Helen Phifer has fast become one of my go to authors, one that I get excited about as soon as I see her name appear on any ARC's and one that I know I don't have to even glance at the synopsis for as I 100% know I'll be all in!

Unbooked #14 of the Detective Morgan Brookes series, Morgan is still recovering from her injuries (book #13) and isn't yet back on full duty, until, on her day off, herself and her partner and boos Ben recieve a call. Their neighbours, Rosie and Matt, have been found brutally murdered. Whilst not on duty, they can't just walk away and step in to help.

On searching the scene and with hints from Rosie's friend Gina, who found the couple, that Rosie had been hearing noises coming from the attic, Morgan searches the attic and is confronted with a note that sends shivers down her spine... "If you've found this, you're next to die." Is the killer actually after her? When their good friend Theo is attacked at his church, this makes it feel like the note is definitely more of a personal threat.

Morgan starts digging, and as the case unfolds, clues are few and far between, but Morgans dogged determination sets in. Something is niggling at the back of her brain, she just has to try and fit all the pieces together.

Not everything or everyone is truly as it seems!

I can't go into too much detail without spoiling the plot, so *NO SPOILERS*

This is one hell of a rollercoaster ride that had me hooked and captivated every twist and turn. I can honestly say that I am just as enthralled in this series as I was at the very beginning.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Helen Phifer’s Their Dying Embrace delivers another gripping, fast-paced entry in the Detective Morgan Brookes series. It’s good to be back with familiar characters. With a chilling premise and plenty of twists, the novel perfectly blends mystery, suspense, and dark psychology, exploring how a killer will strike fear into a community.

The story opens with the horrifying discovery of a young couple, Rosie Waite and her boyfriend Matt, found dead in their home. Detective Morgan Brookes, who lives just down the street, is immediately shaken by the brutal crime, not just by its brutality but by the fact that she heard nothing that night—no screams, no commotion—leaving her to wonder if she is somehow being watched.

As Morgan digs deeper into the case, she uncovers more than she bargained for. A letter left at the crime scene warns, “If you’ve found this, you’re next to die.” What follows is a dark, obsessive search for a killer who seems to know everything about his victims—and everything about Morgan herself.

The author does a good job of building tension and creating a chilling atmosphere that permeates every page. Themes of trust, betrayal, and the complexity of human relationships are explored, especially as Morgan delves into the secrets of Rosie and Matt’s seemingly innocent life.

Morgan’s sense of duty and determination is another key theme. As a seasoned detective, she’s used to danger, but the personal stakes in this case are higher than ever. Her refusal to back down, even when her own life is at risk, showcases her strength and resilience while also revealing the emotional toll such a dangerous career can take. The multiple twists and turns keep you guessing, and while the book offers enough clues to allow for a satisfying reveal, the true identity of the killer remains elusive until the final moments.

Morgan Brookes remains a compelling and likable protagonist, with a mix of intelligence, intuition, and vulnerability that makes her stand out in the crowded world of fictional detectives. She’s relatable, grounded, and human, even in the face of the most harrowing situations. As the series progresses, we see her grow and evolve, making each new installment feel like a continuation of her journey rather than a standalone adventure.

Their Dying Embrace is an emotional rollercoaster of a crime thriller. With its crafted suspense, well-developed characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing at every turn, it’s a great read for fans of the genre.

D Morgan Brookes 14
With Morgan Ben and the rest of the team.
Rosie Waite is hearing noises in her attic again leaving Matt in bed snoring she heads downstairs from watching to many scary movies she see's a shadow but doesn't notice the narrow metal ice axe.
With Morgan and Ben living a few doors away this turns into a double murder for Rydel Falls police.
It's a story that is so twisted, fantastic, leaving you with plenty of goosebumps.
I love reading this series and all the characters that blends in perfectly together.
A big 5 stars as always goes to this author's work.

Detective Morgan Brookes has an immediate change of plans when she is called to the scene of a double murder. Just two doors down from her home, an absolutely heinous crime has been committed, along with a gruesome signature. The couple that were killed are Rosie and Matt, and as the opening scene proved, Rosie’s feeling of being terrified was absolutely justified.

Morgan is determined to find the killer, but is chilled to the bone when she discovers a threatening note: if you’ve found this, you’re next to die. Morgan is filled with a feeling of dread since that threatening note fell into her hands. The killer is not finished.

As the case unfolds, the clues are scarce, and Morgan can’t shake her uncertainty. But, as usual, even if she’s a target herself, she presses on, following any leads she can find. Disturbingly, another attack close to home intensifies the urgency.

Fourteen books in, and this book is just as captivating as when the series first began. We witness Morgan’s blossoming relationship with fellow detective Ben, showcasing their mutual hard work and dedication.

One aspect I admire about this series and Helen Phifer’s writing style is the assurance that you’re in for a treat. So, settle in with a warm beverage, relax, and indulge, as you won’t want to put this book down.

I must mention a delightful touch that brought a smile to my face amidst the seriousness of the crimes. It’s the reference to the Josie Quinn series by Lisa Regan. I love it when a mention like this enhances an already enjoyable read.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Another brilliant installment of this series! It was fast paced and easy to read. My only gripe with these books is the amount of times the officers get hurt etc.

Wow !!! Literally amazing!! How do these just keep getting better
Helen Phifer by far my favourite author
I absolutely adore Morgan Ben and the team
I get so excited when I see another book and even more when I get to read it early
This was blew my mind. I couldn’t put it down it gripped me from the first page and kept me so engrossed.
Fantastic thriller a great set of characters and crime which is shocking,

First of all, thank you for letting me advance read this.

Already the fourteenth book in the Morgan Brookes series and I have to say I'm impressed. Consistently is key and the amount of crime and twists in all of the Morgan books are of the scale.
Where many authors will lack intensity while a series progress into that many series, Helen stays consistent and I just have to keep reading.

Morgan and Ben are by far my favorite couple, where Morgan is the best in crime solving, Ben being the ultimate watchdog. Having Declan as pathologist but also as the gay best friend and Theo the vicar who also is gay it exceeds boundaries set by humans. Who says a vicar can't be gay? I love that it's written in here and written that good.

Now, the story.. I don't want to give to much away because the story is so good.

I will only say this, nothing is as it seems.

Read this if you've loved all the other Morgan and Ben books, if you haven't you should really start reading them.

Great book and I'm sad it's the last of the series. Didn't go the way I thought it would, at any point. Its a bonus when I can't guess the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Detectives Morgan and Ben are nearly off out on their day off, when they are interrupted by the news that their neighbours have been murdered. Creepily, it appears that someone was stalking them from their attic leaving Morgan a note ‘you’re next’. When priest, Theo, is attacked things are moving too close for comfort.

Loved this and struggled to put it down. The characters are really likeable and the team camaraderie is enjoyable to read. This had my head spinning with twists and was a complete page turner. Just the right amount of suspense and dead ends. This is a great series to read. Highly recommend.

When something horrific happens, I am of course touched by it, but at the same time I always am happy when it happened kilometers away from where I live. I would not be able to sleep one minute when something like that would go on in my street or even worse two doors down.

We know Morgan as a tough cookie but the horror of it all had an impact on her too and I cannot say I blame her. To get back her piece of mind, she does what she always does: he utter best to find the culprit and put them where they belong.

There are always some people you trust without a doubt, but we are so wrong to do that. You really never ever know someone, do we... That's because most people have a weakness and the baddies know how to play the game.

Morgan, Ben, Cain, Amy are all wonderful characters, but Marc still has not won me over. I wonder whether he ever will? He sure does add some extra spice to the stories...

Another excellent book in this series. 5 stars

Thank you

Love love love this series, the murders in Rydal Falls are never ending and this one in particular is very close to home for Morgan and Ben. On a very well deserved day off they're called to a house 2 doors away to the brutal murder of neighbours Rosie and Matt. Taking on the case they find themselves caught up in deceit and again tragedy.
In this novel, Morgan seems to have learnt a little bit and thinks about her actions rather than going all guns blazing as she often has, maybe she has her injury from the previous novel to thank for that. A few heart stopping, breathtaking moments too, please don't do this too me Helen.
Brilliant, fast paced, I couldn't put it down

Her Dying Embrace by H. Phifer, published by Bookouture is book 14 in her Detective Morgan Brookes Series.
I just wanted to take a peek at the story and now, hours later I read the last page and I'm spent. Drawn in the literally unputdownable, twisty story of Detective Morgan Brookes and her life partner Ben. An incredible read, one of my favs in 25 for sure, I recommend the book, 5 stars.
Blurb: When sweet-natured teaching assistant Rosie Waite, and her boyfriend Matt, are found dead in their quaint family home in the Lake District, Detective Morgan Brookes is horrified. Sleeping just two doors down, she heard nothing. Morgan vows to keep watch over every innocent family in Rydal Falls until this monster is brought to justice.
Climbing the narrow attic staircase as she searches every inch of the property, Morgan finds a mattress on the floor, empty food wrappers, and a letter that reads: if you’ve found this, you’re next to die. Fear washes over Morgan’s team; the killer was watching his victims, and now her life is at risk.
Ignoring pleas that she take a step back, Morgan throws herself harder at the case. And Matt had been asking questions at a local tattoo parlour. Everyone thought he and Rosie were a quiet, kind-hearted couple, but was Matt hiding a dangerous secret? Did he betray the woman he loved?
It’s the break Morgan desperately needs, until one of her closest friends is attacked. His lifeless body – an exact match to Matt and Rosie. The killer has been watching from the shadows again. Morgan’s used to putting her life on the line to protect the innocent, but what must she sacrifice to save the people she loves most? And how many lives will be lost before she can stop this killer?

Detective Morgan Brooks is back on the job after being injured. When a couple two doors down from her and her partner, Ben’s house in Rydal Falls is found murdered, they take the case even though it is their day off. The murders are gruesome and suspicion falls on a number of different suspects. Tension mounts as Morgan finds a threatening note and someone close to her is assaulted in a similar manner to the dead couple’s attack.

This is the fourteenth in the Morgan Brooks series. Helen Phifer is one of those authors for whom when I see her name, I request the title without reading the synopsis. She writes one of those books I have to force myself to put down or I would accomplish nothing until it is finished. This latest entry in the series does not disappoint.

There are twists (wait til you read one of them!) in this suspenseful story. Morgan is a capable, empathetic female protagonist. I enjoy her character and the convivial, teasing relationships within the investigative team.
As an aside, I smiled at the reference to Lisa Regan’s Josie Quinn series, another of my favorites.

If you enjoy mysteries, police procedurals, thrillers, check this one out.

Just wow! Helen hits the ball out of the park with this one. Highly recommend it, actually read the whole series you won’t be sorry. A double murder is discovered two doors down from Morgan and Ben’s house, it was brutal and savage. Helen is one of my favourite authors and stories like this is why. Twisty plot, no I didn’t get it right! Interesting, absorbing and tense. This story sucked me in and I was on a rollercoaster that I couldn’t get off of until I finished the book. Well deserving of five stars!

I was lucky enough to be sent this via #netgalley and I’m super thankful I got to read it early as I don’t think I could have waited until February, only downside I now have to wait for the next one. I HAVE QUESTIONS!

This may well be the first time I have EVER seen Morgan Brookes hesitate, 14 books and this is the first time and I don’t know whether to be thankful or scared. Helen doesn’t mess around, she jumps right in there with the story. This one had me absolutely gripped from start to finish. I thought I had it all figured out, turns out I’m not as good as my favourite group of detectives.

Chapter 17 had me gasping and getting up to make a cup of tea to calm myself down. Helen!

Then coming in with the PLOT TWIST, sneaky sneaky there.

Honestly another great book in the Morgan Brookes series.

There's a double murder two doors down from Morgan and Ben's home.
It seems a little close to home for Morgan, she's still recovering from a serious head injury.
The bodies are posed, and old nails have been driven into the lips of the victims.
The team have their work cut out for them to solve the case before there are more victims.

Fast paced crime novel. I love Morgan, Ben and the team.
The plot is easy to follow, and of course, Morgan's inner gut feeling is correct.
I, of course, was totally wrong about the killer.
Can't wait for the next in the series, these books are a treat to read.