I really don't know how Helen Phifer does it. She brings out several books a year in this series yet she manages to keep the standard as high as it was in book one. I was so shocked when the killer was exposed in this book, I hadn't even considered that person as a suspect. And his creepy little comment about his intended next victim gave me cold shivers. Keep up the good work Helen, I can't wait for your next offering.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

Another fabulous book Helen, it had me gripped from the start. I would highly recommend this series to everyone.

I look forward to every addition to the Detective Morgan Brookes series and this one didn't disappoint. Morgan's Aunt Ettie calls with an urgent message that she has found a body in the river by Covel Woods, right near her house. Morgan leaves her spa day and heads there as quickly as she can. With one hand skeletonized, it doesn't take Declan long to determine that the victim had been frozen, so determining the time of death would be difficult. Searching Missing Person reports, she is eventually identified, but they find another women is missing from the same area and the same time frame. Now they are looking for a possible serial killer, or perhaps a still living victim.

Twisted Bones picks up where the previous book ended. Theo is suffering from PTSD, and Declan asks Morgan to try and help him. While out on a case, she stops by and meets a man there visiting him. He gives her the creeps and is on her radar for the murder she is investigating. I really like Morgan's character. In each book she follows her instincts and her radar for criminals to figure out the crimes. She often finds herself in danger as well. The whole team works well together and I love their interpersonal friendships. We also get the POV from the culprit, but with no identification, so it is definitely creepy. As the investigation unfolds, I thought I had it all figured out, but once again, I was way off. It's Morgan searching the original investigations from the jurisdiction where the women were grabbed, that finds a small tidbit that helps to unravel the case. With one of her colleagues in danger this time, I was holding my breath to see what would happen. A well written, plotted, twisty and tense police crime thriller had me zooming through this one. I highly recommend this series to those who enjoy police procedurals, crime thrillers or detective stories. I am already anticipating what will be next in Detective Morgan Brookes #18. There is another coming isn't there, Helen Phifer?

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Helen Phifer’s Twisted Bones is the fifteenth installment in the Detective Morgan Brookes series, and it wastes no time plunging readers into the kind of darkness that ripples beneath the skin of quiet English towns. Here, murder doesn’t announce itself—it slips through cracks, coiled in secrets and festering in the mundane. With this book, Phifer isn’t merely spinning a thriller—she’s performing a postmortem on trust itself.

From the opening discovery of a disfigured body beneath an abandoned church, the atmosphere is immediately thick with dread, like fog that never lifts. Morgan, haunted yet determined, is more emotionally exposed than ever. Phifer cleverly leverages Morgan’s vulnerabilities—her complicated past, her tenuous relationships within the force, her relentless drive—to unspool a mystery that feels both intimately personal and dangerously public.

What sets this entry apart in the series is its confident tempo. The pacing feels like a drumbeat beneath your skin—insistent, unrelenting. Phifer manages multiple narrative threads (victims, suspects, Morgan’s own psychological toll) without ever letting one fray. The result is a tightly braided plot that keeps tension taut without feeling mechanical.

Phifer also gives just enough forensic texture to ground the story in procedural realism, without losing the emotional stakes. This isn’t gore for gore’s sake; it’s tragedy filtered through the lens of a woman who can’t afford to look away. The crime scenes are chilling not because of what they contain, but because of what they suggest: a killer who sees humanity as discardable, anatomy as puzzle pieces.

In a genre saturated with formula, Twisted Bones succeeds by keeping its moral compass spinning. It doesn’t just ask whodunit—it interrogates what it costs to keep looking for answers in a world that punishes empathy.

For long-time followers of Morgan Brookes, this is a standout entry: gritty, intimate, and pulsing with dread. For newcomers, it’s an irresistible gateway drug—just know you might not sleep until you’ve devoured the entire series.

A woman’s body is found in the river with a skeletonised hand while the rest of her is intact. This creates a mystery for Ben and Morgan and their team…
Twisted Bones is the 15th book in the DS Morgan Brookes series of police procedurals/crime thrillers. Some characters are affected by events from the last book but there are no spoilers about the plot or case outcome.
Morgan is as the centre of the action once more. She is supposed to be taking a break but is called upon when her aunt happens upon a woman’s body. Morgan can’t resist a mystery, nor the desire to seek justice for victims, and she finds other missing women who could also have taken by a killer.
As usual, Morgan throws herself into the case and I enjoyed the other police units who respect and even idolise her a little. Within the team is a wonderful level of banter and companionship that underpins the police's dedication to their work and each other.
The writing is fast paced and the use of the killer’s perspective adds to the tension and fear. There are plenty of developments and twists as the case proceeds and evidence is uncovered.
Twisted Bones is another excellent addition to the series.

Helen Phifer does it again!!
Another masterpiece from the Detective Morgan Brookes series! Honestly this entire series is brilliant and the books just keep getting better! This is book 15 and it’s just as scary, suspenseful and thrilling as the first!
Highly recommend!
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for my ARC
Helen, you are fantastic!

Morgan is enjoying a spa day with friend Wendy but when a call comes in about Morgan's Aunt Ettie finding a body in the river in Coval Woods, the relaxing is over. At first it looks like this is a hiker that has fallen into the river and got swept along but the post mortem tells a different story. Soon the team are trying to fill in the pieces of the puzzle.

The thing I really love about this series of books, (apart from them being a good 'whodunit') is the way we have got to know so many of the characters so well over the course of the series and care about their lives. As always an enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley & te publisher for letting me read & review this book.

You know that buzz of excitement you get with certain authors? Well, Helen Phifer, in the past few months, has easily become one of my most favourite and ‘go to’ authors, and I absolutely love the Detective Morgan Brookes series.

One thing I would highly recommend with this series though is to start from the beginning,  whilst it maybe easy enough to pick up from any within the series, I personally think you need to full back story, not only on the characters but on previous cases, as they are mentioned and looked back on!

Book #15 sees Morgan racing to her Aunt Ettie’s isolated woodland cottage after she receives a frantic phone call. Ettie has found a body.

The body is that of a young woman, caught up in the river. She looks like she may have drowned, but their is a strange peculiarity. One hand is skeletal.

Consulting missing persons records,  the woman is identified by her tattoo as Martha, but she has been missing for 7 years. Her autopsy shows she died very recently. Where has she been all that time?

Combing the records, Morgan sees the report of another young woman who disappeared around the same time, Aria, with no trace since. Are these women connected, and if so, is she still alive?

Visiting her friend, local priest Theo, she sees he has company, an old acquaintance from his old church, John. On sight, Morgan is uncomfortable in his presence, and finding out he is from the same place that the missing girls were from makes the hair on her neck stand up. Is this just a coincidence, or should she trust her gut.

As always, the character execution is absolutely sublime. Morgan is a witty, headstrong, and empathetic woman with a huge heart and brilliant humour. I love the relationships she has with her team and extended friendship of Theo.

The writing style has you sucked deep within its pages from the very first paragraph. The twists, turns, and fantastically weaved sub plots just constantly leave you wanting more, and Helen never leaves you without.

If you’re after a series that will have you gripped, then look no further. This is one hell of a read that gives atmosphere,  grit, tension, suspense, and a whole load of emotion along the way.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Twisted Bones by Helen Phifer is the 15th in the Detective Morgan Brookes series.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.



Series Background:    (Warning – Contains spoilers from previous books)
Morgan Brookes is a Detective in Rydal Falls.  She lives and works with her boyfriend, DS Ben Matthews, her boss.  They've discovered he has some heart issues, but things are good.  Other cast members include Amy,  Wendy, Cain, Will, Cathy and Mads.   They are still mourning the loss of a fellow team-member, Des.  Their new boss is DI Mark Howard, and they are getting used to him.  Their go-to Forensic Pathologist (and Ben's best friend) is Declan Donnelly who is dating Theo, the parish priest.  After losing her mother to suicide,  Morgan finally got to know her alcoholic step-dad, who turned out to be a good guy, but Stan is now dead (murdered).  Both Morgan's brother, and her biological father, Gary Marks,  are serial killers.  Morgan's aunt Ettie is considered a "kitchen witch".



My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Aunt Ettie finds the dead body of a woman in the river, the flesh of one of her hands stripped bare.  They aren't sure how long she has been in the water, nor where she fell in.  When Declan does the autopsy, he finds a bruise on the side of her neck which looks like it was made with the side of a hand.  This "accident" is now ruled a homicide.  Now they just have to figure out  the identity of the poor woman.

Meanwhile, Theo is still recovering from the attempt on his life.  He gets a visit from an old friend from his last parish, which seems to cheer him up, but when Morgan drops by, she takes an instant dislike to this man.  Theo figures he should soon return to his clerical duties, especially since his replacement Gordon, is a bit of a mess.

When they realize there is another missing woman out there, the team wonders if the two are linked.  But when another body is found, they realize they have to discover the perpetrator before more women are put in danger.

Amy's pregnancy is taking a toll on the team, as her mood swings are gigantic.







My Opinions:
I absolutely love this series.  The characters are like a family, and for a short time, I become one of them.  Their camaraderie and love for one another again shines through in this book, especially when one of them is in trouble.  I love the supporting cast of Declan and Theo, and was so glad to see Ettie return in this one.  I'm even beginning to like Marc.

The plot was intriguing with enough suspects to keep me wondering.  I guessed the real perpetrator, but almost wished it had been another.  There were a couple of real slimeballs in this one.  The overall pace was fast, with short chapters and plenty of action, both helping to move the story along.

Bottom line, I can't recommend this series enough.

I am finally caught up, and although I can't wait for the next in the series, I almost wish the author would slow down a little, as I do have other books in my pile.

TWISTED BONES is book 15 in a police procedural series featuring Detective Morgan Brookes by Helen Phifer. I have read all of the books in this series and this book is a definite winner! Although this book can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the books in order to get a full history.

The books in the Detective Morgan Brookes Series:
1. One Left Alive (2020)
2. The Killer's Girl (2020)
3. The Hiding Place (2021)
4. First Girl to Die (2021)
5. Find the Girl (2022)
6. Sleeping Dolls (2022)
7. Silent Angel (2022)
8. Their Burning Graves (2022)
9. Hold Your Breath (2023)
10. Stolen Darlings (2023)
11. Save Her Twice (2024)
12. Poison Memories (2024)
13. Two Broken Girls (2024)
14. Their Dying Embrace (2025)
15.Twisted Bones

This is my review of Twisted Bones.

The cast of the small control team includes:
DS Ben Matthews-Boss & partner
DC Morgan Brookes
DC Amy Smith
DC Cain Robson
Amber-Police Officer
Wendy- Morgan’s friend

Martha Mackay, was homeless, supported by the church, for warmth, rations of food and second-hand clothing.

When Ettie, Morgan’s aunt came across the remains of a woman in the river, a skeletal hand reaching out of the water, she ran back to her cottage to get help, by calling her niece. As a result, Detective Morgan Brookes is urgently called to her Aunt Ettie’s cottage, to the scene.

Declan, the pathologist was called to the scene to assess a body that was deemed suspicious. Morgan’s team assume she fell in the water and was taken by the current. But the victim had bruises on her neck, and a faded red rose tattoo.

Morgan was able to identify the victim as a homeless woman named Martha who went missing seven years ago.

Morgan discovers that a schoolteacher Aria Burns went missing from the same busy area. But her horror quickly turns to hope when she sees the autopsy results from Martha’s frozen remains. She was killed recently; if Aria was taken by the same killer, she could still be alive.

Morgan suspects a visitor with links to the area where Martha and Aria went missing, another body surfaces.

Time is ticking and Morgan must uncover the truth about Martha, and find Aria alive.

This is an addictive and utterly unputdownable crime thriller.

A well-written crime detective novel with relatable characters, another unputdownable crime thriller.

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my digital copy.

I adore these characters. This book was fantastic. Well written and full of twists and turns. This kept my heart pounding and was crazy suspenseful. The atmosphere lends it credence. The writing flows smoothly and fast paced. This is a must read.

Detective Morgan Brookes is a magnet for crime, and her colleagues know that about her. When her reclusive (perhaps part. witch) Aunt Ellie calls her about discovering a woman's body. Morgan and her boss/lover, Ben, along with the murder team, begin an investigation to identify the woman and solve the murder. They discover the woman was a homeless person who hung out at the church where Morgan's friend, Father Theo, once served. Another body is found, along with discovering a similar missing person's case, and Morgan begins searching for answers. When one of the team disappears, the worst fears are realized. Can Morgan find the answers in time to save her friend and colleague? It is an exciting race until the end. I look forward to what Morgan's next adventure will be.

Yet another great book in the Detective Morgan Brooke Series. Morgan is soon put to work when a body is found in water. They soon realise that it is a murder and things don't add up with this body. When people soon start to go missing Morgan and her colleagues soon realise they have to find a serial killer.
Fast paced book, highly recommend this series.

Another great addition to the series. Yet again a stressful read but for once I wasn't having to worry too much about Morgan. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked and I definitely hadn't worked out who the killer was. The end reveal was not what I was expecting at all. There are so many great side characters and I love getting to see more of the team. It was so nice to see more of Ettie as well.

What a story! Ups and downs, misdirection, tense moments all here for your reading indulgence! Definitely hard to put down for any length of time as you keep wondering what else is going to happen.

Twisted Bones (Detective Morgan Brookes #15)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
By Helen Phifer
Publishing date: May 21, 2025

Thank you to netgalley for this arc. I am so grateful I got to read this book before the publishing date, but just got around to doing my review. I’ve read this entire series from the beginning! I’ve been so excited for this one for months now! I love Detective Morgan Brookes! Aunt Ettie stumbles upon a dead body and summons her niece to come check it out. Morgan is thrown into a wild search and the culprit is right under their noses! Twisted Bones is an easy read and a quick page turner! I recommend this book and the Detective Morgan Brookes series. I highly recommend reading!

Favorite Quotes:

I definitely don’t expect you to cook, Morgan, I don’t want to add food poisoning to his list of problems. He has enough without forcing your cooking onto him.

She felt her skin crawl, this guy had to be in his late fifties, with a receding hairline and a comb-over. Thick wire-rimmed glasses made his small, narrow eyes look as if they wouldn’t be out of place on a rat. If she had to pick a serial killer out of a seventies’ line-up, he would be the one standing nestled between Dahmer and Nielsen; he gave her the creeps.


My Review:

Another well-crafted, smartly paced,  and unpredictable case for the superior detecting skills of Morgan Brookes. No serial killer gets past her spidey senses. However, this time, the culprit was not even on her radar, or mine, for that matter. As always, Ms. Phifer’s writing was absorbing and easy to fall into, with lots of red herrings and misdirection to keep us scratching our heads, and our curiosity well and truly poked. I continue to enjoy this series and look forward to her next installment.

A spa, a massage, relaxing, time off work for a change
But then her Aunt Ettie's call means a need to rearrange.
Her aunt has found a dead woman in the river
The discovery makes them all shiver.

With friends still recovering from what happened before,
And clues mounting up that they can't ignore.
It becomes a race to try to discover
The killer before they kill another.

Another enthralling, edge of your seat, read,
With Morgan needing to catch the killer at great speed.
There are threats to her and her friends
Before this suspense filled read ends.

A great addition to this series, too,
No wonder I highly recommend it to you!
For my copy of this fascinating read I say thank you
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Twisted Bones by Helen Phifer is the 15th book in the excellent Detective Morgan Brookes series and one of the best series you can read and this book did not disappoint. It was full of excellent twists and turns from the very beginning till the very end and Detective Morgan Brookes is one of the best detectives out there! and I love Aunt Ettie who is her auntie and she lives in the local woods called Covel Woods. Aunt Ettie enjoys making candles, herbal teas etc and sales these to make ends meet. She goes searching for some pine to add to her magical candles, when she finds more than pine etc, she finds a body of a woman in the river with one Skeletal hand. She is shocked to the core.
Runs back to phone her niece Morgan. Morgan and her team arrive quickly to the scene, and find the woman in the water, she looks dressed for hiking, and it was just an accident and she has fallen into the river. But, as they look closer they notice bruises on her neck. This is no accident, it looks like she was Murdered! No one recognises her, Luckily she has tattoo which helped to identify her. Her name is Martha and she has been missing for 7 years!

When the autopsy report came back on Martha it informs them that she has recently killed!

So, where has she been for the last 7 years?

Detective Morgan Brookes and her team start to go through cold cases of missing people, to see if there has been another murders etc, like Martha and they come across another young woman called Aria Burns, she was reported missing and never found. Fingers cross Morgan and her team find her alive, but the clock is ticking. . . . . .

Poor Auntie Ettie is rummaging again in Covel Woods and she stumbles on another body!!! She must have a strong heart!!!!

Who is killing these women and why are they putting them in the icy river?

Tick Tock. . . . . .Will they catch the killer before another body is found and fingers cross its not by Poor Auntie Ettie!

This book was superb and I've loved this series from the very first book. Helen has away of writing that will have you hooked from the very beginning.

When a body turns up, Detective Morgan Brookes finds a new mystery to dive into. With the autopsy adding more questions than answers, Morgan and Ben begin to investigate. They are determined to figure out who the woman is, and what happened to her.

I absolutely LOVED this book! I have been devouring this series, and I needed to know what was going to happen next. Hopefully, there is another book coming soon. The characters are amazing, and it is fun to see them evolving through each book. The relationship with Morgan and Ben is awesome as well, and I look forward to seeing what happens with them.

The narrator for this book was great, and just gets better as each book comes forth. Whether you are reading or listening, I highly recommend the ENTIRE series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy of this book.