Told in a classic mystery style, this book kept me guessing. An unlikable man is murdered yet the killer doesn't hide his face from a witness. DCI Oldroyd is a modern day Sherlock Holmes who slowly unravels the mystery to solving not only this murder but a second. The story is full of characters but the author expertly drops information that reminds us who each person is in the story. I originally found this book available for instant reading on NetGalley. Later, I also found it available on Kindle Unlimited as a read and listen on Audible; which increased my enjoyment of the book.

I usually read heart-pounding, adrenaline inducing mystery/thrillers. This book was an intriguing slow reveal that had my mind working harder than my heart; which is a nice change once in a while. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the first book I’ve read in this series. There are some references to previous cases but I don’t believe that it’s necessary to have read previous books in the series. The premise of the book seemed interesting but unfortunately the story didn’t grab my attention enough for me to really enjoy the journey to the conclusion. There wasn’t really enough action to keep the story moving and interesting for me. I don’t mind descriptions of place and surroundings because it helps create a visual of the setting, but for me there was just too much of this type of filler and it got boring and bogged down the murder mystery.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Nidderdale is a small, quiet village where a retired judge, Alexander "Sandy" Fraser is murdered. Jim Oldroyd and his team are called to investigate. An eye witness claims that the shooter was the local gardener cum handyman, Alan Green. Oldroyd continues searching for Green who has mysteriously disappeared and also for a motive to Sandy's murder. Both leave the reader astounded and puzzled.

Even though it was my first book in the series, I managed to connect to and appreciate the characters. Oldroyd is a fascinating main character, his detective skills are put to the test in this case as he encounters several roadblocks in his investigation.

Several surprising twists and a number of possible suspects kept me guessing the end.

Summary: When two murders without motive take place, Oldroyd is left to his own devices to solve the mysterious crimes. Tension rises as Oldroyd seek out the killers, more dead-ends are met when the motive for the murders is still unknown.

A Yorkshire Murder Mystery - that is the description and certainly more than the murder or the mystery or the detective work, the Yorkshire dales are so beautifully described in this book that anyone will want to go right now see what it is all about.

The names of the villages themselves are enchanting and add to the mystery of this story. Add a detective that loves poetry and the dales, a mix of very realistic village folk, cautious with "in comers" and everyone who loves a pint the story is very good reading.

One murder at point blank range, the murderer almost wanting to be recognized as so and so and then the murderer disappears. No one knows where he lived, though he worked for many as an odd job man and gardener - the victim was obnoxious and disliked but tolerated because he spent quite a bit around the village (though never paid his bills on time). When a second murder happens in the same manner, where the murderer faces a witness so that he will be identified Detective Oldroyd knows that there is something much more than meets the eye.

Good detective work, plodding book work connects the dots and how revenge is really served cold in this case.

The Nidderdale Murders is a straightforward detective novel set in rural Yorkshire with an interesting solution. It is the fifth book in the Yorkshire Murder Mysteries series, but the first one that I’ve had a chance to read. There are some references to earlier cases, but it seemed to work fine as a standalone. In addition to a clever plot, there are lovely descriptions of the countryside and well-developed main characters, as well as some charming secondary characters.

The plot revolves around a retired judge who is murdered after hosting a grouse shooting party on the local moor. It seems there are a lot of people who had reason to dislike or resent the murdered man but no one with an actual motive for murder. Then a second villager is murdered. DCI Jim Oldroyd and his team eventually figure things out, of course, but the novel moved a bit slow in spots. Nevertheless it was an enjoyable journey for the reader.

As a total coincidence, this is the second book I’ve read recently that takes place, at least partially, in the dales area of Yorkshire and has really inspired me to want to travel there one day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance reader copy to read and review.

I haven't read the previous books in this series, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything, There were a few references to previous cases, but nothing that seemed essential for me to understand about the characters in this book.

I enjoyed the setting - the Yorkshire dales. The descriptions were good and I felt like I was there. The plot was good - twisty in places, and although I began to suspect some things were not as they seemed, I did not guess the identity of the murderer. The way the story was eked out held my interest. It definitely took off in directions I did not expect.

I didn't feel strongly connected to DCI Oldroyd - he didn't seem as strong a character as I would have expected. But I liked the characters of the villagers.

I would certainly be interested in reading the rest of this series.

Detective Chief Inspector Oldroyd likes poetry, writes his own, and is tenacious and persistent in his job. But the case under consideration seems pretty straight forward. A retired judge with an almost unhealthy (at least financially) love of grouse hunting with his cohorts, is shot and killed at point blank range. The murder is seen by a witness who recognizes the perpetrator when he looked directly at her and - smiled! But this is only the first of a series of events, that appear connected but no one can determine how or what the motive might be. A conundrum.

This is a intriguing and compelling story, well told. Unlike some mysteries in which the surprise ending is understood only in the denouement at the conclusion, the careful reader can infer or make informed guesses as to the who and why.

I enjoyed the book thoroughly and believe there are many who will agree.

When a prominent judge is killed by a shotgun blast and a witness recognizes the killer, DCI Jim Oldroyd and his team feel they can solve the case quickly. Unfortunately the murderer has no motive and no one has seen him since. As Oldroyd investigates, it seems no one really knows much about handyman Alan Green. Oldroyd's search for background on Green leads him no where and frustrates his team. When another local man is killed and the murderer is seen by another witness, Oldroyd's frustration elevates when he cannot discover anything about Vic Moore, the second killer. Something about this case seems off and as Oldroyd and his team dig deeper they discover an intricate plot dating back many years. An excellent plot that will keep you guessing until the end.

I received an ARC of this complex mystery. Lots of twists and turns kept me reading non-stop. Highly recommend.

The Nidderdale Murders is an engaging tale of murder in Yorkshire. Inspector Oldroyd is called in to investigate the murder of a judge who has a less than stellar past. Oldroyd must sift through all the guests at the inn as well as the townspeople to find out who has murdered the judge. The small community, where everyone knows everyone, is on edge, and the Inspector and his fellow investigators sift through the evidence.

Delightfully told, with beautiful descriptions of the gorgeous Yorkshire countryside.

The Nidderdale Murders by J.R. Ellis

Taking place in the Yorkshire Dales of England, this nicely crafted mystery flows very well. You may think you have the murderer pegged by halfway, but no, you’d be wrong. Descriptions of the Dales will make you want to live there yourself.

The author spends too much time at the beginning naming every character with first and last names. I felt like he was showing us his prowess for creating purely British names.
Also, if you like to read the last chapter first, there will be no reason to read the book. The entire story is completely summarized as if we hadn’t figure it out for ourselves. Why?

The characters are likable, and the story is believable. You will be scratching your head a bit to figure out the culprit(s?) and reason for bringing this evil to the village of Nidderdale. Everyone has motive and an alibi. All in all, it’s a four star mystery from this reviewer.

My thanks to #AmazonPublishingUK and #Netgalley for an ARC for my review.

Thank you for this advanced copy. I really enjoyed this book. This is part of a series that can definitely be read out of order. The description of the countryside was beautiful & what a wonderful main character!
Definitely going back & reading his other books!
Thank you!

This book was okay. I am not sure I didn't like it as much because I haven't read the other books in the series or if the book was just not interesting. You do question who the murderer is and the book keeps you guessing on that. I just found the book to be boring. The murderer was interesting in the end and the whole thing bizarre. The book does reference past cases which I know nothing about so maybe I am missing something. The book wasn't too bad. I did enjoy trying to figure things out. The description of the dales was well written.

Great cozy mystery set in Yorkshire. This is an author I haven't read before but will look at the back list as I really enjoyed this book. Even with two witnesses to the murders the police were stumped until the end of the book. I love a good mystery when I can't figure out who did it until close to the end.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book all opinions are my own.

This is the first book I have read by J. R. Ellis. I found the storyline to be interesting and engaging. Mr. Ellis introduced many plot teasers and kept the reader continually questioning the motivation and perpetrator of the murders. Perhaps because this is the fifth book in a series, I could not get a strong sense of the characters in the story. The story progressed primarily through dialog, and I sensed a lack of depth in the characters themselves.

This was another strong instalment in J.R. Ellis's DCI Jim Oldroyd / Yorkshire Murder Mysteries series.
It's autumn - grouse shooting season - in the Yorkshire Dales and DCI Jim Oldroyd and his team are called out to the village of Niddersgill, where unpopular retired judge and local grouse moor owner Alexander "Sandy" Fraser has been murdered under mysterious circumstances. Not only has the crime been witnessed by a barmaid observing from a window of the Dog & Gun Inn, but the perpetrator seems to have made no effort to conceal his identity from her. The search is on for local odd-job man / gardener Alan Green, but he remains elusive.
As with previous books, the central trio of DCI Oldroyd, DS Johnson and DS Carter are supported by a cast of well-developed new and recurring characters. The unique landscape of the Yorkshire dales makes for an evocative backdrop and, as always, the place names are fantastic!
While the plot stretches credibility at times, it maintained my interest throughout and I found the conclusion quite ingenious - in the vein of Agatha Christie or Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Oldroyd remains an intriguing central protagonist - his resemblance to P.D. James's sensitive and intuitive Commander Adam Dalgliesh continues to grow in The Nidderdale Murders, as Oldroyd takes up poetry as a foil to the immersive nature of his professional life.
An enjoyable read. While part of a series, I feel that The Nidderdale Murders would also prove a satisfying standalone read for newcomers to J.R. Ellis's writing.
My thanks to the author, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this title. #TheNidderdaleMurders #NetGalley

The Nidderdale Murders is the fifth book in the excellent DCI Oldroyd series set in Yorkshire. Each of the mysteries stands alone, and doesn’t spoil the others, so you could easily read this first, although I have enjoyed the character progression and relationships from reading them in order.

Oldroyd and his team are called to investigate a murder in the small picturesque village of Niddersgill, because the victim was a retired judge and his senior officers want their best man leading the case. Disliked by almost everyone, even those calling themselves his friends, Sandy Fraser had bought the local manor house and was leading lucrative grouse shoots, but avoided paying his bills and lorded it over everyone else. A witness got a good view of the killer, who then disappeared - and was one of the few people not to have a good motive - so Oldroyd suspects something more complicated is going on...

I’ve enjoyed all of these Agatha Christie inspired police procedurals - they have great characters and a wonderful sense of place. The author clearly loves Yorkshire and knows it well - if anything the descriptions risked overwhelming the plot this time. Oldroyd is in a good place with his new relationship and getting healthier, and some readers might find there was a bit too much about his personal life which slowed the pace down a bit; it didn’t bother me since I know and enjoy the characters.

There’s a large number of potential suspects and minor characters, some of whom have quite similar names, so I was glad of the search function on my Kindle that allowed me to keep track of them. There was also quite a lot of anti-hunting commentary, although the author does a good job of presenting both sides of the argument. Personally I think anyone who shoots animals or birds for pleasure is a psychopath so was quite glad to see Fraser experience a shotgun from the grouse’s perspective. It’s not gruesome or violent though, one of the nice things about this series - it’s not too dark.

I didn’t guess the identity of the perpetrator and was definitely curious as to what was going on, but then found the eventual reveal stretched credulity, but it was a satisfying ending nonetheless. My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon UK for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review, and apologies that it’s a few days late. The Nidderdale Murders is available now.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, but it will definitely not be the last. I enjoyed the characters and the pace of the book, it also kept me guessing till the very end. I am now off to find his other books and read them.

#TheNidderdaleMurders #NetGalley

Once again I've jumped into a mystery series with both feet because of the offer to read an advanced readers copy of the latest book via NetGalley! This mystery works fine as a stand alone--any references to previous cases are briefly explained.

This is a police procedural set in the Nidderdale dales of Yorkshire, England. Detective Chief Inspector Oldroyd and his team are called from Harrogate to investigate the shotgun shooting of a wealthy landowner outside the local inn. The case seems pretty straight forward as the murder was observed by one of the employees of the inn. But the man she saw has vanished without a trace! And once they begin digging for a possible motive, the case becomes more complicated and darker than they first thought.

This story had an old-fashioned feel to it. Perhaps it was the atmospheric setting of the Yorkshire dales. The beauty of the landscape really comes through in Ellis' descriptions. The characters are interesting, especially Oldroyd and his personal life, how he handles his young team, and how he comes to figure out the whodunit, channeling a bit of Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes. I would definitely be interested in reading more in this series.

This was my first book in the series, and I wanted to read it because I admire Yorkshire landscape and this is a Yorkshire mystery. And, it was quite a satisfying one with the setting and the characters: a small, isolated village in the middle of wilderness; various characters like artists, activists, farmers, retired city people; and a lot of action around grouse moors, follies and caves. It has occasional references to the previous books in the series, but it can be read as a stand-alone story.
In this whodunit book, calm and peace is broken by a shocking murder, and the killer is known but nowhere to be found. It is a case difficult to crack for the police force, and they have hard time finding any lead to pursue.
To be perfectly honest, it starts rather slow for my taste. The first few chapters are a bit monotone, like a case report. Yet, it picks up later, and gets really interesting, turning into a challenging puzzle.
All in all, as a Yorkshire fan, it was a quick read and I enjoyed it.