Murders in Yorkshire village. Detective Oldroyd has a witness who saw a murderer od retired judge but he had no motive to do it. And the old judge wasn't so innocent too. Many villagers had plenty of motives to kill him. And then another murder.

Classic "whodunnit" novel. I enjoyed the atmosphere and characters.

It is a decent Police Procedural, with reasonable and believable characters and a clever plot. It is certainly worth a wet afternoon read, even if it does not keep you up until 4am to finish it.

I enjoyed it and would happily read more by the author.

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

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

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!

#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.

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!

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.

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.

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 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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

When Alexander Fraser former High Court Judge arranges a grouse shoot on the fells close to the Yorkshire village of Niddersgill he finished off the day taking the shooting party to the local inn the Dog and Gun. Then after the meal as he was leaving Alexander Fraser was shot outside by a local character. DCI Oldroyd and his team were called to investigate but then the suspect disappears and another murder takes place leaving them with a mystery and many red herrings.
This is an enjoyable read in the series.

The Nidderdale Murders was a really great read. It's a bit of a classic "whodunnit" mystery combined with police procedural. The Yorkshire Dales with the mist made it a bit of an atmospheric read at times, which made it even better. The plot was engaging and had a nice pace to it and lots of local characters that gave it a bit of a flair. Of course I also really liked Oldroyd, Steph and the rest of the family and police.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance copy of The Nidderdale Murders, the fifth novel to feature DCI Jim Oldroyd ofHarrogate Police.

A retired judge is shot dead outside a pub in the fictional Yorkshire village of Niddersgill. Barmaid Kirsty witnesses it all and can identify the gunman but he promptly disappears. There is no shortage of people who are glad to see the back of Alexander “Sandy” Fraser but the questions remain, is their motive strong enough and what is their link to the alleged gunman? A second murder provides the links.

I found The Nidderdale Murders to be a bit of a mixed bag. As ever in this series the plot relies on misdirection and an ingenious solution which is lying hidden, waiting for Oldroyd to discover it. Whether it’s familiarity with the process or it’s not as well done in this case I found the majority of the novel quite boring as Oldroyd and his team flounder around looking for a motive and a missing suspect. It goes nowhere until the second murder at more than three fifths in when it takes off in a flurry of activity and discoveries. If the second murder had taken place earlier in the novel and the resulting developments more evenly spaced it would have made the novel more engaging. I understand that this is a work of fiction, not designed to be massively realistic but the author obviously realises that his solution is overly reliant on coincidence as he spends paragraphs explaining that coincidence does exist. Highly unlikely. Still the solution is ingenious and I defy any reader to guess it correctly.

The Nidderdale Murders is a competent novel that will have readers puzzled.

Sandy Fraser, former judge, owns shooting rights on the fells. He has a shooting party, and then they all go to the local pub, the Dog and Gun for a dinner which includes the grouse they shot. After dinner, several of the shooting participants and several locals gather at the bar. When most of the crowd has cleared out, Fraser leaves. A man suddenly appears with a shotgun and shoots him. The shooting has been observed by the bar maid from her bedroom window, and she clearly sees the shooter and recognizes him as Alan Green.

The case is assigned to DCI Oldroyd, who is helped by his team, Steph and Andy, as well as the local Inspector Gibbs. Gibbs job is to find Alan Green, and Alan has disappeared. Although he has been doing odd jobs in the area for some time, no one knows where he lives. As they begin investigating, the detectives find that several people didn't like Fraser; he was not nice to most of the people around him, owed money to several people; was blackmailing someone; and environmentalists didn't like his hunting parties. He hadn't paid his bills at the pub, and then complained about the food. They begin investigating Fraser's past, and find that he gave very stiff sentences to two robbers. And then, a local shopkeeper, Gorton,is gunned down the same way. Another female worker at the pub clearly saw the shooter, who was Vic Moore, a recent comer to the village renting a room from the local painter. Oldroyd finds Gorton had been a prison guard in the same jail where the two with heavy sentences resided. Of course Vic Moore also disappears.

This case has been a very difficult one for Oldroyd and his crew, but they keep plugging away. The final chapter is both exciting and surprising!

Shooting In Remote Village.....
Book five in the Yorkshire Murder Mystery series. Oldroyd finds himself in a rather remote village - Nidderdale, Yorkshire Dales. The scene of crime - the Dog And Gun Inn. The victim - a retired Judge. The suspects- numerous. 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 credible and Oldroyd a likeable protagonist. A standalone mystery despite being part of a series in terms of characters. Well drawn plot with some nicely engineered twists. This series as a whole has been very enjoyable thus far and has made for entertaining reading.

Ellis gives the reader a baffling police case in atmospheric and beautiful rural Yorkshire. The characters are engaging and I love the interaction between the police officers. The author does a good job in depicting a modern English village that has changed from Agatha Christie's classic portrayals and brings in contemporary concerns such as the many different sides in the argument of grouse hunting. Surprise twists and a number of possible suspects will keep the reader guessing--it did me!--and satisfied with the conclusion. Sign me up for the rest of the series!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for a impartial review.

A murder happens outside an inn on a grouse moor; however, the bar maid sees the murder from her window, so there should be no problem apprehending the killer. Or will there be?

Oldroyd and his team come over to find there is no sign of the culprit, and no apparent motive. They try every route to resolve the crime, then discover another man is killed - again with a witness, and again with the murderer disappearing after the crime.

The whole thing is set convincingly in the Yorkshire Dales, and makes for a good read. Oldroyd is clearly held in high esteem by his team, and they work well together.

Overall a good read, with enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Always to catch-up with Detective Chief Inspector Oldroyd and his team again. As always an intriguing storyline to keep the reader guessing throughout the story even more so in this particular case. With a knife edge climax. Also as usual great descriptive tour of the Yorkshire Dales.

It was a nice "whodunit" book. Some parts dragged a bit but the characters were all very likable. It would appear this is one in a series as there was some history there among the characters. Not sure I will read another one, it was nice, but a bit slow for me.

I really enjoyed this book and will give it a huge thumbs up. With a great story line and excellent main characters - I would highly recommend this book.

Setting means a lot for me in terms of how easily I engage with the characters and story. I loved the setting and the author really painted a clear picture of the dales. The characters were appealing and I honestly didn’t manage to solve the mystery before the end, which is always exciting!

J.R. Ellis writes traditional detective stories that don't sacrifice the quality of the writing for the sake of creating an over elaborate plot.
One of the pleasures in reading this novel was the evocative picture of rural Yorkshire in all its beauty.
The murder of a local landowner, a man with fine manners and unpaid bills, starts off a case full of red herrings and a most satisfying twist in the denouement.

Niddersgill is a fictitious village in the Yorkshire Dales, where everybody knows everybody and life is in the slow lane, it has a pub/restaurant and a village shop as with all villages. Among the residents is a retired judge, an artist an up and coming chef, but it's not without its saboteurs when it comes to blood sports. The retired judge has made his home after years on the bench and he bought a house situated on a grouse moor so a little extra income in the shooting season. A village pub and restaurant where all the locals congregate does very good meals and the judge Sandy Fraser all dressed up in a kilt after one of his shoots commandeers the restaurant to give all his cronies a good send-off, but that night on leaving the restaurant just outside somebody decides to shoot him with a shotgun and was seen by the head waitress who just happened to be looking out the window and by all accounts the shooter not bothered as he looks straight at her, creepy. then the shooter runs off never to be seen again but this person is known throughout the village.
The case goes to DCI Jim Oldroyd and he and his team start to investigate. The judge though retired must have made some enemies but none can be found that would warrant a killing so Oldroyd has to look further a long way back in time to try and find a motive... After not really getting anywhere the local shopkeeper is gunned down outside his shop as he is shutting for the night, and again a different witness and a different killer is seen and seemed not to bother to hide, and again the shooter runs off never to be seen again.and is known in the village. It's a riveting read a must for finding out the truth and so many locals that could have done it but what was the motive? My thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advanced copy to review a good tense read.

This is book 5 in the series, that also takes us to England! It seems so simple, but nothing ever is. When the suspect an eye witness saw literally seems to vanish in thin air, DCI Oldroyd, knows there more than a simple death. As he spends more time in the village, he realizes many people seem to good to be true, and in fact they are all keeping secrets. As those secrets start coming out, more people are in danger and it is a race to solve before the death count goes too high. Add in an interesting backstory that weaves throughout, and you have a mystery that's a real page turner!

This was my first foray into the Yorkshire Murders series, and although I think this may be book 5, I had no trouble reading this as a stand alone. Other than a few references to past cases, I didn't need any background knowledge to totally follow the story. A disclaimer: I lived in Scotland for three years where I developed a deep and abiding love for anything that brought up a romanticized, cozy vision of the British Isles. This book certainly delivers here, and it is obvious that the author has a real love for the Yorkshire countryside. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of this through the reading. I also thought he did a good job of touching on both sides of hunting, in this case, grouse hunting, which is controversial. He has characters that represent both sides of the issue.

As to the story, it is deeply atmospheric so far as plonking you in this English village and introducing you to a whole cast of local characters. I enjoyed getting immersed into village life. The detective, Oldroyd, is happily very capable and ends up solving the case through an unusual means. I admit the mystery is a bit slow moving, like real life, so if you need a murder or something huge happening at the end of every chapter you may be frustrated. I like both styles of mysteries, and in fact I enjoy reading a "cozy" with it's lack of blood and grit, between more realistic stories, partially as a means to relax and as a palette cleanser. I won't go into the mystery, as it would be hard not to have spoilers, but the ending is unexpected and clever. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will be seeking others in the series.

The Nidderdale Murders - J.R Ellis

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to Amazon Publishing and Netgalley.

I must admit, as a book reader I did the terrible thing and picked this book based entirely on the title as I live just outside of Nidderdale.

When ‘Sandy’ Fraser is shot dead outside the local pub after a day of shooting, Jim Oldroyd is brought in to investigate. In what should have been an easy case, as there was a witness who knows who the killer is, there are many twists and turns.

A very cleverly written mystery that will keep the reader guessing right up until the end.

Rating: 4/5
I throughly enjoyed reading this book and have purchased the first four books in the series. As someone that lives locally, the detail of the local area has made this book more enjoyable to read.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC.
This is a decent-enough murder-mystery/police procedural; simply-, but well-written, with a unique plot-line that keeps the reader guessing. Set in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales and centred on the small fictional village of Niddersgill with excellent characterisations.

We're introduced to all the main characters during a grouse shoot on the moor, hosted by Alexander (Sandy) Fraser, a retired Judge living in the manor house. Traditionally the shoot ended with a sumptuous dinner at the Dog and Gunn Inn in the village, owned by Rob and Sheila Owen. In their bar we are introduced to the 'locals'. who have nothing pleasant to say about the shooting party guests. When Fraser leaves the Inn after midnight a sleepless barmaid witnesses his shotgun murder and recognises the murderer, who then disappears.

Detective Chief Inspector Oldroyd, together with Sergeants Johnson and Carter begin their investigation but, although no-one liked Fraser and his arrogant and bullying ways, they can't find the motive. However, the team begin to look into Fraser's finances as well as any prominent cases he judged. When Peter Gorton, the local shopkeeper, is also shot dead on his doorstep - again the murderer identified by another passing barmaid, they have to try to connect the two cases, especially when the second murderer also disappears.

Gradually the strands of the investigation come together through twists and turns, and dogged police work.

We're in the world of environmental saboteurs. disgruntled tenant farmers, a game keeper who can't afford to lose his job and a struggling village Inn in desperate need of custom - as well as Fraser's rich and influential friends. All have motives for Fraser's murder, but not Peter's, so who's out for some kind of revenge?

Publication Date: August 20, 2020

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

This is my first read of J.R. Ellis and his Yorkshire Murder series. Now, darn it, I have another series to dive into. I'm actually not disappointed about that, although the saying goes, "So many books and so little time." I will pass from this earth with a long list of books I truly wanted to read but didn't have enough years in life to do so. But I digress.

In a quiet little dale village, a horrific and clearcut murder takes place. It's clearcut because the witness saw the offender who seemed to make sure that she saw him. DCI Oldroyd isn't sure what to make of the crime or the murderer who didn't bother to hide his identity. He and his two Sargeants start making the rounds and nothing is adding up. Maybe people didn't like Sandy Fraser, but nobody disliked him enough to kill him. Oldroyd and his team are hitting dead end after dead end. While running out of ideas and options another murder, almost identical to the first, takes place. This is a quiet, out of the way dale village - what could possibly be going on? But with the second murder, tiny bits and pieces are starting to emerge and Oldroyd and his team explore those tiny bits hoping they will bear some fruit. Jackpot. They lead to breaking open the case in the most intriguing of ways.

J.R. Ellis lists his influence as Agatha Christie and it shows. Not that he is a copycat of her works, he is far from that. But he includes intrigue, masked characters, and small village drama as she did. I loved it. I also loved his character portrayal of DCI Oldroyd and his two Sargeants. Because this is the fifth book in the series I am assuming he has been building on and drawing their characters from book 1 so I am excited to go backward and read books 1-4. Ellis also is quite descriptive of the Yorkshire countryside, so much so that it was easy to imagine myself walking the moors. Well done, J.R. Ellis, another fan has been added to your club.

Review of eBook

The murder of a retired judge in the remote Yorkshire village of Niddersgill baffles Detective Chief Inspector Jim Oldroyd. There’s no apparent motive and the gunman’s disappeared.

Although the investigation reveals motives for many of the people in the tiny hamlet, nothing quite clicks into place. And then there’s another murder.

Although this book is fifth in the Yorkshire Murder Mysteries series, it stands well on its own with the English countryside serving as a strong anchor for the unfolding mystery. Believable characters keep the story on track as the police search for answers. Unexpected twists take the story in surprising directions as it offers readers a clever twist they’re not likely to predict.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley
#TheNidderdaleMurders #NetGalley

Quick, easy read but with rather improbable plot twists. Nice descriptions of Yorkshire dales. Surprising little theological discussion at end.

this is a good story, a judge is killed and they need to find out how did it. it does have adult words. but the story line is good i was given a copy of the book by net galley if you like suspense and is set in Scotland you will want to read the book

DCI Jim Oldroyd and a pair of detective sergeants are called in to investigate when a retired judge is shot to death outside a pub in a Yorkshire village. A barmaid saw the whole thing, and she recognized the killer, but the case is far from solved at that point. Matters are further complicated when another resident of the village is murdered under strikingly similar, but not so clear-cut, circumstances. Can Oldroyd and his team crack the case before another life is taken?

This was a fun and satisfying read for me, as my affinity for all things British continues to grow. The author's familiarity with and fondness for Yorkshire shines through in his descriptions of the landscape and lifestyle. I found the main characters to be a bit shallow, but I also realize the focus of this book is more on the mystery and less on the people involved. It's the fourth in a series, which I hadn't heard of before coming across this book, but is easy to follow as a stand-alone. It piqued my interest enough to add the rest of the series to my TBR.

DCI Jim Oldroyd and his team are called in to investigate a murder in the small village of Niddersgill in the Yorkshire dales. A retired judge and owner of a grouse moor is murdered and a witness claims the shooter was a local handyman and gardener. Oldroyd and his team keep searching since Green has no motive. What at first looked like an open and closed case gets complicated and more facts and more suspects are uncovered and it’s up to Oldroyd’s team to solve it.

This is the fifth book in this series and even though I haven’t read any of the prior books, I had no trouble getting to know the characters. Oldroyd is an interesting main character. He is a great detective, inspiring leader to his two detectives, and has been going through changes in his personal life. There are a few times when his detectives Stephanie Johnson and Andy Carter each question witnesses on their own which allows the reader to learn more about those characters.

The book starts out strong and I was very intrigued by the investigation. Then it slows down as the detectives seem to be going in circles. Things do pick up as there is a new development in the case, although the solution is ultimately very complicated and slows the momentum that had built up the last part of the book. I like the main characters and the Yorkshire setting. I really enjoyed the clever poem that is included that uses names of places in the Yorkshire Dales area. Some of the dialogue, especially between Stephanie and Andy who work closely together and are dating, is very stilted. Oldroyd’s interactions seem more natural and realistic. Overall, this is an interesting procedural that I would rate 3.5 stars. I would be interested to read further cases featuring Oldroyd and his team.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Thomas & Mercer. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

I've been watching a TON of Midsomer Murders lately on TV, and this just fit right in with that feeling. A cozy mystery that has a wonderful backdrop of rural Yorkshire.

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, but the suspected murderer had no motive for wanting the judge dead and no trace of him can be found. This then follows the plot of a basic detective murder mystery. There are lots of twists and turns, and in the beginning it takes a little bit to get everything going, but once it does it picks up pace quickly - a lot like the Midsomer Murders TV show.

I really enjoyed the plot and the characters, but I was able to figure out who the murderer was well before the detectives did. It still was fun to watch them come to the same conclusions (and how they came to them!) as I really enjoyed the detectives and their own quirks. What I enjoyed the most about this book was the description of this little Yorkshire village and its surroundings. The visual landscape was amazing - I really feel like I have a better understanding of what life might be like there.

Definitely worth the read if you're in the mood for a little British murder mystery!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review this advanced reading copy!

3.5 Stars
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. 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. When a local shopkeeper is gunned down in a second senseless attack, it’s clear that these killings are anything but random.
Oldroyd faces a race against time to connect the crimes and find who’s behind them.
This is the fifth book in the series & is very easily read on its own. A well written book that had plenty of twists and turns but I did find the pace very slow to begin with so much so that I was skimming through pages & it was only after the second murder that the pace increased & I was glued. I didn’t work out who the murderer was, which is always a bonus. I just wish it had been more evenly paced. Not my favourite of the series but still an enjoyable read
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Bizarre Murders Shock a Small Yorkshire Town
This is a wonderful cozy mystery that takes place in the rural Yorkshire area. The murders are out of place and have the police baffled. The story follows the police as they try to solve the murders before anyone else is killed. It is a riveting book that I could not put down. I loved the final resolution. I can't wait to read more of this series and more of this author's work. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

"The Nidderdale Murders" by J.R. Ellis
I did enjoy this story, although it is not a genre that I usually read. It was a really good Sherlock Holmes style story with lots of false clues. Until the case is busted wide open with the true perseverance of a good detective story and a satisfactory conclusion is written. Leaving the reader wanting to be around for the next case.
If you like contemporary mystery stories without graphic gore and violence. I think you will like this story, too! Happy Reading ! !
note: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley with the request I post my honest review.

3.5 stars raised to a 4. I found this to be slow, methodical reading. It was also two separate stories, one the murders, the other the backgrounds of the multitude of characters in the stories. There were descriptive passages of the Yorkshire countryside that were amazing. I’m sure most readers would appreciate them and actually find themselves mentally in Yorkshire. The murders and the way they were solved was fascinating. All in all, a good read. Thanks to Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC for an honest review.

When a murder happens in a rural Yorkshire village where everyone knows each other, residents and police believe a murderer is in their midst. Detective Jim Oldroyd and his two sergeants must solve the crime. Although the last part of the book races to the finish with an unexpected twist, I was thrown by the first ten pages, where we’re introduced to a multitude of characters. I had to write down names and occupations to keep track of them. Halfway through, I was hooked and eagerly read ahead, wanting to learn the identity of the murderer.