I have been lucky enough to read this series from the start and am now so invested in Ridpath, his daughter, the coroner and the rest of the team, that they feel like real people. What a tv series this would make!! Great plotting and fabulous characters. In the next one, please can Turnbull have a little comeuppance? See, told you I was invested. This is another great read from MJ Lee, whose books are now must-read.

When the Guilty Cry is the latest book in the DI Ridpath series and it is another page turning and highly enjoyable read.

The main characters are well defined and the crime that Ridpath has to investigate is full of twists and turns that ket this reader thoroughly entertained

Definitely recommended

DI Ridpath is back in my favourite crime series. This is the 7th in the series and it is brilliant. Ridpath still on secondment to the Coroner Office and helping out GMP when he is roped in to help solve the crime of 3 hands found in a back pack in a disused children's home, Daisy House. Ridpath is also working on a Coroner case involving the issuing of a Presumption of Death Certificate for a Jane Ryder. Ridpath soon finds the cases are connected.
I loved the police procedurals, the characters and the suspense. If you have not started this series, you are greatly missing out. Cannot wait for the next Ridpath book.

I have read all the Ridpath series so far and all are as great as each other, After nearly losing his job in the police force due to a serious illness he now works with the coroners office. Although he has his imperfections and nobody is perfect he is a very likeable main character. All the other characters gel well together and this series is such an enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book and author.

This is the 7th book in the DI Ridpath series and it still has me hooked. I really enjoy this series, mainly due to the main character DI Ridpath. Ridpath had his career halted when he was suffering from a serious illness and was almost forced out of the police force. He manages to hold on to his job by taking on a role at the Coroners office.

In this latest offering three severed hands are uncovered on a film site at an old children’s home that was closed and abandoned many years ago. DI Ridpath is called on as part of his investigations for the Major Investigation Team (MIT) a job he shares alongside his Coroners Office work. The hands are from three different people, two males and a young female. Because they have been there for some time, he is given just a few days to work the case or it will be passed onto the Cold Case Unit.

In his role at at the Coroners Office he is working on the case of a sixteen-year-old girl who went missing in 2009. Her parents are after a Presumption of Death certificate as her mother has terminal cancer and wants closure before she dies. Ridpath’s investigations uncover that the two cases may be connected, but this is not a popular theory as his bosses are keen to close both cases ASAP.

This is another enjoyable read and this series goes from strength to strength. Great characters and well written plots make this one of my favourite series.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Canelo for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of the D I Ridpath series by this author and they are brilliant. Anyone who hasn’t read any of this series should get to it now.
Another wonderful read and, as I have said before, D I Ridpath is my favourite detective character as he has imperfections and in this one is struggling to be a single parent along with all the other inner battles he has. Although this is one in a series it is easily read as a standalone.

D I Ridpath is part of the Greater Manchester Major Incident Team (MIT) and has been seconded to the coroner’s office and we begin this novel with a scene from an inquest to determine whether a teenager who went missing in 2009 should have a Presumption of Death certificate issued.

Meanwhile three embalmed hands are found in a derelict building which used to be a children’s home. DI Ridpath is given this investigation as the obnoxious DCI Turnbull considers this beneath him to investigate. Ridpath gets assistance from Sophie, at the coroner’s office and Chrissie and Emily at MIT and they work tirelessly for him as he inspires loyalty.

Fast paced with intriguing twists and turns from start to finish and several hardnosed issues faced head on. Another clever part of the plot is linking the covid restrictions into the storyline as this is a subject which we all know a great deal about.

Thank you to NetGalley, Canelo and M J Lee for my ARC of When The Guilty Cry in return for my honest review.

Another exceptional read and highly recommended.

My thoughts about M J Lee’s brilliant seventh book in the DI Thomas Ridpath series When The Guilty Cry, is a absolute edge of your seat thriller,that has full of twists and turns that blows you away with its breathtaking story, and DI Thomas Ridpath’s return is the highlight of this unique thriller. Author M J Lee again delivers yet another masterpiece that not only is good but a brilliant follow up to all the other books. When The Guilty Cry is a well written and well plotted thriller,that will not disappoint when you turn the pages to find out the ending will leave you breathless. The story of When The Guilty Cry starts of with Three embalmed hands are discovered in a disused Victorian house. Is it a gangland ritual? The work of a cult? Or just a prank played by Medical Students? And what happened to the bodies? Meanwhile the Coroner needs to issue a Presumption of Death certificate on a teenage girl who vanished eleven years ago in mysterious circumstances.As hints emerge the two cases are connected, DI Ridpath pushes himself to the limit to find out what really happened. It soon emerges the house is a former children’s home. When another woman, a local social worker, disappears, he is under immense pressure to find answers. What really happened at Daisy House Children’s Home all those years ago? He has just one week to discover the truth. M J Lee’s brilliant writing is truly magnificent and When The Guilty Cry is another addition to the excellent series. When The Guilty Cry is a sure shot winner. I would like to say thank you to Author M J Lee, Netgally and Publishers Canelo,for kindly giving me a gifted copy for me to read and review this spectacular,edge of your seat thriller, I’ve enjoyed reading and and I’m a huge fan of the series. If you’re a fan of Michael Connolly’s Bosch and TV Series Luther then your going to love this one.

Already one of my favourite series, this book is a brilliant addition
Balance is everything in this book, and it’s just about perfect for me
The balance between Ridpaths personal and professional lives, although his daughter would argue differently
The balance between his work for the Coroner, and an investigation his bosses at MIT want him to carry out.
They work perfectly

When the Guilty Cry is another well constructed and well plotted novel in the DI Ridpath series
Still working for the coroners office and the Murder investigation team now a widower looking after his 12 year old daughter Ridpath has his work cut out for him.
Three decayed hands have been found in the wall of an abandoned children’s home, the team need to try discover which three persons the hands belong to, difficult due to degraded fingerprints and lack of DNA.
He is also has to look into the disappearance of a girl who the coroner is going to rule as a presumptive death at the request of the girls parents, she has been missing for over 10 years . When Ridpath discovers a connection to the hands and this missing girl he is determined to discover what happened.
With the time restraints, lacking evidence, hardly anyone in the MIT team working with him, and the addition of the antagonistic DCI Turnbull who is determined to stop Ridpath and claim credit, the politics of his seniors hinder him at every step.
There is a lot going on here with shocks along the way and an ending I didn’t see coming.
An engrossing page turner yet again from this great author.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Canelo for the electronic copy.

Now, this is #7 in the DI Ridpath series, and I've read them all and thoroughly enjoyed them. However, I felt a little disappointed with this one. Yes, once again, Ridpath and Chief Inspector Turnbull are at loggerheads, and Claire Trent is still trying to make the best of a bad job; Ridpath is still trying to balance his work with his teenaged daughter and, again, he's up against the clock as he tries to connect two cases between the Coroner and MIT.

Jane Ryder was 16yrs-old when she disappeared in 2009. Her elderly parents have requested a Presumption of Death certificate from the Coroner. Meanwhile, a film crew had visited the derelict Daisy Nook Children's Home on a ghost hunt where the presenter uncovered a secret compartment. A rucksack containing three severed right hands - one female, two male, was discovered. As Ridpath examines the case of Jane Ryder for the Coroner, DCI Turnbull convinces Claire Trent to use Ridpath on the case of the severed hands.

During his investigations Ridpath becomes convinced there is actually a connection between the two cases - but he's running out of time.

Once again, everything comes together at the very last moment for Ridpath - too late for some though......

This was a good story, but I just didn't like the pages of "dry" case forms exemplified in the narrative - definitely not needed, and I felt the amount of technical detail involved in DNA extraction equally extraneous.

So, M J Lee, I think you've let me down on this one - but of course that's just my opinion!

I was so thrilled to given the ARC of this the seventh book in the stupendous DI Ridpath series and oh boy it was good!
Thomas Ridpath is at the top of the list in my favourite book characters there is just something so genuine about him with all his flaws, dealing with all that life throws at him in his own way it’s all credit to MJ Lee’s brilliant writing creating such a great character that you really do grow to love and care about.
The book of course is a brilliant one but I never had any doubts about that each and every time I pick up the next in the series I know it’s going to be a five star read my only disappointment is that the book has to end and I know I will miss Ridpath and all the other regular characters till the next time.
The plot is a brilliant one and kept me guessing till the very satisfying end and as usual Ridpath is not only dealing with a case but with the party politics in MIT mainly in the shape of DCI Paul Turnbull who annoyed the hell out of me!
So I can’t fault the book in any way I loved everything about it and now have an impatient wait till the next and a massive thank you to Mr Lee for yet again another 5 star read.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Canelo for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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.

Manchester based DI Thomas Ridpath is full of disquiet at the inquest of Jane Ryder who disappears aged 16 in 2009. The intention is to issue a Presumption of Death certificate to her parents. Does his sense of foreboding link to a grisly discovery made by a film crew at Daisy Nook Children’s Home seven days ago, the home closed in 2006 in the wake of Operation Pharaoh into those associated with Jimmy Saville? He is certain the cases connect, even more so when a local councillor is reported missing. However, can he convince his boss Mrs Challinor at the Coroners Office and Detective Superintendent Claire Trent at MIT as it’s highly unlikely he’ll convince DCI Paul Turnbull who is still intent on making Ridpath’s life impossible.

I really like this series which always feel authentic. The character of Ridpath is very likeable, he’s intuitive, famous for his hunches, hardworking and inspires loyalty in people like Sophie Rahman at the Coroners Office and Emily Parkinson and Chrissy Wright at MIT. Although Turnbull is deeply unlikeable as he’s brusque (polite word for rude) and ambitious, taking every opportunity to stab Ridpath in the back, their ‘battle’ does add a good element to the novels. I do hope the author has plans for Turnbull to get his comeuppance! Ridpath’s daughter Eve is a fabulous character, so smart and funny and I especially enjoy the dialogue between father and daughter. Their relationship also serves to demonstrate the dilemma of serving officers with the demands of family (particularly important here following the death of his wife) and the job pulling in the opposite direction.

The background of Covid making things extra hard with staff shortages and the pressure to deliver results yesterday with limited resources gives the books a realistic feeling. Although Covid is mentioned it’s not overplayed by any means I’m pleased to say. I enjoy the Coroner’s angle the books have now taken which makes them just a bit different from normal detective series. The storyline is interesting with plenty of twists, turns and blind alleys, the pace is good and the deeper you go you also feel Ridpath’s disquiet as it’s clear something very dark is at work. It’s a strange, perplexing and difficult case which begins to connect cleverly. The final discoveries are gruesome and shocking.

Overall, this is a good addition to an excellent series, it’s a grim one and where indeed the guilty do cry ......

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Canelo for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Ghost Hunters are making a film at the site of an old children’s home that was closed and abandoned many years ago. The ‘hunters’ come across a hidden rucksack, inside are three severed hands.

DI Ridpath is called as part of his investigations for the Major Investigation Team (MIT) a job he shares alongside his Coroners Office work. The hands are from three different people, two males and a young female. Because they have been there for some time, he is given just a few days to work the case or it will be passed onto the Cold Case Unit.

Ridpath is already working on a case for the Coroners Office too, that of a sixteen-year-old girl who went missing in 2009. Her parents are after a Presumption of Death certificate as her mother has terminal cancer and wants closure before she dies.

It soon comes to light that the two cases could be connected, but with circumstantial evidence, his bosses on both sides want these cases closing, and Ridpath is running out of time fast.

Author M J Lee is back with the seventh instalment of his DI Ridpath series set in Manchester, UK. Ridpath is feeling overworked and underappreciated as he races to close the case of the severed hands and to make sure that there is no evidence that the young girl who went missing in 2009 is still alive so a Presumption of Death certificate can be given to her family.

Just like the previous six books I was gripped to this one reading it in just two sittings. I absolutely adore this series and look forward to every new book. Ridpath is an old-school detective who not only relies on the intelligence and data but his instincts too, something which gets up the noses of one of his bosses at MIT who hasn’t a good word to say about him and would love nothing more to be rid of him.

The pacing of the book didn’t feel quite a fast as the previous six, but I suspect that this is to do with the cases both being old, even if the hands had just been discovered. The secondary characters who work alongside Ridpath were back and as usual, we also get short chapters that do not feature Ridpath, normally from the killer he is hunting, this time they are from a missing person.

If you love realistic, captivating police procedural/detective thrillers then this is the series to pick up. When the Guilty Cry was an immersive read that was so amazing, addictive, and twisty. It had me rushing through the pages confident that Ridpath would work out both the cases, although one of them did come as a shock and wasn’t the outcome he was expecting. Now bring on book eight!!

We return to Manchester in MJ Lee's latest in the DI Thomas Ridpath series, working at the Coroner's Office, under Covid restrictions, for Mrs Challoner and for MIT, under the nightmare leadership of DCI Paul Turnbull, who can't wait to get rid of him, and he is not fussy about how he achieves this. Manchester Police are frustrated and suffering after being put under special measures, under unbelievable stresses, understaffed, under-resourced, with officers expected to get results out of thin air. A popular UK Ghosthunters podcast, presented by Ian Rodgers, are at the house of horror that was the Daisy House Children's home, notorious for children that were abused and traumatised, a place where Jimmy Saville used to volunteer. The police Operation Pharaoh saw 4 people convicted, but others were suspected, but there was insufficient evidence.

The podcast team are there at night, looking for paranormal activity, but instead stumble over an all too real macabre find, a hidden backpack with 3 embalmed human hands, two male and one female. In charge of the inquiry is DS Dave Connor, with his eye on retirement, and to help him he gets Ridpath. Ridpath rightly deduces they are being set up to fail, and he has the added burden of investigating a 16 year old girl, Jenny Ryder, who went missing in 2009, and has never been seen since. Her parents, James and Maureen, are wanting Mrs Challoner to issue a Presumption of Death Certificate, requiring it urgently as Maureen is dying. It soon becomes apparent that both inquiries are connected, and all roads lead to Daisy House, in a case where multiple individuals have disappeared over the years.

Lee depicts a police service buckling under the kind of strains that threaten its abilities to deliver the public service expected of them. The police hierarchy push the pressures onto the officers below them, and exacerbating the circumstances are the manipulative and underhand politics that go with it, illustrated by the ambitious backstabbing DCI Turnbull. It's wonderful to see the return of the supporting characters working their socks off for Ridpath, his assistant, Sofia Rahman, civilian researcher, Chrissy, and out of favour DS Emily Parkinson. As always, one of the highlights of this series are the informative processes and details that take place in the Coroner's Office. This is a great addition to this terrific series, with the widowed Ridpath struggling to raise his lively daughter, Eve, as a single father, given the all consuming demands of his job. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

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

Ridpath and the team have not one high pressure case to deal with but two. The cases are too bizarre not to be linked but the connection is difficult to find. The conclusion leaves both Ridpath and the coroner questioning their priorities.

When you front a ghost finding podcast you don't expect to find actual flesh and blood body parts falling at your feet! Daisy House used to be a children's home, it was closed amidst a flurry of abuse accusations but now thanks to a thirst for evidence of the paranormal, it is, once again, a crime scene.  DI Ridpath, MIT detective and coroner's representative is called to view the gruesome discovery which he knows will lead to more headlines for the disused building. Three right hands, all preserved, but with no accompanying bodies, is just the beginning of a case he knows will be challenging.

At the same time the Coroner has given him a week to find any evidence to prove a missing girl from over a decade ago is either dead or alive. Ridpath knows he's got long days and very little downtime ahead of him but his daughter, Eve, is still mourning her mother as he is, and she needs his time and attention too. Every waking minute seems full, with results just out of reach, is he too busy to see what should be obvious to anyone if he had a little more time available?

Oh this is good, it is so good! For six previous books Tom Ridpath has travelled a lonely road, always in tight, well written, entertaining novels, with the power to grab the reader and not let go. The seventh is no different, in fact it maybe even better because of a simple part of a complex plotline which makes Ridpath's job almost impossible, the inexorable march of time he doesn't have!

Once again the main protagonists are all waiting to fall into their rightful places along with old and new antagonists to try everyone's patience! The story itself is horrifically grim but never in a way which makes you want to stop reading or skip pages. I found myself desperately wanting to find out what happened without finishing a book which was a pleasure to read. M J Lee is a first class police procedural writer and Ridpath an equally brilliant main character who I hope has many more investigations left in him.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. This is an excellent, must read book available just as the nights draw in.