Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Light but highly readable crime story with the characters from her previous novels developed further

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which was full of twists and turns, just what I love from a book. I was gripped from the beginning. Full of twists and turns. Set in a small town which made me feel I wanted to visit to experience it myself. Excellent read.

This is the third book in a series but the first I have read. Thankfully the backstory at the beginning of the book put me in the frame of what was/had been going on and set the characters up well.
I enjoyed the book, a good plot line and the writing hooked me in from early on an kept me gripped throughout. I will definitely be looking out for the first two in the series and future books from this author.

My second book to read from this author really loved. Great easy flow great characters. Storey line had me gribed to the end loved

This book is the third in the Kit Hartley series, although it can be read as a standalone novel.
I really love the leading character Kit. She is relatable, likeable and strong minded, all of which make her perfect for the job at hand.
The storyline is brilliant and full of twists and turns with the perfect level of suspense that keeps the reader hooked. A brilliant read!

This book is the third in the Kit Hartley series but can also be enjoyed as a stand alone book.
I love the character of Kit. She is so engaging.
This is a cosy Murder mystery filled with twists, turns and intrigue

This was the first Helen Cox book I've read and there is a lot of back story in the first chapter. I thought this book would be right up my street but unfortunately I just didn't warm to it. Maybe it would be better if you read the first two books first.

A series, set in the contemporary North of England. Previous books have been set in York but this one moves out to the stunning Yorkshire countryside (always a bonus for me) where the peace of a Dales village is shattered, for a second time, by a murder with strange ritual overtones. Kitt Hartley would be fascinated enough but when she discovers that the first murder was that of her lover’s wife she knows that she must get to the bottom of the mystery. Kitt – the crime-solving librarian – is a great character, funny, strong and annoying clever, and her friends Evie, Grace and Ruby are interesting too. The plot was nicely twisty and the denouement wasn’t overly obvious – everything was just the right blend of cosy and gritty for my tastes and I’m absolutely thrilled to find that the next book in the series is set even further afield: in my old stamping ground of Durham!

This was as good as the first two in the series. Great atmosphere, good mystery and gripping writing.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and Quercus in return for an unbiased review. This was the first book I’d read of Cox’s, but is the third in the series. I do wonder if you need to have read the previous books to know the characters - I certainly wasn’t expecting to read that Halloran was glad he’d been able to open up about his desires to his girlfriend and do what he’d always wanted to do to her (looping his belt around her wrists before sex). Now I’m no prude, but this was only a few pages into the book and characters you might not be familiar with, if (like me), you’ve picked up the series part way through. After that, the characters did become quite vivid. Halloran and Kitt have gone to a village on the moorland to investigate a murder that might be linked to the serial killer who killed Halloran’s wife five years before. One thing that did annoy me was that Kitt makes a big deal about Halloran being open with her and not having secrets, but then she doesn’t always provide the same in return. It was also a little annoying that the author went a bit overboard in making Halloran the most navel gazing, touchy feely, emotionally sensitive guy - yes we want men to be thoughtful, but it wasn’t the most accurate or realistic portrayal of a man I’ve read recently. I get that she wants to show he’s loving and thoughtful, but when I think over the literary relationships I most admire, they all lead you to the idea and let your mind fill in the details - Cox did a little too much telling rather than showing. Also, it was a little ham fisted in the portraying local accents - characters were dropping Hs and saying them, in the same sentence. Like “Oh yeah, ‘e’s going to be happy. ‘E always works hard”, kind of thing.

It’s a serviceable book if you can overlook the patchy accents, overdone emotional man and fairly ludicrous ending in the fields. But I’m not sure I’d be going out of my way to look the next book up.

Kitt Hartley is back in this third instalment of the series by Helen Cox. In Murder on the Moorland, librarian Kitt learns that a murder has been committed in Irendale. The village is where her boyfriend DI Malcolm (Mal) Halloran lived with his wife, Kamala, until she was murdered. There is evidence at the murder scene to suggest that the killer of Mal's wife has something to do with this latest slaying, so Kitt takes holiday leave from the library and hotfoots it to the Yorkshire Moors with Mal to aid the police.

Told through the eyes of Mal, Murder on the Moorland kept me on my toes throughout as I devoured each chapter. The reader learned a lot about him, and I adored the character of Kitt who was smart and funny. The investigation was deeply personal for both of them and I enjoyed reading about their developing relationship. The mystery itself was sound and there was always something going on to keep my attention focused.

The clues, twists and red herrings were cleverly placed, and with nothing as it seemed, the action packed conclusion was super exciting. The fabulous ending has left me wanting to read the first two books of the series, as well as eagerly anticipating the fourth instalment.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Quercus via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Really enjoyable. Kitt Hartley and her partner DI Malcolm Halloran are on the trail of a murderer. Lots of red herrings and connections to the past for both of them. A great series.

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.

Kitt Hartley wakes to the news that a murder has been committed in Irendale, a village high on the wild Yorkshire moors where her boyfriend, DI Malcolm Halloran, lived with his ex-wife until she too, was murdered. The MO of the two crimes is identical, right down to the runic symbols carved into the victims' hands. Unable to leave it to the local police to solve, Kitt and Mal travel to Irendale, where a literary mystery awaits. A line of Anglo-Saxon poetry found on the victim leads to a hiding place, and another cryptic clue. Kitt and Mal are aided & abetted by Evie, Grace and, despite their best efforts, Ruby the (possible) psychic to solve this case.
This is the third book in this increasingly addictive series, there are some inconsistencies but the book is well written & flows very well. Kitt is continuing to grow on me but I love Mal & Evie. There are twists & turns that kept me engrossed & I was loathe to put it down until I’d read the last page. I look forward to more in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Learning that a murder has taken place in the village where her boyfriends wife was murdered, Kitt Hartley and DI Halloran head to the Yorkshire moors to help the police in their attempt to find the murder, with the help of their friends they attempt to finally lay DI Halloran's ghosts to rest .

The third in the series and as good as the first two in this series

Highly recommended and itching for the fourth to come to publish

DI Malcolm Halloran and Kitt Hartley's relationship is developing nicely: they're even into a spot of bandage now, although the details are (mercifully) scant. After a night of passion Halloran is called away in the early hours of the morning. There's been a murder in Irendale, where Halloran used to live and where his wife, Kamala, was strangled five years ago. There are sufficient details of the current murder to make Halloran suspect that the man who murdered his wife - and others - is in some way involved, despite being in prison. The DI heads off to speak to Jeremy Kerr.

It was never going to go well. Halloran is too personally, too emotionally involved for it to be other than a farce - and Kerr is a former police officer, so he doesn't need to be told the score. Amber Downing was strangled in her own home with a guitar string and a rune mark was carved into her skin. Superintendent Ricci knows - as does everyone else but Halloran and Kitt Hartley - that Halloran shouldn't be involved in the case at all, so she sends him home on stress leave. What better excuse is there for Mal and Kitt to head off to a holiday cottage close to Irendale?

You're sighing, aren't you? They really shouldn't do this, but then this is cosy crime, so get over it. Kitt's all for supporting her man, but Halloran is seriously out of control and acting like one of those kids that teachers know have a brain: they just haven't discovered the on switch yet. He might be a DI, but he's certainly not acting like one and clinging on to unfinished business in his old life was preventing him from properly starting a new one. He's determined that Kerr is involved and that he's going to get him - and there's no way that he's going to let what happened to Kamala happen to Kitt Hartley. Of course, the obvious answer to this is to keep her away from Irendale, but that would ruin a good story.

Helen Cox evokes the Yorkshire countryside well, although I was a little surprised at how early the heather flowers in Irendale, but that's me being very picky. Her great strength, which we discovered in A Body in the Bookshop is to handle what seems like a cast of thousands with aplomb. I usually have to flick back to remind myself who's who with this number of characters but I never had to do that - and Cox does deliver credible suspects by the busload. I didn't guess whodunnit, despite all the clues being there and there was an ending to keep you glued to the edge of your seat.

I'm not a great fan of cosy crime - I prefer something rather meatier and more complex - but if cosy crime is your bag then you'll find a lot to enjoy in this book and there are a couple of earlier books in the series for you to read. I'd like to thank the publishers for making a review copy available to the Bookbag

I am afraid this book isn't for me. I simply could not get into it. I wasn't able to connect with the characters - neither of the detectives piqued my interest and i found the book to be slow and dragging. DNFed it at around 20%. Perhaps this was because i haven't read the previous two books in the series and therefore the subtle nunaces of the detectives and their relationship were missed by me. Although i must say that cover is very pretty! In fact that was what attracted me to the book in the first place.

Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for giving me this ecopy in return of an honest review.

In the third of the Kitt Hartley mystery series, the librarian learns a murder has been committed in Irendale, a village where her boyfriend DI Halloran lived with his wife (until she was murdered). Everything about the crime is identical, meaning Kitt and Malcolm need to head to the Yorkshire moors to help the police (read: attempt to solve the crime before the police do). It’ll take both their skills to work out what’s really going on – as well as a little help from their friends Evie, Grace and Ruby. I’ve read all three in the series and I want Helen to bring out as many books as she can. Kitt is a brilliant character and the combination of location and plot makes them all very, very enjoyable.

It was an engrossing and entertaining read, a bit darker that the previous instalment.
There's a lot of character development, especially for Halloran who is facing the ghosts of his pass and trying to go on with his life leaving the drama and the trauma behind.
This solid mystery is full of twists and red herrings playing on the similitude to murders in Halloran life but nothing is what it seems and the action packed final part is exciting. I couldn't guess the culprit and it came as a surprise.
The rest of the gang makes an appearance and I was happy to read about the again.
The setting is lovely, small town instead of a city, and it made me wish to visit the area soon.
I was afraid it was the last in this series as the last pages seems to describe the end but I was more than happy to see there's a next instalment coming.
I can't wait to read the next story.
An entertaining read, strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.