The Nidderdale Murders

Written by J. R. Ellis

Narrated by Michael Page

In a Yorkshire Dales village everyone has a motive for murder—except the killer.

A retired judge is shot dead outside the Dog and Gun inn in the remote Yorkshire village of Niddersgill. There’s a witness who saw everything, and the gunman’s on the run; the case should be open-and-shut for DCI Jim Oldroyd. But the murderer had no motive for wanting Sandy Fraser dead and, what’s more, no trace of him can be found.

As Oldroyd and his team cast the net wider, they discover that Fraser wasn’t without enemies in Niddersgill. As the wealthy owner of a grouse moor, he’d clashed with farmers, debtors, hunt saboteurs and blackmailers. But none of them were at the scene of the murder. And when a local shopkeeper is gunned down in a second senseless attack, it’s clear that these killings are anything but random.

Surrounded by the dramatic beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, Oldroyd faces a race against time to connect the crimes and find who’s behind them. But with all the evidence sending him down dead ends, can he get one step ahead before someone else is killed?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Aug 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781713521860

J. R. Ellis

John R. Ellis has lived in Yorkshire for most of his life and has spent many years exploring Yorkshire’s diverse landscapes, history, language and communities. He recently retired after a career in teaching, mostly in further education in the Leeds area. In addition to the Yorkshire Murder Mystery series, he writes poetry, ghost stories and biography. He has completed a screenplay about the last years of the poet Edward Thomas and a work of faction about the extraordinary life of his Irish mother-in-law. He is currently working on his memoirs of growing up in a working-class area of Huddersfield in the 1950s and 1960s.

Reviews for The Nidderdale Murders

[David Finlayson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great listen and well read. Well worth listening to

[Bernard · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This review is for the audio version. The story kept me entertained for a few hours and I enjoyed the passion for the Yorkshire Dales. The story line was a bit farfetched and I couldn’t believe the central premiss for the plot. I won’t spoil it by revealing the outcome but I felt let down. We also had a few stereotypical characters and unnecessary padding, but those are minor gripes. Don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed.
The reader has a good voice and reads well, but oh dear me, the accents! I have never heard such appallingly bad “Yorkshire” accents. The Brummie and Geordie ones were awful too. Just stick to reading plain English Michael, and it will be fine!

[smik_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another relatively cozy series that I'm enjoying on my Kindle. The plot has plenty of red herrings, and I've enjoyed the character development from book to book. The Yorkshire Dales makes a good setting.

[vesper1931 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

DCI Tom Oldroyd is called out to the village of Niddersgill where there has been a murder. A witness can identify the killer but he seems to have disappeared. Soon motives can be found for this unlikable victim. DCI Oldroyd and his team investigate. Then there is another murder.
An enjoyable well-written murder mystery with its likeable characters and where the plot keeps you guessing.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[sandra_wagner8wright · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Some people like to hunt grouse. Others try to protect the birds by sabotaging the hunt. The owner of the hunting lodge is upset by the disruption; he can’t afford to lose business. It’s a busy time of year when shooting parties descend on the village of Niddersgill, not a good time for an unsolved murder. Naturally, the case falls to DCI Oldroyd

[jwitt33 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this book free of charge through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion, and while I had not read the previous books in this series, I was able to easily follow along. Previous cases were mentioned a few times but were explained well and didn't take me out of the story at all. DCI Jim Oldroyd and his team are called to a small village in Yorkshire by the name of Niddersgill to investigate the murder of retired judge and current grouse moor owner Alexander "Sandy" Fraser. The twist here is that a barmaid clearly saw the face of the murderer (as he weirdly made sure to look right at her and smile before running off), and you would think this would be an open and shut case, but that wouldn't make for a good story, so no, it's more complex than that. Then when a second murder occurs, things get even more complicated. I really enjoyed this book, probably because I love murder mysteries set in small villages over in England. If you've ever seen Midsomer Murders, I was reminded of this series when I was reading the book. I loved the characters and thought the plot moved along at a smooth pace. In summary, this was a very enjoyable, easy to read book, and I look forward to going back and reading books 1 through 4 of this newly discovered series. 5/5 stars.

[astults_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the 5th book in the series. J. R. Ellis sometimes refers to previous cases worked on by Detective Chief Inspector Oldroyd and his team but knows how to give just enough information without bogging the story down.The pacing of the novel was very leisurely. This mystery has a twist and I was able to figure it out but not determine the who behind it. For some reason I wasn't in any hurry to finish reading to find out.

[dokfintong · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Nothing specialThis is my first Yorkshire Mystery and based on this one it isn't a series I'm going to rush out and buy. The story is based on a series of coincidences that I don't find plausible. The police characters are the usual sorts. The writing is sturdy but not exciting. Given that this is #5 in the series I imagine that at least some are better so I'll give this one an average. I received a review copy of "The Nidderdale Murders: Yorkshire Murder Mystery Book 5" by J. R. Ellis from Amazon Publishing UK through NetGalley.com.

[kimkimkim-7 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was a long, lonely slog through the heavily described Yorkshire dales area. There is a murder to be solved and it could have been done in half the number of pages if the author was an adept editor. Too many clichés, too much clutter, too much extraneous language and dialog. I was bored. I can’t remember the last time I fell asleep reading a book but The Nidderdale Murders put me to sleep each and every night I tried to finish it. Obviously not the book for me but apparently it hit the mark for many others.Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a copy.

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

law-enforcement, murder-investigation, England, small town,*****The sleepy village in the Yorkshire Dales was the perfect antidote to city life but for those who protested game shooting just for sport. Then came the first murder. It was witnessed by a reliable person and the named suspect was not only a very nice man (unlike the victim) but he disappeared without a trace! the assignment goes to DCI Jim Oldroyd of the Harrogate Police together with Sergeants Johnson and Carter and local Inspector Gibbs who really have their hands full with this one. Lots of misdirection and red herrings seem to thwart their due diligence even before the second murder. Along the way we readers get to know all of the police characters as well as the civilian ones.I found it riveting and hope for more with Oldroyd and his team in Yorkshire.I requested and received a free ebook copy from Amazon Publishing UK via NetGalley. Thank you!

[jfe16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Review of eBookThe murder of a retired judge in the remote Yorkshire village of Niddersgill baffles Detective Chief Inspector Jim Oldroyd. There’s no apparent motive and the gunman’s disappeared.Although the investigation reveals motives for many of the people in the tiny hamlet, nothing quite clicks into place. And then there’s another murder.Although this book is fifth in the Yorkshire Murder Mysteries series, it stands well on its own with the English countryside serving as a strong anchor for the unfolding mystery. Believable characters keep the story on track as the police search for answers. Unexpected twists take the story in surprising directions as it offers readers a clever twist they’re not likely to predict. I received a free copy of this eBook from Amazon Publishing UK/Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley #TheNidderdaleMurders #NetGalley