THEIR DYING EMBRACE is book 14 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)

This is my review of Their Dying Embrace

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

When Rosie Waite, a teaching assistant and her boyfriend Matt, were found dead in their home in the Lake District, Detective Morgan Brookes is alarmed as she lives just two doors down. She never heard anything in the night. The sadistic killer had nailed the couple’s lips shut.

Morgan vows to catch this monster and keep the people safe in Rydal Falls.

After searching the property, Morgan finds a letter, a death threat, “ if you’ve found this, you’re next to die.”

Morgan’s team are fearful, and recognize Morgan’s life is at risk, and beg her to back away..but she refuses.

Morgan discovered that the piercing had been done with expert equipment. And Matt had been asking questions at a local tattoo parlor.

But then One of Morgan’s closest friends was attacked. His bloodied body was surrounded by nails – an exact match to the ones pierced into Matt and Rosie.

How will Morgan catch this killer?

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.

Wowza! This was so dang good. I could not put it down. I’m sad I’m all caught up. I will say it again. Morgan is such a great character! As well as the entire cast. It’s such a great series. This one was a wild one! Morgan doesn’t disappoint.

You definitely can't go wrong with the latest installment in a favorite series and Their Dying Embrace was just what I needed to continue the Morgan Brookes series.

A double homicide has Morgan on the case when a local teacher and her boyfriend are found murdered together. A note in the home warns that the finder will be the next to die, and the victims' lips are almost pierced together. A second attack leaves Morgan with more questions than answers as she tries to find the killer and protect her friends.

As usual, Phifer does an amazing job with the mystery, crafting another page turner that keeps you reading until the end. Each subsequent book develops Morgan and her friends' characters even more, leaving the reader wanting more of Rydal Falls and its inhabitants. Morgan once again utilizes her own keen intuition to figure out where the mystery might be heading, whether or not it is the safest choice for her.

Book fourteen in the Detective Morgan Brooke’s series
This series keeps getting better and better even though you thought it couldn’t
Plenty of twist and turns
Read this in one sitting I couldnt put it down
Thanks NetGalley

Another fantastic book by Helen Phifer. I love the Morgan Brookes series and this book did not disappoint. Reading this book had me at the edge of my seat because the murders were so close to home and Morgan finds a threatening note in her home. Then Theo!! (I will not spoil it but I felt like I was in the waiting room along with Declan and friends). Ben and Morgan thought they could take a day off, oh how wrong they were. Thank you to Netgalley and Helen Phifer for this ARC.

Such a good team of characters and one ends up in jeopardy, so they are fighting for one of their own. And it always seems like Morgan is in the thick of the danger. She finds a note that says she’s next. All this is happening right in her neighborhood. She jumps in to investigate even though she is supposed to be off and works hard with the little clues there are.

I must point out that I smiled early on when mentioned she’s reading another of my favorite series, Josie Quinn. This fits my challenge prompt for a book that mentions another book I’ve read.

This one had a twist that I don’t think I’ve ever seen. No spoilers but it caught me off guard. The intensity was there from the start and had me turning pages.

Helen Phifer has written a great series that I always look forward to the next one, but any of the books can be read as a stand alone, because it is one case per book.

If you are a fan of police procedurals, suspense, and being kept on your toes, you should look into this series.

In Their Dying Embrace, Detective Morgan Brookes embarks on one of her most challenging cases yet. Just as she and her boyfriend, Detective Sergeant Ben Matthews, are about to enjoy a well-deserved day off, their plans are interrupted by Amber a police constable seeking their urgent help with a shocking murder at a nearby residence. Whereupon their arrival, they discover the bodies of teaching assistant Rosie and her boyfriend, Matt, brutally killed and disturbingly staged with a distinctive calling card.

As the investigation progresses, Ben and Morgan are determined to uncover the motive behind these tragic deaths. They begin to piece together clues, such as a friend of Rosie’s mentioning strange noises coming from the loft and a disturbing note found by Morgan, indicating that they might have been under surveillance.

However, the case takes a heart-wrenching turn when they learn that a close friend has been attacked and critically injured, complicating their search for answers and raising the emotional stakes for both detectives.

But nothing is going to stop Morgan, Ben and the team from connecting the dots between their friend's attack and the murders and putting this killer behind bars where they belong.
And with its engaging storyline, unexpected twists and suspenseful moments, "Their Dying Embrace" highlights Helen Phifer at her best, skillfully keeping readers on the edge until the very last moment.
I would happily recommend it to anyone in search of an enthralling mystery.

I started reading this series in Book 12 and am still catching up with prior ones. However, I've had no problems starting at this point in this series. Don't let the number in the series deter you from picking up a copy to see if Detective Morgan Brookes is for you. Book 14 did not disappoint and was just what I needed to have some witty humor thrown in while solving a murder. My favorite was the description "...his head's and a shed and he's lost it." Phifer is always evolving her characters in this series as well. They have grown and shown more sides of themselves even in a few books of the series. I would not want to be the life insurance company for Detective Morgan Brookes though.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for being able to read this next installment in the series.

Overall, this book is a delightful blend of mystery, psychological depth, and emotional resonance. Helen Phifer has certainly made her mark with this novel, and I’m eager to explore more of her work in the future. If you’re looking for a gripping read that will keep you guessing, I highly recommend you pick up a copy. You’ll be glad you did!

I realise I'm well and truly in the minority with my opinions on this one so im sure it says more about me than it does about the book. But this one wasn't for me. It's the fourteenth in the series but multiple reviews said it could be read standalone. I thoroughly disagree. There was far too much context missing all the way through the book on the characters and key events for this to be read standalone.

Thank you to the publishers and author for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

The fourteenth book in this series is yet again another unputdownable read packed with twists and turns. Helen Phifer is one of my go to authors and I don’t even need to read the book blurb to know how good this book will be. Once I started this book I was immersed in the world of Morgan and the rest of the police team. There is so much going on in this book and my heart was in my mouth at times. Everything about this book from the story to the characters is just fantastic and I can’t wait to hear what’s next in store for Morgan, Ben and the rest of the crew.

If I lived anywhere near Morgan Brookes I would be packing my bags and moving as far away as possible. After the traumatic events in her former apartment she has moved in with her partner Ben but trouble seems to follow her around as a couple living two doors down from her have been murdered.. I found some elements of this story a bit far fetched and to be honest I think it would be nice to see a basic murder case that doesn't have a connection to Morgan. It's still an enjoyable read but not as gripping as some other books in the series.

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

Today I’m sharing my thoughts on Their Dying Embrace as part of the book tour for Bookouture. My thanks to Bookouture for my spot on the tour and for the advanced reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

My Review

I was eagerly waiting for book 14 in the brilliant Detective Morgan Brooks series. Each book is better than the last and this is no exception. Now, as with many series, this book functions perfectly well as a standalone thriller, but in my humble opinion, you should read the series in order for better backstory, context, and character development, which is one of the reasons I love Morgan Brookes.

Helen Phifer even tipped her hat to fellow authored Lisa Regan by referencing her Josie Quinn series (another favourite of mine). Nicely done. This nail bitter was a compelling read. I was bitten by the “just one more chapter” bug.

Overall, if you want a book with twists and turns, which keeps you guessing, and holds your attention as you read, you cannot go wrong with this book which I’m clearly happy to recommend. I have Their Dying Embrace, by Helen Phifer, five stars, and I look forward to Morgan Brookes’ next case.

They are back! I say they because although this series features Detective Morgan Brooks it doesn't count for much without the team she works with. That includes her boss and partner in real life Ben. For once the pair of them are on a day off when they are made aware of an active crime scene just a few doors down from where they live. In true Morgan and Ben style any thoughts of a day off are forgotten and they take the case over. They have the added advantage of knowing the victims as well as many of the neighbours.

It was so good to be back with the team and seeing them all pop up is like putting a pair of your favourite slippers on. Even the boss Marc is getting better with each book that comes out. The storyline itself is engaging and has plenty going on. There seems to be an added element of fear for Morgan in this book because this is literally on their doorstep! I admit there was a twist in this story I totally didn't see coming which is always a bonus. I read this in just two sittings and as with the majority of the other books in this series I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A Morgan Brooks story is never short of danger and drama combined and even 14 books in this series is still going strong in my opinion. I am as ever looking forward to the next book...

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for the book #TheirDyingEmbrace by #HelenPhifer. When a killer hits the neighbor hood of Morgan Brooks, detective, she will stop at nothing to track them down. She soon becomes the next target and tragedy strikes close to her. Can she stop this killer before something happens to someone else she cares about or herself?

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. This is the 14th book in the Detective Morgan Brookes series but you could read it as a standalone.

This story hits close to home for Morgan and Ben as a couple were killed only two doors down. Helen doesn’t shy away from giving all the gruesome details of the murders and you can so easily paint a vivid picture of what Morgan and the team are seeing.

There were quite a few twists and turns on this one that kept me guessing what exactly was going on! The clues were scarce and everything brought up more questions than answers really. I didn’t really work out what had happened until Morgan herself did. Helen did a good job of keeping the killer hidden.

the story was fast paced and never really lets up. I was on the edge of my seat when Morgan’s friend was attacked. I am not sure if I can forgive you for that Helen, I’m still very torn up about it.

If you are looking for a Crime thriller that will reel you in from the very first page and keep you hooked until the last then this is the book for you!

Their dying embrace is the 14th book in the Morgan Brooks series and it certainly does not disappoint.
The story starts with introduction to the story with the unfortunate victims. Ben and Morgan are supposed to be having a well deserved day off from all the drama in Rydal falls. Unfortuntely doesnt happen when the crime scene is practically on their door step.
All in all a great read with quite a few twists snd turns Morgan getting herself into some form of trouble and Ben and rest of team worrying. A great addition to the series looking forward to next. Thank you for advanced copy.

Their Dying Embrace is book 14 in the Detective Morgan Brookes series by Helen Phifer.
I have enjoyed this series of books from the very start & this was no exception.
This is a fast-paced crime thriller with intriguing characters with a plot filled with twists and turns and will have your heart pounding as you reach the final breathtaking twist.

Even though it's her day off, Detective Morgan Brookes is called to investigate a murder in her own neighborhood. The scene of the crime is horrific, and a cryptic note found in the house's attic has everyone on edge. It turns out that none of Morgan's neighbors may be who they claim to be.

Though this seems to be quite a popular series, and the plot was good, there were things that made me not enjoy the book. Detective Brookes does not seem to be highly professional, as she does not wear a poker face but puts her emotions on display for not only her colleagues (understandable) but bystanders as well. The same was true of EMS or ambulance workers. Additionally, I found the writing, especially the dialog to be overly simplistic -- the complexity of the narrative did not match the complexity of the plot, so to speak -- causing the whole to fall flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this exceptional book

ohhh man this book and series just gets better and better....

when the police car with its blues and two goes next door to morgan and bens they at first try to ignore it but its not long before there is a knock at the door and they are asked to attend the scene

the people that live there have been murdered brutally..... its a crime scene that effects them all

morgan is tasked with going in to the attic as she is the only one small enough to fit and what she finds there chills her to the bone

the murder scene doesnt make sense at all..... but its the next attack that sends them reeling and hunting for clues

what a read i couldnt put this one down at all.... exceptional this one is

i love all the characters in this series and i am even warming to marc...