I wanted to…I really did. I just could not complete reading “The Royal Baths Murder.” I credit budding authors attempting to writie books that I don’t have the writing skills to successfully author. J. R. Ellis doesn’t write a bad book: he/she just isn’t for me. I have been spoiled by authors such as Robert Goddard Donna Leon, Martin Edwards, and Reginald Hill. Perhaps some day Ellis may be the superior story teller: just not yet.
However, thanks to Ellis for doing the hard work to write this book and for NetGalley for the authorized copy.

Great thriller which I could not put down. Brilliant characters, and twists and turns. Highly recommend to others!

While I liked this book but won't say I loved it. Unlike the rest of the books in this series this book started out a bit lack luster. It took me a few tries to get into it but when I did manage to read a few chapters in the story finally caught my attention. The twists and turns remind me a lot of agatha-christie style murder mysteries and that's what I enjoy about this series. I can't give this book 5 stars because it was extremely hard to get interested in but I would rate it a solid 3/5 because once the story gets going it's good.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

I seldom read modern day fiction. This is one of the exceptions. The author blends history with murder in a pleasing combination. The hero is DCI Jim Oldroyd and with his team he must solve the murder of a disliked writer of murder mysteries named Damian Penrose. With a long list of possible suspects since the man was loved as a writer by the public but hated by fellow writers, Jim must unravel the perfect crime. The body was found in an empty spa that had no visitors. Nothing is as it seems as lie after lie is told to the police and they realize things are much worse than they appear. Although I like this series and I will read more there is just something lacking. The pace of the action is good. The characters are well constructed and likable. The Yorkshire location is full of local lore and legends which are shared with the reader. Overall, a good read.

I love JR Ellis’s novels. The Harrogate setting is lovely, one I know well, and it’s good to see the character of Oldroyd develop. This one was the beat yet.

Damian Penrose, a well known writer appearing at the Crime Writers Festival in Harrogate, is found strangled in the historic Turkish bathhouse, with no trace of the murderer and no clear means of escape. DCI Jim Oldroyd discovers that Penrose, though a very popular writer, was very unpleasant and had plenty of enemies. With more murders following, Oldroyd must race against time to find and bring the murderer to justice.

This was my first book by this author. I thought I'd give this book a try because of the Agatha Christie vibe I got from the blurb. But the similarities ended there. The characters were not fleshed out and the subplot involving DS Steph Johnson felt dated. Despite these shortcomings, the story overall held my attention. Hence, I give it 3.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Thank You to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing the e-publication in exchange for a unbiased review of this book.

Really interesting

This is the fourth in a series of crime stories and I will definitely read the others. The characters are believable and the police procedures appear well researched. Certainly one I would recommend to friends.

Set in North Yorkshire, this is an enjoyable series of Murder Mysteries. I enjoyed the pace and plot and with believable characters it makes for an enjoyable read. I liked the back stories of the characters especially the handling of sexual harassments within the workplace. Overall a good read.

This is a great police procedural with many clues. I have not read the earlier books in the series but I will do so now. The story is well written with great character development.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Really Enjoyable Series of Crime Novels:
Given the chance to read and leave a review of "The Royal Baths Murder" I took the opportunity to start at the first novel in the series, "The Body in the Dales", and just kept on reading every book. So my review is not just of "The Royal Baths Murder" but rather this wonderful series as a whole. We are all on the lookout for a really good new author to read, and in J R Ellis, I found one.
"The Royal Baths Murder" is the fourth novel in the Yorkshire Murder Series, featuring DCI Jim Oldroyd. These novels come into the category of "Cozy Mysteries" but each novel in the series boasts sufficient twists and turns to keep the reader fully engaged. Or they certainly did me.
My personal favourite is "The Quartet Murders" in which Oldroyd himself is a witness to the murder.
This is series which will not disappoint readers who love crime novels.

I started to read this book and then realised that it is book 4 in a series.
I make it a rule of mine, to not to read and review a book that is in the middle of a series.
This is my fault as i should have check, a thousand apolgies Star rating reflects what i did read

This is the third book I have read by this author and they just keep getting better! The police characters are the same in each book but I don't think it's necessary to read them in order. This can easily be read as a stand alone. It is a 'slow burn' police procedural mystery with a lot of interesting characters and is very descriptive of the countryside and places of interest . I think I'd love to visit them someday! The characters are well developed and conversations are realistic. You will never guess what is going to happen next or who the killer is going to be. It is a well written enjoyable mystery without being full of profanity, sex and bloodshed. Enjoy!
I received this book as a complimentary copy for an unbiased review.The opinions expressed are my own. Many thanks to the author,publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

"This the the fourth book in the Yorkshire Mystery series by J.R.Ellis.
Oh, how I wish they make the books into TV series. I'd love to see Jim, Andy and Steph 'in person'.
Anyhow, The Royal Bath Murder is another 'locked room mystery' for DCI Oldroyd and his team. A famous but despised my many crime writer is strangled in the Baths. There is no place to hide. There was noone but him inside. So, who's done it? And who's done another two murders to boot?
All will become clear at the end. As well as taking the reader on a very intricate journey of uncovering the mystery (reader is left guessing until the very end), the author 'enlivens' the story with several sub-plots, one of which is #metoo movement within West Riding Police in Harrogate.
Well, a picturesque town, famous for its mineral springs and Royal Baths is a place for yet another murder mystery. To add the juiciness, all the murders take place during Crime Writers Festival and even during Mystery Night... My my, now I am definitely going to a mystery night myself.
J.R. Ellis created a team of characters that have become my 'friends' by the second book in the series. They are like family by the fourth. I feel for them, for their personal troubles and wins. I want to see them succeed and be happy. Till the next novel. "

As I have a weak spot for the UK, especially anything related to Yorkshire, I couldn't resist this one. The Yorkshire setting is described very well, the characters are fleshed out and the plot and storyline has some twists and turns to keep you on your toes. There's also a bit of humour at times, which made it more enjoyable and the book reminds me a bit of the more classic murder mysteries. The book also raises awareness on sexual harassment in the workplace, especially within the police force, which I thought was well done.

Description
A murdered crime writer. An idyllic Yorkshire town. Can DCI Oldroyd separate fact from fiction? A famous writer is found murdered at the Victorian baths in the Yorkshire town of Harrogate. In a crime worthy of one of his novels, Damian Penrose, who was appearing at the town’s crime festival, has been ruthlessly strangled. But with no trace of the murderer and no apparent means of escape, how did the killer simply vanish from the scene of the crime? There’s only one mind capable of unlocking this mystery: DCI Jim Oldroyd. But as he and his team quickly discover, while Penrose was popular with the reading public, he had made plenty of enemies. Feuds over money, accusations of plagiarism, a string of affairs…His route to the top left a trail of embittered rivals—and suspects. But which of them was willing to commit murder? When Penrose’s shocking death proves to be just the first of many, it becomes clear to Oldroyd that he is dealing with a calculating criminal hell-bent on revenge. He must find and bring them to justice. Before the truth becomes more chilling than fiction…

My Review:
The Royal Baths Murder starts off at the crime festival with the introduction of a well-known writer Damian Penrose. The characters are well written, especially that of Penrose who you cannot help but not like as all he wants to do is talk about himself. There is an altercation at the hotel and you wonder when Penrose is murdered if one of these people present are the killer.

The story keeps you guessing until the very end. Great job J.R. Ellis, amazing page turner. I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

Highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to read a good mystery that keeps you on your toes and has surprising twists and turns.

A great story for those who like their crime less 'hard core' than many. There is a brilliant evocation of both Harrogate and the surrounding countryside as well as a real sense of reality about the literary festival The author brings a sense of the golden age mysteries, despite this being in a very modern setting, and reminds us of the period when Agatha Christie went missing in the town during the 1920s. I will definitely read more by this author

The fourth book in the Yorkshire Murder Mysteries series, THE ROYAL BATHS MURDER was my first read by J.R. Ellis and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't call it a cosy mystery but it is a good old-fashioned murder mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie. Having read all of Ms Christie's books when I was a teenager, I felt her presence at every turn throughout this delightful mystery. Particularly as the setting was the Turkish baths in Harrogate, the very place where Ms Christie was found after a 10 day disappearance in 1926. A definite nod to the Queen of Crime here in more ways than one.

There were no super detectives with tortured private lives that seemed to spill over into their professional ones, usually by way of drink or sleeping with nameless strangers but still coming out on top of disturbed serial killers of heinous crimes...of course, after having evaded death themselves. This is simply put - a good old-fashioned murder mystery. It's all about solving a seemingly impossible murder with a freshness that is quite lighthearted, making it an enjoyable read.

"3 December 1926. Agatha Christie went missing from her home in Berkshire. Her disappearance caused an outcry amongst the public, and thousands were involved in the effort to search for her, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, On 14 December she was found at The Swan Hydropathic Hotel (now known as The Old Swan) in Harrogate, Yorkshire..."

In the present day, at the White Swan Hotel in Harrogate, the annual Crime Writing Festival is in full swing. A place where fans and would-be writers gather to learn from the best. And there is no one better than Damian Penrose...at least, that's what he thinks. Having come up from London for somewhat a reprieve, Penrose is loved and hated in equal doses by his readers and peers but never misses an opportunity to talk about himself - in which the festival provides the ideal event. However, there is one consolation in having to travel to the dull and provincial north hundreds of miles away from civilisation...the Royal Baths. It is his one solace from the world.

Early one morning, Penrose heads to the Baths to relax in solitude in a pre-booked private session before the baths open to the public. A short time later, he is found brutally strangled in the steam room...

Enter DCI Oldroyd and DS Andy Carter of the West Riding Police Harrogate Division HQ (somewhat of a mouthful) who question the staff of the Royal Baths and all who interacted with Penrose in the hours leading up to his murder. It isn't long before they discover that his murder is straight from the pages of one of his fellow writer's books - his arch rival, no less. Charles Derryvale, the said writer, soon becomes a suspect when it is revealed that he was last seen having a row with the murder victim at the bar of the the White Swan, where the event took place. Derryvale, on the other hand, is taking macarbre pleasure in the murder and finding it great fun!

There is a slightly related case in which DS Steph Johnson has been seconded to the lecherous DI Fenton to investigate Jack Sandford who has been suspended from council after being suspected of illegally granting a contract to his architect wife, Clare Bayliss...who just happens to be Penrose's second wife. The contract? For renovations to the Royal Baths. Maybe this case has more to do with Oldroyd's case than at first thought. With Fenton making unwelcome sexual advances towards Steph, she has no alternative than to take matters into her own hands to stop Fenton once and for all. Going to her superiors is not an option as the force is the age-old boys club and Fenton is her superior officer. Steph then works on gathering evidence of complaints and instances of how Fenton treats his female subordinates, as well as a secret investigation into his taking back-handers from none other than Jack Sandford.

Then the body of the Crime Writing Festival's organiser turns up with a third murder taking place in true Christie style, at the climatic end of festival's "Murder Mystery Event" of Penrose's first wife, both of which bear a striking resemblances to other stories by Penrose's rivals.

So who killed Penrose? And what is the significance in likening all subsequent murders to books by his rivals? Perhaps someone wishes to cast him as a character in a real life murder mystery - someone with a real motive. But who?

Oldroyd and Carter soon discover that the murder of Penrose corresponds to that of the Locked Room Mystery, in which there appears to be no way in and no escape for the murderer without being seen. So how did the murderer get in and how did he leave...all without being seen? A classic "whodunnit" as well as a being a "howdunnit" in the vein of Ms Christie's own Hercule Poirot's mysteries.

Oldroyd and his team learn than Penrose had been accused of stealing other writers', both seasoned and fledgling, ideas and portrayed them as his own. He claimed they needed to be told by an expert...him being the said expert. There were no shortage of suspect and there were plenty of complexities, although somewhat restrained compared with today's fast paced high octane thrillers.

DCI Jim Holroyd is instantly likable and loves nothing more than to turn his hand at solving the unsolvable puzzle. Having separated from his wife some years before, at the encouragement of his daughter Louise, Oldroyd embarks on a journey in the world of online dating...where he meets Deborah, with whom he features in his down-time. They were a delightful couple, without any of the angst and battle of wills that is found the more modern style of mystery, with this being old-fashioned in more ways than one making it an enjoyable lighthearted read.

Excellent light reading of the true old-fashioned British murder mystery with a nod to the old greats that have gone before, THE ROYAL BATHS MURDER is a perfect combination of the old and new in this classic tale of whodunnit.

Well crafted with delightful elements of humour, THE ROYAL BATHS MURDER a is lighthearted and fun read. What I also like about this book is that although it is part of a series it can be read as a standalone and you don't miss any important backstories as the focus is on the murders and not the private lives of the police.

My first by J.R. Ellis but definitely not my last. A welcome change to the more high octane thrillers, THE ROYAL BATHS MURDER is a classic old-fashioned murder mystery at its best. And I especially love the nod and reference to Agatha Christie.

An undemanding read that will hold your attention throughout, I highly recommend to those who love the classic style of the old-fashioned murder mystery.

I would like to thank #JREllis, #NetGalley and #AmazonPublishingUK for an ARC of #TheRoyalBathsMurder in exchange for an honest review.

I love books by J. R Ellis and have read the others in this series, this book had me gripped from the start. I love the characters and can really visualise the areas of Yorkshire.
Looking forward to the next one.