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Daniel Owen Welsh Mysteries #0.5
Undermined
(Alternate cover edition of ASIN B08PZLGGJK.)
Daniel Owen told everyone that he joined the Police because the guy on the recruitment stall was cute. Fifteen years later, he's a detective and still acting on impulse.
Called to the other end of Wales to investigate the murder of his Chief Constable’s cousin, he follows his instincts to a village full of secrets and lies. Except it’s not his patch, the place gives him the creeps and the toxic DCI in charge is hiding something. He’s also the best looking man Daniel has seen in years.
Then the prime suspect turns up dead and someone tries to kill Daniel.
Doing his own thing doesn’t seem like such a good idea any more.
Undermined is the first book in a series featuring Daniel Owen, a DI in the fictional Clwyd Police.
Daniel Owen told everyone that he joined the Police because the guy on the recruitment stall was cute. Fifteen years later, he's a detective and still acting on impulse.
Called to the other end of Wales to investigate the murder of his Chief Constable’s cousin, he follows his instincts to a village full of secrets and lies. Except it’s not his patch, the place gives him the creeps and the toxic DCI in charge is hiding something. He’s also the best looking man Daniel has seen in years.
Then the prime suspect turns up dead and someone tries to kill Daniel.
Doing his own thing doesn’t seem like such a good idea any more.
Undermined is the first book in a series featuring Daniel Owen, a DI in the fictional Clwyd Police.
84 pages, ebook
First published December 7, 2020
287 people are currently reading
558 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
November 23, 2021
TL;DR: 3.25ish? Has some issues, but I may try the next in the series.
Mystery with a gay detective is pretty much my ideal genre. I can take or leave a relationship subplot, but if it's there, it damn well better take a back seat to the mystery in the detectives head, unlike in say Lanyon's Art of Acting Like a Sad Little Crybaby And Not a Grown Up Adult FBI Agent series.*
This book gets that part right. Focus is on the mystery, which is why I'm not tagging this m/m. The mystery itself was ok, it had some interesting elements, though there weren't really enough suspects to make guessing the killer difficult and the detectives route to the solution was a bit too direct. That's not a problem. A lot of mystery writers first efforts are on the weak side.
I think the problem for me in this particular book comes down to motivation. Not like, why did the killer do it? Not what deep dark shame drives the detective. No, the little moment-to-moment motivation. Like why is the POV character doing this particular thing at this particular time? It just doesn't feel like there's enough linkage between events. Sometimes there are what I might call justifications, or excuses, like when the MC goes back to the hole and ends up having sex. (No, I'm not explaining that.) Oh, he had a "feeling". But it wasn't earned. It wasn't developed enough to rise to the level of a reason, it's just an excuse.
When the MC ends up in bed, it doesn't feel like "yup, time for this to happen", more like "hey, I'm bored, wanna fuck?" "sure, why not."
When the MC has an opportunity to opt out of the case, we're told he thinks it's "interesting", but there's no reason, I can't feel that he's interested or why.
There's non-plot instances too, like we're told the MC is a runner, but it's not reflected in any of this thoughts or behavior in the story. Just feels like a tacked on character attribute, just to have one.
My reading of this book may suffer a bit extra in that regard having just recently read a couple books by someone who does an absolutely amazing job with the POV character's feels, but I think this would have ended up a 3 regardless.
There's enough potential I'll likely give the author another shot. There are 5 books in the series already. If the writing improves they could turn out quite good.
So all in all, decent bones, needs a bit more time in the gym.
* Apparently I still have strong feelings about that stupid series.
Mystery with a gay detective is pretty much my ideal genre. I can take or leave a relationship subplot, but if it's there, it damn well better take a back seat to the mystery in the detectives head, unlike in say Lanyon's Art of Acting Like a Sad Little Crybaby And Not a Grown Up Adult FBI Agent series.*
This book gets that part right. Focus is on the mystery, which is why I'm not tagging this m/m. The mystery itself was ok, it had some interesting elements, though there weren't really enough suspects to make guessing the killer difficult and the detectives route to the solution was a bit too direct. That's not a problem. A lot of mystery writers first efforts are on the weak side.
I think the problem for me in this particular book comes down to motivation. Not like, why did the killer do it? Not what deep dark shame drives the detective. No, the little moment-to-moment motivation. Like why is the POV character doing this particular thing at this particular time? It just doesn't feel like there's enough linkage between events. Sometimes there are what I might call justifications, or excuses, like when the MC goes back to the hole and ends up having sex. (No, I'm not explaining that.) Oh, he had a "feeling". But it wasn't earned. It wasn't developed enough to rise to the level of a reason, it's just an excuse.
When the MC ends up in bed, it doesn't feel like "yup, time for this to happen", more like "hey, I'm bored, wanna fuck?" "sure, why not."
When the MC has an opportunity to opt out of the case, we're told he thinks it's "interesting", but there's no reason, I can't feel that he's interested or why.
There's non-plot instances too, like we're told the MC is a runner, but it's not reflected in any of this thoughts or behavior in the story. Just feels like a tacked on character attribute, just to have one.
My reading of this book may suffer a bit extra in that regard having just recently read a couple books by someone who does an absolutely amazing job with the POV character's feels, but I think this would have ended up a 3 regardless.
There's enough potential I'll likely give the author another shot. There are 5 books in the series already. If the writing improves they could turn out quite good.
So all in all, decent bones, needs a bit more time in the gym.
* Apparently I still have strong feelings about that stupid series.
August 3, 2025
NOPE. Turns out things are unsafe for me in the full book 1, so I'm stopping reading this one, even though I was enjoying the book. TG for other readers. Turns out between this novella and the full novel book 1 there isNot used for conflict or anything. Blech! Way to ruin a romance. That stopped me from wanting to continue reading this relationship. I could barely take it in the Art of Murder series (Josh Lanyon) and don't want to read through it here, so, I'm quitting this book at 80% before I'm more invested. Too bad. I'll go back to the Shades-of series, that one has an OTP relationship, no others.
I do love the setting and the Welsh community/atmosphere, and I'm sorry this isn't a safe for me series. If that will not bother you, I recommend the author/series, it has promise.
I do love the setting and the Welsh community/atmosphere, and I'm sorry this isn't a safe for me series. If that will not bother you, I recommend the author/series, it has promise.
November 23, 2021
1.5 Stars, Rounded Up
I liked the concept of this, but I didn't much care for the execution - which, I fear, is becoming something of a common thought for my reading experiences. This book in particular felt like watching a televised crime drama: interesting enough to half-pay attention, but mostly forgettable and full of obnoxious characters and tropes. And, yes, that does mean it includes the obligatory reference to rape (in the past, off-page, happening to an unnamed character as part of furthering a named character's plot); it just wouldn't be a crime drama experience without such a thing.
Speaking of that, by the way: this very much doesn't read like a mystery, despite being sold as one. Yes, there's an underlying need to discover who committed the crime, but there's no involvement of the reader's wits. There's no trail of clues to follow. Much like a televised crime drama, the culprit is more or less obvious from the beginning and the investigations are there to provide red herrings and/or entertain rather than to provide clues which might lead the reader to solving a mystery. And, of course, the final few minutes feature the actual perpetrator going guano in highly dramatic fashion. (I wouldn't say that's a terrible thing, necessarily. It's often entertaining on television and it gave me a good chuckle at just how absurd the situation was in writing, so I didn't hate it.)
Also on the list of things I didn't hate: the locations. Part of why I chose this book, aside from being a bit interested by the premise, was the setting. Wales is one of my bucket list destinations, mainly due to the gorgeous landscapes, so I was hoping to see lush descriptions of scenery and deeper exploration of locales. While I can't say I feel like I got enough of the former (or any of the latter), I will say that the couple of times the book describes scenery it does so in a way which paints beautiful mental imagery.
But that's kind of the best part, here. And a couple of moments spent describing beautiful scenery does not a good book make - unless, of course, you're writing a very short book on geography or travel.
This isn't one of those, obviously. No, it's a tale of murder investigation, family, troubled pasts, small town communities, infidelity, bigotry, religious zealotry, equal rights, impulse decisions, rushed relationships... I could go on, but I've already lost my train of thought. The point is that there's far too much packed into such a short page count, to the detriment of the story. Every time something starts to get interesting, the scene ends. Often, bits and pieces with potential are tossed to the wayside or only vaguely referenced. The supposed twin intuition between Daniel and Megan is set up as if it'll be something creepy and cool, but it barely has any functional relevance. There's absolutely no trajectory for the relationship: it just doesn't exist, then it does, then it doesn't, then it does again. The book just didn't provide enough space to properly handle everything the story needed and as such it didn't feel logical, sane, or complete.
Also, I hated Maldwyn Kent, the love interest who spent roughly half the book making me want to reach through the (digital) pages and slap him for being such a jerkwad. Y'know, when he wasn't busy being suddenly warm and friendly for random bursts in what felt like - but, luckily, wasn't - a horribly insensitive portrayal of "bipolar disorder" from every crappy made-for-TV movie ever. His personality reminded me a bit of Edward Cullen from Twilight, except he's a grown man in a position of power and I don't have teenage nostalgia wrapped around his existence to keep me from being disgusted by the way he behaved. Daniel had to walk on eggshells around Kent for fear that he'd be treated like trash during a sudden mood swing. Much of the glimpses into his thoughts while they were together involved worrying about making Kent standoffish again.
Protip: when someone's unnecessarily cruel with no apology, suddenly kind and even flirting out of the blue, then once again cruel the second you stop kissing their backside? Stay as far away as possible because they're not someone you should get attached to or allow into your life more than necessary (such as for work, in this case). Second Protip: if you feel required to call your love interest (with whom you do not have any kind of BDSM based dynamic) 'sir' while in private because he's suddenly gone cold and grouchy on you again, you are in an extremely unhealthy situation from which you need to extract yourself immediately. And finally: maybe just don't hook up with the rude guy you're only acquainted with through your work as a police officer. I would like to present this pamphlet of tips for preservation of mental health and occupational security to Daniel Owen, Chief of Fools, posthaste.
Oh, and Kent's reason for treating Daniel like trash? Well, see, he thought maybe this guy he still ended up choosing to do the naughty horizontal tango with was just sent down to foil his investigation and discredit him... because he's gone and rocked the boat by insisting a bad cop in his precinct face punishment for their crimes. That alone is so cliche it hurts, but it gets worse. No. I just... no, for so many reasons. Perhaps this could have explained his initial coldness, but I don't believe Kent should be excused so easily for continuing to be the southward end of a donkey with diarrhoea after he'd slept with and forged a semi-romantic connection to this guy he was allegedly worried might have been sent to discredit his investigative work.
This and Daniel's ridiculous "he treats me like human garbage but wow he's so hot" mentality - lifted straight from every het romance heroine in the history of het romance - led to an incredibly unbelievable romance. Pair that with awkwardly selective self-loathing from Daniel, and a convoluted murder mystery, and it's a very mediocre story. Add the abundance of editing issues - many of which impede readability - and it's a subpar story full of wasted potential.
Now, the murder case did hold my interest, if only vaguely. And I did like some of the side characters quite a bit. I just... didn't really like the book overall. I don't think my brain meshes well with the writing style, and I definitely have no interest in seeing more of this couple with no chemistry. So I'm not going to continue the series.
I liked the concept of this, but I didn't much care for the execution - which, I fear, is becoming something of a common thought for my reading experiences. This book in particular felt like watching a televised crime drama: interesting enough to half-pay attention, but mostly forgettable and full of obnoxious characters and tropes. And, yes, that does mean it includes the obligatory reference to rape (in the past, off-page, happening to an unnamed character as part of furthering a named character's plot); it just wouldn't be a crime drama experience without such a thing.
Speaking of that, by the way: this very much doesn't read like a mystery, despite being sold as one. Yes, there's an underlying need to discover who committed the crime, but there's no involvement of the reader's wits. There's no trail of clues to follow. Much like a televised crime drama, the culprit is more or less obvious from the beginning and the investigations are there to provide red herrings and/or entertain rather than to provide clues which might lead the reader to solving a mystery. And, of course, the final few minutes feature the actual perpetrator going guano in highly dramatic fashion. (I wouldn't say that's a terrible thing, necessarily. It's often entertaining on television and it gave me a good chuckle at just how absurd the situation was in writing, so I didn't hate it.)
Also on the list of things I didn't hate: the locations. Part of why I chose this book, aside from being a bit interested by the premise, was the setting. Wales is one of my bucket list destinations, mainly due to the gorgeous landscapes, so I was hoping to see lush descriptions of scenery and deeper exploration of locales. While I can't say I feel like I got enough of the former (or any of the latter), I will say that the couple of times the book describes scenery it does so in a way which paints beautiful mental imagery.
But that's kind of the best part, here. And a couple of moments spent describing beautiful scenery does not a good book make - unless, of course, you're writing a very short book on geography or travel.
This isn't one of those, obviously. No, it's a tale of murder investigation, family, troubled pasts, small town communities, infidelity, bigotry, religious zealotry, equal rights, impulse decisions, rushed relationships... I could go on, but I've already lost my train of thought. The point is that there's far too much packed into such a short page count, to the detriment of the story. Every time something starts to get interesting, the scene ends. Often, bits and pieces with potential are tossed to the wayside or only vaguely referenced. The supposed twin intuition between Daniel and Megan is set up as if it'll be something creepy and cool, but it barely has any functional relevance. There's absolutely no trajectory for the relationship: it just doesn't exist, then it does, then it doesn't, then it does again. The book just didn't provide enough space to properly handle everything the story needed and as such it didn't feel logical, sane, or complete.
Also, I hated Maldwyn Kent, the love interest who spent roughly half the book making me want to reach through the (digital) pages and slap him for being such a jerkwad. Y'know, when he wasn't busy being suddenly warm and friendly for random bursts in what felt like - but, luckily, wasn't - a horribly insensitive portrayal of "bipolar disorder" from every crappy made-for-TV movie ever. His personality reminded me a bit of Edward Cullen from Twilight, except he's a grown man in a position of power and I don't have teenage nostalgia wrapped around his existence to keep me from being disgusted by the way he behaved. Daniel had to walk on eggshells around Kent for fear that he'd be treated like trash during a sudden mood swing. Much of the glimpses into his thoughts while they were together involved worrying about making Kent standoffish again.
Protip: when someone's unnecessarily cruel with no apology, suddenly kind and even flirting out of the blue, then once again cruel the second you stop kissing their backside? Stay as far away as possible because they're not someone you should get attached to or allow into your life more than necessary (such as for work, in this case). Second Protip: if you feel required to call your love interest (with whom you do not have any kind of BDSM based dynamic) 'sir' while in private because he's suddenly gone cold and grouchy on you again, you are in an extremely unhealthy situation from which you need to extract yourself immediately. And finally: maybe just don't hook up with the rude guy you're only acquainted with through your work as a police officer. I would like to present this pamphlet of tips for preservation of mental health and occupational security to Daniel Owen, Chief of Fools, posthaste.
Oh, and Kent's reason for treating Daniel like trash? Well, see, he thought maybe this guy he still ended up choosing to do the naughty horizontal tango with was just sent down to foil his investigation and discredit him... because he's gone and rocked the boat by insisting a bad cop in his precinct face punishment for their crimes. That alone is so cliche it hurts, but it gets worse. No. I just... no, for so many reasons. Perhaps this could have explained his initial coldness, but I don't believe Kent should be excused so easily for continuing to be the southward end of a donkey with diarrhoea after he'd slept with and forged a semi-romantic connection to this guy he was allegedly worried might have been sent to discredit his investigative work.
This and Daniel's ridiculous "he treats me like human garbage but wow he's so hot" mentality - lifted straight from every het romance heroine in the history of het romance - led to an incredibly unbelievable romance. Pair that with awkwardly selective self-loathing from Daniel, and a convoluted murder mystery, and it's a very mediocre story. Add the abundance of editing issues - many of which impede readability - and it's a subpar story full of wasted potential.
Now, the murder case did hold my interest, if only vaguely. And I did like some of the side characters quite a bit. I just... didn't really like the book overall. I don't think my brain meshes well with the writing style, and I definitely have no interest in seeing more of this couple with no chemistry. So I'm not going to continue the series.
Read
May 17, 2022DNF @ 27% What did I just read? 🙆🏽♀️ 🤦🏽♀️
March 20, 2024
This is an addition to that new sub-genre: the drivelling incompetent detective novel. This is a sub sub genre: the drivelling incompetent police procedural.
Like, OMG, these people. There is also no concept of professionalism.
My take is that the writer has chosen this genre as background plots to her romance plots and as a way to introduce, say, conflict or challenges into relationship arcs and keep the thing rolling along. She also wants to depict her MC as a good person which for her means kind, compassionate and impulsive. I think she has inserted herself into the MC. She would pick up people from the airport, and sit them down for a nice meal in a cafe.
Because the UK police used to be so insanely feral, rigorous laws have been introduced to control how they proceed in their investigation of crimes and treat suspects. Everything about the way they do their jobs and interact with the public is affected by these laws. You wouldn't know this from this book though.
So, a reader might find these books enjoyable if she treats them as fantasy novels where everyone is in an alternate universe where they don't have the laws of evidence. Or the laws of anything else really, including the laws of common sense.
Like, OMG, these people. There is also no concept of professionalism.
My take is that the writer has chosen this genre as background plots to her romance plots and as a way to introduce, say, conflict or challenges into relationship arcs and keep the thing rolling along. She also wants to depict her MC as a good person which for her means kind, compassionate and impulsive. I think she has inserted herself into the MC. She would pick up people from the airport, and sit them down for a nice meal in a cafe.
Because the UK police used to be so insanely feral, rigorous laws have been introduced to control how they proceed in their investigation of crimes and treat suspects. Everything about the way they do their jobs and interact with the public is affected by these laws. You wouldn't know this from this book though.
So, a reader might find these books enjoyable if she treats them as fantasy novels where everyone is in an alternate universe where they don't have the laws of evidence. Or the laws of anything else really, including the laws of common sense.
January 7, 2022
I hate it when I read all these positive reviews, download the book and then wonder what the hell is going on, how could we all have read the same book?
I found the writing was good, but the characterizations were off - neither man was consistent or coherent and their relationship was so fast and so not believable from the way they had been set up. Not believing the central relationship is a big flaw in a relationship based book.
The second part was the mystery, which was a) not very mysterious and b) not very interesting.
I'm always on the hunt for a new author and m/m mysteries are my jam, so I was really hoping to enjoy this one, I can only give it 3 stars - my minimum rating for books I read from start to finish.
I found the writing was good, but the characterizations were off - neither man was consistent or coherent and their relationship was so fast and so not believable from the way they had been set up. Not believing the central relationship is a big flaw in a relationship based book.
The second part was the mystery, which was a) not very mysterious and b) not very interesting.
I'm always on the hunt for a new author and m/m mysteries are my jam, so I was really hoping to enjoy this one, I can only give it 3 stars - my minimum rating for books I read from start to finish.
July 30, 2022
Well, this book certainly is a mystery.
Why Daniel is sent to help with an investigation when it a) isn’t in his jurisdiction and b) he is completely incompetent at investigating, I have no clue. He just bumbles along and then seemingly knows who has done what out of nowhere. (Not that the murderer wasn’t obvious from the start). This would have worked better if Daniel was just a nosy amateur sleuth.
He randomly jumps to conclusions of who the murderer is and how they did it without any evidence. (Like the sleeping bag theory). He arrests people and then states that he has nothing on them… and was wrong about that.
And then right at the “climax” of the book, you have injured, hardly mobile Daniel and Mal run off to arrest the suspect. . So the day is saved, only one person was mistakenly arrested, and only a few innocent bystanders caught up in our blundering inspector’s investigation.
As for the romance, what with the complete and utter lack of chemistry between Daniel and Mal, I think this link from the book sums up that aspect of the book pretty well:
And if you didn’t catch it any of million times it’s mention, Daniel is a twin, FYI.
Why Daniel is sent to help with an investigation when it a) isn’t in his jurisdiction and b) he is completely incompetent at investigating, I have no clue. He just bumbles along and then seemingly knows who has done what out of nowhere. (Not that the murderer wasn’t obvious from the start). This would have worked better if Daniel was just a nosy amateur sleuth.
He randomly jumps to conclusions of who the murderer is and how they did it without any evidence. (Like the sleeping bag theory). He arrests people and then states that he has nothing on them… and was wrong about that.
And then right at the “climax” of the book, you have injured, hardly mobile Daniel and Mal run off to arrest the suspect. . So the day is saved, only one person was mistakenly arrested, and only a few innocent bystanders caught up in our blundering inspector’s investigation.
As for the romance, what with the complete and utter lack of chemistry between Daniel and Mal, I think this link from the book sums up that aspect of the book pretty well:
Two gay men had sex. Nothing to see here.
And if you didn’t catch it any of million times it’s mention, Daniel is a twin, FYI.
February 13, 2022
This is a good solid beginning for Hayes' mystery series (currently 5 books) set in Wales. The two MCs - Daniel and Mal - are well-written and the case definitely holds your interest, and the setting is a welcome aspect, but at the conclusion of the case, I found myself a bit conflicted.
One of the strengths of the story is all the suspects and their various situations and motives, yet at the end of the story, I felt that was all window-dressing, given the way the case resolves rather hastily and bloodily. But there is a lot here to explore in future books and I look forward to reading more in the series. 3.5 stars.
One of the strengths of the story is all the suspects and their various situations and motives, yet at the end of the story, I felt that was all window-dressing, given the way the case resolves rather hastily and bloodily. But there is a lot here to explore in future books and I look forward to reading more in the series. 3.5 stars.
November 20, 2021
I wanted to like this. It's a little different, especially set in Wales, but it bored me. The characters, the mystery/investigation. The book. The writing style.
December 30, 2020
Welcome Liz Ripley Hayes! I learned of this book from the Gay Mystery Podcast where it got a very positive review. I had already read another gay Welsh detective series from J.S. Strange and enjoyed it immensely so wanted to give this a shot. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and complexity of the book. The author weaves a very fascinating sorry with many character arcs quite cleverly. I am intrigued by Daniel, he is a fascinating character in many ways. The story moves around in the Welsh countryside as opposed to the "big city" life in Cardiff. The small town aspect plays a large part here since villagers know everything about each other's lives. This both helps and hurts the investigation.
Daniel isn't really wanted at first, he is sent here as a favor to his superior. So the officers currently investigating of course take offense at his arrival. But Daniel forges ahead and proves his abilities quickly.
Of course, I have no clue how to pronounce any of the Welsh town names and in some cases even the character's first names are a bit tricky. But that doesn't detract at all from the story. The only aspect I would have changed is the very quick romantic entanglement that occurs with Daniel. It's a bit out of character for me but it is handled nicely. The sexual aspect is highly charged and not forced, well-written.
The second book in the series is due out in January so I am anxiously awaiting it! The first chapter is included with this book so you already get a bit of a spoiler just reading that chapter. But I will want to see more of Daniel!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys detective stories featuring gay characters. You wont be disappointed.
Daniel isn't really wanted at first, he is sent here as a favor to his superior. So the officers currently investigating of course take offense at his arrival. But Daniel forges ahead and proves his abilities quickly.
Of course, I have no clue how to pronounce any of the Welsh town names and in some cases even the character's first names are a bit tricky. But that doesn't detract at all from the story. The only aspect I would have changed is the very quick romantic entanglement that occurs with Daniel. It's a bit out of character for me but it is handled nicely. The sexual aspect is highly charged and not forced, well-written.
The second book in the series is due out in January so I am anxiously awaiting it! The first chapter is included with this book so you already get a bit of a spoiler just reading that chapter. But I will want to see more of Daniel!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys detective stories featuring gay characters. You wont be disappointed.
August 3, 2021
I really, really liked this one. The mystery was truly interesting, with all that small town feeling and its typical inhabitants, its secrets and small pettiness.
The characters complex and realistic, and their conflicts credible. and the romance between Daniel and Mal well done.
I'll be reading the rest of the series :D
The characters complex and realistic, and their conflicts credible. and the romance between Daniel and Mal well done.
I'll be reading the rest of the series :D
August 15, 2022
Mystery solved
This is a new author for me and I really enjoyed the writing.
Daniel is a detective sent to a small town to solve a murder and he finds more than he bargained for. I loved the grumpy Mal.
I definitely will continue to read this series. Off to read book 2…
This is a new author for me and I really enjoyed the writing.
Daniel is a detective sent to a small town to solve a murder and he finds more than he bargained for. I loved the grumpy Mal.
I definitely will continue to read this series. Off to read book 2…
April 27, 2025
3.5
Nice small town Murder mystery. Too short to really get invested in the characters but intriguing enough to read the next in the series.
Nice small town Murder mystery. Too short to really get invested in the characters but intriguing enough to read the next in the series.
March 20, 2024
I quite enjoyed the first book of this author's DS Charlie Rees series, but this earlier work just doesn't hit. Shallow mystery, shoddy writing, poor editing, and so much banal italicized interior monologuing, my god. The MCs show promise as interesting characters, but are sorely under-developed. Two stars for the evocative description of Welsh settings, but otherwise -- mostly a slog.
I requested the ARC for this because I thought it was a new series, only to discover that this book is from 2020. It's unclear what, if any, changes have been made between the 2020 version and the version I read. What I can say is that the author definitely upped their game between this book and the later series, so I would recommend giving this one a miss and starting there instead.
I got an ARC from GRR.
I requested the ARC for this because I thought it was a new series, only to discover that this book is from 2020. It's unclear what, if any, changes have been made between the 2020 version and the version I read. What I can say is that the author definitely upped their game between this book and the later series, so I would recommend giving this one a miss and starting there instead.
I got an ARC from GRR.
December 21, 2021
I didnt realize this was such a short book. I liked the way Mal and Daniel gave been set up and look forward to seeing their story progress.
The mystery here was simply solved but a goid start.
The mystery here was simply solved but a goid start.
July 16, 2021
I think I jinxed it😭. I'm back to calling books 'meh'.
May 25, 2022
Short but entertaining.
September 1, 2024
Wow! New favorite whodunnit series with an interesting setting and two Welsh detectives 🏴
January 26, 2023
DI Daniel Owen is sent to the Clwyd Police area as rhe cousin of the Chief Constable, Suzanne Price, has been found murdered. There he works with DCI Maldwyn Kent.
An enjoyable mystery
An enjoyable mystery
December 23, 2021
Good mystery! Action! And romance
I love a mystery! This was a great story of Daniel and Mal solving a woman's murder. Daniel is visiting another police station to help out. They aren't very friendly or helpful.
The victim had many enemies. Everyone looks suspicious and is throwing lies around like confetti.
Daniel and Maldi grow closer as the investigation continues.
I like the fact that Daniel and Mal become friends and trust each other eventually. There is action and some steam to keep us all interested! Good book!!!
I love a mystery! This was a great story of Daniel and Mal solving a woman's murder. Daniel is visiting another police station to help out. They aren't very friendly or helpful.
The victim had many enemies. Everyone looks suspicious and is throwing lies around like confetti.
Daniel and Maldi grow closer as the investigation continues.
I like the fact that Daniel and Mal become friends and trust each other eventually. There is action and some steam to keep us all interested! Good book!!!
April 28, 2021
What a great start to the series!
It's a well-plotted classic murder/mystery with well-written characters. I was engaged the whole time! Daniel & Mal are so exciting to watch! The mystery was nicely wrapped up.
Undermined is a novella with a strong sense of place which is something I really like.
Now I'm jumping into the next book!
Read
August 3, 2021Ehh. It has potential, but things sort of smeared together. Tension for no reason, but then it's gone for no reason, moving too fast, feeling too much, too soon. I could see the dynamic working, I've seen it in other places, I just felt like it was underdeveloped and too easily "solved".
October 24, 2021
Amazing murder mystery
Mal and Daniel are the newest crime fighting duo in this genre. The Welsh towns and countryside makes this story more riveting This author is going to be a one-click favorite for me.
Mal and Daniel are the newest crime fighting duo in this genre. The Welsh towns and countryside makes this story more riveting This author is going to be a one-click favorite for me.
January 5, 2022
3.75 stars
This is a new to me author and I enjoyed the mystery but the hot and cold mysterious DCI Kent was not my favourite. I hate to say I read the reviews for the other books in the series and it made me hesitant to read the rest.
This is a new to me author and I enjoyed the mystery but the hot and cold mysterious DCI Kent was not my favourite. I hate to say I read the reviews for the other books in the series and it made me hesitant to read the rest.
April 9, 2022
Murder in the countryside
I loved this and will be one clicking book two in the series. It seems the characters have more growing together to do and more crimes to solve in this small Welsh town setting. Count me in!
I loved this and will be one clicking book two in the series. It seems the characters have more growing together to do and more crimes to solve in this small Welsh town setting. Count me in!
March 26, 2021
Far too short a read IMO but it does at least establish both MCs background and launches what looks like a volatile relational trajectory amidst their investigative procedural duties/roles. My early suspicions as to the identity of the murderous 'perp' was confirmed. More could have been made of Dan's twin 'inclinations'. 3 stars for a good start.
September 5, 2021
This was a solid start to this mystery/romance series, just too short to give its plot and characters sufficient depth. A good read though, and it served to achieve its objective, namely to get me interested enough to want to check out its full-length novel sequel. Now if only I knew how to pronounce all those Welsh locations...
August 26, 2024
A bright voice in a dark underworld
One thing I like about picking a new series by a great new (to me) writer, is when I realise I’ve got their entire back catalogue to dive into and a chance to see how it all began. And that’s exactly what I have done here.
I first met Ripley Hayes when I started reading her DS Charlie Rees series but whilst reading it I kept hearing people comparing it to her “much better” Daniel Owen Welsh mystery series, so I thought I would give it a go and have a little peek into his first book. Well given that the first book in that series “Undermined” is barely 90 pages long, that “peek” turned into a quick afternoon read which quickly morphed into an obsession with Daniel and Mal, and Ripley‘s atmospheric writing.
With Undermined we are introduced to Daniel Owen just after he has been sent to help out Mal Kent investigate a murder. At the time we meet Mal we discover he is being cold shouldered by his entire team because he refuses to cover up police brutality that resulted in the death of a rent boy. So Daniel agrees to help with the investigation and it is not long before a relationship begins to develop between the two of them.
This tasty morsel of a novella does give you a flavour of what is to come in the lengthier Dark Water book, where the characters and the murder investigation are given more space to breath and Ripley Hayes’ writing is given more room to settle with the reader. I say that because she does have a particular writing style that does feel somewhat off at first glance but I think that is because her prose come from a more natural evolution of plot and characters. She doesn’t seem to be writing by numbers or writing characters by any established formula. Her characters internalise a lot more than most and they can be incredibly frustrating at times. Don’t let that put you off reading this, but know that they don’t follow the usual character tropes. In fact one of the side characters Charlie Rees, is introduced in Dark Water as a funny, somewhat mischievous character but by the time he makes it to his own series of books in the “Murder in shades of…” series, he is a much more somber character. Whether that evolution will happen in this series or is a product of the writers own evolution, I’ve yet to discover.
But that said, I found the mystery in the second book quite refreshing as it really opened my eyes to the pressure that children services are under and the friction that exists between them and the police. This book has a strong social statement of how people easily fall through the cracks and how hard it is for the system to support them when they get involved with the wrong crowd. The failings of social services, education and the police are clearly shown here, but it’s the dedication of Individuals that eventually makes the difference.
Sure there are things that the author could have done better: the typos, some character choices and a terribly confusing climatic end sequence, but she got me to see a social problem from a different perspective and helped me change my own point of view. I’m keen to follow this series and see where she takes these characters and whether she continues her social scrutiny beyond these dark waters.
Undermined: 4 Stars
One thing I like about picking a new series by a great new (to me) writer, is when I realise I’ve got their entire back catalogue to dive into and a chance to see how it all began. And that’s exactly what I have done here.
I first met Ripley Hayes when I started reading her DS Charlie Rees series but whilst reading it I kept hearing people comparing it to her “much better” Daniel Owen Welsh mystery series, so I thought I would give it a go and have a little peek into his first book. Well given that the first book in that series “Undermined” is barely 90 pages long, that “peek” turned into a quick afternoon read which quickly morphed into an obsession with Daniel and Mal, and Ripley‘s atmospheric writing.
With Undermined we are introduced to Daniel Owen just after he has been sent to help out Mal Kent investigate a murder. At the time we meet Mal we discover he is being cold shouldered by his entire team because he refuses to cover up police brutality that resulted in the death of a rent boy. So Daniel agrees to help with the investigation and it is not long before a relationship begins to develop between the two of them.
This tasty morsel of a novella does give you a flavour of what is to come in the lengthier Dark Water book, where the characters and the murder investigation are given more space to breath and Ripley Hayes’ writing is given more room to settle with the reader. I say that because she does have a particular writing style that does feel somewhat off at first glance but I think that is because her prose come from a more natural evolution of plot and characters. She doesn’t seem to be writing by numbers or writing characters by any established formula. Her characters internalise a lot more than most and they can be incredibly frustrating at times. Don’t let that put you off reading this, but know that they don’t follow the usual character tropes. In fact one of the side characters Charlie Rees, is introduced in Dark Water as a funny, somewhat mischievous character but by the time he makes it to his own series of books in the “Murder in shades of…” series, he is a much more somber character. Whether that evolution will happen in this series or is a product of the writers own evolution, I’ve yet to discover.
But that said, I found the mystery in the second book quite refreshing as it really opened my eyes to the pressure that children services are under and the friction that exists between them and the police. This book has a strong social statement of how people easily fall through the cracks and how hard it is for the system to support them when they get involved with the wrong crowd. The failings of social services, education and the police are clearly shown here, but it’s the dedication of Individuals that eventually makes the difference.
Sure there are things that the author could have done better: the typos, some character choices and a terribly confusing climatic end sequence, but she got me to see a social problem from a different perspective and helped me change my own point of view. I’m keen to follow this series and see where she takes these characters and whether she continues her social scrutiny beyond these dark waters.
Undermined: 4 Stars
October 18, 2025
3.5⭐
It was a nice but a bit forgettable crime suspense story. I enjoyed the setting the most here, if it wasn't so interesting, this probably wouldn't have even been 'nice'. Not that it's bad, just feels a bit rushed and average. I'll most likely give the next book a chance, there was potential and I'd like to "see" more Wales.
It was a nice but a bit forgettable crime suspense story. I enjoyed the setting the most here, if it wasn't so interesting, this probably wouldn't have even been 'nice'. Not that it's bad, just feels a bit rushed and average. I'll most likely give the next book a chance, there was potential and I'd like to "see" more Wales.
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