Another good read in the Morgan Brookes series. Lots of twists in this run and very tense. I enjoyed the plot and am looking forward to reading more in the series.

First Girl to Die (Detective Morgan Brookes Book 4)
by Helen Phifer
Pub Date 11 Oct 2021
Bookouture
Mystery & Thrillers


First Girl to Die has been provided to me by Bookouture and NetGalley for review purposes:


Taking in the familiar blonde curls and blue eyes of the fallen girl below, Morgan shudders as she leans out of the window. With sickening certainty, she realizes that her friend is now gone for good...


As detective Morgan Brookes arrives at the scene of a suicide, she is devastated to see the young teacher sprawled out on the grass like a broken doll. Brittany has not been seen by her for many years. Their friendship has not been the same since Morgan's high-school boyfriend tragically passed away. Morgan is convinced that Brittany did not jump on her own accord after witnesses describe her erratic behavior and jumbled speech that morning.


Despite the fact that Morgan's theory is correct, no one has been able to identify the source of Brittany's poison in her blood. Morgan discovers a jar filled with toxic herbs in Brittany's home, and the sight of it freezes her blood. She has a jar similar to it that her aunt made for her as a gift. Is this a coincidence, or is it a set-up, or could the only person she has ever trusted with her damaged past be capable of murdering her?


Then another woman from Morgan's past is discovered near the site of the fatal teenage party. Is Morgan looking at this in the wrong way? Do these deaths have any connection to that deadly night? Is it possible that someone from her own family may be involved?


As her aunt's freedom and more innocent lives are at stake, Morgan must dig deep into her painful memories to find answers. Is there anyone else who was present that night, and what exactly did they see? Her only hope is to stop this twisted killer before any more of her old friends become victims. But at what cost?


I give First Girl to Die five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

First Girl to Die by Helen Phifer is the fourth book in the Brilliant Detective Morgan Brookes series and I have loved this series. This has been a series that has been a 5 star read from the beginning and has had me hooked from the beginning till the end. This series is full of twists and turns from the very first chapter and will have you wanting more. I highly recommend this series - Its just brilliant!

I am a fan of this authors books and usually devour them as soon as they come out. This one was no different.

I read this book in one sitting, couldn’t put it down. The more I find out about Morgan, the more I want to know.

Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for providing a copy.

Brilliant read. Read it in a day. One question: when are Morgan and Ben finally going to admit their feelings for each other? I can see it coming but it's taking too long. I hope Ben doesn't mess up, or has he already done so by sleeping with Morgan's neighbour? These characters really come to life, so much so that I felt like giving Ben a swift kick in the posterior.
Waiting patiently for the next book in this series.

I couldnt put this book down. I read this as a standalone but its actually part of a series. I think you should read them in order to get to know the background of the whole story and characters. Im a huge fan of suspense so I really enjoyed this book.

I thought the beginning was really promising, but I felt like the ending was just so boring and not set up at all. I like the main character of Morgan well enough, and if another book comes out that focuses on her dad coming back I'd probably read it, but other than that don't plan to read any more.

Reading Between the Wines book review #17/135 for 2022:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: First Girl to Die
Author: Helen Phifer
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: Morgan Brookes is at it again in the 4th installment of this series. This time the deaths she is investigating are hitting so close to home. Unfortunately, it looks like her eccentric aunt is a huge suspect and it cannot be denied that she is connected. This look at Morgan really finds her more vulnerable than usual and it felt to good to see it. I hope this series continues because I love following Morgan and really want to see her end up completely happy.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @FirstGirlToDie.

#FirstGirlToDie #HelenPhifer #Bookouture #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers

Heart Pounding Thriller that left me gasping ! I highly recommend ! Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book !
Opinions are solely my own ! #Netgalley #Bookouture #FirstGirlToDie

FIRST GIRL TO DIE is the fourth book in a police procedural series featuring Detective Morgan Brookes by Helen Phifer. I’ve read a few of Helen Phifer’s books and this the fourth book in the series 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. This is my review of First Girl To Die.

The books in the Detective Morgan Brookes Series:
BOOK 1-ONE LEFT ALIVE
BOOK 2-THE KILLER’S GIRL
BOOK 3-THE HIDING PLACE
BOOK 4-FIRST GIRL TO DIE
BOOK 5-FIND THE GIRL

Five years ago, a group of teenagers spends a night camping at Rydal Caves. Four girls (Brittany, Sienna, Lara and Jessica) and one boy (Brad). All of Morgan’s friends were going to be at the camp up at the caves to celebrate Brittany’s birthday, except her, as Morgan had been grounded and had to study for exams. But then a tragedy happened. Brad fell to his death, after being drunk after climbing to the top of the caves and getting too close to the edge and slipping…or was he pushed?

The girls panicked and said that they went home, and Brad was too drunk, so they left him there.

Fast forward, Detective Morgan Brookes is called to a scene where a teacher was threatening to jump out of a school window. Morgan calls her boss, Ben, a negotiator who arrives shortly after her and she is devastated to recognize the young teacher, Brittany, was one of Morgan’s best friends at school. She hasn’t seen Brittany for years. Not since the tragic death of Morgan’s high-school boyfriend, Brad ripped their friendship group apart. Witnesses described Brittany’s erratic behavior and jumbled speech that morning…and now it was too late. Brittany jumped and Morgan couldn’t understand the reason why.

Traces of poison were found in Brittany’s blood and Morgan uncovers a distinctive jar in Brittany’s home filled with toxic herbs, and the sight of it turns her blood to ice. She has a jar just like it, a handmade gift from her aunt. Could her aunt be responsible for the death of her friend?

Then another woman, Sienna, from Morgan’s past is found, seen naked at the Rydal Caves again exhibiting erratic behavior. The woman was found face down in the water, and Morgan dragged her out while Ben called for paramedics. She was air lifted to hospital where she remained unconscious.

Morgan is called a fatal road traffic accident to discover the victim was Jessica.

What was going on? Three young women died under suspicious circumstances. Morgan must stop this twisted killer before any more of her old friends become new victims – but at what cost?

This is a fast-paced crime thriller with intriguing characters with a plot filled with twists and turns. Really enjoying this series.

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

I loved this. This is the 4 book in the detective Morgan Bookes series and I have loved every single one .
This book was fast paced and gripping with twists . It was a good thought out storyline with lots of thrills and anticipation that had me wanting more

This is the fourth book in the series featuring Detective Morgan Brookes. Morgan and DS Ben Matthews are called out to a local primary school where a teacher has apparently committed suicide by throwing herself out of a window. Morgan is upset to find that it is Brittany, an old school friend who she hasn’t seen for years since these tragic death of Brad, her high school boyfriend, broke up the group of friends. On investigation Morgan begins to doubt that it was suicide as it was claimed that Brittany’s behaviour had been very erratic prior to her death. When the toxicology report comes back it appears that Brittany had some poisonous herbs in her blood system. Soon after another one of the friends in Morgan’s group is found in nearby caves, naked and it seems that she also has the same herbs in her system which seem to have been supplied by Morgan’s Aunt Ettie. What is the motive or are the deaths linked to the day Brad fell to his death. The story goes back to the events of 2016 and all the painful memories and who could possibly be targeting Morgan’s friends and is her own life in danger. This is another gripping story in the series, full of suspense and drama with plenty of twists and turns before the identity of the killer is revealed. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'm really enjoying reading this series and was looking forward to reading this. This did not disappoint.

Another fine story in this series. More personal for our rookie detective but full of twists and turns. A good read.

I love this series. It’s packed full of incredible characters whose personalities just draw you in. It’s one of my favourite crime fighting teams. Although I’m still not sure how I feel about Ben and Morgan’s will they won't they thing they have going on.

I love Helen Phifer's writing style and the short easy to read chapters full of twists and turns kept me hooked. I had no idea who it was and although the story isn’t particularly fast paced I still couldn’t put it down. As always I look forward to more from this series.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Detective Morgan Brookes is called to assist prevent the suicide of her childhood friend but Brittany's behaviour is erratic and Morgan is not able to save her. The other former friends begin to act strangely too, possibly as a result of poison, and Morgan realises their lives are all in danger. Does the current situation relate to the death of a teenaged boy 5 years earlier...?
First Girl To Die is the fourth book by Helen Phifer to feature Morgan Brookes. I have reviewed all of the earlier books in the series: One Left Alive, The Killer's Girl and The Hiding Place.
Morgan's has personal involvement of the case and knowledge of the victims which increases the tension and emotion. She is also dealing with fallout from the previous books which involves her family and there are spoilers about her family members in this book.
Morgan's boss Ben, with whom there is a spark of attraction, causes her great anguish in this book as he suspects her aunt of accidentlally poisoning the women using herbal tea. Morgan jumps straight to Ettie's defence and finds herself increaslingly isolated within the police team.
The action is fast paced and there are plenty of victims despite Morgan's frantic attempts to save her former friends. The chapters are quite short to maintain the momentum. The book is written in the third person, mostly in the present day but interpersed with chapters from 2016 to show the connection with the past.
First Girl To Die had me completely hooked and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Another case for Detective Morgan Brooke’s
Morgan knows the girls who have been killed they was friends at school
Could Morgan be in danger
They will have to catch the killer before they strike again
Thanks NetGalley

First Girl to Die is the 4th book in the Morgan Brookes series. We first met Morgan as a rookie in book 1. Needless to say, she has come a long way since then. Her character development has been stellar and I enjoy her working style and relation with her team. Although there is a hint of a possible romance in the team, I like the fact that it has not been rushed. I love not knowing what will happen between the 2 detectives in future though at this point, the romance wouldn’t be a bad idea.

This is a personal case for Morgan. It begins with the suicide of a school teacher. Morgan is devasted to find that she knows the victim. Brittany was Morgan’s old school friend. Her suicide seems odd right from the start. She is described to have been acting erratic and mumbling about a baby right before she killed herself. If that is not twisted enough, Morgan’s aunt, Ettie, had supplied herbal tea to Brittany and the tea is found to contain a deadly herb. Right from the start, there are numerous questions. What really happened to Brittany? Is Ettie involved? Is someone targeting Morgan’s old friends? If so, what is the motive?

This was a fast-paced, entertaining read. I enjoyed the twists and the unconventional MO of the villain. It was hard to guess the villain(s) identity or motives. I also liked the background story which took us back to Morgan’s high school days and the day that seems to have set off the present crimes. Overall, this was quite a good, captivating read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house ad the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This is the fourth book in the Detective Morgan Brookes series. It could easily be read as a standalone book, but the series is really good, so you may want to read them all. In this book, Morgan is calledto the scene of a suicide, only to discover it is a highschool friend of hers, who was acting starneg before she lept to her death. Morgan is shaken to the core, especially when later the same day, she is called to the scene of a naked woman at the falls acting strangely and discovers the collapsed woman is another highschool friendf for the same inner circle. When Morgans' aunt is taken in for questioning things get even more bizarre. Is someone out to hurt Morgan's group of friends and is she in danger. Fast paced and gripping. Loved this book

This is one author that I always get excirted about, she writes great books, interesting characters and storylines, always something a little differenet to make them stand out. Detective Morgan Brookes is one of these great characters, I have enjoyed the ongoing storyline development of her and her coworkers and cannot wait to see where the future takes them.

Wonderful. Tense. Gripping. Suspenseful. This series just gets better with each book. This author is just amazing. Loved loved this wonderful book. Can't wait for her next.