A Body in the Garden: a gripping Welsh crime mystery full of twists

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Love the characters & stories, and feel like I have been to Wales!' Nancy

MEET YOUR NEW FAVOURITE DETECTIVE.

Detective Norman is out of retirement and back on the beat in a rainy Welsh seaside town. Llangwelli might be short on sunshine, but it's certainly not short on murders . . . Norman may seem a bit old-fashioned, but he's always willing to learn from his band of misfit recruits.

It's DC Judy Lane who takes the call. 'We've got a body. It's at a house called Forge Cottage, on the Old Llangwelli Road.'

The elderly victim is found propped up in his own back garden, a chain wrapped tightly around his chest.

The only clues to what happened are a glass of red wine, a Chinese takeaway receipt - and a missing delivery driver.

Before Detective Norman can pull the pieces together, the wife of a prominent local businessman disappears.

And a second body is discovered in a seafront hotel.

Two dead bodies and a missing person: there's something very nasty going on in this quiet little seaside town. It's up to Detective Norman to uncover the truth before events turn even darker.

This absolutely gripping detective mystery full of twists and turns is perfect for fans of Rachel McLean, J.D. Kirk, Pauline Rowson, Elly Griffiths, Matt Brolly and Simon McCleave.

READERS LOVE THE WEST WALES MYSTERIES:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I really connected with old-fashioned DS Norman and DI Southall and the rest of their team. A great read.' Richard J.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I love the characters, the twists, the setting in Wales, and the cozy mystery feel . . . One of the best police procedural series I've read in a while.' Tabby S.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Loved it. A really good story.' Aileen G.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A finely tuned police procedural that had me hooked from the first page. Lots of red herrings kept me guessing until the end.' Shirley S.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Another terrific outing for the West Wales murder gang. I adore these characters.' Kathy H.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Another great detective story. I love these books.' Kelly S.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I really took to Norman . . . He has the kindest heart, someone you would want on your side. A clever premise and a perpetrator who took me by surprise. An excellent read.' Nicki

THE DETECTIVE

Meet DS Norman Norman. He's so good they named him twice. He thought his policing days were over when he took early retirement. But then he gets called into Llangwelli Police Department to help train up the new recruits. Out on the west coast of Wales, the town is known as something of a dumping ground for screw-ups, but Norman believes no copper's career is ever beyond salvaging, so he's going to whip these youngsters into shape. Even if it kills him.

THE SETTING

Llangwelli (pronounced Hlangwelly) is a seaside harbour town in West Wales that sits on the edge of a wide, shallow river estuary. Thanks to West Wales's rainy climate, verdant green hills dotted with cows and sheep make for idyllic surroundings. But that doesn't mean it's free from crime - as Norman is about to find out.

Author: P. F. Ford
Publisher: Joffe Books Ltd
Published: 07/02/2026
Pages: 242
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.54lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.55d
ISBN: 9781805735984

About the Author
Ford, P. F.: - Peter Ford always dreamed of becoming a writer, but a dream is easily stifled without support from those around you. It was only when his old, unhappy life fell apart and he met his new partner (now wife) Mary, who believed dreamers should be encouraged, that he finally got the chance to live that dream. Fast forward a few years and you find a man transformed. Now, blissfully happy, settled in a quiet corner of Wales with wife Mary and their rescue dogs, P.F. Ford is living proof that it's never too late to achieve your dreams.