I really enjoyed the previous three novels in the DI Ridpath series. Once a high-flying policeman, Ridpath is now working at the Coroner’s Office after a serious illness. This novel begins with a grisly discovery inside an Immigrant Removal Centre and thus begins a fight against time to work out what actually happened. Ridpath is a character the reader really cares about, and having followed him through four cases now, I am really looking forward to the next one. Highly recommended.

This is another cracking book from L J Lee, and I just love the characters. A mysterious death has occurred in the Immigration Centre and no-one can understand how it happened. Poor Ridpath is rushed off his feet, and he’s still not on full form after his cancer treatments, he’s worried about his blood tests, MIT are putting pressure on him, and so is the Coroner, plus he has his family to consider.

There are further murders too, and Ridpath is doing his best to find out who’s done them but time is against him.

I raced through the book, and thoroughly enjoyed it. My thanks to the author and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is the latest addition in MJ Lee's great Manchester crime series featuring DI Thomas Ridpath, now in remission from cancer, working at the Coroner's office with the determined Mrs Margaret Challoner, a woman with a conscience, a thorn in the side of officialdom who would prefer someone who didn't make waves. She has a bee in her bonnet about the suicide of the Chinese Wendy Tang in the local secure detention centre, adamant that she deserves and should receive justice. There has been a poor and incompetent investigation by the police, a cursory post-mortem, and the Wilmslow Immigration Removal Centre, a short stay detention centre for the deportation of illegal immigrants have failed to answer key questions, such as how Wendy got hold of the knife. There is no information on Wendy herself, how she came to be arrested, and why does she have another name?

With Wendy's inquest coming up in a matter of days, and her grieving parents arriving from China, Ridpath is under extreme pressure to get results quickly as there is no way the inquest will be delayed. He is assisted by his trusty and able assistant, Sophia Rahman, but he needs more help, and the detention centre are reluctant to provide the information he requires. However, he stands his ground, insisting that they hand over the requested answers and data, which they eventually do, but sending so much info that he has no hope of getting through it in time. His investigation triggers more murders, with the same MO as Wendy Tang. Ridpath's past relationship with Detective Superintendent Claire Trent of Manchester MIT might have left a lot to be desired, but he is now her blue eyed boy, she wants him back at MIT, something he has wanted, but he now questions whether it is right for him.

Hanging over Ridpath is the worry that his cancer will return, but he relishes the support he receives from MIT, leading the team as he races against time to get to truth of what happened to Wendy. Mrs Challoner is facing her own threats facing complaints that results in professional and political pressure. There is a thrilling finale at the concluding moments of the inquest in this tense and suspenseful crime read. MJ Lee writes an unusual crime series in that DI Ridpath is a police officer based at the coroner's office, but it works so wonderfully well. Therefore, I do hope Ridpath chooses to stay at the coroner's office, for a start, his relationship with Mrs Challoner is so fascinating, they may not always agree but their values align so well. Fans of this series will love this latest addition, and I am sure other crime fiction readers will enjoy this gem of a series too. Many thanks to Canelo for an ARC.

I really like the characters in this story, I can't wait to find out which path D I Ridpath takes. A fast paced,exciting story with twists.

Another great book in the Ridpath series, seconded to the Coroner's office he is tasked into looking into an apparent suicide of Wendy Tang at an immigrant removal centre, it soon becomes apparent it's not a suicide but a murder, people relating to the case are also murdered in exactly the same way.
Ridpath has his old team helping him in the MIT and he's asked to go and work back there. He certainly has the adrenaline back but he's unsure what is best for his health. Working together they find the truth just in time for the Coroner makes her verdict on the death of Wendy Tang.

DI Ridpath is back and how welcome he is! Still with the coroner's office but maybe not for long,he maintains his ability to entertain readers with a fast pace,a complex and original plot and no unnecessary description. Every word matters in this superb book. The murder that is central to the plot is resolved in the dramatic fashion we have come to expect from this author. Any loose ends are to do with the career future of the DI and the coroner. No doubt that means a much anticipated next book! I recommend this book without reservation.

Another great read in this series, they can be read as stand-alone but in my opinion, best read as part of the series. A young woman is found dead in an immigration holding centre the day before she was to be deported. Her throat had been cut, with the weapon lying by the side of her, it throws up lots of questions on how this could have happened in such a secure unit. D.I. Ridpath is on the case and the coroner wants no stone left unturned to find justice for the young woman and her family..

Fabulous book loved it the story gives you an insight of the immigration system so very sad and what they have to go through but DI Ridpath didn’t disappoint and was awesome as usual, it was a real page turner and couldn’t wait for the next chapter look forward to more.

Fast paced and slick I loved this ! I enjoy the slightly different concept of the DI working for the Coroner’s court as opposed to regular policing as it gives the investigation a different slant.

I’m hoping that Ridpath stays with the coroner after his vacation and we get more in this vein. People trafficking, drugs, corruption it’s all here and a worthy read

This is the fourth in the Ridpath series. I was delighted to be invited to read this, as I thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in the series and had been looking forward to this one!

Having grown up in the Greater Manchester area, my familiarity with the book locations always adds an extra layer of enjoyment for me as I read the Ridpath books.

This novel lived up to my expectations and was worth staying up late to finish!

The plot (which I will not discuss, as every other review on here seems to have already done so!) is - as usual - well thought out, and I didn't guess the twist so the book deserves an extra gold star for that alone...

I'm already looking forward to the next in this series.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC - and to M J Lee for writing this series!

This is the 4th book in the DI Ridpath series. As with the previous books, I believe that it stands well on its own merit; however if you can read the books in order I think it will help you to get more of the back-story.

After a brief prologue to set the scene Tom Ridpath, who has returned to police work after suffering an illness, arrives back at the Coroner's office, where he has been placed to 'ease' him back into work.

The quality of the characters is very good. This case involves a death at an immigrant removal centre. I really enjoyed the interplay between Ridpath and the coroner, Margaret Challoner, exploring the semantics used in modern language.

The tension builds to a dramatic conclusion.

I give thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for a copy in exchange for this review.

Thank you Sophie Eminson from Netgalley for allowing me to read this early copy of Lee's new Ridpath mystery.
The pace is cracking as Ridpath finds his two roles colliding. The death of a Chinese girl in detention awaiting deportation is work for the Coroner and connects with the murder of a Chinese man, a police case. Over three days the case plays out in the court and Manchester. What at first seems a suicide is surely a murder and the body count mounts.
Ridpath is a character easy to like. He has integrity and does not respond to hints about the need to be more agreeable and perhaps politically correct. There is enough of his personal life to make him credible but not so much as to make him tedious.
Perhaps the outcome was expected. Or so it seemed, but that does not matter. This is a tight, crisp and satisfying read.

A clever, contemporary plot with the return of several characters and a complex case, Ridpath and team have a mountain to climb and just a week to get answers......

If you are being held in an Immigrant Removal Centre before deportation you would at least expect to be in a place of safety. That wasn't the case for Wendy Teng, found dead apparently by her own hand in the early hours of the morning she was due to leave.

When the case lands on the desk of DI Ridpath at the coroner's office however, he is dismayed by the apparent slapdash nature of the investigation and begins to look more closely at the available evidence. With only a few days before the beginning of the inquest into Wendy's death he knows time is of the essence if he is to make sure no more mistakes are made or leads ignored.

Once again M J Lee has his hero starring in a satisfyingly taut story which is as fast paced as Ridpath's cases always seem to be. With his assistant Sophia and ex-colleagues from Manchester police working with him, the various aspects of an unexplained death investigation are shown in detail and the whole experience makes for another great read.

This is the fourth in this series and as in all previous books Ridpath is still concerned with the medical aspects of his life and, as in all previous books, I wanted to rush ahead to find out how he was. I held back but it is as vital a part of each case as the actual crimes adding an original and tense extra layer to every outing.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the previous books in this series or likes mysteries with a more unusual career path for the lead detective.

I did work out who had been the "naughty person" in this excellent DI Ridpath tale but it did not detract in any way, shape or form from the quality of the story or my enjoyment of it. Highlighting the realities of staff shortages (police and civilian) and the perceived need of contractors to be cost effective, rather than effective, added to the framework and strengthened the story whilst giving a real "feel" to the lives/deaths of all the people involved. What a fractured and faulty society this book reflects.

Sad as always when I get to the end one of M J Lee's books but happy in the expectation and hope that there will be another one.

After a slightly slow start this story progressed developing in complexity and detail. It tackles salient modern issues such as immigration and exploitation through a police investigation which is lead by DI Ridpath who is "one of the good guys!" I have read a previous book with Ridpath as the hero and enjoyed that one too.
This story does have some graphic detail of the dreadful situations experienced by the immigrants
In some ways it is an old fashioned police murder investigation but with a modern slant. I enjoyed it and recommend it.

The fourth novel from M J Lee featuring DI Ridpath and it does not disappoint. After the suicide of a Chinese woman awaiting deportation in an immigration centre, DI Ridpath still working in the Coroners Office has five days to solve her death after evidence reveals it could not have been suicide. The usual characters are back, the Coroner herself, Mrs Challenor under great pressure to do what's right for the Chinese family and her grilling of the Immigration Removal Centre staff puts her under fire. And DI Ridpath ever mindful of his health, family life and an offer of heading up a new department, is feeling the strain.
I loved this book, it had me gripped with it police procedurals and workings of the Coroners Office, so much that I didn't want the book to end. Totally gripping ad cannot wait for the next novel featuring DI Ridpath.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Canelo for the ARC.
This is #4 in the DI Ridpath series of crime mysteries, and very good it is too. I love this series, Ridpath always gets a spark of inspiration which brings together stalling investigations at the very last moment - and you never see it coming!

Seconded to East Manchester Coroner's office from Manchester MIT, Ridpath is still working for Mrs Challenor and still in remission from his cancer. An inquest is due to open in 5 days on Wendy Tang, an illegal immigrant detained at the Wilmslow Immigration Removal Centre. A month before, her body was discovered by a guard on his rounds at 4am. Her death had been put down to suicide but, Mrs Challenor, going through the files for the inquest is unhappy about the police and pathology reports - it appeared all too shallow and uncaring. Conscious that Wendy's parents were arriving from China, and wanting to take their daughter home with them, the Coroner refuses to postpone the inquest but insists at the same time that Ridpath needs to check into the investigation. He has just 5 days - he's against the clock - his interviews are non-productive, and however much he asks, the Coroner still won't postpone the inquest.

The Coroner herself comes under scrutiny as she pushes for answers from the private company running the immigration centre - complaints have been received about her manner - has she the full support of her team or is someone undermining her?

This is a police procedural encompassing police corruption and incompetence, illegal immigrants, people trafficking and organised crime, alongside the private companies contracted to run immigration centres. A fast-paced and interesting read with, as usual, that special Ridpath inspiration which completes the puzzle in a way you can't see coming.

Thoroughly good read.

Another gripping read about DI Ridpath and Greater Manchester Police. Very difficult to put down: I almost read it straight through! One small niggle: ending a chapter with a question that may be uppermost in the mind of the protagonist at that point, but doesn't need to be stated for the benefit of the reader. I don't recall this from previous books by this author, and for me anyway it seems condescending. Still a great read and I look forward to the next.

One of the "residents" of a Manchester Immigration Removal Centre is found dead. It looks like suicide. The investigating officer and pathologist think so. But DI Ridpath (currently of the coroner's office) is not so sure. And he's under pressure to uncover the truth before the inquest is closed.

Totally absorbing, keeping you guessing right to the end