About Tŷ Newydd Mysteries
Tŷ Newydd Mysteries is an LGBTQ+ character-driven locked-room mystery series set in Penmaenmawr and the wider North Wales area.
I first devised the premise several years ago, wanting to write a story centring on a queer protagonist with OCD solving a seemingly impossible mystery in a supposedly haunted house. From the beginning, David’s personal life was intended to be as important as the mystery itself, placing the reader alongside him as he faces evolving relationships, danger and the challenges of his OCD.
The Origins
The original inspiration came to me when I was hiking in the disused Penmaenmawr quarry near where I live in North Wales. Standing there amongst the remote landscape, surrounded by the quarry and remnants of old mining structures, I found myself imagining a large mansion somewhere high on the mountain — the sort of place that people might whisper about and claim was haunted. Being Welsh, it was important to me that the novel had a clear Welsh identity whilst still being accessible to readers who aren’t from here, portraying North Wales in a way that gives them a sense of what it feels like to live in this part of the world. From there, the idea of Tŷ Newydd gradually grew.
I have always been fascinated by locked-room mysteries and the paranormal. I wanted to write a mystery that wasn't actually supernatural but genuinely felt as though it might be, whilst remaining firmly grounded in the inner-life of its protagonist. I always intended David to be gay, struggling with his feelings for his best friend, whom he eventually ends up with. The story follows David, and the mystery unfolds through his perspective — his relationships, doubts, instincts, and the way he tries to make sense of the strange events happening around him. It was also important to me to highlight obsessive–compulsive disorder and offer some insight into the mind of someone living with the condition, drawing on my own experiences.
The Core Themes
Connection and Loyalty
One of the core themes is connection and loyalty. This is demonstrated through David’s relationships with the people closest to him, particularly his long friendship with Siôn. Their friendship gradually evolves into something deeper as they explore their feelings for one another, and that emotional journey forms an important thread throughout the story. David’s feelings and relationships continue to develop as the series progresses, including new connections that complicate his emotional world.
Another aspect of this theme can be seen in Sam’s loyalty to Gwyn. Since starting work with him, Sam has largely compartmentalised Gwyn’s more questionable behaviour in order to remain loyal to his employer, even whilst maintaining his friendship with David and Siôn. As the story progresses, he begins to realise that those loyalties may come into conflict and that he may eventually have to make a difficult choice.
Belief and Scepticism
My other main theme is belief and scepticism. David and Siôn approach events from a largely sceptical perspective, whilst Gwyn insists that the mystery has a paranormal explanation. Throughout the novel, there is a tension between these opposing viewpoints that intensifies as the story progresses. The reader never conclusively discovers the extent of Gwyn’s beliefs, and that ambiguity was entirely intentional. From David and Siôn’s perspective, it is little more than a moneymaking gimmick, whereas Hannah is inclined to believe that a part of Gwyn may be genuinely spiritual. Although she is a Wiccan, she is contrasted with Gwyn in that she would never deceive anyone.
Ultimately, I hope readers come away not only with the satisfaction of solving the mystery, but also feeling that they have spent time inside David’s world, walked beside him through his journey, and gained some insight into what it can be like to live with OCD. Above all, I hope they feel curious enough to follow David’s story as the series continues.
Publication Details
Book one, The Disappearing Trick, was initially released on 31 August 2025. On 21 July 2026, I released a second edition that more closely reflects my vision for the series and restores material that had previously been removed.
Book two, The Plas Tân Phantom, is coming autumn 2026.
Tŷ Newydd Mysteries: The Disappearing Trick
David Stevenson and Siôn Watkins find themselves at the centre of an impossible mystery when a man vanishes from a locked room during a ghost tour at the eerie Tŷ Newydd mansion in Penmaenmawr, North Wales...
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