Johnson Johnson

Johnson Johnson is the hero of a series of mystery novels written by Dorothy Dunnett (originally published under her maiden name, Dorothy Halliday). Johnson Johnson is a widowed portrait painter who doubles as an agent for the British secret service. A constant theme in all the novels is his yacht, the Dolly.

Each book is told in the first person, from the viewpoint of the heroine, and opens with a comment on Johnson Johnson's bifocals.

In this series, the date of publication is not the same as the book's order in the series.

...
Wikipedia