As usual M J Lee has come up trumps with this new ridpath instalment. This is rapidly becoming one of my favourite series of books. I hope they just keep on coming and developing. I can’t wait for the next one. #WhattheShadowsHide #NetGalley

Another brilliant book in the DI Ridpath series.
This one gets off to an action packed start with the Coroner being attacked and left for dead.
Ridpath tries to get involved in the investigation but is soon told to stay away.
He does however, have his hands full investigating the death of two young people who were found sealed in a building.
The Coroner wanted him to help with this case and it soon becomes clear she had also been looking into it.
This book has lots of threads and it’s great how it all comes together at the end.
A great read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The ninth book in this exciting series featuring D I Thomas Ridpath. As usual Ridpath is trying to juggle being a single parent with working as a coroner's officer and being seconded to Greater Manchester Police major incident team. Six months earlier two bodies had been discovered behind a bricked up doorway. They appear to have been there for 15 years. The original police investigation has drawn a complete blank, now Ridpath and his small team have just a few days to make a breakthrough.
As with the previous books in the series, this is a well-plotted story. The excitement and the action gather pace as Ridpath solves the mystery. I particularly enjoyed the genealogical element to the story. I read this is one session, unable to put the book down. A very enjoyable read.

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

Two bodies, a male and female, have been discovered in a bricked-up derelict warehouse where they’ve been left to die since 2008. Now, fifteen years later, Ridpath is instructed as part of his job with the Greater Manchester Police to investigate but is given just eight days despite other officers failing after six months. With the help of DS Emily Parkinson, civilian researcher Chrissie Wright and freelance genetics expert Jayne, they reveal a connection between these two bodies plus further cases that have taken place around the country. But their investigation isn’t helped by the disagreeable temporary Coroner, Clarence Montague, who seems to enjoy making himself unpopular.

I’ve been avidly following DI Thomas Ridpath from the very beginning and now we’ve reached book nine entitled ‘What The Shadows Hide’, it’s by far the most exciting and involving thriller in the series and so gripping that I’ve been unable to put it down despite recovering from covid. This thriller has all the excitement, intrigue and suspense I’ve come to expect from M J Lee and the twists and turns have kept me on tenterhooks trying to guess the identity of the killer, which I did although not till I’d nearly reached the end. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading more of Ridpath who’s a likeable and fair person and treats his colleagues with respect, and following his daughter Eve as she grows up. Long may the series continue especially as we’re left with a cliffhanger!! Five stars out of five although I’d give more if I could.

I have never read this author or previous instalments of this series and I think that might have to change. I loved the story, the characters, the world they inhabit. It helped massively that it was set in Manchester, a city I love and that I lived in for several years. It really does add to the real-worldliness.

Although this is clearly part of a series I didn't feel that I needed to have read the previous books as there were enough details and backstory for this to standalone.

It is not often that a book keeps me guessing throughout as to who may have committed the crime or where a twist might occur but this one kept me guessing until right near the end. Bravo MJ Lee!

This is a great read for lovers of mystery and police procedurals. You may also find yourself learning a lot about genealogy which I found fascinating.

Overall a great read that I highly recommend. Grab your copy from 23rd March!

Thank you to @canelo_co and NetGalley UK who provided me with an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I have had the pleasure of following the Ridpath series from the first entry, and it is so incredible to see a series that keeps growing and getting better and better. Ridpath is involved with a cold case of two buried bodies and the in depth research and detective work he and his faithful colleagues must go through shows the determination and grit of human spirit.

The plot is so meticulously detailed and rich with twists and turns.
This was a joy to read and perhaps my favourite book of the eight so far.

Another great Ridpath book with a clever plot line. An intriguing story involving a cold case, fast paced and totally engrossing.

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

This book had an interesting start and gave us a good background to Ridpath’s job. Although this book is deep into the series, but I didn’t feel confused reading it out of order. There are several storylines going and we get several POV which made the story varied and interesting. It was fast-paced and I was eager to get to the resolution at the end. I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more by M J Lee. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

As usual in my reviews I will not rehash the plot - there are plenty of reviews like that out there already.

I've read all the books in M J Lee's Ridpath series, and have been looking forward to this - the 9th in the series - since I finished the last one!

In this latest book, Ridpath and his trusty team are faced with a seemingly impossible task in a very short timescale. The cast of familiar characters is joined by some new faces - great characterisation as usual - some rather more pleasant than others!.

I realy enjoyed this novel, the background detail of the "genetic genealogy" aspect was fascinating to me.
Also great to have more insights into Ridpath's home life, with his daughter Eve growing up fast!

Without giving anything away - prepare for a cliffhanger! Already looking forward to finding out what happens next ... roll on the next book in the series!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers (Canelo) for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Big thanks to both Canelo Crime and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of What the Shadows Hide.

Expected publication March 23, 2023

To love and to cherish, till death did them part... Dubbed the Romeo and Juliet murders by the press, so many questions remain unanswered!

What the Shadows Hide is the 9th book in the series, and the first one I've read. That led to my being a bit confused at the beginning of the book but before long I was totally enthralled! There is nothing like getting a cold case file that has been worked on for six months, and being told that Ridpath and his team have a week to see if they can solve it! The story is told in the voice of the killer and also in Ridpath's voice. I really liked how genetic genealogy was thrown into the mix, as well.

I would have probably rated What the Shadows Hide 5 stars, except for one thing. What was with the cliffhanger??? Arrgh! I wonder if this author ends all of his books that way? Anyway, great book! Just prepare yourself for the cliffhanger.

It’s such a tonic to read how D.I. Ridpath my favourite detective and his daughter are getting on.
In this book he finds himself investigating an old case where they found two young people whom they named Romeo and Juliet dead in a blocked room,, after further investigation it appears they could have a serial killer on their hands who could have been killing for years.

I just loved it his stories are getting better with every book it keeps you on the edge of your seat so many twists and turns can’t praise it enough and can’t wait for the next one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for ARC

Best one yet. Another complex case for Ridpath and his trusty team. Great bunch of characters and an intriguing cold case to solve.

DI Thomas Ridpath is back in his ninth outing. For those of you who don’t know the books, DI Ridpath works for both the Coroners Office and MIT (Major incident Team) for Great Manchester Police.

In this latest instalment, Ridpath is given what seems like an impossible case by his boss at MIT. She wants him working a cold case that detectives have been trying to solve for the last 6 months. She knows Ridpath has some unorthodox ways of working and the case needs solving asap, in fact, he is given just one week to solve it.

6 Months ago two bodies were found in a warehouse set for demolition. They had been placed in a room, alive, which had then been bricked up and they were left to starve and dehydrate to death. In the last 6 months, nothing has been solved about the case, even who the two people were, all they know is that they are young adults, one male and one female.

Alongside this case, Ridpath is also working on another, though he has been warned not to, but this one is personal. Plus, there is a new temporary Coroner in town who likes things done to the letter of the law and every I dotted and T crossed. She does not like Ridpath’s style of working.

What the Shadows Hide is a fast-paced police procedural novel featuring one of the most interesting and likable detectives I have read, DI Ridpath. He is quite hot-headed, very determined, and thinks outside the box, he works outside it too, which doesn’t bode well with some.

The plot is gripping and I raced through it. I loved how complex the case was. Who kills by shutting their victims in a room with just one bottle of water between them and leaving them to die? Most killers want to see their victims die or the aftermath, but not this one.

What the Shadows Hide is thrilling and exciting. It makes you feel on edge at times and laugh at others, especially the humorous moments between Ridpath and his daughter Eve. I also love that we get to be inside the killer’s head randomly throughout.

If you haven’t read any books in this series (you are so missing out) I suggest you start at the beginning with Where the Truth Lies as to enjoy this series fully you need to understand Ridpath’s attitude and you can only do that by starting with book one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review "What The Shadows HIde", the 9th and latest entry in the DI Ridpath series by MJ Lee.
Question: How do you solve a cold case in eight days, where there is absolutely no evidence even after the original investigation went absolutely nowhere in 6 months?
Answer: Work your bloody tails off and try every possible alternative investigative option there is.
The main question in this one is has there been a serial killer at work for years without anyone being the wiser?
At the same time that Ridpath and his team are assigned what has been dubbed "The Romeo And Juliet Case", the coroner (and one of Ridpath's few supporters) is savagely attacked and lies in hospital unable to identify her attacker, who may or may not have a link to Ridpath's case - but he'll never know.
Of course, Ridpath along with his team get stuck right in on the case and look for any possible break, no matter how miniscule. Because the bodies have never been identified there's no knowing if they were husband and wife, brother and sister, lovers... and there was absolutely no evidence left behind (or so it's believed).
Whilst dealing with a temporary, extremely difficult, coroner, the dearth of evidence in his case, his teenage daughter and even an assault upon Ridpath himself, he comes inch by inch to what appears to be the truth of the case, assisted by what has become the latest investigative tool - genealogical tracing using DNA.
MJ Lee has built up the characters in this series, book by book, and we continue to witness the various interactions; as well, there's a new arrival to the team and the reader gets to witness the first interactions.
Recommended for fans of the series and would probably be okay as a standalone read.

Another brilliant book in this series. I just love Ridpath and the relationships he has with the other characters. A great storyline with a few twists that I thought I knew who the murderer was but I was wrong. Great writing style and I read in 2 sittings as I couldn’t put it down. Brilliant author and series I highly recommend. I can’t wait for the next book.

MJ Lee's Manchester based series featuring DI Thomas Ridpath continues to be compulsive fare, it remains a favourite with me with it's unusual but fascinating focus on Ridpath working for the Coroner's Office under Mrs Margaret Challoner, a woman determined to give a voice to the dead, and simultaneously serving on the Great Manchester Police MIT, his boss Superintendent Claire Trent. It's a stressful and pressuring position, particularly with the strains of public sector budget cuts, but it's a role Ridpath is committed to, it plays hell with any concept of a work-life balance, particularly important with the guilt he feels as a grieving widower and father, with a 13 year old daughter, Eve, who he is unable to spend much time with.

Here Ridpath is handed the reins of a cold case inquiry which after 6 months has failed to make any progress in identifying two young victims, named by the media as Romeo and Julie, walled in a room since 2008 and discovered mummified. They remain unidentified, and the killer is still at large. He is given a mere 8 days to solve a heinous crime with no leads whatsoever, and has only the help of Chrissy Wright and DS Emily Parkinson. Matters are exacerbated with Challoner's life hanging by a thread after a hammer attack close to her home. Racing against time to bring himself up to date, Ridpath is forced to take a different approach, this leads to him bringing in former police officer, Jayne Sinclair, now a genealogist, who donates her time for free. Is it possible Challoner's harrowing attack is connected with the Romeo and Juliet case?

Ridpath is fortunate in having such a good assistant in Sofia Rahman at the Coroner's Office, his life has improved with a much better new boss in Glaswegian DCI Steve Carruthers. However, it it is now blighted by the troubling Clarence Montague, taking over from Challoner, a bully throwing his weight around, Ridpath is going to need the support of Trent in handling him. This is a gripping and thrilling addition, packed with suspense and tension, and includes a thread giving the perspective of a serial killer intent on doing everything necessary to escape detection. Fans of the series are likely to love this, as will new readers who enjoy the crime and mystery genre. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Another great installment in the Ridpath series with a huge cliffhanger. I figured it out about 2/3 of the way through but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the book.

Ridpath is struggling still after Polly’s death and Eve is now a teenager. His friend and boss, Mrs Challinor, has some suspicions and investigates on her own before she brings Ridpath in to help.

Sometimes I feel bad for how oppressed he always seems to be at work by his managers. Can’t we give this guy a break? He has been through a lot! Love his hand picked team and the camaraderie they share.

Thank you Netgalley and Canelo Crime for giving me the opportunity to read and review the ARC. Can’t wait to find out what happens next in the series.

Ridpath's problems just get more difficult - mummified bodies come his way as an old cold case. The Coroner is exploring old files secretly then gets seriously attacked and spends much of the book in ICU. The stand-in Coroner is a jobs worth so, needless to say, he and Ridpath
don't hit it off. Really, who needs to be told how to format a report and how to use/not use the Oxford comma? As usual Ridpath is over-working, his police compatriots are being difficult, his daughter growing up all too fast but it's a thorough, fast paced read and one of the best. I especially like the inclusion of Jayne Sinclair, an investigative genealogist and another of Mr Lee's characters, brought in to help to identify the mummified bodies. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

I absolutely love this series, DI Ridpath is just so great. If I had a murdered family member or friend he’s the copper that I would want on the case because he never gives up fighting for what he believes in, even if it keeps getting him in trouble with the powers that be.