This is part of a Series based in Manchester.
This is an intense mystery featuring DI Redpath
There are many well developed characters
This is a fast paced and gripping police procedural with some good twists

A troubled policeman must set aside his emotions to stop a killer targeting children. The story kept me reading long into the night. MJ Lee is now on my tbr list of authors with promise.

Ridpath is back at work after the death of his wife. He has to deal with the PTSD, as well as the new case of a murdered boy. It was a thrilling read, even though his wife's death was tragic.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A good mystery/thriller. Perfect weekend read.

Another great addition to the DI Ridpath series. A little bit different to a normal police procedural in that Ridpath is seconded to the Coroners office so you see things from a different angle . Looking forward to the next one!

I enjoyed this book, but having never read the first 5 I think there were pieces of Ridpaths personality I just didn’t get. The author does a good job on making it able to be read as a stand-alone but reading them in order probably would have made it better

This is the 6th in a series about DI Ridpath, and follows him as he returns to work following the death of his wife Polly. It involves Ridpath investigating the murder of a small boy - initially he's asked to look into the case by his boss, because the head of the murder team assigned to investigate seems to have his mind set on one suspect, without considering anybody else to be involved. Ridpath's logical and thorough detective work not only shows that the suspect is totally innocent but that there is a lot more to this case than the original murder team have brought to light. As the case progresses and Ridpath follows the clues, whilst struggling to get his personal life back on track, the real murderer is uncovered. The novel is fast paced and keeps the reader enthralled to the end. I enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great storyline with excellent characters. I would highly recommend this book as it was a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an opportunity to read this book.
I love a Tom Ridpath tale and this does not disappoint........just an ordinary chap in difficult circumstances trying to do his best for EVERYONE except himself. One of my favourites.

When the Evil Waits is the sixth book in the DI Thomas Ridpath series by author M J Lee. The book begins six months after the tense ending to Book #5 When the Past Kills. Although it’s the 6th book in the series, this book can be easily read as a standalone. However I would highly recommend reading it in order as there is a lot of Ridpath’s backstory you would miss otherwise and this is also one of the best police procedural series, you will ever read.

A young boy’s body is found in a meadow beside the River Mersey. No DNA. No witnesses. No clues. After two weeks, the police have made no progress finding the killer. The one thing they do know; he will kill again. It is a race against time – and they are losing. DI Thomas Ridpath has just returned to work. Diagnosed with PTSD and undergoing supervised psychological therapy, he is dragged into the case against his better judgment. When another child is kidnapped, Ridpath must confront his own demons to stop a killer before he strikes again

This is an intense mystery with Ridpath investigating the kidnapping and murder of a young boy. What makes this series different from other police procedurals is solving the crime from a Coroner’s POV and giving the readers an insight into how the coroners operate and the extensive use of forensic evidence. The book is set in Covid-19 times and there are plenty of mentions of the virus, social distancing, masks, etc. which makes it more relatable to current times. The book also manages to keep the distinct threads of the plot separate – Be it Ridpath’s personal life, the murder mystery, or the office politics. The story is fast-paced and the mystery is extremely well written with several twists and turns that will keep you engaged throughout. The unraveling of the mystery is also perfectly plotted, with dead ends and breakthroughs, all leading to a thrilling finale.

While there are many well-crafted characters like Eve, Turnbull, and Chrissy, the story essentially revolves around Ridpath. The personal turmoil in Ridpath’s personal life plays a crucial role in the story. Still struggling to overcome a personal loss and full of guilt, Ridpath still overcomes his personal demons to solve the mystery.

Overall, When the Evil Waits is a fast-paced and gripping police procedural with some exciting twists, plenty of action, and some strong characters. If you love thrillers or police procedural novels, then this is an amazing series to read and this book is a nice addition to an already exciting series.

Many thanks to the publishers Canelo and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is the sixth book in the series featuring DI Ridpath and I think it was one of the best. After his last case Ridpath has taken six months off to come to terms with his wife Polly’s murder. He has been diagnosed with PTSD but has decided it is time to be back at work in the Coroner’s office where he has been seconded. When the naked body of a seven year old boy, David who has been strangled and sexually assaulted is found by a pair of illicit lovers Ridpath realises that this is going to be a difficult case. .DCI Turnbull, who Ridpath dislikes, is heading th enquiry but after two weeks Ridpath is asked to lead a team and review the evidence without Turnbull’s know,edge. Turnbull is convinced that Daivid’s father is guilty of his murder but Ridpath knows he is innocent. Profile suggests that the killer will strike again and he only has three days to find him before he is taken off the case. We find that Ridpath is still struggling with Polly’s death and missing his daughter Eve, who is living temporarily with her grandparents. Ridpath is in remission from his cancer but is still using alcohol as his crutch. This is a great series of books. The story is gripping, exciting and told from Ridpath’s perspective ańd was a book I couldn’t put down. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo Crime for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

You start this book feeling really sorry for Ridpath. I still can't believe his wife died but you start to get frustrated that he's about to screw everything up at home and at work. What follows is a gripping journey through the mess, does he make it out the otherside? Ridpath is one of my favourite police procedural characters but boy does the author like to put him through the mill!

Really good! I couldn't put it down. It was a quick read with twists and turns that led to a good ending. I rate this book a 3.9

I was unaware this is quite far down in the series. I will purchase the first books and read these, and then purchase this. My apologies.

couldn't put this book down its a real page turner I found myself holding my breath many times, my kind of book! Cannot wait for more by this author!

Book 6 in the D.I Ridpath series.

Two dog walkers find the body of a missing child. Two weeks later Ridpath is back from leave and is working on the case. He is asked to look over the case and he feels in his gut that the current investigator is on the wrong path.

This is my first time reading a book in this series but it won't be the last and I am excited to read books 1 to 5.

I obviously have no idea what any of the back story was for Ridpath although some was made clear as the book progresses and it wasn't all that important to engage with the book. Ridpath is an interesting character. I found I loved him and disliked him at the same time. His struggles with the death of his wife play out. The mental health elements that the book really focuses on auditory and visual hallucinations.

The killer is also a pedophile so it was definitely an uncomfortable read so trigger warnings for that.

I was trying so hard to guess who the killer was and I had no idea until they discovered themselves. It's a page Turner! The prose flows so well and I loved how we jumped between Ridpath, the journalist and the killer. I did wonder if there was a back story involving the journalist but I suppose I will have to go back to book one and find out.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend. For all my fellow crime thriller lovers this is a great series! I read as a stand alone and enjoyed so don't be put off if you haven't read them all. Only reason I am giving a 4 star instead of 5 is the constant references to covid 19, I read to escape and would rather not read all about covid.


Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publishers for the digital advanced copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.

The 6th book in the DI Ridpath series, this had me engrossed from the outset as had all the others.

The police procedural case itself was intense but, for me, it was the ongoing storyline of DI Ridpath and his personal struggles that were the highlight.

I'm already eagerly anticipating what happens next for DI Ridpath..

4.5 stars

Another excellent addition to this beloved series.
Great plot and character development, excellent storytelling, a story that kept me on the edge and guessing.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

As always a great story from M J Lee and their character DI Ridpath and the coroner’s office. A sad but really gripping storyline, a real page turner from beginning to end.

I didn’t realise this was sixth in a series but on the whole it didn’t matter as it worked fine as a stand alone although I can see that certain situations would have been clearer if I had known more history. . I liked the characters and the plot was good. I have to admit I didn’t understand the whole attached to the Coroners office bit so in my lazy head I just ignored that fact and read it as if Ridpath was a normal police inspector.
So a very good book but not a brilliant one I was loving it up to the almost the ending but then it failed to convince me of Ridpath’s brilliance which from reading reviews I imagine was more evident in previous books in the series and the “ two weeks later “ chapter was very weak.