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.

Fabulous read I loved it he never disappoints the story was very gripping and hard to put down consequently a lot of sleepless nights I love D.I. Ridpath what a great detective especially on how difficult this case was to solve and having to re-live the past which was very harrowing for him the ending was brilliant I definitely 100% recommend this brilliant book thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read it.

DI Thomas Ridpath is about to return to MIT from the Coroners Office, although Coroner Mrs Challinor is very reluctant to let him go. Detective Superintendent Claire Trent is keen to have his thoughtful approach to the job although his new immediate boss DCI Paul Turnbull is less than keen. However, a series of terrifying events occur that drag Ridpath into an audacious, relentless and calculating revenge spree linked to a previous investigation that he had been slap bang in the middle of, in the ‘Beast of Manchester’ case.

This is a well written novel with an exciting plot that flows and builds to a very dramatic and breath taking conclusion. This case is particularly shocking and explosive and is thrillingly fast paced. I like the character of Ridpath as he is very resilient having hopefully overcome serious illness and he brings a deep intelligence to the force. There is just enough focus on his home life to give his character an authentic feel. The characters at the coroners office are really good but I found my fists clenching every time DCI Turnbull is around. He’s obnoxious, impatient and unpleasant although he does bring an interesting element to the storyline! I’m hoping Claire Trent appreciates she’s got to bring him down a few pegs as soon as possible! This is another good addition to the Ridpath series but be warned MJ Lee does leave us on one hell of a cliffhanger and I’m seriously hoping we haven’t got to wait too long for the next instalment!

Overall, this is a gripping and intriguing novel with plenty of momentum that keeps you interested throughout. Although it can be read as a stand-alone it’s better if the previous books have been read as it gives a clearer understanding of these events.

With thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC

I never repeat the blurb. Yet another awesome instalment of this brilliant series sees Ridpath once more on the trail of another sick individual hell bent on wrecking lives. Shocking ending a real cliffhanger...roll on the next one...

This is the fifth novel in the D I Ridpath series by this author and I have read them all. The books keep getting better and I am totally invested in the characters of Ridpath and his family.

D I Ridpath is part of the Greater Manchester Major Incident Team (MIT) and was seconded to the coroner’s office for some time as he had cancer which is now in remission. He has been offered a position back in MIT and agrees to take it. The Coroner, Mrs Challinor, is desperately looking for somebody to replace him.

Based in Manchester the story follows from a previous book, although it can easily be read as a stand-alone. The opening is of Mrs Challinor being sent a link to a live hanging of a former coroner. The reader then learns that a few days before this a grave was demolished and a former MIT head had his dogs hung.

The only connection appears to be an old case where James Dalbey was convicted of murdering several women and then found to be innocent and released after serving ten years. ‘The Beast of Manchester’ was then charged and convicted.

Needless to say DI Ridpath had been involved with both convictions and the others involved begin to be murdered one by one. Great ending, so let’s see what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Canelo and M J Lee for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Once again a brilliant read and highly recommended.

Oh boy what a read this was. I have followed DI Ridpath from the get go and have enjoyed his adventures immensely . He is a man bent but not broken by his illness and who ha found his salvation with the coroners office. In this encounter he has to face the past and a killer intent on getting revenge. Fast paced, tense the book is a great read and when i got to the end i was literally blown way . Brilliant book.

This is the 5th book in the DI Ridpath series and was another fantastic read. Returning to work after cancer treatment, Ridpath has been working for the Coroner but really longs to be back on the MIT. There are a few new characters, his new boss to be Turnbull seems particularly nasty. This was a real page turner and follows on from previous installments so best read in order. THe 'beast of Manchester' seems to have reappeared and is killing people associated with the investigation so it is a race against time to protect those believed to be on the list (Ridpath included) and to apprehend the killer. Another 5* read and I can't wait for the next installment.

I love when I find new to me authors and especially if the book holds my attention at all times.
This is the fifth instalment in the crime series DI Ridpath and although I haven’t read any of the previous books, I feel that I could easily get into the story without a missing a beat. And that’s probably one of the author’s gift as the writing was so good that got me invested from the first page to the last in one sitting.
If you love a great crime thriller story, this one is definitely worth your time. It’s fast-paced, it has compelling characters and so many twists and turns that I could barely wrap my head around all the layers upon layers unveiled with each new chapter. And that cliffhanger ending really got me hooked for more in this series.

Very grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy.

This is the 5th book in the DI Ridpath series by author Martin Lee and although it is the first book I have read my enjoyment was not spoilt at all starting at book 5. That said the case does feature a character from a previous book.

Following a cancer scare DI Ridpath is currently still working with the Coroners office but due to go back to his previous role catching criminals. The Beast of Manchester is back on the scene and is murdering people previously associated with his conviction. DI Ridpath is one of them and faces a race against the clock to prevent further murders including his own.

This is an exciting read with great characters ad lots of action. /this is a series I plan to read more of.

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

It is always nice to read a book, enjoy it and find that it is part of a series. With strong characterisation and a story which kept a fast pace without seeming rushed, this is a must for mystery buffs.

DI Ridpath has decided to return to his previous team with the MIT and leave Mrs Challiner as a Coroners Officer, then a series of horrific videos are p0sted on the dark web with bodies turning up . The link that Ridpath sees is not agreed by his new DCI and leaves Ridpath wondering whether he has made the right decision..
This is a really good read with many twists making it compulsive reading . I have enjoyed the DI Ridpath series and look forward to reading the next in the series.

DI Thomas Ridpath is back in the fifth book in the ‘DI Ridpath Crime Thriller series’. The book opens with a video link sent to his boss, Mrs. Challinor, of a live hanging of an Ex-Coroner and then the plot goes back in time four days, with the smashing of a gravestone and the hanging of two dogs.

DI Ridpath still works for the Coroner’s office but he only has a week left until he is back at MIT (Major Incident Team) full time. The new MIT boss gives him the job of finding information on the killing of the dogs. Ridpath thinks it should be handled by the local police, not the Major Incident Team but his new boss isn’t his biggest fan. It turns out that the dogs and the grave attack are the first in a long line of killings on people who were involved in an old case of Ridpaths.

Back in 2008, Ridpath apprehended James Dalbey for the murder of numerous women, though he was only convicted on the evidence of one. Ten years later he was cleared of the murders and the real murderer was brought to justice dubbed the ‘Beast of Manchester’. Present-day, as more deaths occur of people involved in the James Dalbey case, Ridpath is sure that James is after retribution, that is until new evidence comes to light that gives him a very good alibi. How can so many people involved in the same case be being targeted if not by the innocent man they put behind bars?

When the Past Kills has brought the DI Ridpath series full circle and incorporated the story within the first book into this one. As usual with the series, we get to hear what the killer is thinking and his plans as well as Ridpath’s thoughts and processes.

The book is fast-paced and there is always so much happening that it is hard to put down. I’ve loved this series since I read the first book ‘Where the Truth Lies‘ back in 2018. Ridpath is an amazing, realistic character who you can’t help but like. I love how his mind works and how he pieces the evidence together.

What I especially like about the series is that whilst we do get to know about Ridpath’s home life and his family, these sections are only small and the story mainly focuses on the cases at hand. I’m not much of a lover of police procedure books that spend too much time on the officer’s personal life, I want the grit and the thrill of the chase in these books, and you get that with this one.

I now can’t wait for book six in the series, especially with the way this one ended – Naughty Mr. Lee!

When the Past Kills is the 5th instalment of this wonderful crime thriller series with the superb character of DI Thomas Ridley. The story features the case of the Beast of Manchester a horrific case in the first Ridley book, Where the Truth Lies, you don’t have to read this to enjoy this book but it would help understand the characters involved, plus at present it free on Amazon for kindle.
Ridley is still with the Coroner’s office but about to return to his previous duties, now in remission from his cancer he wants to get back to more normality. New characters in the form of Detective Superintendent Claire Trent and DCI Turnbull are now running things at the station, Turnbull is a particularly nasty character giving Ridpath no respect for how he has handled his illness or kudos for his previous impressive record of catching criminals.
The case of the Beast of Manchester rears it’s ugly head when previous professionals involved in that case are murder horrifically, it is obvious this killer has a kill list Ridpath being one of them.
It’s a race against time to prevent any further killings as they chase clues haphazardly at first until things become clearer as to the who and the why.
Yet again an excellent story, page turning, exciting and suspenseful, I had an idea who was behind everything but that in no way impacted on how much I was riveted by this book.
The ending....Mr Lee you are an evil man and had better be a speedy writer so I can get my next Ridpath fix.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Another decent instalment in this now well established series. Ridpath continues to straddle two roles with his latest case sitting firmly between the two. A real cliff hanger conclusion

I absolutely love these Ridpath books and couldn't wait to start reading this one. It really is a fabulous read, the plotting is genius and the characters, even the nasty ones, are so true to life. My only disappointment is that Turnbull didn't get his comeuppance, maybe next time? Manchester is brilliantly portrayed, especially the traffic problems and the leafy suburbs which are often forgotten. Now to the absolute crux of the review; that ending! What a complete shock! I must really beg MJ Lee to bring out the new book asap, just can't wait to find out what happens. This book is totally riveting, don't start it if you have things to do later that day as I promise it's unputdownable.