A gripping female-led crime fiction debut set on the Pembrokeshire Coast, ‘A Deadly Summer‘ by Tenby author Claire Back, is being published on June 30.

Set against the rugged cliffs, sweeping bays and secluded footpaths of the Pembrokeshire Coast - ‘A Deadly Summmer’ blends a present‑day police investigation with a nostalgic 1980s coming‑of‑age backstory of the victim and her friends to create a compelling, emotionally charged crime mystery.

Born and raised in Tenby, author Claire has always felt a deep connection to this part of the Welsh coastline, and wanted to weave the beauty of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path into the story.

Claire’s grandparents were farmers in Castlemartin and well known sailors and fishermen in Tenby.

After a successful career in finance, she retrained to work in Early Years education, and is currently writing her second novel - another mystery set in wartime Wales.

Whilst the town of Penroth is fictional, the wider setting of ‘A Deadly Summer’ incorporates real locations in the Pembrokeshire National Park.

Places visited by the characters in 1984 – including Broad Haven South, Elegug Stacks, Bosherston Lily Ponds and Barafundle Bay – are beautiful, much-loved parts of the renowned Wales Coast Path.

Clair said: “I was brought up in a large Victorian seaside guesthouse in Picton Road, Tenby which looking back was a slightly odd existence with the constant influx of strangers into one’s home.

“Over the years we hosted an array of characters and you can imagine that my mother and my aunt, who owned the guesthouse next door, have a wealth of strange and hilarious stories about guests and happenings over the decades.

“I decided to weave this nostalgic 1980s setting into a modern day crime mystery told through the perspective of both the detective investigating a death and that of the victim and her friends. And alongside the story I wanted to bring in the beauty of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path.”

‘A Deadly Summer’ is a dual timeline crime mystery exploring buried trauma, lifelong guilt, and the desire to protect those we love.

When disillusioned detective Nia Tremeyrick stumbles upon a 30-year-old cold case in her Pembrokeshire seaside town, she relishes the chance to prove herself to her arrogant male colleagues.

But with the identity of the victim remaining a mystery, and her own family drama dragging her down, she is struggling to piece together the truth.

Meanwhile, back in 1984, bookish teenager Cerys Pritchard is expecting an uneventful summer, until she is persuaded to attend an illicit party in an abandoned hotel by her rebellious new friend Kay Abbot.

By the end of summer, one of them will be dead.

As Nia digs deeper, she fears the case that was supposed to make her career will turn out to be her worst nightmare.

But who was killed that deadly summer? And why?

The novel is the perfect summer read for fans of Broadchurch, Unforgotten, and coastal mysteries with emotional depth.

Published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, ‘A Deadly Summer’ is available in paperback and eBook format.