I have read other books by this author and this one did not disappoint, I loved it. I couldn’t wait to read it every day, unputdownable! Highly recommended. Five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and M J Lee for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Great read, really enjoyed. Would definitely recommend this book. Couldn’t wait to pick it up and read each night.

Oh why do a get a book halfway through a series! Now I have to go and read ALL the Ridpath books! Fantastic fast paced crime thriller, plenty of twists to keep you thoroughly engrossed!

This was the first story in the detective Ridpath crime thriller series and I totally enjoyed it.

DI Ridpath comes back to work on the police force following a long-term illness and an old case rears its head when similar murders start to happen. Ridpath is moved to the coroner’s office for the short time and starts to investigate the similarities into the old case and the new to determine if an innocent man has been tried for a serial murderer’s crimes.

This was a fantastic read, lots of twists right up until the end and with really well developed characters. I am looking forward to the next one in the series.

Great book. Loved it. Will be looking out for more from this writer.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Canelo andthe author, M. J. Lee, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Where The Truth Lies in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
What a fantastic rollercoaster of a storyline. I reall enjoyed it and feel that this was the start of an exciting series.
The storyline was well plotted and written with likeable characters. I was hooked from the start and it has left me hungry for more.

What agreat read. It is so well written I felt part of the action, excitment building with each new revelation. I can't wait to read another Ridpath novel to see what happens to this well fleshed out character. Excellent storyline and writing, recommend wholeheartedly.

This is a tricky one for me...
I liked the story, the characters and general pace of the book. Maybe a little 'formulaic' (tortured, maverick cop, ditsy assistant, smart female bosses, dumb male bosses...) but nothing that better-known writers don't do on a regular basis. I actually steamed through the book pretty quickly and felt engaged with the action.
My only real gripe was that the language used was a little 'clunky' in places - someone 'picking at a salad' then 'stuffing food in their mouth' or 'the short-man approached the stand'. But, these didn't detract too much from the story itself. I'm just the sort of person that spots spelling mistakes at a hundred paces and I find some language a little hard to just 'let slide'.
All in all a decent example of the crime thriller - and I suspect there may be more to come - nudge, nudge, wink, wink (say no more).

Where the truth lies is an interesting and at times quite chilling novel which as I understand it is the first in a series starring the policeman turned Coroner's officer Ridpath.

Ridpath has been seconded to the Coroner's office since he returned to work after beating cancer. He and his small family are rather likeable as the background to his working life.

The officials we meet all seemed quite believable as were the actions they all took whilst trying to solve the ten year old murders alongside a more recent spate.

I found the pace to be good and the twists and turns the narrative takes keeps the reader fully involved.

The outcome was a little forced and brief but reasonably satisfactory.

I shall look forward to the next book in the series.

I haven’t yet reviewed a book I really disliked on CriminOlly, but that streak of good luck was bound to change at some point. It has, quite resoundingly, today. As I put down my Kindle after finishing MJ Lee’s ‘Where The Truth Lies’ I was filled with that kind of existential despair that you get from realising you’ve just wasted hours of your life on something that wasn’t worth it. As a result, this will be a shorter than normal review as I don’t want to spend any more time on this book than I need to.
‘Where The Truth Lies’ is one of those books that tricks you into thinking it’s good by simply being very easy to read. I kept turning the pages even as the plot got more and more ridiculous and the characters less and less engaging until the end, when I wished I hadn’t bothered. I was left unsatisfied and frustrated by this by the numbers modern policer that buries the little promise it has with lazy writing and tired tropes.
It starts promisingly, with a gripping chase scene that ends up with rookie Manchester copper Tom Ridpath unexpectedly catching a serial killer. Skip forward 10 years and Ridpath, now a Detective Inspector and returning to work after beating cancer, is assigned to work with the coroner’s office on an inquest into the investigation into one of the killer’s victims. The first few chapters had me hooked, but as the book progressed the quality deteriorated and I found myself scratching my head over plot holes and bizarre twists. There are some interesting elements. The divided loyalty Ridpath has between the coroner and his old boss on the force was quite well handled. His domestic life was convincing too, with a constant internal battle between the need to attend his appointments at the hospital and the demands of the case. The book can also be genuinely gripping at times. There is a great race against time sequence towards the end, that has my pulse racing until I realised how ridiculous the circumstances that set it in motion were.
My advice is to avoid this one. It’s very easy to read, but so flimsily put together that as soon as you actually think about what you’re reading the whole thing crumbles to nothing.

Thank you to NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Forget My Name in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion. I loved this book a compelling read with plenty of twists and turns Full of interesting information with believable characters.

This is the first book in a new series and one I will definitely be following! The book has a cracking storyline and I was hooked from the first few pages.

The plot for this one is great, I have read a lot of crime thrillers and this was one that really held my attention. I thought that this book was well written and I loved the introduction to the members of the team, DI Redpath is someone I want to read more about and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series!

4.5 stars from me rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads and Amazon – very highly recommended and one I really enjoyed!

I did enjoy the original story and would recommend this book but have to say I was a little lost on quire what Ridpath’s job was when seconded to the coroner’s department. I am no expert on police procedure though so could just have been me!

I do hope this becomes a series as it has all the makings of a great one. Great main character and a change from the usual police procedural. I really like Ridpath and feel he had a lot more to give

Really enjoyed this book. Was hooked from the first page and found the book to be full of twists and turns! Will be looking for more from this author.

Was totally pulled in from the first page and found the book to be compelling, full of twists and turns! Really enjoyed it and would definitely read more from this author

Wow what a fabulous book, It was an excellent read. I couldn't read it fast enough and was holding my breath in parts. I loved loved loved this book and cannot wait to read more. This was made more exciting for me personally as I did not know until I started to read the book that this had been based local to where I grew up. The book is so descriptive and true to its area making it even more spooky and thrilling to read. I could actually visualise where everything was happening. That aside you it is still one of the best detective books I have ever read. Well done!

Published by: Canelo (22nd October 2018)


ASIN: B07HYQ99YV


Source: Netgalley


Rating: 4.5*


Synopsis:

DI Tom 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?


Review:

Where The Truth Lies is the kind of book that gets under your skin from the very first chapter. Tom Ridpath is a character that I wasn't entirely sure I liked at the beginning of the book, but he really grew on me the deeper I delved into the case. He's not your run of the mill, predictable detective and that is refreshing. He's not afraid to bend the rules to get results and as his personality emerged, the more I admired and respected him.


The investigation that consumes DI Ridpath is utterly chilling, well constructed and finely detailed. The cast of supporting characters is varied and colourful, and the case itself makes for gripping reading. I'm very much looking forward to meeting DI Ridpath on his next case.

This is a gripping story, with a good deal of local detail adding to the impact. Some local detail shows a degree of contempt for service providers and the higher levels of Greater Manchester Police, and that tends to detract from the overall impression in my view. To what extent should a novel be used to forward a non-fictional agenda? It is still a good read and I will be looking forward to further books from this author.

I really enjoyed this book. It merges a slightly different police procedural and gripping psychological thriller. I liked the sympathetic character of Redpath; he has depth. The plot hooks you into not only his work but his home life too and the work/life balance that we all have to deal with. The book also gives insight into the work of coroners which adds a different dimension. There are some exciting and heart stopping moments which really grip the reader and the plot also illustrates how grooming can occur. It is a bit gruesome in places but this relevant in the context of the story. I loved the different twists and turns in the plot and the ending leaves the way for a sequel. Thank you NetGalley; this was a thoroughly good read.