Another grea read joy Ellis and her character Inspector Oldroyd a thoroughly enjoyable read kept me intrigued right to the end. A most unusual plot concerning the role of women in the church today.

The best compliment I can give is that after reading this, the #7 in series, I want to go back and read the earlier books. I liked the Yorkshire village setting, range of characters and unique storyline. Good job using a wintery weather event to add to the intrigue. Thanks to #NetGalley and #MurderatStAnnes
For advanced digital copy.

I have read all the book in this series and have enjoyed every one of them. This story is full of suspense and interesting characters. It keeps you entertained from the beginning to the end. I would recommend this to all mystery lovers!

Author John R. Ellis released on 7 December his latest novel “Murder at St Anne’s”. This novel is the seventh in his ‘Yorkshire Murder Mystery’ series.

I categorize this book as ‘R' due to scenes of violence. The primary character is DCI Jim Oldroyd. Oldroyd and his Detective Sergeant Andy Carter are called to an old church where a body has been found. Reverend Clare Wilcox had been well-liked at the church and she had been chosen to fill the post of Bishop. Her brutal death comes as a shock to her congregation and church officials.

This case comes close to home for Oldroyd. The dead woman had been his sister’s friend and church colleague. At first, no motives appear in this small Yorkshire village for the murder. Soon though, Oldroyd discovers that many in the congregation are hiding secrets. Some of which might have justified the brutal murder of their rector. Oldroyd had not expected to find bigotry, blackmail, embezzlement, and adultery at the church.

The missing weapon used to bludgeon the woman mystifies the police. Local superstitious tales of a ghost haunting the church muddle the investigation. As Oldroyd narrows his focus on the suspects, one is murdered and another attacked. In the end, he must race to stop the killer from attacking a fourth victim.

I enjoyed the 7.5 hours I spent reading this 283-page mystery. I had not read any of the prior novels in this series. This novel reads well on its own without the background. I liked that Ellis kept the identity of the killer hidden until near the end of the novel. I like the chosen cover art. I rate this book as a 4 out of 5.

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

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I am very much enjoying this police procedural series set in the Yorkshire Dales in England. I am jumping around a bit and not reading it in order but it does not seem to matter.

Murder at St Anne's is the latest book in the series and it begins with a murder in a church. The cause of death is a very violent blow but how it has occurred is unknown. Luckily DCI Oldroyd and his offsider, Andy, are on the case although impeded by a very heavy snowfall which makes travel difficult and sometimes impossible.

There are plenty of red herrings, some very entertaining characters and a general feeling that basically all is alright with the world despite the bad things which sometimes happen. Every time I read this author's books I am grateful that someone writes stories where the main characters are normal people who support each other when times get hard.

The best part is I still have four more books in the series on my Kindle waiting to be read!

This is an author that I never hesisitate to pick up and have enjoyed her books from the start. His writing style and attention to details give life to his stories. This is a mystery book that I enjoyed from the start. I enjoyed being pulled into the story by the creative characters. They are not only connectable but kept the story engaging. This is a story that is full of mystery and hard to put down. As the search for the murder weapon and the supsititions leaves a ghost haunting the building. I really enjoyed this story and what the characters brought to the story. This is a fast paced story that brought mystery to a new level and I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend this book and this author.

Yorkshire, law-enforcement, false-information, family, church-politics, murder-investigation, murder, procedural, friendship, red-herrings, ghost-hunting, scandal, extortion, secrets*****

The vicar, the ghost (?), and the constabulary. In Yorkshire. In vile snow weather. The publisher's blurb is a nice hook and doesn't give away too much, but it doesn't tell about the DCI and his DS having to spend a night camping out on the floor of the church where the vicar was murdered (they were snowed in. It was quite a slog for them to work out who were all the liars and how the ghost was faked, but the constabulary prevailed. It's always nice to read about law enforcement members who work well together and about their families who are not at odds with The Job! Loved it in all its weirdness.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. Thank you!

A rector died, was he killed by a living person or a ghost? That is what the detectives on the case must figure out.

This was a very good story. It combined so much - the ecclesiastical scene in modern times but with its age old
ideologies and sometimes old fashioned ideas so out of place in modern times, then you get the clergy themselves
trying to keep up with the 21st century, also trying to appease those parishioners who are slightly behind them,
and the myriad secrets that people all over the world have.

We have a murder. The vicar - a woman popular, compassionate and friendly has been brutally murdered and even the weapon that was used is a puzzle to the detectives. No outward clues. No scandals in the background. She was ear marked for a bishopric and could this be the cause for the women hating members of her congregation.

The detection set against a harsh wintry landscape is very descriptive and the two Detectives on the case go forward
very slowly because clues keep getting unearthed - but mainly of secrets that people would want hidden but which really
do not have a bearing on this murder. When the second murder happens we know that the ghost of St Annne's is definitely
not behind the murders and then a foiled murder attempt sets the pace up a bit faster as we know our murderer is not
going to stop.

The book is a page turner. One that will please any mystery murder reader never mind those of a eclesiastical bent.

A very intriguing murder with a locked room like story and a ghost at play as well.. St Anne"s parish is targetted when Rev. Clare Wilcox is murdered.
From there there is a wild ride into ancient deaths of monks, bias to the changes in the priesthood, and a mysterious and cause of death.
A book that was hard to put down, with very "now " attitudes that go beyond.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward o the next one .

This wasn’t my favorite. While I enjoyed the plot, I felt the writing wasn’t flowing very well. It felt clumsy and was at times confusing and boring. There was a lot of telling rather than showing. I do appreciate net galley providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

First time reading this author so had a bit of catch up along with this murder. When it happened at the church the victim loved many say a ghost did the dead. Intriguing though that is a real killer needs to be found. DCI Oldroyd and gang are tasked for that. Nothing to go on makes for a difficult case. As things do come to light turn the pages to see who that "ghost" might be.

A long dead monk said to haunt St. Anne’s Gothic Church is the prime suspect in the murder of Reverend Clare Wilcox. She’s found dead in the Church with the same severe head and neck injuries the monk has suffered when he was thrown off a cliff for heresy.

Of course, DI Oldroyd knows that someone other than the monk, whose presence has often been felt in St. Anne’s and who may have been responsible for other deaths, is the real killer but it won’t be easy to find him/her. Suspects abound: several members of the congregation are opposed to female priests, a staff member had just argued with Clare and there were rumored to be money problems. And Olroyd and his partner Andy Carter have to fight the weather. It’s winter in Yorkshire and the snow is piling up.

Murder at St. Anne’s is a welcome addition to the Yorkshire Murder series. The mystery is well plotted, with vivid characters, especially Alison, Donald Alison and the congregation gossips The history of West Riding locales and the descriptions of local landmarks are excellent. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and J.R.Ellis for this ARC.

I was so glad to see there was a new Yorkshire murder mystery. This time DS Andy Carter is in the field with DCI Jim Oldroyd. I like this series. It keeps you interested until the very end. There is enough background to keep you interested in the continuing characters, yet you could read this as a standalone book. There is comic relief, action, a couple of deaths and, in this one a ghost. It was a very good read.

Murder at St. Anne’s by J.R. Ellis

Nineteen forties England seemed like a safe place to live, unless you belonged to Queen Anne’s church. DCI Oldroyd and DS Andy Carter are called to the case of a murder in the sanctuary.

Oldroyd is a seasoned and esteemed police investigator and is determined to get to the bottom of the bizarre killing of the Rev. Clare Wilcox. Was this brutal crime really done by a fabled monk?

Many well developed characters from the church are questioned and suspected for various reasons. There is a real push by the author to point out the misogyny and homophobia that existed/exists in organized religion.

More bad deeds occur before the killer is through, but be prepared for a satisfying ending. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher.

Murder: A Medieval Monk, or a Live Murderer

St. Anne’s in Knaresborough, in Yorkshire, is an ancient church with a history of ghostly doings. A medieval monk seeking revenge is rumored to walk the church at night looking for victims. The Reverend Clare Wilcox is the latest victim. She was found bludgeoned to death in the church where she had gone to meet a parishioner.

DCI Oldroyd and Sargeant Andy Carter are assigned the case. Oldroyd finds it hard to believe that a ghost is killing people, but with no obvious murder weapon and parishioners convinced of the reality of the ghost, he has a difficult time. The case is personal for Oldroyd. Clare Wilcox was the protege of his sister Alison, also a cleric. The weather is no help. Knaresborough experiences a snow storm that has Oldroyd and Andy spending the night in the church complete with a visitation from the ghost.

This is another delightful glimpse of Yorkshire. I am always drawn into the story as much by the description of the area as the plot. Oldroyd is unperturbed by the unusual aspects of the case and works step by step to uncover the truth. I particularly like mysteries where the detective gathers information and finds clues rather than violence and chasing criminals.

The interactions between the main characters are well done. However, I did miss Stephanie, Oldroyds other assistant. She made only brief appearances. The plot moves well and keeps you guessing about the motives of the people in town and particularly about the method of murder. I recommend this one. It’s part of a series, but this book can be read as a standalone.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

This is the 7th book in the series and as I had not read the previous books I was worried that I might not know what was going on, but this story stands alone and can be read separately. This is a great story and reminds me of a British TV series that I watch a lot called Midsomer Murders. I can't wait to read the previous books in this series.

Blizzard Conditions, Deepening Snow….
The seventh in the Yorkshire Murder Mystery series finds DCI Jim Oldroyd with a veritable conundrum when a seemingly well liked and well respected rector is found bludgeoned to death in her church. Amidst blizzard conditions and deepening snow, Oldroyd struggles to solve a case further hampered by ghostly tales.of the supernatural. With well crafted characters and a nicely portrayed mystery this is an immersive, entertaining read and a worthy addition to this most enjoyable series.

It's is said we are all only six degrees away from someone else. In this case, the victim is a close friend to the responding DCI officer's sister. Making those six degrees very small indeed. But who would want to kill a pastor who was so well loved by all? The more he digs, the more Oldroyd finds more possible suspects, but not enough motive. This is a great add to the series, bringing in strengths of character from Oldroyd and his team, and allowing them to shine. If you love the series, don't miss this one, if you're new to it, this is a good late entry!

7th book in the series, but my 1st introduction to the Yorkshire Murder Mysteries. Beloved Rev Clare Wilcox at St Anne’s is found brutally murdered in the church. DCI Oldroyd and Sergeant Andy Carter are on the case. There are many possible suspects and a ghostly Monk thrown into the mix. A very good who done it mystery that will keep you guessing. The characters are realistic and the storyline will keep you turning pages. Now to backtrack and read the previous books.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #MurderatStAnnes