Her Dying Embrace by H. Phifer, published by Bookouture is book 14 in her Detective Morgan Brookes Series.
I just wanted to take a peek at the story and now, hours later I read the last page and I'm spent. Drawn in the literally unputdownable, twisty story of Detective Morgan Brookes and her life partner Ben. An incredible read, one of my favs in 25 for sure, I recommend the book, 5 stars.
Blurb: When sweet-natured teaching assistant Rosie Waite, and her boyfriend Matt, are found dead in their quaint family home in the Lake District, Detective Morgan Brookes is horrified. Sleeping just two doors down, she heard nothing. Morgan vows to keep watch over every innocent family in Rydal Falls until this monster is brought to justice.
Climbing the narrow attic staircase as she searches every inch of the property, Morgan finds a mattress on the floor, empty food wrappers, and a letter that reads: if you’ve found this, you’re next to die. Fear washes over Morgan’s team; the killer was watching his victims, and now her life is at risk.
Ignoring pleas that she take a step back, Morgan throws herself harder at the case. And Matt had been asking questions at a local tattoo parlour. Everyone thought he and Rosie were a quiet, kind-hearted couple, but was Matt hiding a dangerous secret? Did he betray the woman he loved?
It’s the break Morgan desperately needs, until one of her closest friends is attacked. His lifeless body – an exact match to Matt and Rosie. The killer has been watching from the shadows again. Morgan’s used to putting her life on the line to protect the innocent, but what must she sacrifice to save the people she loves most? And how many lives will be lost before she can stop this killer?

Detective Morgan Brooks is back on the job after being injured. When a couple two doors down from her and her partner, Ben’s house in Rydal Falls is found murdered, they take the case even though it is their day off. The murders are gruesome and suspicion falls on a number of different suspects. Tension mounts as Morgan finds a threatening note and someone close to her is assaulted in a similar manner to the dead couple’s attack.

This is the fourteenth in the Morgan Brooks series. Helen Phifer is one of those authors for whom when I see her name, I request the title without reading the synopsis. She writes one of those books I have to force myself to put down or I would accomplish nothing until it is finished. This latest entry in the series does not disappoint.

There are twists (wait til you read one of them!) in this suspenseful story. Morgan is a capable, empathetic female protagonist. I enjoy her character and the convivial, teasing relationships within the investigative team.
As an aside, I smiled at the reference to Lisa Regan’s Josie Quinn series, another of my favorites.

If you enjoy mysteries, police procedurals, thrillers, check this one out.

Just wow! Helen hits the ball out of the park with this one. Highly recommend it, actually read the whole series you won’t be sorry. A double murder is discovered two doors down from Morgan and Ben’s house, it was brutal and savage. Helen is one of my favourite authors and stories like this is why. Twisty plot, no I didn’t get it right! Interesting, absorbing and tense. This story sucked me in and I was on a rollercoaster that I couldn’t get off of until I finished the book. Well deserving of five stars!

I was lucky enough to be sent this via #netgalley and I’m super thankful I got to read it early as I don’t think I could have waited until February, only downside I now have to wait for the next one. I HAVE QUESTIONS!

This may well be the first time I have EVER seen Morgan Brookes hesitate, 14 books and this is the first time and I don’t know whether to be thankful or scared. Helen doesn’t mess around, she jumps right in there with the story. This one had me absolutely gripped from start to finish. I thought I had it all figured out, turns out I’m not as good as my favourite group of detectives.

Chapter 17 had me gasping and getting up to make a cup of tea to calm myself down. Helen!

Then coming in with the PLOT TWIST, sneaky sneaky there.

Honestly another great book in the Morgan Brookes series.

There's a double murder two doors down from Morgan and Ben's home.
It seems a little close to home for Morgan, she's still recovering from a serious head injury.
The bodies are posed, and old nails have been driven into the lips of the victims.
The team have their work cut out for them to solve the case before there are more victims.

Fast paced crime novel. I love Morgan, Ben and the team.
The plot is easy to follow, and of course, Morgan's inner gut feeling is correct.
I, of course, was totally wrong about the killer.
Can't wait for the next in the series, these books are a treat to read.