THE mysterious death of the daughter of a Newport peer has formed the subject of a new book.

A Beautiful Nuisance tells the story of the death of 29-year-old Gwyneth Ericka Morgan who was the only daughter of Courtenay Morgan, the third Lord Tredegar, whose family home was Tredegar House in Newport.

Monty Dart and William Cross picked up the story in 2006 after coming across Gwyneth's grave in the grounds of St Basil's Church in Bassaleg.

Gwyneth was living in London when she disappeared in 1924 and her body was pulled out of the River Thames five months later.

The book even looks at her involvement in the London underground and a dependence on drugs.

Mr Cross said: "We will never know what happened but there are a few theories. It's a very sad story about a young girl who had everything going for her."

Ms Dart and Mr Cross worked on the book for three years with research taking them to London and Rome.

They spoke to the daughter of someone Gwyneth went to school with and tracked down relatives on her mother's side before finishing the book in 2009.

Ms Dart and Mr Cross became friends in 2005 after meeting on a creative writing course attached to the University of Wales, Newport.

A Beautiful Nuisance is on sale at Tredegar House, priced at £8, and is also available by emailing williecross@aol.com