I’d like to thank Canelo and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Where The Innocent Die’, the fourth in the DI Ridpath series written by M J Lee, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Time is against DI Thomas Ridpath as he investigates the death of Wendy Tang while she’s being held at the Immigration Removal Centre. The initial pathology report pronounces her death to be suicide but the Coroner, Mrs Challoner, needs to be certain before releasing her body to her family to take home to China. Ridpath has just days to discover the truth but is it enough?

‘Where The Innocent Die’ is another exciting instalment in DI Ridpath’s work with the Coroner’s office. The story is well-written and has lots of suspense, drama, possible suspects and twists and turns, and I was gripped from the start. Ridpath is a very likeable character who treats his colleagues fairly and has a devoted family, and although he has a health problem that could affect his work he doesn’t let it make a difference. As the story nears to an end the tension is palpable and it gets so exciting I couldn’t read fast enough. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed meeting with Ridpath again who’s just like an old friend and long may the series continue.

I enjoyed reading this book and I felt that the story was well executed.

The characters had depth and added a lot to the overall sense of the book and it was very enjoyable to keep turning the pages.

I have read all of this series and have thoroughly enjoyed them all. This book had me gripped from the start. I love the characters and watching their own stories evolve.
We'll done on another fantastic edition to the series. Can't wait for the next one.

Another very well written book by M J Lee...this is the 4th in the series of DI Ridpath tomes. I've only read books 3 and 4, and I guess if I had to choose I found the subject matter of 3 slightly better for my personal tastes, however this book flows easily, and draws you in to find the answers...I'll definitely be looking out for books 1 and 2 in the series! Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for giving me an advanced review copy of this excellent book!

This is the second DI Ridpath I have had the pleasure to read. The setting is interestingly different, with a Detective Inspector from Greater Manchester Police being deployed to the role of Coroner’s Investigator on his return from cancer treatment. The author cleverly uses the different focus of the Coroner’s exploration of unexplained deaths to bring a subtly different perspective to what might turn out to be a criminal investigation.

This book weaves together aspects of illegal immigration, human trafficking and the sometimes controversial aspects of private sector detention facilities. DI Ridpath’s investigation has a well-maintained momentum, with supporting characters given a pleasing depth. The denouement may stretch credulity to a limited degree, but it’s all in a good cause and most readers will be drawn to finish the book in one, or perhaps two, sittings. It’s not great literature but it’s a satisfying ‘sort of’ police procedural.

I absolutely love this series and each book gets better and better. As with the other you can still read this book as a stand alone because there is always a new story. The back story followers Ridpath, DI who is getting back to work after having cancer. The character is real and likeable which add depth to plot.

It was easy to assume that the death of the young Chinese girl at the Immigrant Removal Centre was suicide. Her throat was cut, there was a lot of blood and the knife was on the floor at the side of the bed, She was due to be deported that day. But... how did the knife get into the secure centre and why was the girl's room the only one which was unlocked? DI Thomas Ridpath, the coroner's officer, is sent to investigate and he quickly becomes suspicious, There's a snag though: the inquest is due to open in a couple of days' time, the girl's parents are coming over from China and they want to take their daughter's body home with them. Ridpath has just five days to solve the case. The coroner is disinclined to delay the inquest: for her, it's about giving closure to the parents.

It's book four in the series but it reads perfectly well as a standalone. If you've read earlier books in the series you'll know that Ridpath had been off sick (with cancer) from Manchester's Major Incident Team, but, on his return, he was seconded to the coroner's office, just to be certain that he really was healthy, naturally. He surprised himself by finding the work interesting and rewarding - and he and his wife, Polly, both liked the fact that he had regular hours. Well, he had regular hours most of the time, but Ridpath was never one to allow justice not to be served for the sake of putting in a bit of extra time.

I was pretty certain that I knew who the murderer was and I was proved correct, but I was working on instinct (there are people you just dislike on principle) rather than reasoning and that's not good enough in a court of law. It's interesting to see the differences between the coroner's court and a criminal court and M J Lee makes a good job of distinguishing between the two and also of showing that the coroner is there to defend the deceased rather than to establish who committed a particular crime.

The characterisation is good - although I did get a little tired of the curly grey hair of Mrs Challoner, the coroner. There's a good mix of rivalries, friendships and downright enmity within the police force and the coroner's office and it was interesting to watch the interactions: they had a lifelike feel to them. It was good, too, to see how immigrants are regarded and treated and there was plenty of food for thought about the whole system.

It's a good read, with plenty of twists and turns and I'd like to thank the publishers for making a copy available to the Bookbag.

If you'd like to start from the beginning of the series, begin with Where the Truth Lies.

4th in the deftly plotted DI Ridpath crime series set in Manchester, M.J.Lee’s ‘Where The Innocent Die’ is a really great addition.

When a young Chinese woman is found dead in an Immigrant Removal Centre with her throat cut, it looks like a cut and dried case of suicide, but DI Ridpath, who is now working for the Coroners office whilst recovering from cancer, finds that all is not what it seems, and this investigation takes him into a world of illegal immigrants, people trafficking, seedy ‘gentlemen’s’ clubs, and organised crime.

Ridpath’s boss, Chief Coroner Margaret Challoner, is determined to get justice for the young woman, but with the inquest arranged for 5 days time, and the dead woman’s parents arriving from China to take their daughter’s body back home, it doesn’t give Ridpath long to get to the truth, but quite frankly he’s thwarted at every turn, not only by the local police, but by the Immigration Centre also, and needless to say, it ratchets up the tension dramatically, not least because other murders follow with the same M.O.

Ridpath is an easy character to like, and he has a great working relationship with his boss Margaret Challenor, - each respectful of the other, and both having the same aim, although they might go about it in different ways. However, with the days counting down, and time running out, it leads to a thrilling read and a breathless conclusion. With a terrific storyline and great insight into the immigration system, this is another winner for author M.J. Lee.

Another exciting chapter in the DI Ridpath series. A death in a secure deportation centre sets the scene in what at first appears a suicide becomes a murder inquiry when the coroner and her investigator Ridpath become involved. With his previous cancer diagnosis and treatment hanging over him the tale takes evermore twists with more deaths all in the same manner. A frantic climax ensues with our hero facing a choice at the end that his answer will only be revealed in the next episode!

Where the Innocent Die is the fourth book in the D.I. Ridpath series by author M.J. Lee, and my first foray into this series.

Formerly of Major Investigation Team, D.I. Ridpath has been transferred to the Coroner office after a successful bout with cancer. Not content of the routine job it usually is, he keeps using his detective skills to uncover previously undetected crimes, not always winning brownie points from his fellow coppers.

Appropriately, Ridpath doesn’t aim to please. He’s a no-nonsense detective, expert at applying pressure when needed, whatever the consequences. His tendency to unnerve people doesn’t phase him in the slightest, quite the contrary.

When the coroner tasks him to investigate the suspicious death of a detainee at a private immigrant detention center, Ridpath discovers a botched investigation by the OIC, uncooperative administrators at the center’s administration, and is determined to uncover the truth about what he quickly thinks was a murder. However, the inquest is planned a few days later, and the coroner doesn’t intend to postpone it.

As she often reminds Ridpath, for the coroner’s office, « who did it is less important than when it happened, where it happened, how it happened, and how it could be prevented from happening again ». The Coroner is adamant at wanting to release the victim’s body to her grieving parents at the end of the planned inquest, with no further delay.

It’s then a race against time beginning for Ridpath. Fortunately, even if he’s kind of a maverick, he has allies to count on to help him when needed.

The topic is somber, and there is relevant social commentary on how migrants are treated in the UK, even legal ones, in a system seemingly favoring profit over basic human dignity. The atmosphere is appropriately bleak, reinforced by a writing style I would categorize as « modern noir pulp ».

The conflict between the aforementioned coroner’s philosophy and Ridpath’s still present copper mentality makes for a very interesting dynamic, and several conversations between them on this topic are food for thought.

The focus, in the latter chapters, on the inquest proceedings (while Ridpath unravels the mystery in alternating sequences) also gives us a very interesting insight on a little known part of the judiciary system, and rivals in intensity the best « Law » sequences of the (often underrated) Law & Order TV series.

In the end, it’s solid police work and determination from Ridpath and his team that allow them to salvage the initially botched investigation. That, as always, is way more satisfying than surprise witnesses, magic clues falling from the skies, or convenient deus ex machina informants too often found in crime literature.

All in all, this book was an excellent read, not only for the mystery, but also for all the reasons stated above. It’s a book with depth, which leaves us thinking long after closing the back cover.

Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for the ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.

I do so love the main character of DI Ridpath,he seems so 'real' to me. An everyday guy dealing with his personal problems with a slight devil may care attitude. Getting the job done and jiggling responsibilities between 2 bosses and family.
I also liked the characters of his boss the coroner,his staff,the small everyday niggles in the office and his police boss too.
This book is a brilliant read. Such a good storyline. It kept me gripped right to the last page.
This author is rapidly becoming one of my favourites and I look forward t9 reading more if Ridpath.

This series and the author are a safe bet. Well crafted plot, interesting characters, and a good ending. Recommended to mystery fans.

A young Chinese woman is found dead in an Immigration Detention Centre near Manchester. Initial investigations suggest suicide. A month later, and just three days before the inquest, DI Ridpath is called to investigate. He has until the end of the inquest, just five days in total.

A taut, fast-paced, police procedural. The tension steadily ratchets up to a dramatic ending. Very well written, I think this is the best yet in the Ridpath series. The book can be enjoyed standalone, but I'd recommend the earlier books.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Canelo for my ARC of the fourth book in the series. This is an excellent Manchester crime series featuring DI Ridpath, working in the Coroner's office. The body of a young woman is found dead in a detention centre, an apparent suicide. The plot was very topical with illegal immigrants, organised crime and corruption. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend the series. It's an easy 5*.

Thank you Net galley. I have become a fan of the Ridpath series and was waiting eagerly for this one. I was not disappointed. It was very enjoyable and I am eagerly awaiting the next one.

I've enjoyed these books from the beginning, so it's great to be back with DI Ridpath and Co on another investigation. This is book four in the series, and with all such series, its more fulfilling to read from the beginning in terms of relationships and character development, however the investigations are standalones and there's no issue in reading out of order.
This book explores Ridpath's doubt about a suicide verdict, and he is under pressure to investigation and seek the truth.before the Coroner's Office release the body to the family.

Smart, cleverly plotted and driven crime investigations with an unusual but likeable investigating police inspector. This book, and indeed the whole series, comes highly recommended. .

Detective Inspector Ridpath is definitely one of my favourite characters. I love that he always fights for justice no matter what. Whether it be the Queen, or in this case an illegal Chinese immigrant, he will fight to find justice for them and do everything he can to find their murderer. This was yet another great read by M J Lee.

This was my first experience of DI Ridpath, but that did not detract from this story. It has an unusual premise, the death in a seemingly secure detention centre for asylum seekers, which is being treated as suicide. Ridpath has serious doubts, and persuades the coroner that this can’t be the case, so she sets him working against the clock as the sole investigator working on behalf of the Coroner’s office, with the inquest due to start in a few days. However due to his own diligence and some suspect statements from the employees at the centre, he manages to have the crime flagged up as a possible murder, and joins the MIT team to investigate fully.
It’s a solid enough police procedural, but the constant use of ‘Ridpath’ being used to begin and end every conversation and team meeting interaction, became extremely irritating to this reader - even his wife addresses him as Ridpath - who does that?
A couple of sloppy errors which should have been edited, such as the pathologist carrying out a post-mortem ‘ on the dead body now’ ! And Ridpath finding a brand new passport of a suspect where his ‘broadly grinning face’ stared up at him - no smiling faces are allowed on UK passports, far less broad grins.
The ending was no great surprise, and felt a bit rushed, but this was a good enough yarn which I would rate 3.5 stars.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

Another brilliant instalment in the Ridpath series. This is book 4 in the series but they are all great reads. Plenty of twists to keep you reading and I didn’t guess the culprit until the end. It’s best to read the series from the beginning to get the background story on Ridpath. I highly recommend this book and series, you’re in for a treat.

With thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC.

DI Redpath is back for the 4th installment of this excellent series.

When Wendy Tang is found with her throat cut in an Immigrant Removal Centre everyone assumes it's suicide.
Well, everyone except the local coroner, Mrs Margaret Challoner.
She tasks Redpath with investigating the death with the utmost urgency as the inquest into her death is in just 5 days.

Redpath is met with a brick wall of resistance at every turn. The local police, the Centre staff and everyone involved.

This is a roller-coaster of a story and the timescale involved makes it all the more tense.
Excellently written as usual and the series continues to excel.