How to Read Cheryl Rees-Price's Books
If you love atmospheric British police procedurals set against rugged, misty landscapes, Welsh author Cheryl Rees-Price is a must-read. The best way to dive into her bibliography is to start directly with her signature detective series and follow the release timeline. Because the series maintains a steady chronological progression in the characters' personal lives, reading them in order ensures the best experience.
The Recommended Reading Path
- Start with the DI Winter Meadows Series: Begin with The Silent Quarry (2015) to establish Detective Inspector Winter Meadows’ background, his unconventional upbringing, and his working relationship with his team in South Wales. Follow this series in order through its latest release, Where Darkness Dwells (2026).
- Read the Standalones for Variety: Once you are familiar with her style, or if you want a break from the police procedural format, pick up Blue Hollow (2021), a standalone thriller following a journalist uncovering dangerous family secrets, or her paranormal mystery debut, Echoes (2014).
DI Winter Meadows Series in Publication Order
The DI Winter Meadows series is set in the small, tight-knit communities of South Wales, where the beautiful scenery often masks dark secrets. The publication order matches the chronological order of Meadows' career and life events. Here is the complete list of the series in order:
- The Silent Quarry (2015): DI Winter Meadows investigates the murder of a woman found in a local quarry, marking his introduction to readers.
- Frozen Minds (2016): Meadows is called to a residential care home for adults with learning difficulties after a resident is found dead under suspicious circumstances.
- Suffer the Children (2017): The investigation centers on a kidnapping case that reopens painful cold cases and secrets from the past.
- A Knot of Sparrows (2021): The discovery of a body in an old barn pulls Meadows into a complex web of family rivalries and long-held grudges.
- Lies of Mine (2021): Meadows deals with a murder linked to a local coal mining community and its deeply buried secrets.
- Rise to the Fly (2022): A body found by a river leads to a mystery involving local anglers, complex fly-fishing ties, and dark local history.
- Winter's Cry (2022): The team searches for a killer when a young woman is found dead in the snow, forcing Meadows to face cold conditions and even colder hearts.
- Harbour No Secrets (2023): Set around a Welsh coastal town, Meadows investigates a murder connected to old maritime secrets and local smuggling history.
- The Crimson Harvest (2024): A murder during the harvest season exposes tensions in a farming community.
- Buried Deep Within (2025): A baby vanishes during a christening party, throwing a small village into panic and exposing past caving tragedies.
- Where Darkness Dwells (2026): Meadows investigates the disappearance of a true-crime investigator who was probing two cold cases from 2005, leading to the discovery of a body near ancient burial stones.
Standalone Novels
For readers who want to experience Rees-Price's plotting style outside of the DI Meadows series, she has published two standalone books:
- Echoes (2014): Cheryl Rees-Price's debut novel is a paranormal mystery following a woman named Alice Haper, whose ordinary life takes a strange turn. Rees-Price wrote this book after gaining confidence from writing local church plays.
- Blue Hollow (2021): A standalone psychological thriller following journalist Dora Lewis. After an old family friend is murdered, Dora inherits cassette tapes containing dangerous memoirs, pulling her into a deadly game where she is the next target.
What to Know Before You Start
Cheryl Rees-Price's novels stand out for their deep connection to the Welsh landscape. Born in Cardiff and living near the Black Mountains, she regularly explores local quarries, abandoned mines, and limestone cliffs to ground her settings in authentic details. The environment acts as an additional character, providing an atmospheric, often eerie backdrop to the crimes.
While the crime cases in the DI Winter Meadows series are fully resolved at the end of each book, the overarching subplots—particularly Meadows' unique family history, his personal relationships, and his team's dynamics—develop continuously. Reading out of order won't spoil the individual whodunit plots, but it will result in minor spoilers for Meadows' personal life.
Practical Reader Advice
Can the DI Winter Meadows books be read as standalones?
Yes, each book features a self-contained investigation with a clear resolution. You can pick up any book in the series and enjoy the mystery. However, to appreciate the slow-burn character development and the evolution of Meadows’ team, starting with The Silent Quarry is highly recommended.
Are there any spin-offs or co-authored books?
At present, Cheryl Rees-Price has not written any spin-off series, companion novellas, or co-authored books. Her focus remains on her standalone works and the main DI Winter Meadows series.