Lethal Waves

In Rowson’s complex 13th mystery featuring empathetic, melancholy Det. Insp. Andy Horton (after 2016’s Fatal Catch), the Portsmouth CID officer visits Guernsey, the home of a relative of his mother, who disappeared when he was 10. (His search for clues to his identity is a theme that runs throughout this series.) While on the island, Horton is called in to assist a police colleague who’s conducting the enquiry into the death of an unidentified woman on a Portsmouth-to-Guernsey ferry boat. A preliminary examination seems to point to suicide, but the dead woman’s lack of identification and the absence of personal information in her cellphone cast doubt on that theory. Horton returns to Portsmouth, where he’s immediately drawn into the shooting death of a man dressed as a tramp. However, the victim’s manicured hands indicate that he might have been in disguise. Yes, nothing in this police procedural is as it at first appears. The Harley Davidson–riding, houseboat-dwelling Horton is a fascinating man to get to know, and his thoughtful approach to detection is a pleasure to read. (June)