story tends to drag and was a bit confusing.

An excellent thriller by Pauline Rowson that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to all readers who like a good mystery.

Number 19 in the Solent Murder Mysteries. Yet again DI Andy Horton gets involved in murder enquiries when the body of a woman is found by Tipner Lake. This book is continuing the high standard of writing from Pauline Rowson. We follow DI Horton over the week as he investigates and more bodies turn up. The DI is either a very bitter or very insecure person, I've yet to decide which. But the dynamic between Horton and Cantelli is perfectly portrayed as one who has lost most things and one who has a happy and loving family life. There is a perfect mix of likeable characters and infuriating ones much as you would find in real life. Thoroughly recommended to police/crime readers. With thanks to the author, Netgalley and Joffe Books for the opportunity to review this book.

I thought this was book 1 of a new series and not no 19. Took me a while to get to know the characters. A bit confusing at times and the bullying angle was a bit weak but that said it was an alright read that held my attention. I would definitely give the next one a try.

Unfortunately this book didn’t live up to its promise for me. Although I liked DI Horton as a character, the plot was too confusing and, at times, unbelievable. This book could do with some serious editing as the pacing is way too slow. The constant references to Horton’s thoughts and reflections felt like they were only in there to pad the book out and were completely unnecessary. With some more work this could have been a really good police procedural.

I liked the promise of the book but it failed to deliver for me as the plotting felt just a bit unbelievable. The storyline was a bit weak and the pacing lacked any tension. I did like Horton as a character but I struggled to follow what his character was doing most of the time. More cosy mystery rather than crime thriller genre. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Joffe Books, for letting me read and review an advanced copy of ‘The Tipner Lake Murders’, by Pauline Rowson.

This book has all of the hallmarks of a British procedural; suspicious death, a detective at odds with his bosses, a quaint setting, and suspects/witnesses that never tell the police the whole/correct story. DI Andy Horton, living on a yacht and riding a Harley-Davidson, has to wade through the facts, dive deeper into past events, and keep his bosses at bay, while trying to solve a murder (which will of course have additional victims).

The story was well-thought out and engaging while keeping the reader guessing as to who is the killer.

The first body was in Portsmouth harbor but there was a lot more to investigate, more bodies to find, and what was everyone afraid of. DI Andy Horton and team feel underwater themselves because of all the fear, secrets, and lies they uncover. Pleased that the series has not ended yet.
Pub Date Aug 14, 2025
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley.
#TheTipnerLakeMurders by @paulinerowson #SolentMurderMysteriesBk19 @joffebooks #NetGalley
#suspense #murderinvestigations #DIHorton #falseidentities #duediligence #crimefiction #secrets #unputdownable #smuggling #crimefiction #mysterybooks #procedural #Britishpolicemystery #lies

3* After a great intro to Horton, in what I realise now was book 1 (I'm late to the series), this felt too far-fetched.

Ugh, I hate to say it, but this book needs a brutal pass by an editor. It's so full of improbable stuff that I couldn't keep track of the 'beautiful Aimee' arc; of who was who; of which cops were okay and which were jobsworths; of whether Horton was still fully living on his boat or not; whether he was with a colleague or not, or just bumping hips. It all felt disjointed and as if too much was crammed in, with clarity being the victim, not Roxanne.

I'm sorry but the bullying storyline felt weak and unbelievable. Poor Roxanne got forgotten quite quickly, it felt like. There was too much focus on irrelevant characters to make the book tight and paced correctly for a murder investigation. The actual murderer wss absolutely not believable and to bring that person in when the author did, to reveal a contradicting M.O., was just too about face. I didn't believe that Horton saw anything, just that there was nowhere to go with all the weeds bogging down this too-long tale, that he had to go with something. Disappointing.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Joffe Books for my reading pleasure.

I've enjoyed the 19, now, books with DI Horton and it's good to see how he has developed, along with this team, over that time. This time the first body is a young woman whose character changed a few weeks before although no-one seemed to know why. As a juror on a new case she seem afraid, of the charged man or what? It all revolves around bullying at school many years before but it takes a long time for Horton to get there. It's a solid police procedural and well-written. My main issue was that we kept being reminded of the reasoning and logic to Horton's thoughts. First to himself, then to various members of the teams and this just got too repetitive. It felt like padding. Not up to previous standards for me. 3.5* but not quite enough to round-up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

3.5 ⭐
I foolishly thought "a brand new police procedural" meant the first of a series, not the 19th in the series!
Luckily, I didn't feel I'd missed out, there were enough hints at previous storyline to get you interested, but not enough to confuse.
That's quite a skill.
Enjoyable characters, decent pacing and good storyline, that I had no idea of the who's and whys often.
Pleasantly surprised by how stand alone this was, and I might be looking for previous books IF I ever read all my books 😁

Another episode in the Solent Murder Mysteries featuring DI Andy Horton.

The body of a young woman is found beside Tipner Lake and she has clearly been murdered. DI Horton and his team get involved, and find that the woman, Roxanne Keays, was on the jury of a high-profile smuggling case. She also worked at the marina so may well have known the person on trial, Justin Haslegrave.

Before they get much further, Justin’s body is found in similar circumstances. Could there be a link to teenage bullying some years ago? A tricky case for the team to put together, and a great read with plenty of twists and turns.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Another great murder mystery to add to this series.
It has great characters.
Great storyline
Would recommend to others

The Tipner Lake Murders by Pauline Rowson is a book that had potential, but there were so many characters to keep track of that it was hard to keep focused. The premise of old friends harboring dark secrets and the unfolding mystery surrounding Detective Andy Horton was good.

The opening scene with Roxanne Keay’s body found by the lake sets a grim tone. While the idea of a connection between the murders and a high-profile trial is interesting, the plot felt a bit predictable. I did like Detective Horton. The unfolding mystery does have its moments, and there was some good tension and a few twists.

Overall, while The Tipner Lake Murders has a few engaging elements, it was a slow read for me. I would rate this a 3.5 out of 5 (rounded to 4).

#TheTipnerLakeMurders #NetGalley @JoffeBooks

This is a solid murder mystery thriller. I picked this book up, not knowing that this is the newest book in a rather long series. I do love long crime thriller series, so I will maybe read book one to see if I want to read more of the series.
Not knowing the investigative team made it challenging getting into the book. Especially with all the names thrown at you. I am sure I missed a few things not knowing the previous books. References to older cases and previous books are the charm in long series, in my oppinion. But I enjoyed the investigation. The beginning was a little slow, the ending a little fast. The plot twist was satisfying.