I recently was struggling to get into books and finally last night I decided to start reading again. I spent an hour trying to decide which book to read to get back into the groove and finally decided to read this one. And boy was it a good decision as as usual, this book by M.J. Lee was as brilliant as it's explosive. I love DI Ridpath and in this book he was brilliant as usual, And Mr Lee's character creations are absolutely brilliant as is his ability to tell a story, I absolutely detested DCI Turnbull and his constantly poking and baiting Ridpath. And I hated how Mr Lee ended the book, even though it was brilliant. I finished the book in a single sitting and enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you M.J. Lee for helping me get my mojo back. And now to the most annoying part, waiting for the next book even though technically this book isn't even out!!!! 5 stars all the way, And a big thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for giving me this brilliant book in exchange of my honest review.

having never read anything by m j .lee before i will certainly be reading others especially in the DI Ridpath series. Ridpath is a bit of a maverick and likes to do things his own way. Is this time a step to far?????????

I wasn't that enamored with the title, even though it does reflect the goings-on in the book. That said, the synopsis was intriguing, and although I'd not read any of the previous DI Ridpath books, I was hopeful that the character and the writing was fairly mature.By that, I don't mean in age, but in development. There have been some series I've read where the author still doesn't really know what they're doing with their main character until they're ten books in, and it makes reading the books a bit of a chore.

Not so with When the Past Kills: DI Ridpath, recently diagnosed as being free of the cancer that forced him to take time off, is working as an investigator in the Coroner's Office before he can return to the major incident team (MIT). Throughout the book, he's just a guy - albeit a good investigator - trying to balance his work and personal life. Fortunately, he wasn't constantly moping or preoccupied with how his work life interferes with his personal life. When I see that in books, I have to roll my eyes, and I want to yell at the character that they chose this career, and if they wanted one where they could spend more time with their family, they could do that. Otherwise, man up and let's get the story rolling.

Ridpath's old team is now being led by DCI Paul Turnbull, who is exactly like That Guy all of us know: convinced of his own superiority in every aspect, who is in a rush to close out an investigation or case or issue orders without much contemplation about what resources should be set where, kissing the boss' ass, and in general, being an all around terrible person. Turnbull is not pleased that Ridpath is on loan to MIT due to a series of events related to an innocent man being sent to prison before the real killer - who Ridpath helped catch - was caught and sentenced.

The book opens with the coroner being sent a video of the previous coroner being hung. We then backtrack to the desecration of a grave - that of an investigator who was lead on the case that jailed the innocent man. Others are picked off (warning - if you can't abide animals being harmed, do not read this book) one by one as Ridpath and MIT desperately attempt to get one step ahead of the killer, who they are sure is the once-innocent man who is not so innocent any longer.

There are loads of twists and turns, and the only item that really bothered me is something I can't list here without it being a spoiler. Suffice to say that we directly meet a lot of people along the way in this book except one that matters quite a bit. The very end bothered me just a tad, as I'm not a fan of cliffhangers, but I'm more forgiving of those in an established series.

That said, it was an enjoyable read. A solid four out of five stars.

Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for the review copy.

Terrific read!! Revenge at its' best. Wrong man convicted for a crime, spending ten years in jail then released on a miscarriage of justice. Suspenseful, great plot & well written. First time reading this author, won't be my last. Recommend!! Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for a copy of this book.

The Beast of Manchester has haunted DI Ridpath's entire career but just as he sees the chance to move from the coroner's office back to his real job at MIT in Manchester it raises its head once again.

It appears that officers involved in the original case are being targeted and the confrontations broadcast on the dark web. Ridpath is the first to spot the link but his new DCI is less than convinced. Nothing is as it seems however, and actual clues are hard to find. A list of those involved with the case over the past decade is produced and there is only one name deserving of the top spot - DI Thomas Ridpath.

This is a first class murder/mystery/police procedural novel which is outstanding in every way. Without any spoilers in the last few chapters the author somehow raises the tension and action to an even higher level and left me open mouthed in both amazementand admirationof a job very well done. There is nothing to fault here except I can't open book six and continue reading. Without a doubt this will feature very high up on my list of favourite books of 2020.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys taut thriller writing or the previous Ridpath books. In both cases disappointment won't be an issue.

Oh my god! This was a thrilling book with so many twists and turns and such a massive cliffhanger, I can’t wait for the next instalment. #WhenthePastKills #NetGalley

This is book 5 in a brilliant crime thriller series. DI Ridpath is a great character that is not your usual detective. Recovering from Cancer he is struggling to re-establish himself into Greater Manchester Police MIT via a stint working as the Coroner Officer. This story sees a team that previously incarcerated an innocent man for murder being hunted down and revenge taken. Ridpath was part of that team, but he was also part of the team that got the innocent man released by catching the real killer, so is he in danger.

Thanks to NetGalley I have read most of the DI Ridpath novels and they are all great. The story moves on at a good pace and the characters are people you would meet in everyday lives. There are no overinflated characters in MJ Lee's writing. I am always left eagerly awaiting the next instalment and I hope there will be many more !

I would like to thank Netgalley and Canelo for an advance copy of When the Past Kills, the fifth novel to feature East Manchester Coroner’s Investigator, DI Ridpath.

A series of incidents leads Ridpath to suspect that someone is targeting the people involved in an old case referred to as the Beast of Manchester. The problem is that there two cases because the GMP got it wrong the first time and Ridpath was involved in both of them.

I thoroughly enjoyed When the Past Kills which is an event filled read with plenty of twists and turns that I found hard to put down. For the purists the second Beast of Manchester investigation is covered in the first novel in the series, Where the Truth Lies, but it doesn’t matter if you haven’t read it as all the salient points are explained and linked to the current case.

The novel is told mostly from Ridpath’s point of view but there are a few chapters where the unnamed killer emphasises the need to stick to “the plan” but otherwise gives nothing away. Usually I have no interest in this approach but this is handled skilfully and only adds to the intrigue, raising questions about “the plan”, motive and perpetrator. The plot, of course, is highly improbable with a killer who has an array of equipment almost impossible to get hold of in the UK and a fiendish plot so well planned they can kill with impunity but I found it unputdownable, engrossing and highly entertaining. It ends in a cliffhanger for Ridpath, which had me in tears, and I can’t wait for the next instalment.

I wasn’t sure about Ridpath early in the series but I’ve come to love him as a decent man who has a great home life and investigative smarts. In this novel he is transitioning from the Coroner’s Office back to MIT but it’s a bumpy ride as DCI Turnbull doesn’t like him. I was very disappointed that this pedestrian man didn’t get his comeuppance. What? It’s fiction so I can wish for any result I want.

When the Past Kills is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Splitting his time between the coroners office and MIT, Di Thomas Ridpath is tasked by his new DCI who has take an instant dislike to him to investigate the killing of two dogs owned by a former chief superintendent

Also investigating the desecration of a former police officers grave Ridpath is soon to realise that this is all connected to a miscarriage of justice case from 10 years ago

As usual this is a highly addictive read from start to finish

This is the latest instalment in what is, in my opinion, a very strong series. With Ridpath attached to the coroner’s office but still linked to MIT his loyalties always seem a bit divided. Not helped by the pressure from his wife Polly and daughter Eve who want him to take things a bit easier. This is fast paced and there are some scenes you’ll be trying your best not to visualise. I don’t want to reference the ending too much but let’s just say I’m in need of book 6 ASAP

Would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

Ridpath ridpath ridpath has to make a decision ....does he continue working for the coroner or does he go back to his old job and is he actually up to it....

But before the crucial decision he has a case to look into .... a couple of dogs have gone missing and were found in the most gruesome of circumstances... and though it’s not actually the right department for investigating these sorts of crimes the victim is an old chief making a lot of noise...

But as his work also entails working for the coroner his time is still split between departments and whilst there the coroner receives a link to a live broadcast ....


Can ridpath help or hinder the investigation ....

What a cliff hanger of a book .
Brilliantly written as always can’t wait for the next one in this series

I have had the pleasure of reading part 2-4 of M J Lee's DI Ridpath series, having first encountered him via NetGalley at the end of 2018. Oddly this is a series I now look forward to with relish, when I heard that Part 5 WHEN THE PAST KILLS was available I downloaded as soon as possible. The relish was savoured as this book was digested in just under 4 days, Lee writes a plot that is so twisty and turny but with amazing character development as well as touching upon office politics, police culture and in Ridpath an effective everyman who is doing all he can in sometimes unbelievable circumstances.

A joy of a book to read that is the definition of a page-turner in no uncertain times. In these uncertain times, sometimes that is all you need in ways of reassurance.

The latest in the D I Ridpath stories. DI Ridpath is caught up in the latest serial killing which stems from his past. In the first novel featuring DI Ridpath, the wrong man was imprisoned for the murder of Alice Seagram. Ridpath was instrumental in getting the correct killer imprisoned. But someone is not happy, hence the latest serial killings. A brilliant novel and I love the character of Ridpath who is still battling cancer. The usual characters are back, Mrs Challinor at the Coroner’s Office and DCI Turnbull, Ridpath’s senior at MIT where Ridpath is expected to return after his time is up at the Coroner’s Office. Very gripping and a very shocking ending, I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. If you haven’t read any of the books in this series, I cannot urge you enough. A must read.

Love the Ridpath novels. Great writing and premise. Amazing characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing..Definitely looking forward to the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it s

I always enjoy a DI Ridpath book and this one is no different. It keeps you gripped from the outset and you are constantly trying to work out what is going on! SLightly more predictable then usual on the suspect but very enjoyable anyway!

So it was a weird coincidence that I had just read the first book in this series because I thought, hm that sounds interesting, when I received this book from Net galley. And the really funny part is that this book starts where the first book leaves off as far as the case involved. If I had read these in order, and I am planning to read the other three, this would have held more surprises for me. As it was, I was able to figure out the ending pretty easily as the first book was very fresh in my mind.

So as I said, this book recounts some of the case involving a series of serial killings from the first book and a miscarriage of justice that will be righted in this installment. Major characters from the original case are being tried for their involvement in the wrongful prosecution of James Dalbney in the first book. Some of the executions are recorded for Ridpath and his fellow officers to view which definitely ratchets up the tension. Also, a clue is left with each body to point to the next victim on the killer’s list.

Ridpath himself is still working for the coroner, but about to make the change to MIT finally and finds himself at a crossroads in his career. No one has been found to replace him at the coroner’s office and some members of the MIT do not like or want him.

So I was a bit disappointed that I solved it so quickly. That aside, this is a very fast paced and well developed series. I like DI Ridpath’s family and boss, Mrs Challinor. I am planning to catch the middle three books in the series so I am ready for book 6. Thank you to Net galley and the publisher for my ARC to review.

MJ Lee's latest addition to the Manchester based DI Thomas Ridpath crime series is dark and intense, where the ugly past comes back to terrorise and haunt him and Manchester police. Ridpath is a cancer survivor, working with Mrs Challoner at the Coroner's Office, where he has become highly valued and effective. However, after being offered the opportunity to return to MIT by Detective Superintendent Claire Trent, he accepted and is currently splitting his time between MIT and the Coroner's Office, with his post proving to be remarkably difficult to fill. The new head of MIT is DCI Paul Turnbull, a nasty piece of work, has taken against Ridpath, and is willing to do anything to get rid of him. To ease him back in, Ridpath, along with DS Emily Parkinson, has been assigned to the case of the gruesome killing of 2 dogs owned by former Detective Chief Superintendent John Gorman.

When the grave of his former mentor Charlie Whitworth is desecrated, Ridpath begins to fear it might all be connected to the Beast of Manchester case which resulted in a miscarriage of justice with James Dalbey spending 10 years in prison before the real killer, Harold Laudner, was apprehended, one of the victims being Alice Seagram. However, Ridpath who was involved in the case, is not taken seriously until a coroner is murdered and the hunt is on to locate Dalbey, a search that turns out to be inordinately difficult. The narrative is interspersed with insights into the mind of a killer, following a well planned strategy to throw the police off course, whilst continuing his path of murdering others connected with the case. A stressed Ridpath is determined to uncover the truth, his only respite and comfort his close knit family, with the two most important people in his life, his wife, Polly, and daughter, Eve.

This is a fast paced thriller, well plotted, and full of suspense and tension throughout, although it all ends with a final twist and cliffhanger, not my favourite kind of conclusion to a novel. Ridpath is a man of integrity for whom policing is a calling, and despite the reservations of Polly and Eve, needed to return to MIT, but with the ghastly DCI Turnbull in charge, is it all worth it? This needs particular thought, especially as he had more control at the Coroner's office and was able to be so much more effective there, not to mention the fact that he was so appreciated and valued. This addition is a wonderful addition to a wonderfully exciting series, and I look forward to the next in the series. Many thanks to Canelo for an ARC.

A gripping, reader grabbing storyline, but unfortunately a surprising and disappointing end. How can one man, DI Ridpath have a life so full of personal problems carry on with his working life. As a great fan of Ridpath I sincerely hope that he does. No further comments, read for yourself and enjoy?

Ridpath has decided to go back to MIT but for the next two weeks he must split his time between MIT and the Coroner's office.
When retired Detective Chief Superintendent John Gorman's dogs are taken from his home and killed, Ridpath is tasked with investigating the case.
He finds a leaflet for an undertaker at the scene of the dogs' death. When a similar leaflet is found by the desecrated grave of Charles Whitworth Ridpath begins to think the two cases could be linked.
Both men worked on the original Beast Of Manchester case where an innocent man was jailed for the murder of a young woman.
Another man connected to the case is found dead and the team know they need to find out who is behind the crimes before anyone else is harmed, but not everyone in MIT is convinced.
The new DCI, Paul Turnbull, seems to be more concerned with discrediting Ridpath and imposing his authority on the team than working with him. Ridpath and Mrs Challenor could be on the killer's hit list so he will need to work fast to find the killer before anyone else is hurt.
I was totally gripped from the start of this book, it held me until the very last page.