Масштабы тишины: расследование Гарета Риса

In the quiet Welsh city of Newport, investigative journalist Gareth Rhys thought he had seen it all. Decades spent reporting on wildlife crime had hardened him to cruelty, corruption, and the uncomfortable truth that most of it went unnoticed. But when a body is discovered on the banks of the River Usk clutching a single, unfamiliar scale, Gareth is pulled into something far darker, and far bigger, than anything he has faced before. The scale belongs to a pangolin, one of the most trafficked animals in the world. It has no place in Wales. And yet, it has found its way into the hand of a murdered man. What begins as a puzzling anomaly quickly unfolds into a deadly web of international smuggling, hidden in plain sight within the working docks of Newport. As Gareth digs deeper, he uncovers a shadow network trafficking illegal wildlife products, pangolin scales and meat, through overlooked ports, feeding a global black market worth billions. But this is no distant crime. It is happening here, in his city, behind familiar doors and across land he thought he understood. When a second body turns up, this time tied to brutal dog fighting rings in the rural outskirts of St Brides, the lines between local violence and global crime begin to blur. Gareth teams up with Detective Sergeant Sara Llewellyn, a sharp and determined officer navigating pressures from above as the investigation threatens to reach into places it shouldn’t. Together, they uncover links between small-time criminals, organised dog fighting gangs, and powerful figures with deep roots in Newport’s history. At the centre of it all lies a chilling truth: this is not just about smuggling. It is about control—of trade, of silence, and of who gets to live when something goes wrong. As Gareth races to connect the threads—haunted by clues left behind by the dead and the silence of those still living—he realises he may be one step behind a system designed to stay invisible. With national agencies closing ranks and key evidence slipping out of reach, he is forced to confront a dangerous question: Is he uncovering the truth… or being led towards it? Set against the atmospheric backdrop of South Wales, from the industrial edges of Newport’s docks to the eerie isolation of the Gwent Levels, this gripping murder mystery blends local intrigue with global stakes. Rich in character and grounded in real-world issues, it explores the hidden cost of illegal wildlife trade, the resilience of those who fight it, and the fragile line between justice and survival. At its heart is Gareth Rhys: a man driven not by glory, but by a stubborn refusal to look away. Because sometimes, the smallest clue... Can expose the biggest lie.