This book kept me guessing. Every time I thought I knew who the murderer was I was proven wrong. An easy read and I had a difficult time putting it down.

Louise Oldroyd, along with several of her close friends, had traveled from London to Whitby for the Goth Festival, as they all enjoyed dressing up in strange and unusual costumes. As added entertainment, the group decided to visit Dracula’s Lair, an escape room in town. Andrea and her boyfriend Dom were arguing with each other, somewhat spoiling the happy mood of the others, but no one was prepared to see Dom suddenly lash out and stab Andrea, then disappear out the emergency exit. Ben tried his best to save Andrea, performing CPR, but it was too late.

Terribly upset and frightened, Louise called her father, DCI Jim Oldroyd, an important detective, and begged for his help, as it didn’t seem possible that Dom would kill Andrea. After getting permission from his superiors, DCI Oldroyd went to Whitby to comfort his daughter and begin investigating the case.

Not having read the previous five books in this series, I didn’t know anyone’s back story, and being from California, I have no idea how police investigations are conducted in the UK. Maybe it’s possible for an officer to just show up and take over a puzzling murder investigation. It just seemed wrong to me. The investigation itself meandered around and I got impatient waiting for the case to be solved. Overall, it was a confusing read, and was not a journey I particularly enjoyed.

I really liked the idea of this book and the fact that this wasn’t a normal murder mystery story. I think at times it was hard to get into because the reactions to what happened just didn’t seem realistic or believable. I did find that the story got a little bit better the further along you got and the ending was super engaging to read. I really couldn’t figure out exactly who the real murderer was until the end which makes it a good and suspenseful book.

I I have read all of this series and I have enjoyed every one of these stories. This one was very fun to read because of the Gothic theme. I can’t wait to see what else is going to go on with these characters. More mystery and mayhem??

I read this book as an ARC mainly because I have enjoyed J.R. Ellis's previous books.
This one has an added twist, DI Olroyd's daughter is present at the murder and is uncomfortable with the obvious solution, so she brings her dad into the picture.
As always, the characters are well defined and believable, the plot twists and turns, and the climax is frightening.
Recommended for all mystery readers.

Dracula, drama and deception fill the pages of The Whitby murders. Louise Oldroyd and her friends are in Whitby for a Goth weekend, including a visit to an escape room featuring Dracula. While in the locked room, their friend Dominic brandishes a knife, stabs Angela to death, and to the horror of is shocked friends, flees through a hidden side door. It seems simple on the surface - it is a locked room, after all. But Louise has her doubts about the scene and calls her father, DCI Jim Oldroyd. He and the local police investigate those involved. Nothing makes sense until another murder and a simple description lead them toward a solution in this complicated case.

The Whitby Murders combines elements of a police procedural with a complex mystery. All the characters are well drawn, particularly Louise, her father Jim and Stephanie Johnson, Jim’s partner. The local history, especially Bram Stoker and Dracula, is fascinating. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and J.R.Ellis for this ARC.

The Whitby Murders takes DCI Jim Oldroyd off his beaten track to Whitby in the far north of Yorkshire. Whitby plays a prominent part in Bram Stoker's Dracula; the Count leaves the ship bearing him to England in the form of a huge black dog. The ruins of Whitby Abbey overlooking the town make a perfect setting for "Goth Weekend" when tourists invade for spooky good fun. DCI Oldroyd's young adult daughter, Louise, and a group of her friends head off to one of Whitby's "escape rooms." There, they role-play and try to escape from the room with the clues supplied. Things go drastically wrong when one of a couple, Dominic, stabs his partner, Andrea, to death and escapes. The couple is known to have a volatile relationship, and CCTV says that is what happened. But Louise has a gut feeling that something is wrong. She calls in Jim, hoping that he can look into the case.

There is nothing I like more than a classic locked-room mystery, but I am afraid The Whitby Murders missed the mark for me. The plot seemed unnecessarily complicated; I had the "who" but not the "why" figured out quickly. I also thought that the Whitby detective was entirely too cooperative with Jim messing about with her case, even though they were former colleagues. That being said, I did enjoy the characters, as usual, especially Andy Carter and Stephanie Johnson, Jim's investigative team.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy. I have read and enjoyed the previous books in the series much more than this one, so this was a bit disappointing. The opinions are my own.

This is the latest book in the Yorkshire Murder Mysteries. I had not read any previously so was a bit confused? It starts out with six friends heading to Whitby for a Goth weekend at an escape room. Dominic and Andrea were fussing and fighting throughout the night and the unthinkable happens Dominic stabs Andrea in front of the friends. Louise who is Detective Jim Oldroyd’s daughter was very suspicious of how it looked so she calls her Dad to come help with the investigation. It was hard to keep up with the many characters maybe because this was the first book I read in the series? There was a famous painting that had been stolen from Andrea’s apartment after she had got killed and it was enjoyable seeing how they figured that out. And, it did seem like this could happen very easy in an escape room! Just not enough figuring out the why’s in my mind.

I received this ARC for free from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the sixth book in the Yorkshire Murder Mystery series by J R Ellis. Detective Chief Inspector Oldroyd and the team are back to investigate an unusual case. This time a stabbing murder at the Goth festival in Whitby, witnessed by three people. DI Oldroyd’s daughter is one of them, complicating the hunt for the killer. With the usual amount of misdirection and concluding reveal for a police procedural, this is an enjoyable read. Overall, a gentle English crime read with a three-star rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.

The Whitby Murders is the sixth instalment in the Yorkshire Murder Mystery series featuring DCI Jim Oldroyd of Harrogate Police. Set against the backdrop of the seaside town of Whitby, Yorkshire, where the ruined Gothic Whitby Abbey was Bram Stoker’s inspiration for “Dracula” after he took regular holidays in the area in the 1890s; it was even where he started writing the classic masterpiece. Summer has turned to autumn and Oldroyd's daughter Louise and a group of four friends travel from London to spend Halloween at the annual Whitby Goth Weekend, an alternative music festival that transforms the quaint town into a gothic paradise every October. This biannual festival comes to life in both the spring and fall of each year, attracting a plethora of excited goths, steampunks, emos, metallers, bikers and other unique revellers from all over the world. It's a celebration of all sorts of weird and wonderful characters, goth culture and arts. The festival is about drinking, shopping, dancing, and listening to music. Representatives of all subcultures are welcome—goths, punks, bikers, Victorian vampires and steampunk folks. They soon decide to try their luck at a Dracula themed escape room they had made reservations for, but dressed in costumes and ready for a night of fun, the group is concerned and irked when couple Andrea and Dominic spend the night arguing continually culminating in the shocking murder of one of the group. It's then that Oldroyd receives a call from Louise who is both panicked and in shock but it's clear there is also some confusion too.

To their horror, Dom had pulled out a knife and stabbed his girlfriend before making a quick escape through the emergency exit. It's a crime with three eyewitnesses and an abundance of CCTV so it is assumed to be an open and shut case but this is more complex as Louise approaches her father and insists that there was something very wrong with the whole tragic incident. She doesn't believe what she saw. It is out of DCI Oldroyd's jurisdiction but the local police allow him to assist them in their intensive investigation to locate Dom and apprehend him. When the witnesses keep changing their stories, it becomes obvious Louise was on to something. What exactly happened inside that escape room that fateful evening? This is an enthralling and compulsively readable procedural with a multilayered and intricate plot with some clever twists and turns and good use of misdirection. Ellis can be relied upon for his complex and intriguing mysteries - his plotting is cleverly executed and the fact that here we seemingly have witnesses to the brutal murder makes this a little different but no less riveting. As the mystery unravels about the circumstances surrounding Andrea's killing I was utterly gripped and absorbed, and I enjoyed the extra development of the characters. And last but by no means least the setting is a character in itself with the vivid descriptions of the coastal scenery making you long to be there. This is an atmospheric, quick-paced and immersive read from start to finish. Highly recommended.

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

The Whitby Murders is the sixth book in the DCI Oldroyd series set in Yorkshire, and unfortunately the one I’ve enjoyed the least. These all work as stand-alone mysteries although you do gradually learn more about the detectives and their families as the series goes on. While I did like the premise of a murder committed during a “goth weekend” in Whitby (these are real events - have a look at Google images!) and the Dracula history, the plot and the police investigation were literally unbelievable and the writing, exposition and dialogue were all clunky, tiresome and repetitive.

Oldroyd is alarmed and upset to receive a call from his young adult daughter Louise, who has witnessed one of her good friends stab his girlfriend during a Dracula themed Escape Room game, then run off. She can’t understand or believe it so asks him to investigate, and fortunately the detective in charge is a former colleague so happily agrees to his involvement. Looking into the group of friends, Oldroyd and his team discover their secrets and past resentments, but what could motivate such an elaborate murder?

These books are all old-fashioned locked room-type mysteries set in modern times (although with no mention of covid), with complicated and often convoluted criminal plots unravelled Poirot-style, with all revealed at the end by a Scooby-Doo-like villain - complete with a “if it weren’t for those ***** kids” rant! Elements that I have indulged previously annoyed me more this time: if you’re going to use an omniscient narrator who knows everyone’s thought processes, we should learn the detectives’ deductions as he goes along, rather than have them all painstakingly explained at the end. I found it preposterous that a prolonged criminal investigation to a multiply witnessed murder would be pursued in various jurisdictions because of a mere hunch, especially once the perpetrator is found. Also that the police would allow civilians - some witnesses - to take part in the investigation, and not use modern technology like tracing a cellphone!

The procedural parts dragged as characters are interviewed then the findings gone over again in conversations amongst the team, there’s an awful lot of repetition. Many of the characters’ names are too similar - Granger & Garner, Morton, Hampton & Hinton, Walker & Watkins - I was grateful for my kindle search button as I had to keep checking who was who. Also there are too many scenes of Oldroyd’s personal life - we don’t need to hear about every walk on the beach with his girlfriend - and what’s the obsession with his weight and the women in his life controlling what he’s allowed to eat?! On the plus side, I didn’t guess the who, why or how and the plot was explained satisfactorily with most loose ends wrapped up. I liked the descriptions of Whitby and the way Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel was woven in - I have read it but had forgotten much of the plot. I like the ongoing series characters and the way they are allowed to have mostly normal happy relationships without too much drama - I just don’t need as much detail!

Overall this was Okay but not great - if you like this type of Golden Age-inspired crime, I do recommend the earlier books in the series rather than starting with this one - also for fans of Peter Robinson’s DCI Banks series which this also resembles (in a good way.) I probably will continue the series in the hope that some of these issues are eminently fixable.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon UK for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review.
The Whitby Murders is published on May 27th.

I so wanted to LOVE this book but I couldn’t. Dracula references + escape room + murder mystery? Sign me up. But it was uninteresting and barely held my attention. There were way too many characters and jumping around. The investigation was slow and clunky and the characters were boring. I did gave an extra .5 for the writing because it is apparent that the author is a very talented writer. I guess I chose the wrong book in the series.

When a group of friends decide to spend goth weekend in Whitby, little do they know that in an escape room they will witness a horrible murder of one of their friends by her boyfriend. It looks like an open and shut case but one of the friends confides in her father that something isn't right. So her father DCI Jim Oldroyd comes to talk to the local police and an intense investigation begins.
I enjoyed the story, although it did drag in spots and was repetitive in places, it was an entertaining read with plenty of twists.

a murder with three witnesses--but one doesn't believe what she saw...thus the story begins. A creatvie mystery that includes an escape room! Good plot and good old fasihioned detective work! An enjoyable read! Thank you netGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am new to this author and really should not have started with book 6, but The Whitby Murders turned out to be an entertaining and easy to read cosy mystery, even without knowing what has happened before.

I was predisposed to like it of course because it was set in Whitby with mentions of Harrogate and Leeds - all places I remember well from my University days. DCI Jim Oldroyd makes short work of solving a murder which is not at all how it first seems. I spotted how it was done pretty quickly and guessed who did it, but I had to read the end to understand why.

I enjoyed all of the main characters and very much liked the friendly way they all related to each other. Maybe it was a little fanciful with everyone being so supportive of each other and never a cross word spoken but it was also very relaxing. I liked it enough to have acquired books 1-5 anyway!

I was attracted by the title as I have been to Whitby and know the area pretty well. A quick read that doesn't tax 'the little grey cells' too much. Ideal for a long train journey! I can see this is book no. 6 in the series so I will definitely be going back to the first one. Not sure I found the reactions for some of the group completely believable after the event(s) but a satisfactory ending anyway. Despite the murders it certainly made me want to return, if only for the famous fish & chips! Thanks to Netgalley.

Escape Room Murder...
It’s Halloween in Whitby and DCI Oldroyd’s daughter, Louise, is on a night out with friends when their escape room fun ends in murder. With a killer on the loose it’s another case for Oldroyd. Very enjoyable murder mystery - the sixth in the Yorkshire Murder Mystery series - each book in this series has been entertaining reading, definitely of the more relaxed and gentle variety despite the murders. Characters are well drawn and Oldroyd a very likeable protagonist indeed. Each is a standalone mystery despite being part of a series in terms of characters. The plots are entertaining, often of the locked room variety - the solutions often complex to seemingly impossible crimes

It’s Halloween in Whitby & DCI Jim Oldroyd’s daughter Louise is in town with friends for the goth festival. Their visit takes an unexpected turn when an escape room ends in murder when one of the group stabs his girlfriend and flees the scene. It’s a crime with three witnesses but Louise refuses to take what she saw at face value. She calls her father & he gets permission, along with DS Carter, to help solve the case, assisted from the sidelines by Louise. This is no straightforward crime of passion.
This is the sixth book in the series & another well written book but I had to suspend belief that Oldroyd & his sergeant would be able to go & investigate. However I did enjoy the twists & turns plus the red herrings & I was kept guessing as to the motive. I would prefer more character development but the books are all about the plot & they certainly deliver on this. I loved the setting of Whitby & brought back many fond memories of time spent there
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

If you are like me and occasionally enjoy the guilty pleasure of watching episodes of Midsomer Murders . . . this book will be right up your alley! It had a few fast curves, but overall it settled into a fine cozy mystery set in Dracula’s old hunting ground.

It was so fun to learn about the bits and pieces of this story that were inspired by Bram Stoker’s classic as well as Whitby’s own local lore and charms.

Detectives carefully tracking down the leads and examining the clues. Friends of the victims left completely baffled. There were a couple of spots that felt a bit formulaic and/or sluggish, but overall an enjoyable read.

I’d like to thank the author, NetGalley, and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The Whitby Murders for an honest review.