Gêm Beryglus review – a chilling murder mystery set in the Brecon Beacons

Gêm Beryglus is a chilling detective story which imagines Dyfed-Powys Police in a race against time to catch a serial killer in the Brecon Beacons.

It’s a Welsh-language adaptation by Pegi Talfryn of Richard MacAndrew’s 2012 book Man Hunt and was recommended in Unit 18 of the Canolradd (intermediate) course run by Dysgu Cymraeg.

The blurb says: “Mae Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog yn enwog am ei harddwch naturiol ac am y llwybrau cerdded. Ond mae’r lle yn cyrraedd y newyddion am reswm arall – mae pobl yn cael eu lladd yn yr ardal.”

That means: “The Brecon Beacons National Park is famous for its natural beauty and walking routes. But the location is making the news for another reason – people are being killed in the area.”

Dw i newydd orffen Gêm Beryglus. Cafodd y stori ei hysgrifennu gan Richard MacAndrew a’i haddasu gan Pegi Talfryn. Cafodd y llyfr ei gyhoeddi gan Atebol yn 2018.

Dirgelwch llofruddiaeth yw e. Mae staen o waed ar gerdyn chwarae ar y clawr. Mae Pennod 1 yn dechrau o safbwynt y lladdwr – mae hi’n ansefydlog.

Mae’r llofruddiaethau’n digwydd ym Mannau Brycheiniog. Rhaid i Heddlu Dyfed-Powys, gan gynnwys Ditectif Arolygydd Cadog Williams, Ditectif Ringyll Heledd Davies a swyddog fforensig Ffion Roberts, ddatrys yr achos.

Mewn gwirionedd, dw i ddim yn darllen nofelau heddlu, fel arfer, ond dw i’n meddwl bod y llyfr yn afaelgar.

C’mon, Reff review – an adaptation of Nigel Owens’ inspiring autobiography

Man Hunt was originally published in English by Cambridge University Press in 2012 and Gêm Beryglus was published by Atebol in Aberystwyth in 2018, part of the Amdani series for learners.

The book is 100 pages long, including six pages of vocabulary. I’ve noticed the books in the Amdani series getting longer and there are no illustrations in this one, but it’s broken up into eight chapters – which are also subdivided into starred sections – so it still feels manageable.

There’s a lot of new vocabulary, but never more than six words or phrases per page, so you don’t lose the thread of the story. The vocab is in bold, so it’s quick and easy to glance down and check any words you don’t recognise.

Some police novel vocabulary:

arolygydd – inspector

rhingyll – sergeant

swyddog fforensig – forensic officer

trosedd – offence, a crime

ystafell ddigwyddiadau – incident room

Gwers Mewn Cariad – a tale about a Welsh tutor’s romantic re-awakening

There’s a helpful “pwy yw pwy?” (who’s who?) at the front and I did have to keep checking back at the various detectives and officers.

Part of the story is told from the point of view of the killer, which is unsettling. The voice is cold, calculating and completely detached. You don’t know if it’s a man or a woman, young or old, although you do start to get a sense of their motivation as the story unfolds.

I have to say, crime fiction isn’t my favourite genre, but I did enjoy the contrast of a murder mystery set in the beautiful Brecon Beacons.  Next time I go for a walk there, I’ll be looking over my shoulder!