I did not enjoy Where the truth Lies unfortunately, I struggled to get into it and gave up on it in the end. Sorry was not for me.

*Many thanks to the Author, Canelo and Netgalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
This is the first offering by MJ Lee and a good beginning of a new series. A classical police procedural with a good plot that kept my interest.

I loved this book, and I literally cannot wait for the next one in the series! We met DI Tom Ridpath who has returned to work following an illness and has been sent to ease himself back in as the coroners officer. The case involves the perpetrator he apprehended 10 years ago when he was first on the job. I love the way that the author has done the story like this with the case linking back to Tom instead of him simply reviewing and solving a case. The character is very likeable and it leaves you wanting to find out more as well as seeing what's instore for him regarding his job. I didn't see it coming as to who had committed the crimes, which is usually quite difficult these days as I can work it out pretty soon usually so that was definitely a bonus as well.

A good thriller and a great read. A page turner that I couldn't put down. Looking forward to the next in the series.

I hope there's going to be more of these because I really liked it. You can't beat a good page-turner of a thriller and this ticked so many boxes for me. Really enjoyed it.

This is a fast-paced and compelling page turner - the first book in the DI Ridpath series - which I read AFTER the second book by mistake!

DI Ridpath is a likeable chap, who finds himself seconded to working for the Coroner's Office on his return to work after treatment for cancer. History seems to be repeating itself when murder victims start to turn up in a similar manner to a case he worked on years ago - but that case was closed with the arrest and conviction of a man who is still in jail. Is this a copycat, or are more sinister forces at work?!

Looking forward to more in this series - always a good sign.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

Wow what a rollercoaster this one is!

So it’s the first in a series for this one and I hope there’s more to come! DI Thomas Ridpath has just come back to work after having treatment for cancer.

A good decade ago he arrested a serial killer and he’s in jail, but women are now being murdered with the same MO, so we don’t know if it’s a copycat killing or is an innocent man in jail?

You’ll have to read and find out, I loved it, great characters, creepy and fast paced and no messing about it’s a great read and I couldn’t put it down, waiting patiently for number 2 in the series!!

Great read. Thrilling to the end... great characters who you can feel an emotional connection with.. couldn't put it down

A new detective for us to consider - set in Manchester this story is full of the grey, wet, dull, and dreary feel that Manchester novels often have. Which to be fair, is what Manchester often resembles - a very wet city every time I visit, when not snowing..
It is an interesting take as here we see what the role of a Coroner is and their investigative powers as against the police. A Coroner [also called a Medical Examiner] has a number of specific tasks/roles to determine the manners and causes of death - they w also visit death scenes, identify human remains, supervise the transportation of corpses, operate crime scene equipment, complete death certificates and notify the next of kin.
Coroners have Investigators or Officers attached to them who inquiry into the circumstances of deaths that are:
sudden and of unknown cause; are due to unnatural causes;
or deaths that occur in custody.
Coroners’ officers are often the main point of contact for the coroner’s office and will liaise or speak to:
bereaved relatives and family representatives;
doctors and other health professionals;
police, and other emergency services;
registrars of births and deaths;
funeral directors;
pathologists and mortuary staff and others as relevant depending on the case.
So the Officer undertakes the bulk of the work and takes on a role that mimics what we assume the police might do, or may in fact be the prime investigative officer for a sudden death deciding whether or not the case requires a Coroner to call it a homicide and thus require a formal police investigation.
Until reading this novel I had notrealised just how much work this Office undertakes and can see how it would be an excellent role for an ex-police or officer needing lighter duties.
Hence we find Ridpath allocated to this role as he recovers from his cancer.
Ridpath is not quite as angst ridden as we now expect our police to be and thus makes for a different storyline which is refreshing. He is not an addict or alcoholic nor suffering from a traumatic divorce, though his wife is none too pleased with him and his attitude to work and looking after his health.
I think his has the makings of a nice series as the characters develop and Ridpath becomes more familiar with his role.

I love the Thomas Ridpath novels, and this one doesn't disappoint - it is fantastic!! Questioning prior events and even Tom himself!

A serial killer on the loose. A detective on the edge. A mystery waiting to be solved.

” We seek evidence, it’s all that counts. The truth always lies. Only evidence is clear. Pure, unadulterated evidence.”

This is the first book in the DI Ridpath crime thriller series. DI Thomas Ridpath has just returned to work after receiving treatment for cancer. Interestingly, he is assigned to the Coroner’s office instead of being reassigned as a detective in the police force.

Without revealing too much of the story, this is a unique start to a police procedural series. It’s a nice blend of a police procedural and a medical thriller. Right from the opening chapter, you realise how well written & well developed the story is. The writer writes about the sights and sounds of Manchester (where the novel is set) and the internal police politics with equal ease. In fact, the writing was consistently top-notch throughout. I have read quite a few police procedurals in the last year and this one will rank quite high in the list.

The plot is fast paced right from the start and the story maintains the pace right through the end. The plot was refreshingly original. The story gives a unique perspective of a police officer forced to rely on medical evidence more than his police skills. Apart from elements of a medical thriller, it also has a cold case and a serial killer on loose, which never let the story get predictable. There were several twists and turns to keep you guessing. Though the ending dragged a bit, the story manages to link all the old and new cases perfectly with a somewhat unusual but satisfying ending (probably the first time, a police procedural didn’t end in a bloody shootout). As a note of caution, this book has few scenes depicting torture.

All the characters are well-developed with strengths, weaknesses, and quirks but the character of DI Ridpath was best of the lot. DI Tom Ridpath, a skilled murder cop with cancer in remission, abandoned by his superiors at work and his family drifting apart every day, you can feel his anger and frustrations and yet his dedication to do well. You empathize with his struggles and want him to succeed. D I Ridpath is a deeply layered character (reminded me of Harry Bosch) and one of the best detective characters I have read in recent times.

Overall, Where the Truth Lies is a well-written and gripping thriller. It is one of the best police procedurals, I have read with exciting twists and some brilliant writing. With an excellent mystery and a very realistic cast of characters, this is one series to watch out for. In fact, the second book of the series is already out. If you love detective novels, you will enjoy this one. 4.5/5

Many thanks to the publishers Canelo, the author M J Lee and NetGalley for the ARC.

A police procedural with a difference, this is a compelling, fast paced read which scoops you up and sucks you into the mind of an exceptionally clever serial killer who manages to evade detection by setting up fall guys.

Ridpath is the police officer seconded to the coroner's office charged with discovering what really happened to Alice Seagram, a woman who was murdered many years ago. When it becomes clear that the man conviction of her murder is innocent, the race is on to find the true killer before he strikes again.

I didn't guess who the murderer was and loved how nuanced the characters were, which elevated this above a typical thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

A superb series opener from Lee. This book delivers on so many levels and is genuinely "unputdownable".

If crime novels are your thing you won't fail to appreciate this - with accurate police and coronial procedural points (in the main) there is little to spoil one's enjoyment. Beautifully constructed, pacy without neglecting the characterisation I can't wait to see where the author goes next. The stage is set...

With thanks to the author, publisher ad NetGalley for the ARC.

Really enjoyed this book, gripping from the beginning. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Didn't see the twist coming! I hope this will be the start of a new series as I found DI Ridpath fascinating.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I liked detective Ridpath. I have the second book as well and hope to follow Detective Ridpath the same way as I've followed Michael Connolly's Bosch. Great character and a well written crime story. Highly recommended

An interesting read. A new character for me but I enjoyed the book. I recommend it to other crime story readers.

I was enthusiastic about reading this novel. A crime thriller set in the Manchester area. It is billed as the first in a series featuring DI Ridpath.

It is often difficult for an author to create a credible story when trying to introduce a raft of new characters.

However M.J.Lee has successfully managed to produce a fast paced novel, with an excellent set of well crafted characters.

The underlying question being, has a miscarriage of justice taken place?

In this complex police procedural murder story, I liked the quality of the writing, it is witty and in places there is some clever use of humour which adds to the entertainment. The central characters are well created.

The tension builds to an interesting conclusion. On the basis of this book, I look forward to future novels featuring DI Ridpath.

I give thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for a copy in exchange for this review.

This had been a compelling read; full of surprises, twists and real characters, you only need to discover Where The Truth Lies.
This is a detective procedural book, but you don’t feel like a simple observer, the characters felt so real that you feel totally involved in this horrifying case. Because even if DI Thomas Ridpath has some health problems and he has been transfer to the coroner’s department, he can not stay away from a good mystery!
The story begins when an old case where DI Thomas Ridpath made the arrest. It seems that maybe the killer had been free all this time and an innocent man has been held in prison for more than 10 years… But, how was it possible that the investigation was so wrong and didn’t discover that there were irregularities on the case? Of course you’ll have to read the book if you want to know the truth.
The story is told between the “killer” and how follows all the steps for the correct killing, and our detective Thomas Ridpath, who after seeing his life passing away in front of his eyes, will take us to a trip of all his memorable memories of his life, making the reader more invested in the character and feeling all his suffering and troubles on our own skin.
The case is quite dark and troubling, starting from an empty coffin and ending in a body’s farm… really be prepared for a twisted case, but an amazing read.
I would like to say I really liked this book, I hope this will not be the last case we read of DI Thomas Ridpath, I can’t wait to read a new case!

DI Thomas Ridpath was on the up in the Manchester CID: a promising young detective whose first case involved capturing a notorious serial killer. But ten years later he’s recovering from a serious illness and on the brink of being forced out of the police. Then people start dying: tortured, murdered, in an uncanny echo of Ridpath’s first case.

As the investigation intensifies, old bodies go missing, records can’t be found and the murder count grows. Caught in a turf war between the police and the coroner’s office, digging up skeletons some would rather forget, Ridpath is caught in a race against time: a race to save his career, his marriage… And lives.

When a detective goes missing everything is on the line. Can Ridpath close the case and save his colleague?

This book is just superb. The characters are believable and totally likeable (even the baddies) It has a nice mixture of the personal and work life of DI Ridpath without detracting from the main story line.

I didn't guess the ending, which is good for me, the person responsible for the murders didn't jump out at me. I cannot wait for the next in the series.

This is a story comprised of lots of twists and turns. It look at policing from the view of the Coroners Office, where a returning detective is placed following his return from cancer treatment. The story has its moments but is confusing at times and has some areas of irrelevance.