The Whispering Stones

In the hill village of Cwm Derwen, an ancient stone has been moved for road work—and now villagers report voices and figures near the ridge. Some fear the old presence has stirred. Others worry about the small collection of antiquities kept in the schoolroom. Museum curator Eleri Vaughan knows how to read an objects history, though the past sometimes reaches her in fragmentary, involuntary echoes. Private detective Owen Calder brings a careful eye for access, testimony, and the details people overlook. Together, they travel from coastal Abermor to help the village separate rumor from what can be established. When several objects are confirmed missing, their inquiry turns to inventories, a collectors field notes, transport records, and the people who saw events firsthand. The echo at the stone may illuminate a distant gathering, but it cannot name a present-day thief or settle the case. Eleri and Owen must test every impression against evidence—and learn how well their complementary instincts work together. Atmospheric, gently humorous, and grounded in a vividly evoked North Wales, The Whispering Stones blends a self-contained detective mystery with genuine, bounded supernatural wonder and the first quiet steps of a slow-burn romance.