A Gareth Rhys Welsh Noir Mystery

A body is found floating in a drainage reen on the Gwent Levels.

Wildlife photographer Owen Hughes knew the marshes, sea walls and waterways around Goldcliff better than almost anyone. When police suggest his death was a tragic accident, few people question it.

Investigative journalist Gareth Rhys does.

Days before he died, Owen left Gareth a cryptic voicemail.

"I've found something... the cat... it's not what people think..."

The message cuts off.

For months, reports of a large black panther have drawn visitors from across Britain to the wetlands east of Newport. Sightings continue to emerge. Photographs appear online. Witnesses tell remarkably similar stories.

Some are convinced the animal exists.

Others are equally certain it does not.

As Gareth begins examining Owen's final movements, he discovers the photographer had become obsessed with more than the mysterious cat. Hidden among his notebooks are references to unexplained vehicle movements, missing wildlife, secret meetings and a series of land purchases scattered across the Levels.

Then crucial evidence disappears.

Anonymous warnings arrive.

And a second body is found.

What starts as a local mystery soon becomes something far more dangerous. Behind the rumours and speculation lies a network of powerful interests with millions of pounds at stake. Protected wetlands, rare wildlife and the future of an entire community hang in the balance.

Somebody is determined to keep the truth buried.

Working alongside Acting Detective Inspector Sara Llewellyn, Gareth follows a trail of photographs, financial records and hidden connections stretching from the reens of Goldcliff to the boardrooms of South Wales. The closer he gets to the truth, the more resistance he encounters.

Witnesses become frightened.

Evidence vanishes.

Powerful people begin asking questions.

At the centre of it all stands Sir Cai Morgan, one of the most influential figures in Wales. Respected, wealthy and seemingly untouchable, he has spent decades building a reputation for public service and philanthropy. Yet rumours have always surrounded him.

Rumours Gareth has heard before.

Set against the haunting landscape of the Gwent Levels, where ancient waterways wind through vast marshes beneath the glow of Newport's industrial skyline, The Goldcliff Panther is a gripping Welsh crime thriller about corruption, loyalty, environmental crime and the price of uncovering the truth.

As Gareth closes in on a killer, he learns that some secrets are worth killing for.

And some mysteries refuse to stay buried.

Perfect for readers of Ann Cleeves, Elly Griffiths, Peter Robinson, Simon McCleave and atmospheric British crime fiction.

The Goldcliff Panther is Book 7 in the Gareth Rhys Investigates series and can be enjoyed as a standalone novel.

The truth about Owen Hughes can be uncovered.

The truth about the Goldcliff Panther may be another matter entirely.