A new author for me and an excellent book from J.R. Ellis. I will be having a look for more of this author's books. This one ticks all the boxes for me and didn't disappoint.

Three and a half stars.

Steph and Andy are having a week's holiday on a canal boat, but the first morning Steph finds a drifting canal boat with a dead body on board while taking an early morning stroll along the canal path. The victim, Annie Shipton, was a former small-time folk singer in a band called Rowan. She and a few of her bandmates live on canal boats in the area. Steph and Andy are keen to get involved, especially because the local detective is an old friend, Jav, and because the team is short-staffed Jav ropes in DCI Oldroyd to lend a hand. The interesting thing about this case is that there is no evidence that anyone else was on Annie's barge when she was stabbed in the neck, and no signs of a struggle.

Annie Shipton seemed to have been a cantankerous old woman, even on the night before she died she got into a row with another woman who resented something Annie had said about her on her blog. Annie was also the spokesperson for a campaign to stop the redevelopment of a local mill and clashed with the guy leading the development. A divorcee with an adult daughter Annie owed money to almost everyone.

I enjoyed this mystery, I didn't guess the murderer, although I did wonder why they didn't tell the Police something ... well now I know :) The motive was understandable and the crime was well thought out.

When I got this ARC and realised it was the tenth in a series I started reading the earlier books on Kindle Unlimited, not wanting to miss any nuances from the previous books. However, at about the fourth book (and admittedly I was reading them one after the other) I felt they had become a bit same-same and Oldroyd's theatrical tendencies had become a bit tiresome. Nevertheless, I took a break, read a few rom-coms, something historical, then came back to this with a new zest. Although Oldroyd still has his idiosyncrasies, they were muted in this book and Steph in particular calls him out when he is tempted to indulge himself. Which is a long-winded way of saying I enjoyed this and will definitely be reading books five to nine in the series soon.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Available on Kindle Unlimited.

The setting was Yorkshire and it was so descriptive it was so good . The area was brought to life and then the specific was life on the canals, a narrow boat and the community that has sprung around the canals.

A small group of has been folk singers now live in these narrowboats. Their lives have inter twined for decades and despite differences and arguments they’ve lived on. When Annie’s body was discovered on her boat by Andy and Steph, both detectives on holiday, they draw in the big guns for a spot of detection.

The story meanders like the waterways, in many directions with many, many suspects, all who have strong motives to see Annie dead. When a local nosey Parker is found murdered, detectives know they are closing in but on who is the question.

Surprising end which I didn’t see coming, good read all around.

The last thing DS Stephanie Johnson and DS Andy Carter expected during their much-needed canal holiday was a murder. When retired folk musician Annie Shipton is found stabbed through the neck at the helm of her barge, the couple can’t help investigating the seemingly impossible crime. Nobody else boarded Annie’s boat. DCI Oldroyd is summoned from Harrogate, and it’s not long before the detectives have a long list of potential suspects with a motive to want Annie dead. When a second murder sends shockwaves through the community, the locals start talking about a curse on the waterway.
The tenth book in this lovely series, whilst it could easily be read on its own I’ve enjoyed getting to know Jim, Stephanie & Andy throughout the series plus as a Yorkshire girl I love the locations. Another well written cosy mystery with twists, turns, red herrings & some surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed it & look forward to more
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Detectives Steph and Andy are trying to enjoy a relaxing narrow boat holiday. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long body to be found. Not a couple to shy away from a case, they soon find themselves investigating the murder of one of the long-time residents. As the officers try to work out how a murder could have occurred on a boat with no signs of the a struggle, a second body appears.

This is book 10 of a long-running series of police procedurals set around Yorkshire. While there are recurring characters, this read fine as a stand alone. The characters were all well introduced, and I didn't feel lost. Unfortunately, I didn't really like the main characters. The officers all felt very two-dimensional. I didn't feel there was much to distinguish Steph, Andy and Jav as individuals. This is book 10, so maybe any character development has already happened, but it felt like they were only there to boost the ego of Inspector Oldroyd. On the other hand, the side characters were pretty solid. The main few are the ex-members of a folk group who decided to live together on the canal after retirement. These guys are fun and give off a hippy kinda vibe. We have Len, a traditional Yorkshireman who has lived his life on the canal. Sam was the most interesting, a troubled young man who is trying to do better but hides a difficult past.
The murder mystery itself was quite intuitive. I've not read something with this sort of set up before, and it definitely created a good puzzle. I didn't find this all that exciting though. I was curious about the murder, but the book seemed to just plod along once the main event happened. There was no tension or excitement to be had throughout the investigation, no police chases or lies uncovered. It felt very inevitable that this would be solved and life would carry on. Maybe police procedurals aren't for me - I haven't read a lot of them, but those that I have read definitely played up the tension and risk of the perp still at large a lot more.
One thing I really did like about this was the research that went in to it. Each chapter gives you some of the history of the canal and town of Saltaire. The scene is set beautifully, and I genuinely want to try a narrow boat holiday following reading this book. Murders aside, it sounds so relaxing and chill!
Overall, this was an easy read with a intriguing puzzle and great side characters.

The Canal Murders was a delightful (can you use that word when describing a murder mystery?) foray into the lives of some narrow boat owners and their lives in and around Saltaire, England. I enjoyed the descriptions of the setting, characters and village life. I was intrigued enough to do some research on the canals. While the events were easy to follow, I definitely did not expect the surprise twist. I'll certainly be checking out more of J.R. Ellis' Yorkshire Murder series.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC.

The tenth and most recent book in the Yorkshire Murder Mysteries. I somehow seem to have missed #5 but I plan to go back and read it soon.

DS Stephanie Johnson and DS Andy Carter are on holiday cruising the Yorkshire canals when they accidentally discover a murder. They decide that the investigation is worth delaying their holidays for and stay to help DCI Oldroyd solve the case.

I love all the fun facts the author adds about the history of this amazing system built originally to transport goods to the ports from the mills. I also very much enjoy the mention of places I know like Leeds, where I used to live and attended University, and Bradford where I worked.

A good, steady read with lots of police procedure and debate over who could have committed the crime. Lots of clues too so the reader can try and beat Oldroyd to the conclusion. Well worth reading.

Yorkshire, law-enforcement, local-gossip, local-law-enforcement, river-lock-systems, narrow-boats, procedural, family, family-dynamics, friendship, secrets, lies, friends, small-town, folksongs, witty, sly-humor, mysteries, social-activism, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture*****

Guilty of a biased review because I love this series. I really like this bunch of coppers, especially DCI Oldroyd!
Two of Oldryod's former colleagues are on holiday when they find themselves part of a murder investigation by a shortstaffed local bunch. They not only agree to cooperate but get Oldroyd out of yard work by asking him to act as consultant. Good job! The case is a poser in which a contentious woman is found dead on the river in her narrowboat with no footprints indicating another person. Wild! And so the investigation begins and it's all amazingly twisty. Fun read.
Lots about the mill/manufacturing history in the area along the river in Yorkshire, super! Running throughout the action are lyrics of a folk tune associated with the deceased woman and others.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC copy from Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. Thank you! Now I just have to get the audio to get the Yorkshire accents right inside my head.

This is the 10th book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone novel. There are ample suspects and twists to keep readers guessing and engaged. Chapters were a bit long for the genre. I enjoyed the included lyrics from the fictional folk group. Things were a bit repetitive, but the ending was satisfying. I really enjoyed the canal setting.

A typical English type mystery which had many twists and turns. It kept me interested and guessing.to the end. Would definitely read the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I love how J. R. Ellis pays homage to his roots and sets his books around the communities and countryside of his county. I'm a Huddersfield born, Yorkshire lass who has lived in Australia since I was a girl. Ellis' books always leave me fascinated about the Yorkshire countryside and it's people.
The book is based on the canal community and the different types of people who live in and around the canals. The character of Len in particular had me really enjoying the research that goes into the people of the canals and their ways.
I really appreciate the information given at the start of each chapter and how it alternates from the sites and historical points around the area, to the group, Rowan's, songs and ballads. A perfect way for the author to add his poetry to the mix.
A slower paced book that brings some older characters back into play and an intriguing tale that leaves you guessing right to the end.
I really want to see Oldroyd on the screen, it would be amazing!
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy this series and thought it was a fun idea to bring back a previous character.

It was a fun, quick read.

Thank you for the arc

I’ve read this series from the beginning and, 10 volumes in, it’s hard to imagine how the author comes up with more and more baffling cases for Inspector Oldroy. This time, a woman is murdered on a narrowboat and no one else was on board. Steph and Andy happen to find her during their vacation and the team goes back to work. My problem is that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I used to. I’m fond of the recurring characters but the conversations felt forced and the huge amount of details made my attention wander. Many readers love this, I just found it distracting. I also felt like the author is trying too hard to be politically correct (or does every single person in England says “partner” to refer to significant others? I’m a vegetarian but do we really need a lecture on vegetarianism in the middle of a murder inquiry?) The one thing I always loved about this series, the murder plot, didn’t impress me this time. I’m glad that the book is getting good reviews. Unfortunately, it is not for me.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Thomas & Mercer.

First Book I have read in this series but was fine as a stand-alone. Cozy type mystery which had many twists and turns to keep me guessing. Would definitely read the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

The Yorkshire Murder Mysteries is a decent cozy police procedural series, although I’ve found the books to be uneven. This is the tenth in the series and was not one of the better books in the series. I had to overlook the preposterous premise that Oldroyd, an active police DCI, would be asked to consult for another district, along with his two DS’s who are there on holiday. But I’ve always had a thing for canal life and living on a narrow boat , so I wanted to see how this would play out. And Ellis does a good job of giving a true sense of life on the canal.
This time, a retired folk singer is stabbed and dies on her boat. She was standing at the tiller and there’s no evidence anyone else was on the boat. But she had made numerous enemies so the list of suspects is long.
I do like that Ellis always adds a little something at the start of each chapter. Usually, it’s a bit of history. In this book, he also included the “lyrics” of the fictional folk group.
Unfortunately, I found the story here to be slow and repetitive. Too many of the conversations sounded stilted. I did find the ending satisfying. I’ll definitely continue with the series.
My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of this book.

This is book 10 in the series, and it starts off with the focus on Stephanie and Andi and their vacation, when murder suddenly arrives literally at their side. When one of their old teams shows up to be the officer in charge, it feels like old times, and the only thing missing is Oldroyd. With a murder that seems to have no cause, it's not too soon, before he's seconded over to the scene to help solve it. When a second murder occurs, everyone realizes it was not as simple as they were thinking and something else is at play. Interesting tactic by the other to remove the team from their local, but still have them work together- it livens up the book and makes things fresh. Fans will love this book, and newcomers will be taken with how the team work together and the many twists and turns!

DS Andy Carter and his partner DS Steph Johnson of the West Riding Police in Harrogate, Yorkshire are on a much needed vacation, on a canal boat on the Leeds to Liverpool canal. Stopping overnight at the small heritage village of Saltaire, they enjoy a visit to the nearby pub where a lively folk group is playing. While there they witness a young woman complaining to an older woman about what she wrote in her blog about newcomers to the boating community. The next morning Steph is up early and finds the older woman, Annie Shipton dead of a vicious head wound on her narrowboat which is floating down the canal.

With the local Bradford police currently short-staffed, Andy and Steph volunteer to put their holiday on hold and volunteer to pitch in to investigate Annie’s murder. The local police can find no sign that anyone else had been on the boat when she was killed, so they also manage to talk their boss DCI Jim Olroyd into volunteering his services, as they know this investigation will be right up his street.

Annie was one of a group of aging hippies who once played together in a popular folk group in the 90s and later decided to live together in a community of canal boats at Saltaire. Separated from her husband, also an ex folk group member, annie also had a number of disputes with local people and was known to be difficult so the police have their work cut out investigating a host of suspects.

I enjoyed the setting of the canals for this mystery as well as the communities and colourful characters that live on them. At first, I thought Ellis was going to give us a mystery that Andy and Steph solved on their own, using everything Olroyd had taught them. I find him a bit too ponderous at times so was looking forward to some young blood running the investigation their way and was a little disappointed that he stepped in to run the investigation in his own inimitable way. With an unknown motive and lots of suspects to investigate, the plot moves slowly and steadily until Olroyd cracks the case. Overall an enjoyable cozy mystery, although not my favourite in the series to date.

I loved the setting for this story. The canals, which began life for commerce, are now used for holidays and by people who live on their narrow boats. It was fascinating to learn about this lifestyle. The canal life is slower and yet connected to the land around it.
Annie was a member of a folk group in the old days and the group lives near each other in narrow boats along the canal. Annie is abrasive and provokes people, so when she is found dead in her boat (a clear murder), there is no shortage of suspects. Two inspectors happen to be spending their holiday on the canal and are drawn into the investigation, along with their boss. The difficulty seems to be narrowing down the motive. All in all, this is a good English mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC.

When a woman was found dead on her narrowboat, floating aimlessly on the canal, DCI Jim Oldroyd was called in as an advisor. The forensic team found no material on board that showed how or who might have killed her. At the same time and place, Oldroyd's detectives, Andy and Stephanie, were vacationing on the canal and they decided to help their chief and postponed their holiday. It seemed that there were a number of suspects including the woman"s estranged husband and several members of a folk band that they were all in from the past. When another murder occurs the detectives need to figure out the why of these murders.
A satisfying cozy mystery in the Yorkshire Murder series, with a new location and murder but with the same cast of familiar characters.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this e-galley of "The Canal Murders".

The thing I like about J.R Ellis is that he really knows how to set the scene. His descriptions make it possible for me to visualise the setting and the people. He also provides a history of the area in which each book is set.
The Canal Murders is the tenth book in this series and, as can be guessed by the title, murder is committed on a stretch of canal in Saltaire.
There are plenty of suspects, but who had the biggest motive?
The narrow boat community provides some colourful, interesting characters. My favourite was old Len, who had lived on the canal for most of his life.
There are two characters however, whom I have come to dislike; Steph and Andy. Their incessant hero worship of DCI Oldroyd has become a tad annoying.
Simpering detectives aside, this was an engaging, relaxing read.
Thanks to J.R Ellis, Thomas and Mercer and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.