The story starts in 2008 in Manchester, PC Tom Ridpath is out with Sgt Mungoven they chase a white van, stop it and whilst Ridpath stays in the patrol car Sargent Mungoven goes to talk to the driver who attacks the Sargent then bolts. Ridpath chases him to a garage, where they fight until Ridpath manages to arrest him. Had they arrested the serial killer they had all been looking for? We then go to present day, unfortunately Ridpath has been on medical leave as he has been treated for cancer he is now in remission and ready to return to the force. He returns and thankfully has retained his position as Detective Inspector but has been appointed Coroner’s officer for three months this is to ease him back into the job. The first case he has to investigate as Coroner’s officer is the body of a murdered woman found on a towpath. She has been tortured similarly to the bodies of The Beast the serial killer Ridpath arrested. Then a body of another girl is exhumed, on orders from the Coroner, the coffin is empty. It is up to Ridpath to look into this on behalf of the coroner. The story gets more complicated with the disappearance of Sarah Castle, an officer on the case. I really enjoyed this book a no nonsense police thriller.

What a great book this was!
DI Ridpath returns from a long illness and is seconded to the coroners office, much to his dislike.
He’s soon embroiled in a case that he thought he’d resolved 10 years earlier and the results could cause real problems within his old department.
A really intriguing story, showing the links (or secrets in this case) between the coronor’s office and the police.
Really enjoyed this and loved the way it’s been set up for Dalbey’s revenge. Willl be following this author, eagerly awaiting the next instalment

This is a police procedural thriller with a real difference in that the main character had been seconded to work as a coroners officer. DI Ridley returns to work Manchester CID after ten months sick leave and is given the choice of the position with the coroners office, or a desk job. He opts for the former and although it is a lot more interesting than he thought it would be, he does not enjoy the conflict he finds himself in with his former colleagues in CID.
When investigating a ten year old case DI Ridley begins to question his part in convicting a man for the murder of several women. Do they have the right man? Could the real killer still be at large commiting more murders?
An excellent start to a new series of books and one which I cannot wait to read the second of.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’d like to thank Canelo and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Where The Truth Lies’ by M J Lee in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Nine months after battling cancer, DI Thomas Ridpath is given the all clear to return to work. As he’s not deemed fit enough to return to his previous job with the Greater Manchester Police he’s moved to the Coroner’s office for a three-month stint working for the Coroner, Mrs Margaret Challinor. When the death of Alice Seagram in 2008 is reopened Ridpath is particularly interested as his first arrest as a Constable was James Dalbey for the murder of Alice and four other women whose bodies were never found. The deeper Ridpath digs in the investigation the more he realises that Dalbey may not be responsible, but can be discover the truth and avoid risking his health and alienating his family?

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Where The Truth Lies’, the first in the DI Ridpath series, as it’s different to the normal police thrillers in that the main character is working for the Coroner’s office rather than the police which gives a different perspective. The story starts slowly but as momentum builds up it becomes really gripping. It has an exciting and fast-paced plot, twists and turns, and a number of suspects any one of whom could be the ‘Beast of Manchester’. The cliff-hanger on the final pages leaves me wanting more so I eagerly look forward to the second in the series with great anticipation.

A good story line featuring Tom Ridpath who returns to work after ill health to find his superiors do not think he is quite ready yet and send him to work in the Coroners office. Despite his lack of initial enthusiasm as his first case unfolds thus changes. Look forward to more of Tom Ridpath in this role!

An interesting read. Not the usual police procedural. Inspector Ridpath, following 9 month's off duty for cancer treatment, returns to work to find himself moved sideways to become the Coroner's Officer. His first job is an exhumation, which leads into the story. It's full of twists and turns, good policing and bad.

An enjoyable read. I look forward to more books about Inspector Ridpath.

Where the Truth Lies is the first novel in the DI Thomas Ridpath contemporary crime series set in and around Manchester, UK. Ridpath worked specifically for the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) which investigates serious crimes, but due to various reasons, he has been demoted to work in the coroner's office. So, when a past case comes back to haunt him can he contain the fallout?

I am so excited about how refreshingly original this book was, There were plenty of the customary twists and turns to keep you guessing, and there are depictions of graphic violence/torture but it is not gratuitous as in some stories. The plot maintains plausibility and believability throughout, and a number of different threads are masterfully woven together as you get deeper into it all. The characterisation is excellent, especially when it comes to Ridpath, I'm not usually a nail-biter but I discovered that I was doing it for the duration of the story which, to me, is indicative of an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride! Oh, and expect a frustrating cliffhanger conclusion that is cleverly executed to make the reader long for the follow-up. Gritty, original and packed full of suspenseful and intense moments where your heart is in your mouth, I loved it and cannot wait to pick up the sequel.

Many thanks to Canelo for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this crime novel, it was well paced and kept me reading. I particularly enjoyed the character development which was subtle but always there and as the story gathered pace I found myself identifying easily with the different personalities involved. Even the lesser characters, who were perhaps only in the story for a short time, were brought colourfully to life. It was a good story, with lots of different avenues to get you thinking and I would definitely read another.

Thank you NetGalley for an early read of this new crime novel.
It is nice to be in at the beginning of what I hope is a new series of crime novels set in the UK. The central character Ridpath is vulnerable and conveys all the emotions we all can recognise - vulnerability, loss of confidence, despondency, de-motivation etc, he is great and entirely believable.
I totally enjoyed this book and assumed that Ridpath's return to work after sick leave meant that there had been previous novels - I was disappointed that there weren't, at this time, more for me to delve back in to to catch up.
Readers will not be disappointed .......More Ridpath please !

A new voice in crime fiction. DI Ridpath is back at work after a long period of sick leave but instead of going back to his old team he is seconded to the coroners office for 3 months. His first job is to sepervise the exhumation of a young woman but when they open the coffin it is empty. Ridpath is tasked with discovering what happened to the body but soon becomes embroiled in finding.a serial killer.

Hugely enjoyable, if a little gruesome in places, this book will have you hooked from the very beginning.

This is the first book in a new series and whilst I enjoyed it, it didn’t quite have me on the edge of my seat.
The story moves along at a steady pace and it’s not really until the final few chapters that the book goes up a notch.
Ridpath is returning to work after a battle with cancer and despite being deemed ‘fit to work’ his superiors place him in the Coroners office rather than his usual Detective role.
He settles in well but can’t help investigating a missing body and soon becomes embroiled in the investigation.
This is a good read but I’m not sure if it kept my interest enough to read the next in the series.
Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I really enjoyed this police procedural, it has a very human protagonist who is on secondment from the police to the Coroners Office. Very tightly plotted serial killer novel with a twist. All of the characters are very believable and Manchester is shown in all of its seedy glory. I look forward to the next book.

Ridpath's fallibility as our main character is appealing in this crime procedural. The cross-over of police and coroner's office added a dimension of research and thus more thought required from the reader: a good thing, really.

The tale bubbled along nicely, the coup de grace in the coroner's court a neat knot around the case.
Just a touch of annoyance in the last paragraph...but in this world of series, I suppose it is inevitable.

I really couldn't get on with this book, I didn't believe in the characters and there was quite a few spelling mistakes

Well wow and wow again what an absolutely fantastic book this is !!!! From page one it grabbed my attention and just never let go and talk about a heart pounding finish, this really had it all.
The storyline was exciting, thrilling and just choc full of interesting information about the coroner’s office which I didn’t know and gave the book real depth. I loved Ridpath he is a wonderful character and really look forward to the next book in this new series as I think he will become a firm favourite of mine with his dry sense of humour and sense of duty so if you want a damn good read well just read this you won’t be disappointed it’s wonderful, my thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for a chance to read the ARC.

DI Thomas Ridpath is returning to work after cancer treatment, but finds that he has been seconded to the Coroner's Office for 3 months. Initially unhappy about this, Ridpath finds that his first investigation leads back to a serial killer case where the perpetrator had been jailed for the past ten years. Or has he?

I thought this was a great first book of a new series. Ridpath was a character that it was easy to feel empathy for. He had some foibles but wasn't a stereotype. The case itself was very well written, if a bit gruesome at times, and I had narrowed it down to 2 people by about halfway through. Would definitely recommend to anyone who likes crime fiction and I will be checking out any future sequels.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Canelo, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

Really good read. Grittty and full of suspense the whole way through. This is a great start to a series. This is a really clever plot which shocks right up to the end. I would definitely recommend this book and I will be looking out for the next in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A clever debut novel with intriguing characters and a twisted plot, told from a different angle to many current crime series but I wouldn't agree with the cover headline of Most Gripping Crime Novel of the year.
The conclusion is perfectly written as a teaser for the next instalment which I'm already looking forward to reading.

Excellent book with a great storyline. Characters that are so well written. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

Excellent, this book had me on the edge of my seat from page one right through to the very end. It began with return to work after nine months of sick leave for DI Ridpath and instead of returning to the frontline he is sent to work in the Coroners Office. During his first couple of days of working for the Coroner he is asked to attend the graveside for an exhumation order of a young woman who was murdered by the Beast of Manchester, when the coffin is checked it is found to be empty except for three breeze blocks. This all coincides with the disappearance of several prostitutes and the bodies of some of them are found mutilated. DI Ridpath is forced to investigate the crimes alone as the police think they already have one in prison and another perpetrator dead.