Within the first few pages, I knew who was going to be murdered (since the author set up motives for several people), but that was pretty much the last time I could anticipate what was going to happen in this book. Although explained, it seemed odd that the police did not take the easy path (there was a witness who told them whodunit), but it soon became apparent that they had good reason to suspect a more complicated solution to the crime. Evocative descriptions of the natural beauty of the Yorkshire countryside counterbalance the darkness of murder as DCI Jim Oldroyd and his team try to solve the puzzle. The characters are well-developed, and I liked how Ellis explored the "behind-the-scenes" reactions of different individuals as events unfold.

A retired judge is shot dead outside the Dog and Gun inn in a remote Yorkshire village. The gunman’s on the run; there’s a witness who saw everything! Open-and-shut case for DCI Jim Oldroyd right? WRONG!

When investigated further it is discovered that Fraser wasn’t without enemies. As a wealthy property owner, he’d clashed with farmers, hunters, debtors, and blackmailers. But when a local shopkeeper is gunned down in a similar attack, it’s clear that these are no random crimes.

Surrounded by the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, Inv Oldroyd faces a race against time to connect the crimes and find out who wants these villagers dead.

I was happy to see that even though it was part of a series I could read it as a stand-alone book.

NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, thank you for giving me an advance copy of this book.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer Publishing for providing this ARC for my honest review.
This is #5 of the Yorkshire Dale Series. I have not read the first four and was okay though it did reference the actions in these kooks but did a good job of giving you a small understanding what happened. This is a murder mystery in the village of Neddergill which is Very small and a close community. Most of the people have lived there all their lives but a few new ones move in and out. DCI Jim Oldroyd has to get his team together to solve a very confusing murder.
The plot was very simple but had quite a few unexpected twists that kept you.interested. It’s a very quick read and was extremely enjoyable to read.
#Netgalley #TheNedderdaleMurders #Thomas&Mercer

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon UK Publishers for allowing me to preview this book.

A good old-fashioned murder mystery solved by a dogged detective and his two officers. The DCI, Jim Oldwyn is called in to solve a murder of retired judge/grouse hunting landowner who no one likes very much, with the exception of his wife. An eye witness identifies the murderer, and no one can believe who it is - a familiar
guy at the local pub who does odd jobs in the area - but a person no one knows really much about, including where he lives...The murderer disappears and massive searches turn up nothing - he's vanished into thin air. Then a second murder happens - to a well liked town grocer. Again there's an eyewitness to the murder and the murderer is once again able to vanish into thin air.....

The theme of this book is nothing is what it seems...and the detectives thoroughly investigate all the townspeople and their backgrounds - meticulously documenting all their findings and facts.....my kind of mystery!

Although this book is part of a series, it's not necessary to have read the previous books. But now that I've enjoyed this one so much, I will definitely go back and read more books by the author - J.R. Ellis!

I have already read one book in this series and I really enjoyed it. However, this book doesn’t live up to the previous book.
I am not going to spoil it for any future readers but I thought it totally unbelievable and the ending completely destroyed what would otherwise have been a great read.
I received my advance copy from NetGalley.

Set in England, this poor American had no idea about many of the names and places in this story. However, there is certainly a good storyline with creative twists.
As two men meet their deaths at the end of a shotgun, their killers, who have clearly been identified by an eyewitness, disappear.
At times the story feels like it is dragging, but honestly, that is also due to a realistic picture of how cops can hit a brick wall and only with time will clues reveal themselves.
The Who did it will keep you guessing until the end.

Another highly entertaining mystery by this author. It kept me guessing and I liked the plot and the great cast of characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Retired judge, Sandy Fraser is shot dead outside the Dog and Gun with a single close up shotgun blast to the chest. As DCI Jim Oldroyd, investigates the case there appears that there were a lot of people who did not like the judge for various reasons but not enough to have murdered him. While the case is going nowhere and DCI Oldroyd and his team becoming even more and more frustrated, a second murder occurs with the same MO. Now the race is on to try and find out who committed the murders before someone else is possibly hurt. Through every part of the investigation it seems that Oldroyd and his team cannot catch a break because there appears to be no connection between the two victims and no motive for the murders. Then they finally catch a break. But can they catch the killer before the one other person on his list is murdered. This book presented lots of suspects but no real reason behind the murders until the very end of it. I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries. I received an e-book copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

An unusual murder mystery with interesting characters which are well written and believable. Oldroyd is an inspector who investigates a seemingly easy murder since there is a
Witness to the murder. However when they can’t find the perpetrator, nor any information about him Oldroyd feels there is something that he is missing. When a second murder happens, also with a witness, is similar to the first he needs to rethink their hypothesis. The story is about how the police investigate both murders and eventually how Oldroyd solves the case. The antagonist comes as a complete surprise. The suspense is held throughout the novel. Crime novels are not my preferred genre but I throughly enjoyed this novel.

A death in a small village creates a panic. The second murder has folks staying in their homes. Why are people being killed? The detective in charge has a way about him that keeps us guessing as he goes about solving the case. Detailed descriptions gives the story an interesting narrative of the area and the town folks. The case has some twists and turns. The characters are interesting and the case as a good one. I liked the book.

I grew up reading Agatha Christie so I like a good British police procedural novel. I enjoyed this one. My favorite aspect was the setting. Ellis has done a good job of taking readers into the many Yorkshire locations, from moor to gorge. I liked learning a bit about land used for hunting, in this case a grouse hunting moor. The plot was very interesting, with the murderers clearly wanting to be seen in the act. I like how Ellis slowly and deliberately takes us on the journey of solving the case, revealing background information bit by bit.

The novel is about Detective Chief Inspector Oldroyd and we learn a great deal about his life and family. Ellis does maintain a good balance of character development, mystery plot and setting. This is a good novel for readers who like a slow and methodical investigation into puzzling murders.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

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.