The Body in the Dales (A Yorkshire Murder Mystery Book 1)

Product Information

Firstly, this was a book about intelligent Oxford-graduated detective who likes classical music and knows a lot of big words. Secondly, Oldroyd (detective) story and stories of the most characters are very human and ‘bodily’ warm. Thirdly, the setting is amazing. Yeah, I’d love to see the Dales for myself. The first in the addictive Yorkshire Murder Mystery series is imaginative, puzzling, complex, and frightening! Revised edition: Previously published as The Body in Jingling Pot, this edition of The Body in the Dales includes editorial revisions. The topic appealed to me too. I’ve always had an armchair interest in potholing, so this story enabled me to experience the subject in greater depth – albeit still from the comfort of my own home.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of The Body in the Dales by J R Ellis. To my knowledge, this is the first of three novels featuring this police team and I intend to read them all. Recommended!

A Note From the Publisher

Both sides of the pond seem to agree on also calling the whole affair "caving", though - a word I must say I actually prefer. This is the first book in the Yorkshire Murder Mystery series and J.R.Ellis is a new author for me. A body is found in a pothole and it looks like murder. Was the victim killed underground or elsewhere? Who could be a suspect? The police are on the case and hope to solve the crime. I didn't solve this one, although I had ideas that weren't a million miles away I don't think that I'd really come close to narrowing it down properly. It was a good read and I already have the second in the series lined up and ready to go. Revised edition: Previously published as The Body in Jingling Pot , this edition of The Body in the Dales includes editorial revisions. The story has a great premise. There are plenty of motives for the central murder, and when another is killed, you begin to question if the first murder was just the beginning. There are characters that are suspicious all the way through, and the reveal, whilst not hugely surprising, is well explained and nicely thought out.

After having read several gritty thrillers over recent times, it was a pleasant respite to read a more traditional police-procedural mystery set in the countryside. The Body in the Dales brings to mind other country-based crime series, including Ann Cleeves's Vera Stanhope series set in Northumberland, Reginald Hill's Dalziel and Pascoe series, set in Yorkshire, and television series such as Heartbeat and Wycliffe. Nothing to make this outstanding, but then nothing I really disliked either. Worth continuing on with the series I think. Ellis does a fine job of fleshing out the series of characters in this book, laying out well the personalities of the detectives who serve throughout the series as well as the players for this particular story. He also does an excellent job of painting a landscape such that the reader sees it as if standing by the characters in the book. Makes this reader want to visit and hike the dales. I was in two minds as to whether to give this four or five stars. On the one hand, I really enjoyed it and thought it was a great start to a series. On the other hand, I don't like to give out a lot of five stars and I think that while this was good, there is still room for even better in later books. So, I'm going with a four plus. At times I wished there was a list of the cast of characters in the book. It’s my own fault for not paying closer attention to who’s who, but it would have been helpful, I think.The first installment of murder mysteries set in picturesque Yorkshire dales, The Body in The Dales was an interesting read, on many levels.

This book is about that. Lots and lots of that. It is pretty well written and entirely readable. It has a very 'English crime' feel and in a lot of ways reminds me of Deborah Crombie's Duncan and Gemma series. The ending of this whodunit was tied up neatly. Nothing far-fetched, just believable, sound police work. The coppers displayed keen observational skills and some astute knowledge of human nature.During a long career teaching English, I wrote plays for children and occasional ghost stories. I have always been fascinated by the paranormal and by mysteries, conspiracy theories and unexplained crimes. Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer, and J. R. Ellis for giving me all three books in the Yorkshire Murder Mystery series for me to read in return for my honest review. His novels display a vivid sense of place and a compelling mystery! His characters, both innocent and guilty, are mostly ordinary people. Many of the suspects they encounter in their investigations are experienced cavers, some of them are even on the cave rescue team. It would seem that local knowledge is the key to solving the case. Motives are many, but HOW and by WHOM was Atkins murdered?