When the body of a young woman is found at the festival of Mari Lwyd, Mallory Dawson is called to the scene. But something is different about the murder of Gwennie Jones, something that will dredge up a part of Mallory's history that still haunts her to this day.
Fourteen years earlier, Gwennie's aunt Jaci went missing in London. The investigation - Mallory's first as CID - was a disaster. With accusations of police incompetence still following, the pressure is on for her to get it right this time. Not just for Gwennie, but for Jaci too.
'A brilliant Christie-esque page-turner' Catherine Cooper on The Birthday Girl.
'Strongly atmospheric.' Crime Time
'A brilliant Christie-esque page-turner with an amazing sense of location.' Catherine Cooper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalet
'Entertaining and sophisticated.' My Weekly
'Sharp, elegantly written and dripping with suspense.' J. A. Corrigan, author of The Nurse
'Clever and compelling.' Woman's Weekly
| ISBN: | 9781804369395 |
| Publication date: | 1st October 2026 |
| Author: | Sarah Ward |
| Publisher: | Canelo Crime an imprint of Canelo |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 352 pages |
| Series: | A Mallory Dawson Crime Thriller |
| Genres: |
Crime and mystery: women sleuths Crime and mystery: private investigator / amateur detectives Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss Thriller and Suspense |
When the body of a young woman is found at the festival of Mari Lwyd, Mallory Dawson is called to the scene. But something is different about the murder of Gwennie Jones, something that will dredge up a part of Mallory's history that still haunts her to this day.
Fourteen years earlier, Gwennie's aunt Jaci went missing in London. The investigation - Mallory's first as CID - was a disaster. With accusations of police incompetence still following, the pressure is on for her to get it right this time. Not just for Gwennie, but for Jaci too.
'A brilliant Christie-esque page-turner' Catherine Cooper on The Birthday Girl.
'Strongly atmospheric.' Crime Time
'A brilliant Christie-esque page-turner with an amazing sense of location.' Catherine Cooper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalet
'Entertaining and sophisticated.' My Weekly
'Sharp, elegantly written and dripping with suspense.' J. A. Corrigan, author of The Nurse
'Clever and compelling.' Woman's Weekly
The First Mistake features in the following genres: Crime and mystery: women sleuths, Crime and mystery: private investigator / amateur detectives, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Thriller and Suspense
The First Mistake is available in Paperback
The First Mistake was written by Sarah Ward and published by Canelo Crime an imprint of Canelo
The First Mistake has 352 pages
Yes it is part of A Mallory Dawson Crime Thriller series
£8.99