For boating readers who enjoy a good mystery, Dead Adrift could be the perfect addition to the summer reading list.
Written by New Zealand author Robyn Cotton, the new novel is the third instalment in her Hauraki Gulf Crime Series, following The Jibe and The Boat Shed. Set for release on 3 October 2026, Dead Adrift continues a crime series built around the waters, islands and coastal communities of one of New Zealand’s best-known boating regions.
Cotton brings more than imagination to the maritime setting. An avid sailor herself, she draws on her own experience exploring the Hauraki Gulf, giving the series an authentic local flavour. She now lives on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast, within easy reach of the very waters that provide the backdrop to her crime novels.
Her path to writing has been an interesting one. Cotton grew up in South Taranaki and studied at Massey University before spending time in the United Kingdom. After returning to New Zealand, she built a career in the dairy industry and later worked as a management consultant and board member before turning increasingly to creative writing.
Her first novel, A Skylark Flies, was followed by Mary & Me, before she moved into crime fiction with The Jibe in 2024. That book introduced Maritime Police detective Frank Smythe and CIB detective Anahera Raupara, placing the pair at the centre of an investigation involving a death aboard a yacht on the Hauraki Gulf.
The second book, The Boat Shed, continued their story after the discovery of a young woman’s body in an abandoned boat shed on Rangitoto Island, further developing the Auckland and Gulf setting that has become a defining part of the series.
Now Dead Adrift brings readers back to that world for a third case.
At 330 pages, the paperback should provide plenty of entertainment for a weekend away, an evening at anchor or a few relaxed days at the bach. For boaties in particular, there is an added appeal in reading a locally written crime novel set among familiar waters, anchorages and islands.
Published by Hatherop Books, Dead Adrift continues Cotton’s blend of New Zealand crime fiction and maritime settings. For existing followers of the series, it is a chance to catch up with familiar characters. For newcomers, it could be an ideal introduction to a crime series with a distinctly Kiwi boating connection.
*To celebrate the launch, PowerBoat Magazine is giving two lucky E-News subscribers the chance to win a complimentary copy of Dead Adrift. It is the perfect opportunity to discover Robyn Cotton’s Hauraki Gulf Crime Series — or continue the story for those already familiar with her books.
Books can be purchased via the order form at www.hatheropbooks.wordpress.com.
