This debut novel had me gipped from the start and what an explosive start, after recovering from a serious illness which put his career on hold DI Thomas Ridpath returns and is immediately assigned light duties assisting the coroner , when people start dying in the style similar to the serial killer that he caught before his illness struck it is down to him to uncover who the killer is

An unusual murder,mystery with engaging characters. Poor moved at a fast pace ,with lots of twists and a surprising villain.

I really enjoyed this book - a detective story with a difference, in that the detective was a Coroner's officer. As the wife of a Deputy Coroner, I really enjoyed this. It's obviously lined up for a second book and I would be delighted to read that too. Great story - highly recommended.

Fabulous. In its heart it’s a not so very ordinary Police Procedural but it’s really much much more. If you like the genre you will like this. If there’s a series it looks like it will be as the Coroner’s Officer.

Only niggle and it’s personal I can’t believe that he keeps missing those appointments I know it’s to demonstrate his tenacity and doggedness but ...... anyway it’s just a niggle

I loved the characters and the quick characterisation which allows the reader to enter the book quickly

It’s a humdinger !!

I enjoyed this book, which seems to be the first in a new series. The main character is Tom Ridpath, a police officer who has just returned to work after fighting cancer. As he is not considered fit for his old job he is seconded to the coroner's office. When an empty coffin is unearthed relating to a case he was heavily involved in 10 years ago, he finds himself reinvestigating. He soon comes to believe that the man in prison for the crimes is innocent. This is a real page turner which will keep you guessing til the end. You need a strong stomach in parts! Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

This is very different to the usual police procedurals and is book one in a new series. DI Thomas Ridpath has been seconded to the Coroner's office after returning from sick leave. He is investigating an old murder case. I loved the Manchester setting and there were some really interesting characters. This is an original book, well written and a fast paced plot with plenty twists. I look forward to book two. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. A very enjoyable read..reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Facebook.

I have just read Where the Truth Lies by M J Lee. Courtesy of Netgalley and Canelo.
Wow, a real page turner. Had me gripped from the word go. Set in Manchester, D I Tom Ridpath is returning to work after recovering from cancer. He is assigned to the Coroner’s Office as there is no place for him back on the force. So reluctantly, he gets drawn in to a murder mystery as his first job at the coroner’s office was to exhume a body which had subsequently gone missing.
The characters are brilliant, the work of the Coroner’s office and police procedurals are bang on. This is the first in a series and I cannot wait to read more of M J Lee.
#WhereTheTruthLies #NetGalley

Really enjoyed this take on a Crime/investigation style novel. I’m hoping this is the first of a series as I thought the initial introduction of the characters was interesting and there is plenty to go to develop more books.

This novel centres on DI Ridpath, he is returning to work after a 9 month absence due to treatment for cancer. In his phased return back to the job he is posted to the coroners office, where we meet the coroner Margaret Challinor. The story begins with a murder of a prostitute and then a exhumation of a body of an old case of Alice Seagram.

The ‘murderer’ of Seagram is behind bars and Ridpath helped put him there.

Ridpath gets pulled into both cases.

There are plenty of plots running concurrently leading to a excellent conclusion.

Would recommend this book and will certainly be reading more from M.J. Lee

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

Where the Truth Lies is the first book in a brand new detective series by MJ Lee. Having the story set in my home city of Manchester was both exhilarating – I knew everywhere that the police were and could visualise the areas fully. It was also a little bit annoying as there were little things that the author changed about the areas, which I presume were for effect and intrigue. I kept on thinking ‘you’re wrong’, such as Northenden might not have a Starbucks but it has a Costa Coffee. Just daft little things, which I’m sure those who live in other areas that books are set probably say the same thing. Those who don’t know the areas won’t be bothered by this one bit.

DI Ridpath was an exceptional character. He might be a DI in a department that doesn’t always stick to the rules, but he certainly does. He doesn’t want the job as Coroner’s Officer, he wants to be back working as an Inspector chasing bad guys. He soon realises that there is more to the job than he first thought. His wife isn’t happy that he is back at work doing any kind of job, she worries about him going back so soon after his cancer diagnosis, even if he is in remission.

As well as hearing from the police and their lines of inquiry we also get to hear from the murderer of the women that are being found in the present day and the torturing of them. Nothing was too graphic, so those that are squeamish need not worry. By about 60% the way in I’d realised who the killer was, I just needed to know why. The reason was strange but I suppose not unheard of. I also still needed to know whether James was the killer of Alice and if this was a copycat killer and where Alice’s body was.

The plot was fast paced and there was plenty going on all the time. The chapters were short, which I really like in a book. The characters were authentic and the storyline flowed naturally and was credible. I found myself wanting to pick the book up at every opportunity I could. I even sat in the car whilst my hubby went to collect our takeaway one night so I could continue reading. I like how the author has made hints for the return of one of the secondary characters at the end too. I now can’t wait to read book two in the series.

Ridpath is a great character. The author brought him to life. From his personal background and life, to his ability as a police officer. I was impressed with the ebb and flow of the book all the way until the end. I look forward to the following books in this series.

After nine months off work for cancer treatment, DI Tom Ridpath is seconded to the coroner's office until his bosses can be sure he's up to the job, but if he thought he was going to have an easy life ... he's wrong. It seems he's doubling as coroner's officer and detective as a murder comes to light that bears all the hallmarks of a notorious serial killer he had caught and had locked up in jail 10 yeasrs previously. The violence increases and the question arises as to whether a copycat killer is out there as the only alternative seems even more horrifying - that an innocent man was convicted and 'The Beast of Manchester' is on the loose and may even have been active all that time. Tom finds himself pitted against his senior colleagues who are utterly convinced they've had the right man all along - those very colleagues on whose good will his return back to full work as a DI depends.

This book is refreshingly replete with likeable characters of conscience - Tim, his colleague Sarah and his temporary boss Margaret, the coroner. The insights into a coroner's job and how that differs from being a detective and where the two roles overlap is a fascinating new angle, and the tale is well told with plenty of suspense. Against that, for me, were the detailed and gory descriptions of violent acts that I felt were unnecessary. It left me feeling I might sample the next book in the series because of all those good things mentioned, but if these graphic and, to me, unnecessary, details seem to be the norm for this author, then I wouldn't persist. That'd be a shame as the author is clearly skilled at storytelling and characterisation.

I think most thriller-lovers will really enjoy this book; it just comes with that wee warning about the graphic descriptions of violence along the way. It's made especially interesting and different from the usual police procedural by the involvement of the coroner's office - good stuff!

Detective Inspector Thomas Ridpath returns to work after being off with cancer treatment. CID are unsure where to put him and loan him to the Coroner's Office for three months. As bodies start to be found Ridpath finds himself questioning a case in which he was involved in putting a man in jail for murders which are very similar to what is happening now.
This book is well written and very enjoyable with many twists and turns.

Great characters, brilliant plot. Tom Ridpath is back with Manchester MIT after having 9 months off for cancer treatment
When he returns he is seconded to be Coroners Officer for 3 months. His first case is the re-opening of the inquest of a young woman, Alice Seagram, a case Ridpath knows well. He caught the man who was convicted of her murder, 10 years ago. Now the press and the young woman's family are insisting the police got the wrong man.
Meanwhile MIT are investigating a brutal murder when another victim is found. Are the cases connected and could they link back to the Alice Seagram case?
Ridpath's former boss is not happy, convinced they got right man. Will they work with or against him to find the truth and prevent more deaths.

What a treat, brilliantly realised police procedural with intricately constructed plotline, realistic characters and some cracking dialogue.

The central character is DI Thomas Ridpath returning to work after overcoming cancer but transferred to work for the coroner's office for a three month probationary period before he can return to his old job. The narrative is driven by the first arrest Ridpath made ten years earlier as a rookie PC. and how it connects to his first investigation for the coroner.

There are so nail biting, and graphically violent, scenes as Ridpath struggles to establish the links to that first arrest. Totally realistic, this is a real page turner and highly recommended.

Excellent book from the very start to the finish. Well written and full of twists and turns with extremely surprising end. Enjoyed this book and struggled to put down.

Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author

An interesting mix of cold and present-day crime cleverly intertwined with a compelling detective who faces realistic life choices. The serial killer is sinister, faceless and whilst there is some graphic description of the horrors inflicted on victims they are necessary to increase the killer's menacing presence.

The crossover between a police detective and coroner officer is interesting and gives an original slant to this well-written police procedural. I enjoyed this and look forward to more crime investigation stories with this DI Ridpath.

I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is a very well constructed thriller/crime novel, following the narratives of both detective and killer. I always enjoy this particular form of crime novel, as it allows us into a snippet of the life we are so desperate to know more about.
The plot is exceptionally disturbing from the very beginning, and consistently maintains this sense of unease as the novel progresses. This is something that not a lot of authors writing crime fiction can successfully achieve, as often the progression of the investigation reaches an unfortunate plateau.
We do however lack a sense of justification (if ever possible in such a case) regarding the murders, but this is evidently used as a plot device to disguise the killer until the very last moments. Obviously this is somewhat necessary, but maybe I would have enjoyed some crumbs left on the trail.
The office politics discussed within the novels adds an extra element of tension, with notions of misogyny authenticating its presence. The characterisation of the main character Ridpath is also excellent, showing a realistic mix between a likeable character and one who we wish would play to the rules of priority.
The true ending (the 'second' ending, after the big reveal) I enjoyed more than the reveal of the killer themselves, as it hinted well towards the sequel. One of which will undoubtedly be even more exciting than this one. It would be ten years in the making.
I definitely recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys high paced thriller/mysteries set in cities with secrets

First off, DO NOT read this book if you’re American... you may get a burst brain aneurism. I’m British and struggled tremendously with the OLD British language this author adopted in this book. I was so confused it’s was unbelievable and I was born and bred in the Uk. Also, I found when characters were having conversations, they’d pause, start a new topic then the next line would be the first topic. It was annoying and irritating and it didn’t mesh well at all.

Not only was the authors writing style confusing but the story itself was in places, plus, the well described violence on women in this book was horrific. Maybe a little too OTT and disturbing.

Not my cuppa tea this one... at all.

Thanks to Netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review. This story starts off like a normal police story. A closed case of a murderer but then suddenly there are more murders with the same MO!
Unlike some other police/murder mysteries I have read though, you really get to know the characters well before the actual story starts to get exciting. There are twists and turns and actions taken by some of the characters making you suspect they might be the perpetrator, only to realise you were wrong when something else happens.
It was an exciting, sometimes graphic, edge of your seat at times, book and I must read more from the author!