Good police protocol, light hearted plot with good characters.
Enjoyed, as I have other books by the author Do recommend.
Given arc by Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer.

Their vacation trip by longboat on the historic Leeds and Liverpool canal has hardly begun when DS Andy Carter and DS Stephanie Johnson discover a drifting canal boat with the dead body of a woman slumped over the tiller. It is Annie Shipton, a retired member of locally famous 1980s folk musicians. She and the other group members have been living on canal boats in the marina for years. DCI Jim Oldroyd is drafted to help with the murder investigation as the local police are short handed. It’s a complicated case for two reasons. The first is the way Annie was killed. She was stabbed in the neck but there is no evidence that anyone else was with her on the boat nor was a murder weapon found. The second reason is the number of suspects. Almost everyone from the neighboring canal boats or working at the marina has a reason to want Annie dead. As the detectives work to unravel motives, there is another vicious killing. Carter, Johnson and Oldroyd know that they are running out of time to find the murderer before there is another victim.
J.R. Ellis is a master of the police procedural. This twisty, complicated case seems impossible to solve but DCI Oldroyd finds clues in everyday life: family pictures, schoolchildrens’ games and overheard conversations. This jigsaw puzzle of a mystery is balanced with strong, memorable characters, an atmospheric location and fascinating canal history. In the past, the way to move a canal boat through a tunnel was to have a “legger” lie on a plank atop the boat and walk his his feel on the tunnel roof to propel the boat. Lyrics to the folk songs performed by the group are interspersed through the chapters. If J.R. Ellis should ever want to change careers (please no) he should look into writing music. 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and J.R. Ellis for this ARC.

Excellent! This one was a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed the pacing, characters, and plot. If you're looking for a good airplane or vacation read—this one is worth it.

Some ghosts from the past stick around, and it can be murder! Solid procedural with a strong cast of characters and enough red herrings to keep you turning one more page.

The setting of this police procedural really makes it appealing and different to the standard offering. The author creates a wonderful sense of presence as the mystery progresses, brining the canal boat community and lifestyle to the fore. Reminiscent of Joy Ellis, this author creates strong characters and provides fascinating details about the crime solving process.

DS Andy and DS Steph are on a canal boat holiday when they come across a murder. They decide to postpone their holiday and help out the force in the area. Annie, a folksinger who lives on a canal boat, has been stabbed. She apparently didn't get along with many people, so there are no shortage of suspects. Could the murder be related to drugs? Domestic violence? Something bad from the past? Then things get even more complicated when there is another murder. I enjoyed both the twisty mystery and learning about the canals in this British police procedural. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.