Member Reviews

I enjoyed reading this book. It was well written and detail oriented. I would recommend this book to anyone who reads thrillers

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The Nidderdale Murders by J. R. Ellis
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In a small Yorkshire village a retired judge is murdered. A witness saw everything, so it should be an easy case for DCI Oldroyd. But the suspect had no motove for killing the judge, and has seemed to disappear.
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What I liked:
-I loved this setting. Small village murder mysteries are so fun for me.
-The banter between Oldroyd and his team was entertaining.
-The mystery drew me in and I really wanted to know who was responsible for this crime!
-The reveal was good, I didn’t quite put it all together!
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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This is the first book I have read by the author. I didn’t realize this was part of a series, but I do t think that impacted my opinions. Overall, I thought this was a decent police procedural, but it moved along too slowly for me to rate it higher than three stars.

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Thank you for the opportunity to read this DRC. This was an enjoyable mystery.

#TheNidderdaleMurders #NetGalley

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This was my first book by this author. I did not feel I needed to read the previous books to not feel lost in the story/plot line. However, this was a slow read for me and I actually put it down for a long time and then picked it back up to finish it. Decent book, but I won't be reading more of the series.

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Always enjoy finding a new British Police Procedural. This did not disappoint. Looking forward to the next!

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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.

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J. R. Ellis https://www.jrellisyorkshirewriter.com is the author of nearly 10 novels. The Nidderdale Murders was published in 2020 and is the fifth book in his Yorkshire Murder series. It is the 29th book I completed reading in 2023.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R. The primary character is DCI Jim Oldroyd. There has been a grouse hunt on the moors. Later, Sandy Fraser, a retired judge, is shot and killed outside the local inn. Fortunately, there is a witness to the murder. At least, that is what it first looks like. There does not appear to be any reason why the identified shooter should want Fraser dead.

As Oldroyd investigates, he finds more to Fraser than first thought. He had enemies, and the estate he had purchased was in financial distress. When a second man is shot a week later, Oldroyd knows there is more to the story.

I enjoyed the 8+ hours I spent reading this 303-page mystery The novel is part of a series, but it can be read stand-alone. I have already read and enjoyed a later novel in the series, Murder at St. Anne’s. This was a good British mystery. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.4 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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This was a rather long read, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The murder and investigation had me as stumped as everyone else. I literally didn’t figure out who had done it. Normally, I can surmise immediately, but this one really surprised me. It was easy to follow and extremely interesting watching the investigation unfold. Provided by NetGalley.

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Story moved to slow for me. Fifth in the series which doesn't really matter. A retired judge is shot, who no one seems to like. There is a witness to the shooting and the identity of the shooter easily recognized. What spins next is long and dragged out and barely kept my interest.

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Thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was unfamiliar with this series but now have to go back to catch up. Happily, it didn't hurt that I hadn't read the other books, but I'm intrigued enough that I want to go back from the beginning. The relationships between the main characters are great and I can't wait to see how they developed to where they are. This was a fun mystery with excellent twists!

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Not bad…just not as strong a story as I am used to reading. As always I am grateful to NetGalley for the chance to read “The Nidderdale Murders.”

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This read got me hooked on this author. I really like this series. The characters seem very real; the plot lines are not too fantastical; and the actual policing involved seems more real to me than in some series where a "super policeman" hares off on steps for which real police forces would normally get in trouble.

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Great thriller, kept me turning the pages and I would highly recommend to other people. Look forward to reading more by this author.

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Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this!

I really enjoyed this! This was a new author for me. I am grateful for being exposed to his work. I am reading this "out of order" but it was not a problem, This was a joy to read. The author really pulls you in! Highly recommend. Will dive into the author's other works!

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A great quick read with interesting characters. It had me guessing until the very end! I love reading books that are written so well you are just not sure. Thanks for the great book!

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Great book. Highly recommend and will most defiantly read more by this author and suggest to others!

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I really like this book it was pretty good easy read definitely recommend
The book grabbed me from the the beginning to the end

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The plot is a bit convoluted and I wonder if I had read the other books in the series first if it would have helped with getting through this one.

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This is book 5 of the Yorkshire Murder Mystery Series. DCI Jim Oldroyd is faced with solving two murders that seem to be random, but are they? As he and his team dig in to try and find the murderer, all leads seem to be dead ends. Can he find the lead that will lead them to the killer?

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