Art Marvik Books in Order

The Art Marvik books shift Pauline Rowson's love of the sea into thriller territory. Instead of a serving detective, they centre on Art Marvik, a former Royal Marine commando from the Special Boat Services who has been invalided out after a disastrous mission left him badly injured and scarred.

When the series opens, Marvik is adrift in civilian life, living in a remote cottage on the Isle of Wight and working odd maritime security jobs. He is physically tough, highly trained in surveillance and survival, and has a near photographic memory, but he is also restless and uneasy about what comes next.

An old girlfriend and his former commanding officer pull him back into danger. Marvik is recruited to work undercover for a specialist National Intelligence Marine Squad, run by Detective Chief Superintendent Crowder. His brief is to investigate crimes with a strong maritime element, many of them with roots decades in the past, where official channels have stalled or been compromised.

On each assignment he teams up with Shaun Strathen, another ex marine commando who has lost a leg and reinvented himself as an intelligence consultant. Together they move along the south coast of England, from Southampton and the Solent to the Dorset and Devon shores and, later, across to Ireland, using Marvik's powerful motor cruiser as both transport and temporary home.

The investigations in Silent Running / Deadly Waves, Dangerous Cargo, Lost Voyage, Dead Sea / Fatal Depths and Lethal Storm often involve salvage operations, missing scientists, ghost ships, stolen identities and the long shadow of past betrayals. Rowson blends elements of espionage and conspiracy with classic whodunnit questions about who benefits from keeping the truth submerged.

Although the tone is faster and more action focused than the DI Andy Horton novels, the Marvik stories still pay close attention to tides, weather, coastal geography and the emotional cost of violence. Marvik is resourceful and brave, but his injuries, the mystery surrounding his parents' deaths and his fear of failure prevent him from turning into a simple action hero. Readers who like high-stakes investigations with a strong maritime flavour will find a lot to enjoy in this series.