They are waiting for death. He is waiting to kill them.

In May 2020, fourteen-year-old Andrew Golding went out for a walk following a row with his mum. He was never seen again.

Four years later, when the press discovers police errors in Andrew Golding’s case, DI Ridpath is called in to investigate.

As Ridpath delves into the case, he slowly discovers something much bigger and far more brutal than he ever expected – a murderer from the past who threatens his career and the lives of those close to him. Can he unravel the secrets before the killer strikes again?

What the Dead Want is the tenth book in the DI Ridpath series by author M J Lee. The books are all set in Manchester, UK, and follow the life of DI Thomas Ridpath who works for both the Coroners Office and MIT (Major Incident Team) for Great Manchester Police. If you haven’t read any of the previous books then this isn’t the book for you as they need to be read in order to be fully understood.

DI Ridpath has been asked to look into the disappearance of fourteen-year-old Andrew Golding who went missing four years ago. The ask comes after a newspaper article slating the police about the case. However, as usual, the more Ridpath and his team dig into the disappearance the more harrowing it becomes and this time an unwelcome face from the past emerges.

Just like the previous nine books What the Dead Want is a fast-paced police procedural novel. DI Ridpath is a character I’ve come to adore and trust. He is a man that will leave no stone unturned whilst he is on a case and yet he has a softer side when it comes to his daughter Eve, who is now a teenager, damn those years have gone fast!

The storyline is superb. It is edgy and puts you on high alert. It has a sense of foreboding and I love when a thriller gets under my skin. It is wonderful to see that this book blends an earlier book in the series into it as well as bringing in a character from author M J Lee’s separate series – Genealogical Mysteries.

This is a series that keeps on getting better and better. If you haven’t read it yet and you love detective thrillers then start now, you will not be disappointed.

Martin (M J Lee) has spent most of his adult life writing in one form or another. As a University researcher in history, he wrote pages of notes on reams of obscure topics. As a social worker with Vietnamese refugees, he wrote memoranda. And, as the creative director of an advertising agency, he has written print and press ads, tv commercials, short films and innumerable backs of cornflake packets and hotel websites.

He has spent 25 years of his life working outside the North of England. In London, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok and Shanghai, winning awards from Cannes, One Show, D&AD, New York and London Festivals, and the United Nations.

When he’s not writing, he splits his time between the UK and Asia, taking pleasure in playing with his daughter, researching his family history, practising downhill ironing, single-handedly solving the problem of the French wine lake and wishing he were George Clooney.