#BookReview of #WhatTheShadowsHide #DIRidpath #9 by @WriterMJLee published by @CaneloCrime

To love and to cherish, till death did them part…

‘A brilliant thriller’ The Sun

Two desiccated bodies are found in each other’s arms in the bricked up room of a derelict Victorian warehouse. After six months of work, the police have nothing and Ridpath is finally called in to investigate. Dubbed the Romeo and Juliet murders by the press, so many questions remain unanswered.

Who are they? Why were they there? Who killed them? And why was the coroner so keen for him to work on this particular case?

Ridpath is plunged into his most difficult investigation yet, in a race against time to discover the truth. Has an unknown serial killer been operating in Manchester for the last twenty years?

Fast-paced, vicious and utterly compelling, the latest Ridpath novel is perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Damien Boyd.

I’ve been reading the DI Ridpath novels since I stumbled upon them a few years ago, so I was excited to get into What The Shadows Hide.

For those that don’t know MJ Lee’s Detective Inspector Thomas Ridpath is working for Manchester Police in the Major Investigations Team and he is also on loan to the Coroner as a Coroner’s Officer. Both these jobs can run smoothly together but also they can run poor Ridpath ragged, and so is the latest case.

Two bodies are found in a building that is due to be demolished, they were is a sealed room and Ridpath is called into find out who they were and their killer with only 8 days, as the Chief Constable then wants to shut down what is known as the Romeo and Juliet enquiry. On top of this his boss and friend at the coroners office, Mrs Challinor is brutally attacked and lays in a coma in hospital. Ridpath and his team are then given a temporary Coroner , who is very unlike Mrs Challinor and who I couldn’t stand!

Throw into this the fact that after loosing his wide Polly, Ridpath has to also bring up his only Daughter Evie, an intelligent 13 year old, but also one who does need her father around, and you have the makings of an excellent novel.

This is a fast paced story and the usual cast of supporting characters are there to help Ridpath during this latest adventure. I always love the attention to detail that MJ Lee expresses, the inner workings of a Coroner’s Officer and also the Police procedural sides are expertly written, and very realistic.

The story grips you and doesn’t let you go until you gat to the dual climatic ending. I read What The Shadows Hide over 2 days, and didn’t guess the perp until the very last minute, which is always the sign of a well written thriller.

Each Ridpath novel is set out in a similar format, but that doesn’t mean they are repetitive or staid, every one I’ve read has been excellent and well written. If you like a UK based thriller which looks at things from a different point of view to some of the others, whose central character Ridpath is portrayed as a hard working, intelligent, emotional man, then this series is for you.

I give What The Shadows Hide 4 ⭐️ stars.

Martin spent 25 years of his life working for advertising companies in London, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok and Shanghai.  As a copywriter and a creative director, he has won awards from Cannes, One Show, D&AD, New York, the LIAA, and the United Nations. 
He’s written four historical crime novels. The latest, ‘The Irish Inheritance’, a Jayne Sinclair, Genealogical Mystery, will be published on June 15, 2016. 
When he’s not writing, he splits his time between the UK and Asia, dancing with his three year-old daughter, researching his family histrory, practicing downhill ironing, single-handedly solving the problem of the French wine lake and wishing he were George Clooney.

You can follow M J Lee on TWITTER FACEBOOK

M J Lee has his own website HERE

You can buy What The Shadows Hide HERE

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My #Review of #HerSistersShadow by @CWimpeney published by @northoxpress

Child killer Gary Brunswick has just been imprisoned for life for the murder of ten-year-old David Foster, but for DCI Kay Harris of Greater Manchester Police, it’s cold comfort.

As Senior Investigating Officer Kay has agonised over the case for months, could she have saved the boy? The Foster case, and the death of her sister, Helen, by suicide a year ago, weigh heavily on her.

She finds her sister’s diary, believing that Helen meant it for someone else. Each page exposes her sister’s pain, her marriage problems, her suspicions about her husband. It becomes clear the diary was intended for Kay alone. Each entry taunts and pokes and Kay’s guilt. Her sister’s words haunt her.

As Kay’s concentration deteriorates, a period of leave is recommended. A condition of which is that she accepts therapy. Reluctantly Kay attends but decides to escape the probing sessions by retreating to her holiday home in the Scottish Highlands.

Before leaving for Scotland Kay happens upon Ava, a woman intent on jumping to her death to escape her abusive ex-husband. Kay convinces Ava to flee with her to Scotland. In her increasingly fragile state, Kay believes by saving Ava she will earn redemption for all those she couldn’t save and will finally be able to lay her sister’s shadow to rest.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Her Sisters Shadow, but once the story started I was utterly gripped!

Without giving too much away this book s about grief, guilt and the way our minds handle extremely stressful situations. Our main protagonist DCI Kay Harris is an amazing character and a real feat of writing, we follow her slow descent into mental distress and how our minds work during a total mental breakdown. It was so well written I really couldn’t put this book down, the way Ms Wimpeney has crafted this insight into what must be such a horrific experience is astounding, combine this with a fabulous plot, shocking twists, and a great cast of supporting characters make this book a real gem.

If you like a book that will keep you up all night and have you totally invested in it’s cast and storyline, then Her Sisters Shadow is a must!

Brilliant and another 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read!

Catherine was born and raised in Manchester. Her Sister’s Shadow is her debut novel. She has worked as a mental health nurse and is a qualified Psychotherapist. She is drawn to writing which reflects her psychological practice.

You can buy Her Sisters Shadow HERE

You can follow Catherine on TWITTER @CWimpeney