J.R. Ellis Books

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J.R. Ellis is an author from Yorkshire that writes murder mysteries. Before writing fiction, Ellis was a teacher. He also wrote plays for children. Though, he would occasionally experiment with the paranormal by writing ghost stories.

Mysteries have always been a mainstay of the author’s creative process. He was always drawn to puzzles, especially the ‘Locked Room’ mysteries that populated stories that came out in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. He studied them diligently to better understand what made them work.

The author tries to set his stories apart by creating mysteries that do not stop at exploring the ‘Who Dunnit?’ aspects. They also emphasize the ‘How Dunnit?’ elements. Unlike some of his colleagues, Ellis does not permit his stories to become too dark or gruesome.

If anything, he goes out of his way to add humor to his books. He also endeavors to bring his settings to life. Ellis wants his readers to see the locations his protagonists visit as vividly as the author does. Naturally, he does not forget to make his mysteries compelling.

People can relate to the author’s characters because they are so ordinary. That includes the guilty ones. His love for Yorkshire can be seen quite clearly in the ‘Yorkshire Murder Mystery’ series, not just the landscape but the language, history, and community. Besides murder mystery novels, Ellis has also written poetry and short fiction.

Best J.R. Ellis Books

As a younger man, the author watched a lot of Jonathan Creek (BBC). He was also drawn to Ellery Queen and Clayson Rawson. He counts Agatha Christie among his influences. Ellis’ best books include:

The Body In The Dales: Dave Atkins was dead. But his neighbors were far from sad. Atkins lived in a close-knit community, one that had spent far too much time hiding its secrets behind an innocuous facade.

But those secrets were on the verge of surfacing now that DCI Jim Oldroyd had entered the picture. He was tasked with investigating the murder and finding the individual responsible for the mysterious death.

He was also expected to use DS Carter, a newcomer from London, and his new partner, to solve the case. But finding the killer was easier said than done. Because Atkins was so thoroughly disliked, the people in the village were not particularly enthusiastic about the notion of helping Jim.

Even more annoying was the fact that the DCI had so many suspects to sift through. The victim’s body was found in a remote area. But who put it there? Was it a coincidence that someone with a vital clue had suddenly died? Was the killer hiding in the village?

These were the questions that Jim and Carter had to answer. But the person behind the murders was just as determined to conceal their tracks. It will take all the cunning that Jim and Carter can muster to uncover the deep dark truth Atkins’ community is so determined to hide.

The Quartet Murders: DCI Jim Oldroyd has spent several years chasing killers. For that reason, he was fairly certain that he had seen everything his field had to offer. He did not realize that he had never witnessed a murder.

The victims of the cases he routinely investigated had died long before he arrived on the scene. But Hans Muller was different. The famous violinist was murdered on stage, during a concert. Someone shot him.

The case was bizarre because, despite the public nature of the crime, no one could find or identify the killer. Even more confusing was the victim’s priceless violin, which had gone missing.

To determine the motive behind the murder, Jim had to become acquainted with the world of privileged instrument collectors, an arena that was far more ruthless than the DCI could have imagined.

Each new lead in his investigation revealed shocking secrets that his suspects had buried in the past, secrets that the DCI had to bring to light to understand why the killer had claimed Hans Muller’s life.

At the end of the day, the crime that Jim had witnessed was impossible. A depraved individual had committed murder and then disappeared into thin air. But the irrational nature of the case wouldn’t stop the DCI from getting to the bottom of the mystery.

When Does The Next J.R. Ellis book come out?

J.R. Ellis doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is The Canal Murders and was released on April, 30th 2024. It is the newest book in the Yorkshire Murder Mysteries Series.

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