Monday, August 24, 2020

The Nidderdale Murders by J R Ellis

I grew up reading Agatha Christie so I like a good British procedural novel. I enjoyed this one. My favorite aspect was the setting. Ellis has done a good job of taking readers into the many Yorkshire locations, from moor to gorge. I liked learning a bit about land used for hunting, in this case a grouse hunting moor. The plot was very interesting, with the murderers clearly wanting to be seen in the act. I like how Ellis slowly and deliberately takes us on the journey of solving the case, revealing background information bit by bit.

The novel is about Detective Chief Inspector Oldroyd and we learn a great deal about his life and family. Ellis does maintain a good balance of character development, mystery plot and setting. This is a good novel for readers who like a slow and methodical investigation into puzzling murders.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

J R Ellis has lived in Yorkshire most of his life and has written four previous novels in this series set in Yorkshire. He was previously a teacher. He has won awards for his poetry and short stories. He is currently working on nonfiction projects as well.

Thomas & Mercer, 301 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

No comments: