Author Alun Davies has released the third and final part of his Aberystwyth-based crime series.

Ar Daith Olaf follows Ar Drywydd Llofrudd and Ar Lwybr Dial, bringing to a close this gripping and dark series described as “the best trilogy that I’ve read in the Welsh language” by award-winning novelist Llwyd Owen.

Written in the style of Scandi TV, in this novel there’s a mystery to solve in the Aberystwyth area.

Alun, who is from Aberystwyth, said: “I started writing the first novel, Ar Drywydd Llofrudd, over five years ago now, and it was strange to think whilst writing Ar Daith Olaf that I wouldn’t see the world through the eyes of Taliesin MacLeavy again.

“The feedback I’ve received after the first two novels has been amazing, especially how the readers have taken to Taliesin’s character, so it was important to give his story the right ending. Although this had been planned beforehand, I did have to think about the conclusion of the novel, and I wrote two different endings before deciding which one to use.”

He added: “The book has all the essential elements from the series – murders, a few twists and Taliesin battling to solve one last mystery.”

Alun always wanted to set the trilogy in Aberystwyth. Speaking to the Cambrian News in 2018 ahead of the release of his first novel, Ar Drywydd Llofrudd, he said: “I was convinced from the outset Aberystwyth would be where the novel is located. This was partly because it was there that I was born and raised and so I am very familiar with the town, but also because there is an element of noir associated with the area and its landscape, which is reflected in other books and television series such as Y Gwyll. ”

Ar Daith Olaf sees Taliesin Mac-Leavy in forced retirement because of the nightmarish memories of previous cases. But when he starts contributing to a podcast about real crimes, a link to a real-life murder is revealed about, but who is the murder and why are they looking to the past?

Regarding Taliesin’s future, Alun said: “At the moment I’m writing a novel for young adults, which brings the Mabinogi to the modern world. It follows new hero, Manawydan Jones, who’s pulled to battle between the light and the dark – not quite as bloody as this crime trilogy but with plenty of excitement and adventure! I don’t think that we’ll hear from Taliesin again, but maybe the MacLeavy name hasn’t disappeared forever...!”