Yorkshire Murder Mysteries Books in Order

The Yorkshire Murder Mysteries follow DCI Jim Oldroyd, a senior detective in West Yorkshire, as he tackles baffling cases against the backdrop of moors, dales and historic towns. Each book stands alone, but together they build a picture of his team, his family and the region he serves.

At the heart of the series is Ellis's love of classic puzzle stories, especially locked room and impossible crimes.

Most investigations begin with something that seems to defy explanation a body found deep in a cave system that nobody admits entering, a murder committed during a televised magic trick in a sealed room, a killing on a moving train carriage while cameras roll outside or a stabbing in an escape room with every witness sure they saw the same thing. Working out how these crimes were carried out is as important as discovering who is responsible.

The books move Oldroyd and his colleagues all over Yorkshire. They explore caves beneath the Dales, stand in the shadow of grand country houses, pace the tiled corridors of Victorian spa baths, visit coastal towns in festival season and ride vintage railways through rural valleys. The settings are recognisably real, with changeable weather, village pubs, city streets and communities where everyone seems to know just a bit more than they are saying.

Oldroyd does not solve these puzzles alone. DS Andy Carter, a transfer from London, brings a slightly outsider view of Yorkshire along with practical detective skills. DS Steph Johnson offers sharp intuition, empathy and a willingness to challenge her boss when she thinks he has missed something. Oldroyd's daughter Louise and his partner Deborah appear across the series, sometimes drawing him into cases where the stakes are painfully personal.

Although the novels deal with murder, the tone leans toward classic puzzle fiction rather than grim forensic detail. Most of the violence happens off the page, while the focus stays on interviews, alibis, motives and physical clues that readers can follow. Ellis often weaves in social themes such as corruption, sexism, homophobia or land disputes, but he lets them grow naturally from character and plot instead of turning the books into lectures.

Music, local history and theatrical illusion crop up again and again. Oldroyd is a keen classical music fan, which draws him into concert halls and music societies, and several stories feature magicians or performers whose stagecraft echoes the tricks behind the crimes. Locked room solutions are explained clearly and fairly, so the final reveal feels earned rather than arbitrary.

For new readers, the series offers modern police procedurals with the comforting structure of golden age mysteries plus a strong sense of Yorkshire's landscapes and communities. You can dip into almost any case, but reading in order lets you watch Oldroyd's relationships, his team dynamics and his beloved county develop with each impossible crime he unpicks.