Although this is part of a series it works as a stand alone. It’s a well written police procedural set in Yorkshire. The story held my interest and had an interesting twist that kept me from guessing who the killer was.

It was a Friday in mid-September when the shoot was held on the grouse moor near Niddersgill. The shooters at the butts were a strange mixture: Alexander Fraser (Sandy to his friends) was the owner of the moor and a retired judge. James Symonds was a local landowner and Henry Saunders was a banker. He and Fraser had known each other since their school days. The fourth member was Gideon Rawnsley, who dealt in exclusive cars in nearby Ripon. Rawnsley had a gripe with Fraser: he'd sold him an expensive car and Fraser was being slow to pay. Other people had reason to comment on Fraser's attitude to money: his gamekeeper, Ian Davis thought he was stingy and very difficult to work for.

That evening the people who had been at the shoot had a celebration meal at the Dog and Gun. Rob and Sheila Owen ran the pub and restaurant and whilst Sheila knew that the shoots brought a lot of money into the village she resented the way that Fraser always criticised her cooking. Fraser lived in a manor house on the edge of the village and as he was walking home in the early hours of the morning he was shot and killed. One of the bar staff, Kirsty Hemingway, was looking out of the window and saw exactly what happened: she told the police that someone who did odd jobs around the village, Alan Green, was the man behind the shotgun. She'd seen him clearly. The problem is that Alan Green, regular at the Dog and Gun, a man who has worked on various properties in the village has disappeared. No one knows where he lives and he seems to have disappeared into thin air. There's fear in the village.

DCI Jim Oldroyd is on the case: it's a local bigwig so the case has been assigned to him and he has his two sergeants in tow. DS Steph Johnson and DS Andy Carter are a couple as well as partners. Andy does seem to do some useful work - he spotted the fact which put the team on the right track, but Steph is woefully underused. She seems to be there to do the womanly thing of talking to the victim's widow, provide admiration for Jim Oldroyd and ask obvious questions:

This is getting more and more complex and sinister, isn't it, sir?

There's only one star in this show and that's Oldroyd himself. All will ultimately rest on his brilliant mind and investigative powers. You could almost send the rest of them home.

Yes - I know - I'm being very critical about what is obviously intended to be an easy read. I should get over it. I did enjoy the trip into the Yorkshire countryside: J R Ellis brings it to life perfectly. I first came to this series when I saw the last book in the series: I was born in Harrogate and this was too good to resist. The Nidderdale Murders tempted me because I went to school in Nidderdale. I wonder where Jim Oldroyd will find himself next? And will he make more use of DS Steph Johnson?

I'd like to thank the publishers for making a review copy available to the Bookbag.

I really enjoyed this book. I have read others from the series, but it would work well as a stand alone novel too. There is a strong sense of place, the Yorkshire Dales is lovingly described. The cast of characters is not so large that the reader loses the thread of who is who. There are a few excellent and unforeseen twists at the end. I can’t wait for the next volume in the series.

With thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for a digital copy of The Nidderdale Murders. I was attracted to this book because of my dual passions for the Yorkshire Dales and detective novels. I hadn’t read any other books in this series and although there is reference to previous cases in the book you do not need to have read them to enjoy this. I instantly felt at home in the landscape as familiar Dales scenery is described, place names punctuate the narrative and the inn at the heart of the story reminded me of happy holiday visits to similar hostelries. Every time sandwiches were served I felt hungry! A murder shatters the peace of a sleepy Yorkshire village and Oldroyd and his team are sent in to unravel the crime committed in full view of a witness yet seemingly impossible to solve. I loved the sense of place, the observations of a rural community and police force which all brought a gentleness to the read. It reminded me of the later Midsommer Murders. A lovely read for lovers of the Dales, intriguing crimes, likeable detectives and not too much blood!

A Yorkshire Dales village where everyone knows their neighbours, a friendly village where a retired judge is killed outside the local pub, a young woman witnesses the murder and is shocked by the killers identity

For those who like cosy murder mysteries this is one for you

The evocative book cover and the Yorkshire setting is what drew me in to this book.
Niddersgill, in the Yorkshire Dales, is the setting for the murder, and DCI Jim Oldroyd is tasked with finding the murderer. The first victim is a wealthy grouse moor owner, and the murderer, clearly identified by a witness, disappears into thin air. Sandy Fraser is not a popular member of the community and many people in the village have reasons to want him dead. There are many conundrums to negotiate before the mystery can be solved. I loved the clever and unexpected twist at the end.
This is book 5 in J R Ellis’s Yorkshire murder mystery series. It is a good stand alone mystery but, having read this one, I’d quite like to read the first four.
Thank you to J R Ellis, Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I love Agatha Christie, I’m not such a fan of cozy mysteries. The Yorkshire Murder Mystery series is an exception. DCI Oldroyd, like his admired Sherlock Holmes, is a quirky but effective detective and his cases are always tightly plotted and unpredictable. This fifth volume is no exception. We know who was killed and by whom, what Oldroyd and his crack team lack is a motive. Or a suspect, who has disappeared. As always, everyone in the little town where the action takes place is hiding something. This time, Andy and Steph are both involved in the same investigation, which is great because I love their dynamics and their constant loving competition to impress their boss. There are also other cops involved in the case who bring interesting interactions with the usual characters. I also loved the explanation to the mystery, I was blindsided completely, even if it made a lot of sense. The one thing I didn’t like was that the dialogues were a little repetitive at times. We kept getting recaps of what had happened and all the theories. Unless you’re not an attentive reader, they were unnecessary in my opinion. Other than that, it’s a great, solid mystery.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ Amazon Publishing UK!

This was the first book in this series that I read by this author, and I look forward to reading more. To my mind this is a classic cozy mystery/police procedural set in a lovely area of Britain. The landscape really acts as another character. Good plot, the requisite red herrings, and an intelligent policeman to figure it all out.

Another twisted case for DCI Oldroyd. Once again set in Yorkshire initially the team have to solve a murder that takes place outside a pub in a small village called Niddersgill.

As usual for Oldroyd this is not as simple as they initially think.
Easy reading and very enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this book! It gripped me from the start and I really liked the storyline! Would definitely read more of the authors books again.

This series gets better with every book. A fantastic story set in a great atmospheric part of Yorkshire. Looking forward to reading the next book

The Nidderdale Murders is the latest book in the Yorkshire Murder Mystery series by J R Ellis and it is another very enjoyable, easy read murder novel.

The underlying storyline is very interesting and has a nice little twist or two at the end

Overall a recommended book

Very enjoyable book with well done interesting characters, a good and believable plot and lots of delightful details regarding the settings. Highly recommend, from a very picky reader. If you like English characters and settings, this book is a winner.

This was the first book that I have read by this author, although part of a series I enjoyed it as a stand alone. An unexpected murder of a retired judge is witnessed by a young woman who works as a barmaid in the local pub. She is obviously shocked and even more so because she recognised the man who pulled the trigger. I found the book a very easy read, no gratuitous violence or bad language which I don't object to in the right setting but I'm aware that some people are offended by it.

Another enjoyable installment from the author. The plot was interesting and engaging, and it took a while to guess the twist. Discovered J R Ellis via Kindle Unlimited and happy to keep following new books.

Very well written mystery with a good setting in rural Yorkshire
The solution seem a open and shut, but of course isn’t, and the ending provides a real twist
Characters, including the Chief Inspector, are very appealing, and the portrait of the beauty of Yorkshire makes me want to put it on my list of places to go!

#TheNidderdaleMurders #NetGalley
J R Ellis has done it again.
A retired judge is shot dead outside the Dog and Gun inn in the remote Yorkshire village of Niddersgill. There’s a witness who saw everything, and the gunman’s on the run; the case should be open-and-shut for DCI Jim Oldroyd. But the murderer had no motive for wanting Sandy Fraser dead and, what’s more, no trace of him can be found.
As Oldroyd and his team cast the net wider, they discover that Fraser wasn’t without enemies in Niddersgill. As the wealthy owner of a grouse moor, he’d clashed with farmers, debtors, hunt saboteurs and blackmailers. But none of them were at the scene of the murder. And when a local shopkeeper is gunned down in a second senseless attack, it’s clear that these killings are anything but random.
Surrounded by the dramatic beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, Oldroyd faces a race against time to connect the crimes and find who’s behind them. But with all the evidence sending him down dead ends, can he get one step ahead before someone else is killed?
Narration of the story is good and so are its characters. J R Ellis has given another thriller
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me an advance copy of this awesome thriller.

In a Yorkshire Dales village everyone has a motive for murder—except the killer.
A retired judge is shot dead outside the Dog and Gun inn in the remote Yorkshire village of Niddersgill.
This is a cozy mystery read.

This story really pulled me in from the first chapter. It's a great "who did it?" type of read.
I was very thrillerd when I was able to read this book and write my review on it.
The writing in this book just fabulous!

This is book is a solid 4.5 read.

Thank You!

Retired judge Sandy Fraser is shot dead outside the local pub. He's not a popular man locally. And there was a witness to his murder - but the number one suspect has vanished into thin air.

DCI Oldroyd has plenty of disgruntled locals, but nobody can be placed at the scene. And when the local shopkeeper is killed in an identical attack by a different perpetrator who also vanished. Oldroyd and his team really have their work cut out

Excellent, a real page turner

An enjoyable read and an interesting twist in the tale. I had no idea who did it until the end - the story pulls you in and keeps you guessing. Really good book