When environmental consultant Rhys Bowen is found dead in the ancient woodlands of Wentwood, journalist Gareth Rhys expects another tragic accident. But when police quickly discover evidence of foul play, the case begins to unravel something far darker than murder.

Wentwood is at the centre of one of Wales's most ambitious rewilding projects. Millions of pounds have been invested in restoring habitats, planting woodland and repairing decades of environmental damage. The project has become a flagship success story, celebrated by politicians, conservation groups and the media alike.

Then a second body is found.

As Detective Inspector Sara Llewellyn leads the murder investigation, Gareth begins digging into rumours surrounding the project. What he uncovers points towards a sprawling network of illegal toxic waste dumping hidden beneath the cover of environmental restoration.

Together with environmental scientist Bethan Hughes and retired mining engineer Huw Jenkins, Gareth follows a trail of contaminated streams, abandoned quarries and forgotten mine workings stretching deep beneath the forests of Gwent.

The deeper they dig, the more dangerous the truth becomes.

Whistleblowers disappear.

Witnesses change their stories.

Evidence vanishes.

And somebody is willing to kill to keep long-buried secrets hidden.

But the modern conspiracy is only part of the mystery.

When a hidden underground chamber is discovered beneath an abandoned quarry, the investigation uncovers traces of a forgotten wartime operation buried beneath Wentwood for more than eighty years. Secret tunnels, sealed bunkers and missing government records hint at a chapter of history that powerful people would rather remain untouched.

As police close in on those responsible for the toxic dumping, Gareth finds himself caught between two very different secrets. One belongs to the past. The other is still claiming lives.

What began as an environmental investigation soon becomes a race to expose corruption, uncover murder and reveal the truth before more people die.

Set against the dramatic landscapes of South Wales, Ashes Beneath the Trees is the sixth novel in the Gareth Rhys Investigates series. Combining murder mystery, environmental crime, hidden history and political intrigue, it explores how good intentions can be corrupted, how reputations can hide dark truths, and how the choices people make in the name of progress can leave scars that last for generations.

Fans of Ann Cleeves, Peter Robinson, J.D. Kirk, Elly Griffiths and Welsh crime fiction will enjoy this gripping eco-thriller packed with twists, atmospheric settings and a mystery rooted in real-world environmental issues.

Because some secrets refuse to stay buried.

And some forests remember everything.