Having enjoyed the author’s Lucy Harwin series I was very happy to get my hands on this one. This book introduces a whole new case of characters: DC Morgan Brookes is the lead character and she is joined by DS Ben Matthews and another DC called Amy. They work in the CID in the Cumbrian town of Rydall Falls.

On her second day of being on solo patrol, newly minted police constable Brookes (Morgan) is the first responder to an apparent suicide. A woman, Olivia Potter, is hanging from a tree in the her garden. Morgan does all the right things and then tries to trace the woman’s family (a husband and two teenage daughters). By the next morning, with still no word on the family, Morgan asks if she can search the house again, even though it had been done the day before. The sargeant, Ben, agrees and when she finds the family dead in the cellar, with one of the daughters clinging to life, he is impressed with her initiative. With Ben’s team short handed Morgan is offered a 3 month placement in CID and she jumps at the chance.

This was an interesting story that had quite a few twists and turns, likeable characters and just enough drama and suspense to keep you turning the pages. Notwithstanding the unlikelihood of such an inexperienced constable getting a chance to work as a detective you were not required to suspend disbelief. I enjoyed reading this and will be keen to see what Morgan gets up to in her next outing. Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Helen Phifer for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up.

One Left Alive is a police procedural book introducing us to Detective Morgan Brookes. I have read all of Helen Phifer’s novels and have never been disappointed. As such, I would by a novel written by her with out even reading a synopsis. This novel is not her best, but it is the first in the Detective Morgan Brookes series. There were a few parts that I found a bit of a stretch, such as: a rookie Police Officer being given a Detective position over seasoned officers, no matter how “on the ball” she seems. But other than small finicky things, on the who.e it was a suspenseful and exciting read. Helen Phifer, is the Queen of Psychological Suspense. All her novels including this one keep you on the edge of your seat in anticipation and fear. Left Alive, was a little weak compared to her other novels and I guessed what had happened, quite early on in the story. Nevertheless, it was a good story, interesting characters and it kept my interest throughout the novel. I would recommend it to others but I would suggest that they should read Helen Phifer’s other novels too, if they want to read a really good psychological suspense.

Another excellent book from this author. Really enjoyed this one, quite liked the hint of romance between the characters and that normally isn't my thing. Looking forward to the next one.

Well-written police procedural with an interesting new character. Morgan Brooks, a young rookie detective is out to prove herself with a case that has ties to the past and more than one terrible murder. The plot is complex and it does tend to drag a bit in spots but for the most part it held my interest until the end and I am hoping for another book involving Morgan. It will be interesting to see how this character develops. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

I honestly had problems finishing this novel. The writing and pacing were lacking, and as such, the plot felt like it was dragged toward reader interest. I had high hopes from the description, but unfortunately, this didn't live up to those hopes.

Occasionally a book ticks every box, dots every i, crosses every t and is a wonderful surprise right from the start. For me this is one of those books. I wanted to know what happened but didn't want it to end, it was a pleasure to read and I enjoyed the whole experience enormously.

Morgan Brookes is a very new police officer, in fact she is out driving around the local area alone for the very first time when she gets a call to attend a possible suicide. Something doesn't seem quite right however, and talking it over with her boss DS Ben Matthews finds he agrees with her. As he's short staff, without any possibility of it changing anytime soon, he has her seconded to CID.

As the case becomes more convoluted and the hours she works get longer and longer Morgan realises just how much she loves being a detective and doesn't want her time with the new team to end. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to her, or any of her colleagues, Morgan is now in the sights of someone very dangerous and it may not be just her time in CID which comes to an abrupt end.

Having read a few books by Helen Phifer I knew I always enjoyed her work but this time she's aced it. From the first page I loved everything about Morgan and the team led by Ben and Amy. The case was an interesting take on a common theme, of a family killed by person or persons unknown, but with a major twist. I worked some things out but others surprised me and I really hope it won't be too long before there is a second book in what could easily become a favourite series of mine and, I'm sure, many others.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good murder or is looking for a new series to get their teeth into. With this book Helen Phifer has definitely risen to a new level, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Morgan Brooks is out on her first single patrol when she comes upon a woman hanging from a tree. The Murder Team is called . As she is being interviewed she remarks, how did she get into the tree? The Murder Team are already calling it suicide. Morgan is seconded to the Murder Team and will do whatever it takes to find the truth. She has always wanted to be a detective. Two families murdered in the same house but decades apart. A great murder mystery and so much more. The start of a new series and maybe a romance in the offing. Can't wait to read more, almost five stars.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

What a page turner! I enjoyed this book very much. It had a perfect pace, a great plot, and people I like to get to know better. A teenage boy finds his girlfriend’s mother hanging from a tree. Rookie Detective Morgan starts digging into the case. She finds the other members of the family killed, except one of the teenage daughters who barely survived. She is also looking into a cold case; a family was murdered at the same place some decades earlier. Meghan has her own demons from her past haunting her, plus her drunk father, who not only trashed Morgan’s home, but could also be involved in the case.

Morgan is an intriguing character, and I can’t wait to read more about her. She is flawed, has a past that is tormenting her, and she has many opportunities waiting for her just around the corner. She has many quirky colleagues, which is always important in detective books. It is a well-written book, it flows nicely, and I did not want to put it down. A good start to what I believe will be an excellent series!

I got a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I give it 4,5 stars.

This is the first book I have read by Helen Phifer and I really enjoyed it. One Left Alive is a police procedural book introducing us to Detective Morgan Brookes.
When the body of a woman is found hanging from a tree in her front garden, rookie Detective Morgan Brookes is first on the scene. Morgan is a nice enough girl but at times she is very naive and I found some of the situations she got into hard to believe. The story is well thought out and quite gripping. I was interested enough to keep going and find out who the culprit was.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

A new detective is the star of this new series. Well, officially she was not yet a detective but she certainly has the insights, the guts and the creativity one needs. Some are born with the ability, others will never reach that level even if they study until they drop.

It’s not easy being dropped in a team. They already know each other and know how the rest of them works and when one of your colleagues turns you in to the laughing stock it’s hard. That green eyed monster is striking again.

But Morgan is strong willed, she is determined to dig deep and manages to turn her boss from a grumpy so and so into the person he was before.

What have I ‘learned’? Grief can make you let yourself go, but a true friendship can make you want to do something about it. Family members can fall out, but blood is thicker than water.

I don’t like too bloody scenes in a book. My stomach does not agree with that, but sometimes you just need to do that in order to make the reader realize how brutal something was. The author did just that.

I loved the story. It’s entertaining (always good), disgusted me (perfect for a thriller) and it made me smile too (why not in a thriller). 5 stars from me.

Thank you, Helen Phifer and Bookouture.

This was a good read with a believable plot, a lot of suspense, and well written characters. I highly recommend “One Left Alive” and
Look forward to the next in the series of Detective Morgan Brookes.

This is the first book I've read by this author and before I even finished, I was already looking up and downloading more of her books!!!

This one kept me guessing the whole time. Every time I thought "it must be so and so", I was proven wrong. I love books that I can't figure out early on. Loved the characters and their growth throughout the story. Can't wait to see more of them in book 2. This is most defnitely a series, and author, I will continue reading.

*Note - I gave it 4 starts instead of 5 because there was one character that I feel got left behind. He was introduced and there was a lot that could have been done with him and I feel like he and his story/his actions/his attitude/his role was forgotten towards the end. (Won't say more because of spoilers).

Thank you #netgalley and #bookouture for this eARC.

Do you trust your gut?

Detective Morgan certainly does. After finding a woman hanging in a tree, she'd confident there's more to it than the suicide it appears. Of course, the investigation leads to shocking discovery of the woman's family and the history of the property.

I enjoyed reading this and liked the characters. I look forward to reading more.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion.

Such a great story. I'm looking forward to reading the next in this series already 😄
Wow give 5 stars for this

A good start to a new series. Morgan is a feisty rookie who finds a woman hanging from a tree while on patrol and something tells her it's not a suicide. When the family cannot be located she returns to the house and finds all but one of them dead in the cellar. Her drive and instincts get her assigned to the detectives squad led by the crotchety Ben. While investigating Morgan learns that an almost identical crime occurred on the same property 45 years earlier. Are the two murders somehow connected?
A well written mystery/police procedural with interesting and flawed characters and good pacing. There were a few loose ends characters wise that I assume will be taken care of in the next book. Hopefully one of those developments will not be a completely inappropriate romance between Morgan and her boss Ben. This was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next installment.
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

First in series intense murder, thriller. It keeps you guessing through the book. I like that it kept me guessing who did it. Characters are likeable. Would read more of this authors books

A promising beginning to a new series, One Left Alive is a compelling and addictive procedural with a likable investigative team. Morgan is a rookie, but she has good instincts and gets promoted to the CID when she’s the only one to suspect foul play at what seems like a suicide. Her new boss, Ben, has a soft spot for her. The case keeps getting more and more complicated. First, the suicide’s family is found in the basement. All but one dead. Then, Morgan finds a cold case that was identical. And happened in the same house, 45 years before. Every clue, every twist made the plot more intense. A few minor things bugged me. One is the character development. Ben is supposed to be a jerk, but that side of him is not explored. Morgan seems to be very smart and then does something so incredibly stupid, that it made me groan. There was also a plot point that seemed to be important - a coworker’s beef with Morgan after she gets promoted ahead of him, but that was not fully explored. That may be for the next volume, which I’m planning to read. The author is an experienced writer so, with the introductions out of the way, I’m looking forward to seeing where Morgan and Ben go next.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Bookouture!

One Left Alive by Helen Phifer: A rookie police officer is transferred to the detective squad and must learn quickly whilst helping work a multi-murder case.

The following are my criteria for how I rate books. Each one the book is lacking, it loses a star.
-it captivates/enthralls/literally can't put it down or can barely wait to get back to reading
-it made me laugh out loud/cry/truly FEEL
-writing style/sentence structure/story/information flowed smoothly and was well edited
-I'll talk to people about this book and/or recommend it to them
-I'll read it again.

This was a great read. I found myself becoming irritated by real life obligations that pulled me away from my reading time. I mean, books are way more important than clean laundry and having dinner made, right?

I'm glad this is going to be a series. I really came to like these characters, and I cannot wait to see what happens next in their lives. They weren't all perfect: they had flaws, addictions, insecurities, in short, they were just like the rest of us in the world. It made them so much more real than a lot of other novel's characters. After I finished the novel, I couldn't help but wonder where Phifer will take them. Will there be healing/forgiveness in one relationship, and is there a possibility of a romance in another? I can't wait to find out.

Writing was crisp and on point. The transitions from scene to scene were flawless, and I didn't notice anything in regards to grammar/editing that would have interrupted my reading or caused annoyance.

I will most definitely recommend One Left Alive by Helen Phifer to others, and yes, I can see myself reading this book again in the future.

I am very much looking forward to reading more about Detective Morgan Brookes, and I give this first novel in her series a solid five stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Bookouture, for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Picked this book and quickly realised how good it was. I have read Helen's other books and loved them this was just as brilliant. really looking forward to more from Ms Phifer in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of One Left Alive.

I love mysteries and I'm always on the lookout for a series that features a strong female protagonist so I was pleased when my request was approved.

Officer Morgan Brookes is pulled into a murder case when, during a routine patrol, she arrives on the scene of the suspicious death of a mother. The case evolves into a horrible tragedy when the remaining members of the family are found deceased, except for one daughter.

Due to understaffing in the detective division, Morgan is given permission to assist in the investigation and a chance to join the team if she pulls her weight.

As she pounds the pavement, interviews witnesses and potential suspects, Morgan is unaware that the perp has her in his sights.

On the surface, the premise is intriguing but the narrative drags. There is very little evidence and clues that lead to identifying the killer. In fact, the identity of the killer is hard to believe.

I didn't like Morgan, either; I understand she's a rookie but she cries easily, she spends a lot of time wondering why a colleague teases her and is quite gullible for someone so eager to join the police force.

I realize she is a fragile, emotional person traumatized by the death of her beloved mother and having a neglectful, drunk of a father doesn't help, but you are a member of the police. Man up!

The author spends a just a bit too much time describing how beautiful the deceased wife and mother, Olivia was. Morgan and even the killer mentions how pretty she is, especially in death. Weird, much?

One Left Alive contains one of my biggest pet peeves: an unnecessary romance.

Not every story needs a romance and the one potentially brewing between Morgan and her superior is not just unnecessary but needless.

The mystery was not suspenseful or interesting, and I wasn't invested in the story or characters. Some people might like this but it wasn't for me.