Gareth Ellis is forty-four years old, works in the Aberystwyth housing office, and just wants to eat his chips in peace. But a wet Wednesday on the promenade goes wrong when a spectral corgi interrupts his dinner with a nip to the ankle.
Gareth has been accidentally inducted into the Morrígan Department, the civil service of the afterlife. Now the urge to organise has got its hooks in him. He’s alphabetising his girlfriend’s spices, colour-coding the recycling, and he can smell a misfiled housing application from three streets away.
With the help of Quill, a talking wren, and a pack of legendary hounds, Gareth must balance his day job with his new night shift. By day, he clears council backlogs. By the light of the full moon, he transforms into a Springer Spaniel to hunt down lost souls and administrative errors that threaten to unravel reality.
Gareth used to feel like he was sleepwalking through life. Now, with a salary that beats the Prime Minister’s and a dental plan that covers fangs, he might finally have found his purpose.
Hounds of Paperwork is a cosy fantasy novel set in Aberystwyth.
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Is this book for you?
What’s the vibe of this book?
It’s a cosy Welsh fantasy where council housing work, rainy Aberystwyth, and ancient Welsh myth all end up colliding into one man. Gareth Ellis begins the story as a council housing officer and ends up drafted into a supernatural department that deals with lost souls, unfinished business, and spectral dogs. The tone is warm, dry, funny, and heartfelt, with old Welsh magic turning up in very practical places.
Who is this book for?
This book is for readers who enjoy cosy fantasy with dry humour, Welsh mythology, and middle-aged characters who are far more capable than they realise. It should suit anyone who enjoys ordinary people facing strange problems with tea, common sense, and a surprising amount of paperwork.
Is this book written in British English?
Yes. The book uses British English and is rooted in a Welsh coastal setting. You’ll find words such as “flat,” “chips,” “Hobnobs,” and “council tax,” along with Welsh words and names. There is a glossary and pronunciation guide at the back of the book for terms such as Cŵn Annwn, Bore da, and Aberystwyth.
What are the closest comparisons?
Readers who enjoy the magic and civic weirdness of Rivers of London, the supernatural humour of Good Omens, or the cosy warmth of Legends & Lattes may enjoy this book. It has a Welsh mythic setting, a gentle comic bite, and a hero whose greatest strengths are patience, kindness, and knowing how to sort a problem properly.
Is there romance?
Yes, but it isn’t a will-they-won’t-they romance. Gareth and Siân are already together, and their relationship is warm, practical, and supportive. They deal with the supernatural mess as a couple, which includes full-moon transformations, difficult boundaries, and one stray kitten from the Otherworld.
Is this book a standalone?
Yes. This is the first book in Annwniad, but it tells a complete story. The next book, The Unauthorised Haunting of Rhys Llywelyn, follows a different protagonist, a rogue 1970s ghost, and a haunting tangled up with the local power grid.
How scary is it?
It isn’t very scary. There are ghosts, spectral hounds, lost souls, and otherworldly problems, but the tone stays cosy, funny, and compassionate. The danger matters, but the story is more about helping people move on than frightening the reader.