I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Their Dying Embrace by Helen Phifer Also by this author: Last Light, One Left Alive, The Killer's Girl , The Hiding Place
Series: Detective Morgan Brookes #14
Also in this series: One Left Alive, The Killer's Girl , The Hiding Place , First Girl to Die
Published by Bookouture on 3rd February 2025
Genres: Crime, Thriller
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: from Netgalley
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Morgan kneels beside the fluttering crime scene tape. Their hands clasped, the couple’s embrace looks loving and warm, but an icy chill grips the air. Their lips are blue, and blood is dripping on the floor. They have been silenced forever…
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 no screams for help, no slamming doors, or alarms in the night. A twisted killer nailed the couple’s lips shut, and 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 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 discovering that the nails used to bind the victims’ lips were pierced with expert equipment. 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, crimson with blood, left surrounded by jagged nails – an exact match to the ones pierced into 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 precious lives will be lost before she can stop this killer?
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!
About Helen Phifer
Helen Phifer lives in a small town called Barrow-in-Furness with her husband and five children.
Helen has always loved writing and reading. Her love of horror films and novels is legendary. Helen adores reading books which make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Unable to find enough scary stories to read she decided to write her own.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2025 Netgalley Challenge
- 2025 Reading Challenge
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