Reading one of J.R.Ellis’s novels is like a comforting warm bath after a tough day. They are an easy, undemanding read. I could imagine a Sunday evening series on television featuring DCI Oldroyd and the beautiful Yorkshire scenery - rather like James Herriot but with murder instead of poorly animals, Murder is at the heart of the novel, but not in a gritty, shocking way. This is ‘old fashioned’ murder where we don’t become close to the victim and the focus is on the intellectual twists and turns of the case.

This novel is based within a crime writing festival with workshops, book launches and author interviews. The novel begins at one of these events where a novelist is meant to be giving an insight into crime writing for fans and budding authors. Damian Penrose is a best-selling crime writer, but is not inclined to give newer writers tips on his success. He is arrogant and very complacent about his genius. He believes there are no tips to pass on; you either have talent or you don’t, and in his opinion most people don’t. He is asked pointed questions by fellow writers that feel more personal than professional. It soon becomes clear that this man is hated by several people in both his professional and personal life. So it is no surprise when he is found strangled the next morning in the Royal Baths.

The only surprise about his death is the method, as in all of Oldroyd’s cases there is a central mystery involved that seems unsolvable. This time the killer seems to have appeared and disappeared without being seen. The baths were checked by the caretaker who leaves them empty. Where has the killer hidden? Even more confusing than that, how did they leave? There is only one exit covered by a receptionist and she has seen no one but Penrose.

Oldroyd is just the detective for this mystery. In previous novels he has solved a murder where the body is in an inaccessible pot hole and during a magic trick in a locked room. He has an incredible mind that seems to store clues without him knowing. During difficult cases he suddenly sees something that jogs his memory or stirs up a clue. This is a great talent for his job, but isn’t so useful in his personal life. Oldroyd and his wife are now divorced, mainly due to his workaholic nature. In this novel his daughter has talked him into internet dating and he reluctantly starts chatting to people. During a date with Debbie his mind suddenly wanders down one of these corridors and he knows there is something about the aftermath of the murder that is niggling at his brain. However, to Debbie it simple seems he has wandered off and does not have his mind on their date. It may be that he has blown this relationship before it has really begun.

Apart from Oldroyd the other regular characters are only lightly sketched out in this instalment. His other team members Andy and Steph are living together, but beyond the first novel I have never really seen their feelings for each other or even their reasons for being together. I feel more as if we are ‘told’ they are in love, rather than shown their chemistry. Here, Steph is seconded to another team where the DCI is very sexist and predatory. She hates working with him and we soon see why, especially when he attempts to blackmail Steph with some topless photos from a girls holiday. However, this doesn’t fully ring true either as I can’t imagine this serious and cautious police woman doing something so frivolous.

I found I missed the interplay between Oldroyd and his daughter. Again we are told that she has gone away and he misses her, rather than being shown this transition. I felt this might have given more depth to Oldroyd’s character because his daughter had filled a void left when he split with his wife. His daughter is a feminist and quite spiky so I enjoyed how she brought him into the 21st Century. Her departure would have been a massive adjustment and takes away that family element created by their visits with Oldroyd’s sister who is a local vicar.

I feel that the twists and turns of the case did take centre stage and I kept reading, wanting to know the who and how of the murder. Penrose is such an unpleasant man that this is largely an intellectual fascination. The more that is revealed about the victim, the harder it is to care that someone killed him. His personal life is littered with ex-wives and lovers with grudges. His professional life is full of other authors he may have plagiarised or trodden on as he became famous. There are also financial obligations he hasn’t met, leaving business partners struggling. I think the author was so focused on exploring the people in this world that other regular characters may have been neglected. There are some brilliant characters, but we rarely reach more than a surface understanding of them.

I would say that this is not the best J.R. Ellis novel, but it is very humorous in its explorations of crime writers and the publishing world and this makes a great backdrop to a case full of twists and turns. It is a diverting way to pass a few hours in the same way we might watch a comforting Sunday night series. If you love traditional crime writers such as Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes this is a great author to try.

3.5/5*

This is the second book in this series that I've read, the first one being No 2 which got me seriously considering a move north to Ripon...

Although that hasn't happened, I did enjoy my return to Yorkshire and the city of Harrogate. It makes me want to re-visit the county and have a good old mooch around it. I've been to the lovely city of York, but there's so much outside of that city and I love the north, so it's near the top of my 'to visit' list.

A murder happens at the Crime Writers Festival in Harrogate, and it's up to DI Oldroyd and his Sergeant to figure out 'whodunnit' amongst those who write about this sort of thing for a living. It's another 'locked room' mystery, cleverly thought out.

Anyhow, I enjoyed this latest installment to the series, although not QUITE as much as the first one I read. It felt a bit more clunky than I remembered. Some of the dialogue felt a bit basic, and there wasn't a lot of description - it was almost complete, a nearly finished sketch, just slightly lacking in fullness. The dialogue moved the story on nicely but wasn't exceptionally robust or in-depth. Again, sort of an almost finished sketch of conversations, like one more round of edits or reading aloud was required.

I'm not particularly sharp at spotting clues or red herrings, so I didn't guess the murderer which is good, and the book kept me reading steadily over a few days.

The secondary story of Steph dealing with sexual harassment felt a bit 1970s and a touch too cliche, but is something that women deal with on a daily basis and I suppose the police aren't immune to this in varying degrees. Particularly difficult when you've got ranks and discipline involved (like the military).

Anyhow, overall I did enjoy it and have purchased the first one so that I can start at the beginning. The more I read about Yorkshire, the higher it goes on my 'to visit' list. This series is recommended for those who like clever mysteries, easy reads and nothing too gory (oh, and Yorkshire! :D )

The Royal Baths murder turned out to be the 4th book in a series but it is no problem to read it as a standalone.
The story starts with Damian Penrose, a very narcissistic crime writer, who gives a lecture during the Harrogate Literary Crime festival. As it turns out he isn't much out to enjoy his public and even less disposed to answer questions from aspiring young crime writers.
A couple of his fellow writers are interrupting his lecture and asking all kinds of accusing questions.

The next morning Penrose is found dead in the Royal Baths, in a kind of closed room situation, where it seems impossible that the murder has fled the premisses without anyone noticing.

I found the setup, a murder or rather several murders at a crime writing festival, very interesting.
The book is a real pageturner and a classical whodunit, rather in the tradition of Agatha Christie (I think it is not a coincidence that Harrogate is also the town where Christie stayed when she disappeared for a while and nobody knew where she was) and Sherlock Holmes.

I found the secundary story line about the female constable and the "me too" situation rather week.

On the whole the book is certainly a good read and I think I will also read the previous episodes.

a small 3,5 stars

I want to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishers for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Never read a book in the series but did not seem to matter, a nice easy read.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. First time reading this author. I truly enjoyed this book! It's a complicated story but still fun. I didn't guess the murderer which is always a plus. I liked DI Oldroyd and his team. I liked the subplots and the boys and snippets about Yorkshire. Not sure if this part of a series of not, but it reads great as a stand alone. 4 stars I think that most mystery readers would enjoy.

Yes, yes, YES. Give me all the Ellis books!

I really savoured this novel, even if I never read a book from the series before. I truly enjoyed the continuous connections with Agatha Chistie's mysteries: one Death at the beginning, the inside jokes, an other Death at the middle, a little group of candidates for the role of assassin, the setting (a Crime Festival in a little town, turkish baths, ancient hotels), the author's Death and the Conspiracy of the press around his mysterious killer.
I really appreciated the characters, both detectives and suspects. I think that I would enjoy the other books in the series because of the main protagonist and his colleagues. I really liked the literary vision on the matter, the references to Shakespeare and to English literature, and all this stuff.
The rythm of the book is intense and it reminded me of the Agatha's stories.
I totally recommend this novel!

There are many reviews for this already, so I'll just say this has all the elements of a very good mystery. Enjoyed the characters, the setting, and the dialog. Recommended.

I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!

Great catch up with D I Oldroyd another great story from J R Ellis, as always a slightly cultural side to the plot, a change from the usual murder mystery stories. Oldroyd as usual uses his unusual detecting skills to bring a successful end to an intriguing case and finally gets his reward on the last page.

Book 4 in the Yorkshire Murder series doesn't disappoint! Your favorite characters are back, with DCI Oldroyd taking a new direction in his life-online dating! As his real life and a fiction crime festival coincide with murder, he's soon surrounded with one too many suspects and motives! Can he find help from a new corner? Can he find the real killer BEFORE they strike again? This entry into the series is a real page turner! If you're looking for a cozy British mystery series to read for Fall, you've found it!

Very enjoyable murder mystery - book four in the Yorkshire Murder Mystery series. Oldroyd is on the trail of a killer - a series of murders starting with that of a writer attending the Harrogate Crime Festival - a rather perfect setting. It's an engaging read and one I read in one sitting - definitely of the more relaxed and gentle reading variety despite the murders. Characters are well drawn and Oldroyd a very likeable protagonist indeed. A standalone mystery despite being part of a series in terms of characters. The plot is entertaining and of the 'locked room' variety - the solution is complex to a seemingly impossible crime.

A locked room scenario. a very unlikable victim, several potential suspects, a side issue of sexual harassment. The lead detective on the verge of divorce and looking into internet dating.. Three-dimensional characters and a twisty plot. I found it very enjoyable. I would like to read more in the series.

Really good read. This is a great series and I have enjoyed all the books in it. I hope there are more to come.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is my first Ryder and Loveday book, and it’s a great mystery. Eddie is a wonderful character, and Ryder and Loveday are a good team. Ryder’s description of his Parkinson’s self diagnosis is very interesting.

An 11 year old boy is missing after an Easter Egg hunt and found dead at the bottom of a well. Although the court determines it is an accident, the father asks the Squire who asks the DI to investigate. The Coroner, Dr. Ryder agrees to investigate with the help of Provisional DCI Trudy Loveday.

They interview several people and find several things to make them unsure of an accident. The Squire’s cousin is a nuclear physicist. The special branch go to the police and demand they stop the investigation. They make one last trip to Briar’s Hall to tell the Squire they have to quit. Since the Squire isn’t home, they begin to walk around the park. Even though they aren’t investigating, they solve the case!

It is not often that I don't finish a book. I am in fact curious as to how the murder was committed, but I am not willing to work my way through a book that reads as it is the first try of a budding author. Not entirely bad but needs a lot of work on the story and the characterization. Some dialogues were simply hilarious while not meant to be so. And that story about the female police officer having problems with her male colleagues... mweh.

Thanks to Netgalley for this digital review copy.

Self centred , arrogant and very dead...... When Damian penrose famous author and not a nice person is found dead in a turkish bath in Harrogate so sets off a list of those who hated and had reason to rejoice his death. DCI Jim Oldroyd must sift through the list and discover the identity of his killer

This is my first J.R. Ellis book and I can say I was pleasantly surprised.
It’s the 4th DCI Oldroyd murder mystery series and that’s exactly what it is, a good old murder mystery. There was no, and I quote

“super-detectives with their tortured private lives triumphing over diabolical serial killers, after having evaded death themselves.”

It’s all about solving an impossible murder and there’s a freshness about that as it’s quite lighthearted and it makes a very enjoyable read. It reminds me of the BBC series Death in Paradise.

The characters are quite straight forward, there’s not a great deal of development but it really didn’t matter to me as all I wanted was to solve the murder! I will definitely be reading the other book in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the advanced copy!

Another great book from J R Ellis that has you puzzled but determined to solve with some fab characters that make the book. worthy of the 5*.

Really good read - in fact the whole series is a good read. The plot left me guessing till the end - I had no idea who it was. Looking forward to the next

In this fourth book in the Yorkshire Murder Mysteries series, a renowned crime writer dies under mysterious circumstances. This book can be read as a standalone.

It’s a beautiful summer evening in Harrogate and the Crime Writing Festival is in full swing. This year the guest writer is Damian Penrose. The event is “The Perfect Crime: Writing a Bestselling Crime Novel”, chaired by Ben Poole, a writer, journalist and presenter.

Damian Penrose is a highly successful crime writer and is rumored to be making six figures. He’s also has a reputation for throwing sling at other writers. He writes harsh reviews and sometimes leaves subtle personal insults in between. He steals ideas from young female writers whenever they sent him their work for his feedback. In some cases, he’d seduce them then leave them high and dry.

At the session, rather than offer useful advice to budding writers and offer some insights into his writing methods, he instead starts boasting about his work and disparaging other writers’ work. Several writers in attendance are not happy about this.

At the end of the session, the festival director, Patricia Hughes approaches him and expresses her disappointment in his session. She then reminds him about the upcoming session and warns him to get his act together or he wouldn’t be invited again.

The next day Penrose decides to tour the quaint village of Harrogate. During his short stays at Harrogate, he visits the Royal Baths—one of the town’s famous attractions—every morning where he goes to relax.

For this trip, he’s booked a private early morning session at the Royal Baths 🛁 and he plans to arrive early before the Baths are open to the public. After a swim session, he retires to the cold plunge pool 🏊 and later to the dry hot room. While getting some steam, someone sneaks into the room and strangles him.

When the staff find him laying unmoving on the floor, they assume he’s passed out from the heat. Upon close inspection, they find ligature marks around his neck. Puzzled, they call the police.

DS Andrew Carter from the West Riding Police Harrogate Division HQ receives a call from the Royal Baths and leaves immediately taking a DI and two Police Constables with him. At the crime scene, he calls his boss, DCI Jim Oldroyd to inform him about the murder.
As they question the staff of Royal Baths, and people who interacted with him before he was murdered, they discover that Penrose’s murder looks like something from one of his fellow writer’s—and arch-rival—books. The writer’ is now a suspect seeing as he was last seen having a row with the victim at the bar of the hotel where the event took place.

Meanwhile, on a slightly related case, DI Fenton alongside DI Steph has been assigned to investigate a Jack Sanford who’s been suspended from the Procurement Committee after allegedly awarding a contract to his wife, Claire Bayliss, an architect. The contract was for renovations to the Royal Baths last year. DI Fenton and DI Steph don’t get along; there have been complaints about how he treats his female subordinates unfairly.

Then two more bodies turn up dead with the third victim and manner of death having similarities with the stories of a female character in a novel written by one of the suspects.
Who killed Penrose? Perhaps someone with a real motive to enact a mysterious murder and cast him as a character. And the other victims, what’s the connection?

Following an attempt on DCI Jim’s life, he realizes there’s someone out there with real motives who’d do anything to cover their tracks.

Back at West Riding Police Harrogate Division HQ, Derek Fenton is facing charges for collecting bribes from Jack Sanford and looking the other way rather than conduct a thorough investigation in the Royal Bath contract.

Well crafted mystery with elements of humor. My second book by this author and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. Would recommend.

Thank you to J. R. Ellis, NetGalley, and Amazon Publishing UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy of The Royal Baths Murder, the fourth novel to feature DCI Oldroyd of the Harrogate Police.

When Damian Penrose is found murdered in the steam room of the Royal Baths DCI Oldroyd and his team are faced with a mystery - how did the killer do it? There is no lack of suspects as Penrose was a deeply unpleasant man who had upset a number of people but which one took damage limitation to extremes by killing potential witnesses?

I enjoyed The Royal Baths Murder which has a complicated murder at its heart and a very readable style. The novel is written mostly from Oldroyd’s point of view so there is little more that the reader knows and he doesn’t. I like the guessing that goes with this approach although I defy any reader to guess the complicated method. In some ways it beggars belief but it keeps the reader interested and guessing. The hunt for the killer is the mainstay of the novel although there is a rather unconvincing subplot involving Oldroyd’s subordinate DS Steph Johnson. This has some clever elements but the attitudes are old fashioned and highly unlikely in this day and age. With all the emphasis on the plot it is not a particularly profound novel, keeping everything at surface level. It is, however, an easy way to pass a few hours.

It is not easy to discuss the characters as there’s not much to them. Oldroyd is a lateral thinker, always able to find the solution to the most improbable circumstances but he’s a lonely man and has dipped in to internet dating at the urging of his daughter. You’ll have to read the novel to see how it goes.

The Royal Baths Murder is an undemanding read which held my attention throughout.