J.R. Ellis is a Yorkshire-based author who is well-known for his murder mystery novels. Having grown up in Huddersfield, a working class area in Yorkshire, the region holds a special place in his heart, which is reflected in his writing. In particular, Ellis writes the Yorkshire Murder Mystery series, where the crimes and investigations all take place in the landscape and communities of the Yorkshire countryside.
During his long career teaching English, Ellis wrote plays for children and occasional ghost stories. He has always been fascinated by the paranormal and by mysteries, conspiracy theories, and unexplained crimes. This fascination with puzzles and mysteries is evident in his novels, which contain not only a "who dunnit?" mystery but also a "how dunnit?!" element. Ellis strives to include some humor and elegance in style, a vivid sense of place, and a compelling mystery in his writing. His characters are mostly ordinary people, and he avoids dark and gruesome themes.
Since retiring from teaching, Ellis has become an active member of a writers' group in Otley near Leeds. His involvement in the group has inspired him to write poetry and various forms of short fiction. In addition to his murder mystery novels and short fiction, Ellis is also interested in biographical writing. He is currently working on his memoirs of growing up in Huddersfield in the 1950s and 1960s and on researching the extraordinary life of his Irish mother-in-law whose son was sent to Australia as part of the child migrant scheme.