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Indefensible: A Deryn Kent Mystery
How far would you go to protect your secret?
On the morning DC Deryn Kent found the bodies, Brody Murphy got off a plane to meet a friend who never arrived.
Deryn has been blackmailed into turning a blind eye to his family’s drug dealing for years. But have they gone too far this time? Someone has brought Fentanyl into the small Welsh village and people are dying.
Then Brody turns up to report his friend missing amid signs of violence, and Deryn has another problem to deal with.
Are there two major crimes in one tiny community? Are Deryn’s family behind them both? And can Deryn stop them before someone else dies, or is the price too high?
On the morning DC Deryn Kent found the bodies, Brody Murphy got off a plane to meet a friend who never arrived.
Deryn has been blackmailed into turning a blind eye to his family’s drug dealing for years. But have they gone too far this time? Someone has brought Fentanyl into the small Welsh village and people are dying.
Then Brody turns up to report his friend missing amid signs of violence, and Deryn has another problem to deal with.
Are there two major crimes in one tiny community? Are Deryn’s family behind them both? And can Deryn stop them before someone else dies, or is the price too high?
106 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 28, 2025
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22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 23, 2025
DC Deryn Kent has started out with a chaotic day. He works for the Glamorgan PD and the house he just entered has a tragedy. A dead man and women, who have died from an overdose. Both the signs of drugs, possibly heroin and fentanyl mix. There’s also a baby in the house and has been retrieved, by a neighbor, with his permission.
DI Irene Glover, Deryn’s boss, has arrived at the scene. After she lines up what he needs to check out for the case, she has another assignment for him to look into.
He heads to Station Terrace, Cwncoed, which had no station since the coal mine closed. Arriving at the stone fronted house he meets Brody Murphy. The man was holding pellets and surrounded by five hungry chickens, that apparently needed feeding. He was not without a large black cat sitting on a plastic table in the yard.
Brody explains he just came in from America and landed at Heathrow where his friend Mason was to pick him up. But Mason never showed. After continuing calls to Mason, with no result, Brody rented a car. When he arrived at the house, the door was open and blood on the floor and still no Mason.
After, two dead bodies, an abandoned baby, now a missing person in the small village,
Deryn was ready to get out of the evil place of Cwmcoed. He felt his every move was being watched, not because he was a copper, but he was recognizable. He’s the brother-in-law of the corrupt Philip Fromow, known for mostly suppling drugs. Unfortuately, his father and sister Branwen welcomed Fromow to the family.
Searching everywhere for Mason, Deryn starts to find more about Brody Murphy. Murphy is a Special Agent with the FBI New York Office. He was invited to visit Mason Abruzzi, who holds a dual nation identification, US and UK. Mason grew up in the US and just happens to be very wealthy. He told Brody he needed to tell him something and needed his help. The more Deryn finds out about Mason, he thinks it odd that Mason being wealthy lived in the poorest place of the UK.
As Deryn and Mason, with information from witnesses, continue to search for Mason, Deryn has to take a stand. His brother-in-law knows a secret about him and he uses it against him. Has Deryn had enough? He’s not ashamed of who he really is. Will he stand-up against his family, as he’s sure Fromow has everything to do with the drugs and more crimes.
It’s always a delight to read a new start to a Ripley Hayes series with that special taste of Wales. This time will bring readers “Indefensible” a great start to “A Deryn Kent Mystery” series. It’s been a while so, I went back in a couple of books, that the characters of Deryn Kent and Brody Murphy, first appeared just to get a refresher. I’m excited to see what the author will have Deryn getting involved in.
As for, “Indefensible” it has lot’s of mystery and investigation for Deryn to get involved in. Deryn also has several decisions to make on what his next steps will be towards his future.
If you’re familiar with the series of: “The Daniel Owens Mysteries ” ; “DS Charlie Rees Mysteries” and “Peter Tudor and Lorne Stewart Cosy Mysteries”, you won’t be disappointed with this new series.
DI Irene Glover, Deryn’s boss, has arrived at the scene. After she lines up what he needs to check out for the case, she has another assignment for him to look into.
He heads to Station Terrace, Cwncoed, which had no station since the coal mine closed. Arriving at the stone fronted house he meets Brody Murphy. The man was holding pellets and surrounded by five hungry chickens, that apparently needed feeding. He was not without a large black cat sitting on a plastic table in the yard.
Brody explains he just came in from America and landed at Heathrow where his friend Mason was to pick him up. But Mason never showed. After continuing calls to Mason, with no result, Brody rented a car. When he arrived at the house, the door was open and blood on the floor and still no Mason.
After, two dead bodies, an abandoned baby, now a missing person in the small village,
Deryn was ready to get out of the evil place of Cwmcoed. He felt his every move was being watched, not because he was a copper, but he was recognizable. He’s the brother-in-law of the corrupt Philip Fromow, known for mostly suppling drugs. Unfortuately, his father and sister Branwen welcomed Fromow to the family.
Searching everywhere for Mason, Deryn starts to find more about Brody Murphy. Murphy is a Special Agent with the FBI New York Office. He was invited to visit Mason Abruzzi, who holds a dual nation identification, US and UK. Mason grew up in the US and just happens to be very wealthy. He told Brody he needed to tell him something and needed his help. The more Deryn finds out about Mason, he thinks it odd that Mason being wealthy lived in the poorest place of the UK.
As Deryn and Mason, with information from witnesses, continue to search for Mason, Deryn has to take a stand. His brother-in-law knows a secret about him and he uses it against him. Has Deryn had enough? He’s not ashamed of who he really is. Will he stand-up against his family, as he’s sure Fromow has everything to do with the drugs and more crimes.
It’s always a delight to read a new start to a Ripley Hayes series with that special taste of Wales. This time will bring readers “Indefensible” a great start to “A Deryn Kent Mystery” series. It’s been a while so, I went back in a couple of books, that the characters of Deryn Kent and Brody Murphy, first appeared just to get a refresher. I’m excited to see what the author will have Deryn getting involved in.
As for, “Indefensible” it has lot’s of mystery and investigation for Deryn to get involved in. Deryn also has several decisions to make on what his next steps will be towards his future.
If you’re familiar with the series of: “The Daniel Owens Mysteries ” ; “DS Charlie Rees Mysteries” and “Peter Tudor and Lorne Stewart Cosy Mysteries”, you won’t be disappointed with this new series.
November 23, 2025
Indefensible, for which I had an ARC copy, is the first book in the ‘A Deryn Kent Mystery’ series and follows Detective Deryn Kent as he helps to uncover what has happened to a missing American millionaire in South Wales while dealing with the consequences of being a member of the Kent family. If you have followed Ripley Hayes’ ‘Daniel Owen Mysteries’ you will have met the Kents, mostly in the form of Mal Kent, Daniel's husband, Huw Kent, Mal’s brother, and their mother. What you get is something unexpected in that the Kents are basically a bunch of criminals, other than Mal, Huw and Deryn who are all in the police force. Deryn is the youngest member of the Kent family, someone Mal has never met and doesn’t meet here but will be meeting come the next book. Deryn has secrets, lots of not very well kept secrets. Secrets from his boss and secrets from his family. This is the story of how Deryn comes to term with those secrets.
Deryn is tired of his family’s expectations of him. They consider him their tame policeman who makes things go away, things like parking tickets and evidence. Indefensible things he is getting overwhelmed by. The story begins with Deryn being sent to two potential crime scenes. One a house with two drug related deaths and a crying child, and the other one the home of a missing person called in by a recently arrived American who just happens to be an FBI agent. As these cases unfold Deryn comes to the understanding that he has to make a stand against his family.
Indefensible is a brilliant title to this story as so much in it is indefensible. A lot of it relates to Deryn and we get to follow him as he makes the difficult decision to go against his family. The characters are wonderful, amoral and just horrible in some cases. There is violence, some of it well deserved as Deryn does the right thing. This is not a story where everything is put to right but maybe enough will have changed to make some things better for the general public. A great start to the new series with a damaged hero on the road to healing.
Deryn is tired of his family’s expectations of him. They consider him their tame policeman who makes things go away, things like parking tickets and evidence. Indefensible things he is getting overwhelmed by. The story begins with Deryn being sent to two potential crime scenes. One a house with two drug related deaths and a crying child, and the other one the home of a missing person called in by a recently arrived American who just happens to be an FBI agent. As these cases unfold Deryn comes to the understanding that he has to make a stand against his family.
Indefensible is a brilliant title to this story as so much in it is indefensible. A lot of it relates to Deryn and we get to follow him as he makes the difficult decision to go against his family. The characters are wonderful, amoral and just horrible in some cases. There is violence, some of it well deserved as Deryn does the right thing. This is not a story where everything is put to right but maybe enough will have changed to make some things better for the general public. A great start to the new series with a damaged hero on the road to healing.
November 24, 2025
Thank you to Ripley Hayes for the ARC.
I’m a fan of the Charlie Rees and the Daniel Owen books, so I was excited to get an ARC of the first Deryn Kent book - Deryn is Mal Kent’s youngest sibling.
I’ll preface this by saying that you don’t have to have read any of the Daniel Owen books to jump in with this one, although I would absolutely recommend the Daniel Owen books, and they do give some insight into Deryn and Mal’s problematic family.
Something nasty is happening in the small, Welsh village of Cwmcoed. Two heroin users are dead and another man is missing.
Brody Murphy (from Murder in Shades of Red) is visiting a friend in Wales, but when Brody arrives, the friend is missing. DC Deryn Kent is sent by his boss to look into the man’s disappearance. Added to this, Deryn is having issues with his not-so-law-abiding family. Deryn is being blackmailed by his drug dealer brother-in-law.
I love the settings of Ripley Hayes’s books. Many of her books are set in Welsh villages and you get a real sense of place with them. Hayes is good at showing the reality of villages and their residents left to rot after the decline of the mining industry in Britain in the 1980s, and the impact that is still being felt generations later. She really captures the depressing realities of these places, and they provide the perfect backdrop for her crime novels and novellas.
Indefensible is a novella (97 pages), and it is really neat introduction to Deryn. I’m very excited for the next book with Deryn, The Coldacre Farm Murders due to be released early 2026.
I’m a fan of the Charlie Rees and the Daniel Owen books, so I was excited to get an ARC of the first Deryn Kent book - Deryn is Mal Kent’s youngest sibling.
I’ll preface this by saying that you don’t have to have read any of the Daniel Owen books to jump in with this one, although I would absolutely recommend the Daniel Owen books, and they do give some insight into Deryn and Mal’s problematic family.
Something nasty is happening in the small, Welsh village of Cwmcoed. Two heroin users are dead and another man is missing.
Brody Murphy (from Murder in Shades of Red) is visiting a friend in Wales, but when Brody arrives, the friend is missing. DC Deryn Kent is sent by his boss to look into the man’s disappearance. Added to this, Deryn is having issues with his not-so-law-abiding family. Deryn is being blackmailed by his drug dealer brother-in-law.
I love the settings of Ripley Hayes’s books. Many of her books are set in Welsh villages and you get a real sense of place with them. Hayes is good at showing the reality of villages and their residents left to rot after the decline of the mining industry in Britain in the 1980s, and the impact that is still being felt generations later. She really captures the depressing realities of these places, and they provide the perfect backdrop for her crime novels and novellas.
Indefensible is a novella (97 pages), and it is really neat introduction to Deryn. I’m very excited for the next book with Deryn, The Coldacre Farm Murders due to be released early 2026.
January 7, 2026
In defence for an incredible author
Now if you’ve read any of Ripley Hayes’ detective series, then this book will feel a bit familiar. We have the same atmospheric backdrop of a Welsh village. The same put upon police officer having a bad day. And the same expertly crafted characters filling every corner of every page. But as an opener to a new series, this had that fresh new book smell about it too. Where will the author take this new character and how will she set up this new cold-case series? Well I know one thing for sure, we will definitely be seeing more of the Kent brothers… and that can’t be a bad thing.
This novella, to those who might not have read any Ripley Hayes before, might not necessarily hook you in in the same way Undermined does with her Daniel Owen series. But I would urge those readers to give this new series a go, or just try her Daniel Owen books if you can’t wait for the next Deryn Kent book, as this author excels at creating great characters and knows how to draw you deep into their lives. She has the wonderful ability to show you that people are shades of grey with very few people ever being either black or white. And although sometimes that may get in the way of the pacing of the plot, particularly with her speedy way of wrapping everything up a little too quickly, she doesn’t half tell a good story.
So, as someone who is a massive fan of Ripley Hayes this was easily a 4 star opener. But for someone new to this author, this is probably more of a 3.5 star read… but with the promise that I’m sure his next story (hopefully a book this time) will be a cracker.
Now if you’ve read any of Ripley Hayes’ detective series, then this book will feel a bit familiar. We have the same atmospheric backdrop of a Welsh village. The same put upon police officer having a bad day. And the same expertly crafted characters filling every corner of every page. But as an opener to a new series, this had that fresh new book smell about it too. Where will the author take this new character and how will she set up this new cold-case series? Well I know one thing for sure, we will definitely be seeing more of the Kent brothers… and that can’t be a bad thing.
This novella, to those who might not have read any Ripley Hayes before, might not necessarily hook you in in the same way Undermined does with her Daniel Owen series. But I would urge those readers to give this new series a go, or just try her Daniel Owen books if you can’t wait for the next Deryn Kent book, as this author excels at creating great characters and knows how to draw you deep into their lives. She has the wonderful ability to show you that people are shades of grey with very few people ever being either black or white. And although sometimes that may get in the way of the pacing of the plot, particularly with her speedy way of wrapping everything up a little too quickly, she doesn’t half tell a good story.
So, as someone who is a massive fan of Ripley Hayes this was easily a 4 star opener. But for someone new to this author, this is probably more of a 3.5 star read… but with the promise that I’m sure his next story (hopefully a book this time) will be a cracker.
December 22, 2025
I always enjoy a Ripley Hayes novel. The writing in this ARC copy is crisp, efficient, and engaging. The characters are flawed, yet fully developed, making them emotionally relatable. The world draws you into this fictional reality. I once knew little about Welsh life, but through this author, Wales is now on my travel bucket list.
Deryn Kent, our new protagonist, is a complicated man of opposing contrasts and internal struggles. Early on, the author’s bold choice of the protagonist’s self-expression stole some of my interest. However, I always support an author to create a character within their vision, not to create a character with mass appeal focused on generating book sales. This is the case with Indefensible.
More importantly, while reading this novella, I quickly moved from disinterest in the protagonist to understanding how complicated his character really is to caring deeply about what happens to Deryn. As a bonus, this story provides eye-opening insight into a better understanding of one of my favorite Ripley Hayes characters, his older brother, Mal, in the Daniel Owens Welsh Mysteries. Speaking of complicated, multi-faceted characters, Deryn and Mal’s mother is a true scene-stealer - Bravo!
Will I continue to read more in this series? Let me just say that the next installment, The Coldacre Farm Murders, can’t be published soon enough!
Deryn Kent, our new protagonist, is a complicated man of opposing contrasts and internal struggles. Early on, the author’s bold choice of the protagonist’s self-expression stole some of my interest. However, I always support an author to create a character within their vision, not to create a character with mass appeal focused on generating book sales. This is the case with Indefensible.
More importantly, while reading this novella, I quickly moved from disinterest in the protagonist to understanding how complicated his character really is to caring deeply about what happens to Deryn. As a bonus, this story provides eye-opening insight into a better understanding of one of my favorite Ripley Hayes characters, his older brother, Mal, in the Daniel Owens Welsh Mysteries. Speaking of complicated, multi-faceted characters, Deryn and Mal’s mother is a true scene-stealer - Bravo!
Will I continue to read more in this series? Let me just say that the next installment, The Coldacre Farm Murders, can’t be published soon enough!
Would I recommend you read this book? That is a definite - Yes! Not reading this book is indefensible.
December 1, 2025
First, Deryn Kent is our friend Mal’s unknown younger brother – I’d missed that detail, or maybe Ripley hadn’t shared it, when I requested this story, and was very confused! They don’t know each other, Mal being significantly older than Deryn, but I have a feeling that’s about to change. While Mal has been out in the world building his reputation, Deryn has been stuck in his home county, trying to be a police detective while also running interference for his family, who happen to run a criminal empire.
Unsurprisingly, Deryn has some pretty strong feelings about his situation, and this case is going to force him to come to terms with a whole lot of stuff he hadn’t thought he could manage – until the crisis comes.
Brody is a good co-conspirator, but romance isn’t in the cards. He is a good sidekick though, and Deryn shines with that Hayes patina of captivation that makes her books utterly engrossing. Indeed, I had a hard time putting this one down. However, the motives and actual crimes felt just a little weak to me, perhaps a result of the more complicated task of setting up Deryn’s existence and back story. Overall I read it really fast and was quite pleased to get to know Deryn, just wished the mystery aspects were a little more solid. I’m looking forward to his next adventure, and hope that at that point he will meet some lovely man who will truly see and appreciate all of him.
Unsurprisingly, Deryn has some pretty strong feelings about his situation, and this case is going to force him to come to terms with a whole lot of stuff he hadn’t thought he could manage – until the crisis comes.
Brody is a good co-conspirator, but romance isn’t in the cards. He is a good sidekick though, and Deryn shines with that Hayes patina of captivation that makes her books utterly engrossing. Indeed, I had a hard time putting this one down. However, the motives and actual crimes felt just a little weak to me, perhaps a result of the more complicated task of setting up Deryn’s existence and back story. Overall I read it really fast and was quite pleased to get to know Deryn, just wished the mystery aspects were a little more solid. I’m looking forward to his next adventure, and hope that at that point he will meet some lovely man who will truly see and appreciate all of him.
December 21, 2025
2* Ugh, not exciting. Didn't feel believable or like a full-on tale, just setting the scene for a new series - a nepo one - with another Kent brother...
This wasn't a great read. It was pretty bland and unbelievable, even when I clocked that Deryn was Mal Kent's youngest brother. It felt like a should've-been-a-freebie intro to a series featuring this guy and his alter ego, Dee - she felt particularly unbelievable, tbh. What made this a fail for me is that Deryn's family paid for his uni education (and chose the course), his car and his flat and in return, fast-tracked he turned a blind eye to their drug distribution and other crimes. And he managed to live with himself and Dee, without too much of a conscience.
Add in the red herrings that were the American who'd moved to the sleepy Welsh village, and the mildly PNG FBI agent on holiday in the same village (these were peripheral but felt very underused and low-key, despite the slightly interesting ending), and there was potentially a good tale in the making. As it is, it failed to go anywhere much, and at the end, Deryn's off to be a nepo baby at big brother Huw's just-about-to-be-set-up cold case unit. Sigh.
This wasn't a great read. It was pretty bland and unbelievable, even when I clocked that Deryn was Mal Kent's youngest brother. It felt like a should've-been-a-freebie intro to a series featuring this guy and his alter ego, Dee - she felt particularly unbelievable, tbh. What made this a fail for me is that Deryn's family paid for his uni education (and chose the course), his car and his flat and in return, fast-tracked he turned a blind eye to their drug distribution and other crimes. And he managed to live with himself and Dee, without too much of a conscience.
Add in the red herrings that were the American who'd moved to the sleepy Welsh village, and the mildly PNG FBI agent on holiday in the same village (these were peripheral but felt very underused and low-key, despite the slightly interesting ending), and there was potentially a good tale in the making. As it is, it failed to go anywhere much, and at the end, Deryn's off to be a nepo baby at big brother Huw's just-about-to-be-set-up cold case unit. Sigh.
December 5, 2025
This is a really enjoyable novella in the Daniel Owen/Charlie Rees world and it introduces Mal Kent's younger brother Deryn. Deryn is struggling with balancing his aspirations and identity with his family's closemindedness - already introduced in Daniel's series - and ongoing legacy of operating outside the bounds of the law. It was really interesting to see how the Kent family's activities impact DC Deryn's acceptance by the community and his ability to do his job, and it added a lot of nuance to Mal's backstory as well. There's a lot of action packed into a short book, and at times events stretched the bounds of believability, but I'm ok with suspending disbelief and didn't mind. This felt almost like a prologue to Deryn's next chapter, as it's strongly hinted he'll be joining Daniel in his future cold case work - and hopefully he'll find a romantic interest as well. I am here for it!
November 21, 2025
I love the various Ripley Hayes series, so I was excited to get this ARC. I didn't realize until about 80% that it was a novella (whoops me!), so I was a bit disappointed to realize everything was going to wrap up so quickly. That said, this story introduces some interesting characters and sets the stage for a lot of possibilities that I will be looking forward to seeing explored. All in all, I recommend this—just be aware going in how short it is.
My thanks to the author for an advance copy of this book.
My thanks to the author for an advance copy of this book.
November 29, 2025
A new Ripley Hayes mystery series?! Yes, yes yes!
I'm so intrigued with this one (as someone who is part way through the last two and have not completely finished). It's really a little slice of what we can expect, which includes old faces, a terrible family, a quaint small town with darker happenings, and characters I already want to see more of! There isn't romance yet, but I'm excited to see where we go! Especially if Deryn is able to live fully moving forward.
I'm so intrigued with this one (as someone who is part way through the last two and have not completely finished). It's really a little slice of what we can expect, which includes old faces, a terrible family, a quaint small town with darker happenings, and characters I already want to see more of! There isn't romance yet, but I'm excited to see where we go! Especially if Deryn is able to live fully moving forward.
November 30, 2025
Both setting and characters in this story are vividly drawn and easy to feel strongly about— Deryn’s family is a LOT (and…not in good ways). Deryn is deeply human, deeply relatable, and easy to invest in as protagonist. This novella does an excellent job setting a deeply interesting stage, and I’m looking forward to seeing more. 4.5 stars.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
November 28, 2025
4.5 stars
Deryn Kent, youngest of the Kent family, finds himself finally having to extricate himself from his family’s criminal thumb pressing down on him. An engaging prequel to start the author’s new series, this book does exactly what it’s meant to do–leaves the reader excited for the upcoming series. I’m definitely more than ready now.
Deryn Kent, youngest of the Kent family, finds himself finally having to extricate himself from his family’s criminal thumb pressing down on him. An engaging prequel to start the author’s new series, this book does exactly what it’s meant to do–leaves the reader excited for the upcoming series. I’m definitely more than ready now.
November 30, 2025
A nice start to a new series. This is Mal's younger brother serving in a small Welsh town. He is bullied by his brother in law who is the local drugs king pin.
The story is around drugs deaths and finally Deryn has enough and the book ends with him thinking about Mals new cold case unit.
The story is around drugs deaths and finally Deryn has enough and the book ends with him thinking about Mals new cold case unit.
December 5, 2025
3.5⭐ (rounded off)
December 16, 2025
A new and exciting series due cant wait
December 9, 2025
What a joy to have the start of a spin off series from the Daniel Owen books with Mal's younger brother Deryn, also a policeman.
I really enjoyed finding out more about the dodgy and dangerous Kent family and was rooting for Deryn to be able to break away from their hold in the same way as his older brother. The mystery was intriguing and tightly plotted as always, but what gripped me was the MC's journey and character development. Thoroughly enjoyable and I can't wait for Deryn's next mystery to unfold!
I really enjoyed finding out more about the dodgy and dangerous Kent family and was rooting for Deryn to be able to break away from their hold in the same way as his older brother. The mystery was intriguing and tightly plotted as always, but what gripped me was the MC's journey and character development. Thoroughly enjoyable and I can't wait for Deryn's next mystery to unfold!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews