What an awesome thriller. I was surprised. The writer did not disappoint me. I loved the twist and the plot. The characters all were great. The Villain was equally amazing. I made sure that I finished this book, because I had to find out who the killer was. The writer did a fantastic job. Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!

Month in this series featuring Detective Morgan Brookes and her team. Another horrible case to solve with lots of twists and turns.

This is the 9th book in the Detective Morgan Brookes series and it is just as intriguing as the others. Morgan is a fairly new and young detective but she is smart and can usually see things that her fellow coworkers don’t see. I love her personality and the way she interacts with her coworkers and her budding romance with her boss, Ben.

I really enjoy this series and look forward to the next books before they are released. The stories are weaved together so well, it is hard to determine who the killer is before the author wants us to know. I really like that it isn't easy to figure out what is going on, this is probably why I enjoy the books so much and they are always high on my “to read” list.

Hold Your Breath
Written By Helen Phifer
Published By Bookouture


“ The biting wind whips around the crystal-clear waters of the lake. The girl sits with her eyes open, as if transfixed by the waves on the shoreline, but she has taken her last breath…”

This being the ninth book in the series, it fails to disappoint and Phifer certainly knows how to tell a thrilling story. One that breaks your heart and then comes back to want you rooting for revenge. The well developed characters are brutal at best and then you have Judy. She has not only lost her husband but her beautiful daughter is found murdered and it is not a pretty sight. Found when DC Morgan Brooks and DS Ben Mathew’s were called to investigate a car at the reservoir that had a body inside. The body was that of 20 yr old Jasmine Armer. Her death was due to asphyxiation. The worst part was that she was found at the same spot where her father had taken his own life.

Then to make certain Morgan is paying attention, her friend Emily is found dead with the same ligature and glue marks that Jasmine had on her. Someone is sending a message and Morgan must try to figure out who is killing these women before they strike again. Could it be someone known to the Armer family or someone trying to get back at DS Morgan Brooks? Either way time is running out and she needs to look at the clues and work this crime scene like never before.

Certainly a thriller/mystery that will keep you engrossed and unable to put the book down until you know what happened. Phifer writes with an amazing strength of knowing how to keep the reader engaged in the story and then keep their heart racing when the killer strikes. The best part is just when you think you have it figured out…….you are wrong, dead wrong.

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Book number 9 in the series. Helen is an author that just keeps on getting better and better. Cant speak highly enough about her writing skills.and her series.

This is the ninth book in the series featuring Detective Morgan Brookes and her boyfriend and boss Ben Matthews and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Morgan and her team realise that they are looking for a dangerous serial killer when they discover the body of a twenty year old woman Jasmine on the shores of Lake Thirlmere. She has glue residue in her eyes and ligature markings on her arms and legs. On investigation Morgan discovers that Jasmine’s father had recently committed suicide at the same spot so she thinks that the killer must know the family. When Morgan receives a package at the police station that contains a grotesque death mask she initially thinks that a member of her team sent it to play a prank on her, Morgan and Ben begin to suspect someone who works at the dental practice where Jasmine worked may be the killer. They are both shocked and upset when the body of another young woman is found and it turns out to be someone they are both very close to. She had the same marks as Jasmine and when Morgan receives another death mask she realises it is from the killer as it closely resembles the dead girl. The race is on to find the killer before he strikes again but could Morgan’s life be in danger,. This is another great addition to the series. It could be read as a stand-alone but I would recommend reading the full series, I can’t wait for the next one.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

So excited for another installment of Helen Phifer's Morgan Brookes series.

This time, Morgan has been placed on a case of a young woman found dead at a lake. Her body is cold and an odd residue is left on her face. When a death mask is sent to her at the station, reminiscent of the victim, she realizes that the killer is targeting her for some reason.

As a fan of the series, I was so excited to read the next book, and once again, Phifer does not disappoint. Morgan again is dragged into the center of a complicated case, with a killer that somehow is able to elude many of the other detectives on the case. It is her connections and tenacity that once again are at the forefront of the story. Phifer has done a phenomenal job at continuing her series with the reader still wanting more at the end of the novel.

Omg this series can do no wrong. I have loved every book so far and it's getting better and better. This kept me on the edge and I couldn't wait to get through it. I love Morgan and always wait for her getting into trouble.another fast paced action packed story. It's so well written and can't wait to read the next

Thank you so much Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

Just as I expected, Helen has come back with a blast 🧨

My heart broke into a thousand little pieces for Judy. To lose your husband and then your daughter too? I don't ever want to imagine myself in that situation. But that wasn't the biggest shock. I was left with little to no time to grieve as someone really special was taken away from me.
I swear I tried my best not to tear up. While I love the personal ties, blame it on the sadistic part of my brain, I do believe these guys deserve a break 😭. They have been running on fumes since 'Silent Angel'. Break as in no personal ties break. Not no-murders-so-no-books-break. I can't possibly 'hold my breath' for that long. On the bright side, I love that Cain has become a part of the team! He is deeply loved by the members and there's no one better to fill the empty spot and soothe the gaping hole in their hearts. Does that mean I will ever stop missing Des? Nope.

This book reminded me once again why I am so obsessed with Morgan (in a good way.) She's young and it shows in her actions. Especially when she jumps to do something she was specifically instructed not to. She's brave, unbelievably impulsive for a detective and puts her life in danger all the time but I still adore her. Ben has a different issue. I will keep him in my prayers.

Ben and Morgan's bond always brightens up my mood. Even Theo's slowly growing on me. One of my personal favourites, Declan, has consistently been their rock giving a slight push whenever deemed necessary. His way of handling the autopsies so gently and respecting the dead will always melt my heart. Highly recommended!

An enjoyable crime thriller, this reads well as a standalone but I suspect this is more enjoyable if you’ve read the previous stories as a big part of the story is centred around the detective team and their relationships.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an arc copy of this story to review.

I love Morgan Brookes. This series gets better with every new book. A fantastic storyline with relatable characters. I look forward to reading more.

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

Thi is book nine in the Detective Morgan Brookes series, this book could easily be read as a stand alone, but this series is so good, you will want to read them all. I have enjoyed reading about Morgan and her team and not only the terrible crimes they solve, at their own peril but the internal storyline about friends, family and love. Morgan is a magnet for criminals, something about her calls to them. This book is no exception; from the creepy mask that arrives at the station for her, to the women being murdered in mysterious ways, to the dynamic betweem her and her team. There were some great twists and this book kept me guessing right up until the killer was revealed. Cannot wait for the next book!

This was such a page turner!! There’s so much going on that I didn’t want to put the book down! It’s the first book in the series that I’ve read so I’m excited to go back and read the first 8!!

HOLD YOUR BREATH is the Ninth book 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)

This is my review of Hold Your Breath.

“She was strapped to a hard chair in a cold garage with her mouth gaged. He wrapped clingfilm around her face.”

DC Morgan Brookes is back at work in the CID office, in Rydal Falls, known as CAST, Crime and Safeguarding Team. Detective Morgan Brookes and her boss, Sergeant Ben Matthews are a couple, and are living together at Ben’s house.

The cast of the small control team includes:
DS Ben Matthews
DC Morgan Brookes
DC Amy Smith
Cain Robson-new to the unit

Detective Morgan receives a mystery parcel at the office… a weird death mask-half mask that looks dead.

Morgan and Ben are called out to investigate a suspicious scene, a body in a car by Reservoir Thirlmere. It was determined the car and victim belonged to a twenty-year old well-liked dental nurse; Jasmine Armer who had died of asphyxiation and had been left in her car at the same location where her father had recently committed suicide. She and had ligature marks on her limbs, and glue residue on her eyes. The killer must have known the family.

Then Morgan gets a call that her friend, Emily, has been killed. Ligature marks on Emily’s arms are identical to Jasmine’s.

It is now a race against time, for Morgan to solve this twisted mystery and expose the killer.

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

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

A great read. Great characters with a plot that moves astray a good pace. Twists and turns and surprises in almost every chapter. The ending was great!
This lost a start for me as the first half was a little slow paced. There were also a few obvious parts that frustrated me (the mask for example)
Overall though. Highly recommend

en Phifer, you are brilliant!
I love this series, and I know I'm in for a treat when I start a new book.
This was thrilling, twisty, and ever so dramatic. The characters are utterly superb, and the relationships between them all are brilliantly written.
I loved it.

A young woman is found dead in her car with no obvious cause of death. Yet she has ligature marks on her wrists so a murder investigation is launched. DC Morgan Brookes and her team seek a cunning killer but he already has Morgan in his sights...
Hold Your Breath is the 9th police procedural and crime thriller to feature Morgan Brookes and her boss and lover Ben Matthews. There are some details about the private lives and previous cases which may act as spoilers if you haven't read the earlier books.
Morgan receives a strange and hideous gift: a death mask. Jasmine's body is discovered at a popular spot in the Lake District, where her father's suicide was found just months earlier. At first another suicide is suspected but tie marks and petechiae prove it was murder by asphyxiation. Morgan and her team suspect a link to Jasmine's work which is only strengthened when another young woman is killed. This time there is a huge link between the victim and Morgan and Ben.
The majority of the book is written to show the police investigation and the relationships between the police characters. I really like the relationship between Morgan and Ben but think both of them are reluctant to reveal the true strength of their feelings for each other. Morgan is in danger and injured quite a lot in this book which make Ben consider the future.
There are also some chapters that show the perspective of the killer. This increases the tension and drama as we see his plans for Morgan. The police have narrowed down the suspects and I was able to guess the identitiy of the killer. I found the ending to be a little abrupt and there wasn't any confession or any real conclusion which explained the motive.
Hold Your Breath is a tense and enjoyable crime and police thriller.

Who doesn’t love a book where the main character sits down to read a book you loved? Morgan unwound on a rare night off by reading Home Before Dark. This is another great crime novel I’ve read this spring. Morgan, Ben and the team work to find a murderer before they have a chance to kill again. In addition to working the case, there is a little bit of balance of personal life and love. There are also a few chapters anonymously from the bad guy’s point of view. And while they do come off as disturbed, they don’t come off as trying to be too much. Just a little insight into their thoughts to balance out what the reader knows from the investigation.

I have to chuckle at the title of the book since I am constantly seeing posts on social media about how many books have some sort of variation of releasing a breath they did not know they were holding. Go big or go home. Am I right? But all kidding aside, I did find myself holding my breath as I read this one. Morgan always seems to get herself in a pickle and this time was no exception.

The pace was good and there were a few suspects. While I did guess the killer, I also had enough doubt to second guess myself. This is another one of those crime series that you can read each book as a stand alone, but by doing so, you miss the character development that happens over the series. And I love the characters as a group in addition to individually. The team dynamic in this one is definitely a plus.

My list of must read crimes series keeps growing and this one has earned its spot. If you like strong characters in your crimes series, then this one needs to be on your radar.

Hold Your Breath is the 9th book in the Detective Morgan Brookes series and I think it is the best one yet. Although each book is its own case, there is a lot of development as the series progresses in the characters, their relationships and the team, that I recommend you read this series in order. The book opens with a young woman being murdered and shortly after, Morgan and Ben are called to a death scene where a young woman is dead sitting upright in her car, with no apparent wounds. Is it a suicide or a murder? It is determined that she was asphyxiated. Shortly after, Morgan receives a package at the station containing a grotesque mask. Morgan's team find it funny and name her Barb, Morgan thinks it is terrible and eventually throws it out, but does it have relevance to the case. When a second body is found, a young woman that both Morgan and Ben know, the case becomes personal. Can they catch the killer before there is another victim?

This was another suspenseful, chilling Morgan Brookes story. I love how the team works together and seeing their relationships. We get glimpses into past stories and Ben's and Morgan's life as it is developing, which I enjoy. Morgan is a great detective, smart, intuitive and persistent. She sometimes puts her self in danger, but does it to protect others. This story gives us a few points of view and I like that we hear from the killer every so often. The reader has some insight that helped me figure out the culprit, but the police took a bit longer as they didn't have his/her POV. There was more than one suspect and several red herrings along the way, that had me changing my mind a few time. From the first page, I was pulled in to this gripping story. With some twists and a lot of tension, the story comes to a climactic ending. I thoroughly enjoy this series and recommend it to those of you who enjoy a good crime thriller.

Reading Between the Wines book review #68/115 for 2023:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: Hold Your Breath (Detective Morgan Brookes, Book 9)
Author: Helen Phifer
Available now! Released on June 2, 2023!!!

Sipping thoughts: Another detective mystery solved by the relentless Morgan Brookes. I love the fact that she now has a love that can look after her. In psychological thriller fashion, I am worried this happiness won’t last long. However, in this book, Morgan is up to her usual solving a case antics that typically gets her into a life or death situation. I was able to solve this case early on and am ready for the next book in this installment.

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

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