A really good start to a series. I think that Morgan is a great character and I am looking forward to finding out more about her. Her back story makes her interesting. She appears to be brave and vulnerable. The Lake District is a beautiful setting. There is a lot of action the whole way through which made this a compelling read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Morgan is now my favorite character. This is my first time reading Helen Phifer and I was beyond surprised. The book grabbed me from the very start and it was a thrill ride. These books are the ones I prefer because it keeps my adrenaline going.

Rookie Morgan Brooks is sent to investigate when a person is found hanging from a tree. Because she has doubts about whether it's a suicide or murder, and she follows her hunches, she's immediately promoted to detective due to her hunches being right on point. The suicide is not a suicide, but murder when the rest of the family is found. I can't say no more.

It's an exciting read! I enjoyed it and I hope Ms. Phifer has a second book coming up with Morgan! Oh, and of course, Ben. Happy Reading!

A family, all brutally murdered in their home; a police constable, on her first day of solo patrol duty.

This was a fun ride, and I enjoyed it very much. The blurb said “gripping” and it sure lived up to that, I legit did not want to put it down. Although, it has quite a romantic undertone, which isn’t the genre I usually go for. It was nothing cringe and all feel good but still, I felt a little bummed because it wasn't mentioned anywhere and all was a bit convenient. From the very first chapter it was like the characters were just paved to happen upon each other with lovey-dovey eyes.

The plot and premise were really interesting though. Fast-paced and well-written. The emotions and struggles of the characters were described very beautifully. Kind of predictable, but it still kept me turning the pages till the very end. It will be interesting to see how the dynamics between characters further develops in the next installment. Recommended for anyone looking for a romantic cozy mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley, author, and publishers for the eARC.

Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley and for letting me take part in this tour. I read another book by this author back in 2018 and I really enjoyed it so I was excited to read this new series.

Morgan Brookes is on her first day on lone patrol when she discovers this case. She is keen and hard working. CID are short staffed and Morgan gets picked by her superior to assist despite being a rookie. This obviously doesn’t go down well with some of the other officers who have been hoping to move up. This seemed pretty unrealistic to me but I think Morgan will be a really good detective. She has that gut feeling when something is wrong and is very determined. She also cares about the victims and wants to get justice for them.

I’ve said this before about Helen’s stories but I’m going to say it again. These are not for the faint hearted. The murders are brutal and horrific. They are some of the worst I have ever read. Helen goes into a lot of detail to truly show you how horrific these killings are. The book had a few red herrings which really kept you on your toes.

There is some romance hinted at that I’m not sure I am a fan of but we will see if that progresses or not in the next few books.

I loved that this was set in the Lake District. I’ve never been but it seems such a beautiful place. I really would like to go visit.

I was sucked into this book quite early on. With the murders being so horrific you just feel you have to keep going. I flew through the book to be honest and couldn’t believe I got to the end so quickly! I’m looking forward to seeing Morgan progress through her training and see how she copes with her next big case!

Detective Morgan Brookes is a rookie but boy is she getting a baptism by fire. She is called to more than one gruesome crime scene. In one case a woman is found hanging, another is a dead girl with a cloth over her face. This is not all. Not even close. As a matter of fact the scenes are that of nightmares. Entire families killed, but one is still breathing.

Morgan does her best to get help to the girl, but now must work the case feverishly to find out why someone would kill an entire family. well almost, because One Left Alive. Newly assigned to the CID (Criminal Investigation Department), Morgan has no choice but to hit the ground running.

Not only must Morgan face these scenes, keep her stomach despite the brutality, but she is plagued with insomnia, and when she does sleep she experiences horrid nightmares, ones that she cannot remember, but this is taking a lot out of her. So, dealing with the murders is truly taxing. Factor in that Morgan discovers a cold case with very similar circumstances, and she realizes that they must indeed be connected.

In this first book of a thrilling new series, we get to meet Morgan and her team. With Morgan being new to this side of policing, she had to deal with autopsies, an endless round of interviews, and ghastly scenes that certainly didn't help her sleep issues. Not only do readers get to know Morgan, but also that of her new team. This includes Ben, who assigned her to the unit. Ben is still dealing with his wife's death, but it is clear to see that he and Morgan get on well together. It will be interesting to see what develops between them in future stories.

What a way to start a series. My attention was snagged from the very first page, and didn't let up until the arresting conclusion. I am eager to see what next Morgan has in store in the next book in this series, The Killer's Girl, set for release in December.

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

This is a fantastic start to a new series.
I’ve read a few of Helen Phifer’s books but this is definitely my favourite.
Morgan has just started in the Police and is called out to an apparent suicide. She finds a young man trying to support the hanged body of a woman and helps him get her down.
Upon investigating the house they find the rest of the family beaten to death.
Morgan starts to do some digging and impresses Ben so much he offers her a job in CID as they are short staffed.
Ben is drawn to Morgan and whilst he’s still getting over the death of his wife, there’s definitely something between the two of them.
Morgan discovers another family were killed in the same house years ago and is surprised to see the murders were very similar.
Ben, Amy and Morgan make a great team, and I loved the banter between Ben and Amy.
This is a brilliant crime thriller with a nail biting conclusion that I just loved.
I’ll definitely be reading the next in the series.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the first Detective Morgan Brookes book by Helen Phifer. Morgan is a new police officer and is thrown in the deep end when she is first on the scene to a woman, Olivia Potter, hanging from a tree. She starts to see that things aren't as they seem and follows her gut instincts to discover the rest of the Potter Family brutally murdered with one barely alive.

The story follows Morgan getting an opportunity to become a detective and concentrate on this case that and to find out who the killer is. There are a couple of suspects and what makes it more of a mystery is that the Potter Family aren't the only family to have been murdered in that house. Why was the family many years ago murdered? and why has it happened again?

This book kept my interest throughout and I found myself really enjoying the mystery and trying to figure out who done it. The characters were interesting and it made me want to know more about them and see how they would develop further in future books. There is a potential love interest in the book, but that doesn't develop too far. I am unsure if I would just prefer that they are good friends, but it is interesting to see how they help each other in their personal lives. I would like to see how this is developed in future books.

I would definitely read another book in this series. This was a great start for a new series, it was fast paced and kept me hooked right from the beginning. I am looking forward to the next book.

A woman is found hanging from a tree outside her home; the first case for rookie Detective Morgan Brookes. When the woman’s family can’t be found, Morgan makes another search of the house and comes upon a horrific scene. A father and his two daughters have been murdered, but wait, one girl is still alive. Who could have killed this family? Luckily, Morgan is working with long time Detective Sergeant Ben Matthews. Morgan has good instincts and a clever mind that is always searching for evidence. She learns that there is an unsolved case, from years ago, of a family who was murdered in the same home and nearly in the same manner. Was this a copycat murder or is the house cursed? She and Ben now have two cases to solve. I loved the “gutsy” character of Morgan as she follows her hunches while the more senior Ben is the perfect foil for her. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

In this first book of a new series, Helen Phifer introduces us to Detective Morgan Brooks. In her first night on patrol by herself, the rookie encounters something that even seasoned officers would find disturbing. Morgan, though, keeps her wits about her, when she is faced with a the body of a woman hanging from the tree in her home's front yard. The boyfriend of the woman's daughter calls in the discovery, and Katie is first on scene to hear his story and comfort the emotional young man. When no one appears home, the scene is first seen as a suicide; however, something doesn't feel right to Morgan. Her persistence leads to the discovery of the dead bodies of the husband and one daughter of the deceased woman, along with another daughter clinging to life. When the suicide is ruled a murder, the case ramps-up, and Morgan is tapped to work with the investigative team, despite her lack of experience. Can Morgan and her new boss get to the bottom of this mass murder before someone else dies? You will love the journey and the ending of the book.

Detective Morgan Brookes #1

Morgan has just completed her training and this was the first day she has been out on her own. She's called out to what looks like a suicide. Olivia Potter is hanging from a tree outside her home. The rest of the Potter family are missing. Morgan gets seconded to the Detective team to help in their investigation. Morgan quickly realises this is the job she wants to do and she's determined to prove her worth.

This is a great start to a brand new police procedural series featuring Morgan Brookes. This is a fast paced, well written police procedural. I was hooked from the beginning and I didn't want to put the book down. I was guessing all the way to who was behind it all. I was shocked when the reveal came. I never saw it coming. There were a few loose ends left hanging but I'm hoping when the second book comes out in December, they will be tied up then. I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Helen Phifer for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Morgan Brookes's first day on patrol finds herself at the apparent suicide of Olivia Potter. She soon grows suspicious when no husband or child comes looking for the decreased woman. Morgan goes back to the house to search again but this time, finds the rest of the Potter Family in the cellar- all appearing to be murdered until she hears a faint breath of one daughter. Will the only surviving daughter be able to tell who killed her family? Digging into the Potter's lives infidelities and money issues plague a family that looks well put together on the outside. Could an enraged lover or financial partner be the culprit?

Sgt. Ben Matthews offers Morgan a three month attachment as a detective and hopes her keen instincts are not a fluke but a gift. As Morgan continues to dig into the Potter's case she finds that in 1975 the O'Brien Family was murdered in the exact same fashion as the Potters but no assailant was found. Piecing the two murders together, Morgan finds two connections between them. One connection a prominent public servant with a temper, greed, and wandering hands. The second connection has Morgan rethinking if she should be on the case.

This book was one that I could not put down. The twists and turns that Helen was able to place in the developing plot were well deployed when least expected. I enjoyed how the characters developed both positive and negative traits that can be built upon in the next book. Hopefully , Helen Phifer does not keep us waiting too long.

Thank you to Helen Phifer, NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of One Left Alive, the first novel set in the fictional Cumbrian town of Rydal Falls to feature PC Morgan Brookes.

On her first day of working solo Morgan is sent to an apparent suicide, Olivia Potter has been found hanging from a tree in her garden. There is no trace of the family so, sensing something is wrong she returns to the house and finds the rest of the family dead in the cellar, until she realises that Bronte, the elder daughter, is still alive. Determined to get justice Morgan keeps investigating and is horrified to discover that a similar murder took place in the same house 45 years ago. What links them?

I thoroughly enjoyed One Left Alive which is the relatively straightforward hunt for a killer. There are twists and turns along the way but the goal never wavers and there are few distractions, like subplots or unnecessary interference from the brass. It is mostly told from Morgan and her boss, DS Ben Matthews’ points of view with no hint of who the killer is or why it was done. That’s good as I like to speculate along with the detectives and the more I’m kept in the dark, the more I get involved in the novel.

I could nitpick on the realism of a rookie patrol officer being transferred to CID and making a success of it but why bother? The novel is entertaining and held my attention throughout. I thought the plot was done well with the perpetrator well concealed and I enjoyed the build up to the reveal with all the small steps taken and the uncertainty over which discoveries were relevant. After the first suspension of disbelief about Morgan’s job I felt the novel was grounded, up to and including the rather banal motives.

I like Morgan Brookes who has the zeal and enthusiasm of a newbie. She has her problems but they don’t overwhelm either her or the novel. There is something simmering between her and Ben but the author is noncommittal on whether it’s friendship or romance. I definitely want to know more.

One Left Alive is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I want to thank Netgalley, Helen Phifer, and Bookouture for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the first book in Detective Morgan Brookes Series. When the body of a woman is found hanging from a tree in her front garden, rookie Detective Morgan Brookes is first on the scene. But Olivia Potter is past saving. And when her husband and daughters cannot be traced, Morgan knows there is more to this tragedy. And then she finds them. Lying huddled together in the dark basement, each of their faces covered with a small cotton cloth, their bodies cold to the touch. But as Morgan kneels beside the family, she realises that one of the girls is still breathing. As she holds Bronte’s fragile hand in hers, begging her to hold on, she vows to find out who has done this.

I'm going to start talking about the characters. I really relate to Morgan's personality, when she is easily embarrassed even on small occasions, and at the later part of the book I began to think that she is an introvert. She loves reading and doesn't have that many friends. I think Morgan's character is well-written, she has this determined character and enthusiastic with her new job, which you will expect in a new police officer in real life. As for some other characters, I have this weird teenage-ry vibe in them. Like they act like teenagers and not their age. Their thoughts and behaviour are sometimes similar to a teenager. And I just honestly think that these type of characters will fit in a YA mystery instead of an Adult Thriller. The character developments of some characters just went in a blur. For example, Morgan's dad is a raging alcoholic and irritating, but in the last 2 chapters of the book, he's suddenly this man that "instantly" realizes that he is not a good father. It's like the character developments came from A to B without any explanation or some kind of arc.

The dynamic between the two main characters (Morgan and Ben) feels so awkward for me. I feel like it isn't really necessary to make the two main characters to be involved with each other's personal lives and be developed feelings for each other. I just mostly prefer to be them being just good friends.

I really felt bad for the victims in this book though. The way the author narrates them, I feel like they are NOT just another victims in a crime thriller books that I read before.

This book also has a dark humor. And i'm really okay with that, because sometimes it's really funny. This book is written from a third person's point of view, and follows different characters. And it helps progressing the plot. The author also wrote really well of showing the character's emotions and their thoughts.

The book wasn't boring. Instead of just writing the characters investigating the case, the author still leave room for certain details. If you would ask me if it was thrilling or not, i'm gonna say it's in between. The investigation process is thrilling to read and it has some plot twists that shook me. But my problem with this book is that it has some little plot holes. I have these questions like "Why is it suddenly happening?" and "Why is this little detail became important?".

And if you're going to ask if I feel other emotions from this book, i'm going to say that it made me cringe, but in a really good way. Because this book has some gory scenes and details. For example, the autopsy scene, because I feel like I was witnessing it also instead of just reading it. And it's really good (because surprise! I love reading gore details on books).

When I got to the 70% of the book it's when it starts to went downhill. I think it was rushed when it came to revelations. And the resolution is so convenient for the characters. Like the author just wrote some big jumps to character arcs and some other issues because the ending is near.

I rated this 3 out of 5 stars. It was a good book and I still recommend it but it feels just so average for me.

This book will be out on September 1, 2020 and you might consider checking this one.

This is the first book I read by this author and it’s the first book in the Detective Morgan Brookes series (I’m looking forward to read what’s next!)
I love how the story is narrated, it’s written in third person and the main protagonists are Morgan and Ben.

On her first day of being on solo patrol, Morgan, a newbie police officer, is the first responder to what seems to be a suicide. A woman, Olivia Potter, is hanging from a tree in her garden.

This was such an interesting thriller, full of twists and turns,I loved the characters and the book has the right amount of drama and suspence that makes you keep turning the pages!! The chapters are short so it makes you think “just one more chapter” and you end up reading the whole book in one day - just like I did.
It has such excellent descriptions which makes you feel like you’re in the scene with the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley, Helen Phifer, Bookouture for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in a promising new series. I liked the plot and the cast of characters. Amy was more realistic than Morgan and her promotion to DC.The police procedure was all over the place but I overlooked that aspect and simply concentrated on the story. It's a very good read and I look forward to the next in the series. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Morgan Brookes a rookie police office is called to a suspected suicide on her first day working alone, it quickly turns into a much bigger case and she is asked to help CID hunt down the killer. A gruesome crime thriller with some very likeable characters with a good dynamic. Some of the police procedures seem to of been optional during this book but that didn’t stop it being very enjoyable, I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Morgan Brookes' first day on solo patrol turns her life completely around. After being called to the scene of a suicide by hanging, Morgan has more questions than answers. That leads to Ben Matthews asking her to join CID since they are short staffed and he sees her potential.
Since Morgan is so new, she doesn't have the jaded outlook as some of the other police and she is just gullible and naïve enough. The characters are caring and warm and want to see her proceed. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes police procedurals, and I can not wait to read the sequel.

In a nutshell, Morgan Brooke, a rookie and a first timer, comes across a body hanging on a tree in front of a house and she was the first on the scene. The woman's name is Olivia Potter and she was dead for a while. And while investigating the house, Morgan and her boss Ben discovers the other family members down in the cellar--both the father and the younger sister are bludgeoned to death and the other daughter, Bronte barely survived and is in coma. With the secrets surrounding the house, including another murder that happened in the very same house some forty years ago, Morgan starts investigating the crime, as a first timer working along side with Sergeant Ben.

This is the first time I have read from this author and I was not disappointed at all. I was so hooked into the story. The writing was great and the author did a good job showing the inside of the character's lives--Morgan's insomnia and her relationship with her alcoholic father Stan and Ben dealing with the death of his wife Cindy. It was actually gripping, emotional and was a thrilling ride as I read the story. Characters in this book are quiet favorable. The writing was good and the ending was good as well, though I kind of expected that type of ending. I also like how some parts of the story are realistic--Morgan being a new member of the team was finding a bit difficult to cope up with the crime, all those turmoil and emotions she is going through that threaten to wreck her and at the same time trying to maintain a brave face in front of the colleagues was a bit realistic to me.

Overall, I truly enjoyed reading this book--totally unputdownable, a thrilling adventure and really a great story with a great plot line! This book is the start of the Detective Morgan Brooke's series so I can't wait to read more!!

This is the first book from the new Detective Morgan series and I can't wait to read the next one in the series. It starts with a young police officer, out on solo patrol for the first time, being called to an apparent suicide.

Olivia Potter is found hanging on a tree in her garden and her husband and children are initially nowhere to be found. This was a gripping read and really kept me engaged, it is fast paced and a good police procedural with lots of likeable characters and I hope to see the relationship between Morgan and Ben blossom.

This is the first book in a new series that will be centered around Morgan. I found it to be a decent read, but had a couple issues with it. The story starts off quickly, with Morgan, on her first day on solo patrol duty, getting called to the scene of an apparent suicide. Olivia, a married mother of 2, is hanging from a tree in her yard and her family is nowhere to be found. Fast forward to the discovery of the rest of the family and also a tie to previous murders and you have a police procedural with Morgan and her colleagues trying to solve the mystery.

The storyline around the murders was pretty interesting, and there were some surprises as the team considered, then discounted certain theories. I was mildly surprised when the villain was revealed- it is someone that I had considered earlier but I felt that the book was leading me in a different direction by the time it was revealed.

The issues I had with the book were first the very unrealistic situation of Morgan being moved up to be a detective and personal protege of her boss literally after her first day on patrol- there is no way that this would have happened, and Morgan, while seeming smart and capable, didn't seem to bring anything to the table that would explain this boost and the leapfrogging of all of those above her. Secondly, there were hints of a budding romance between Morgan and her boss Ben, which I found unlikely and unnecessary. I felt that the constant focus on the way they felt about each other and how new to the job Morgan was got rather tedious as the book went on.

All in all, I thought this was an OK book and I will likely pick up the next book in the series when it comes out. The characters were all fairly likable even if some of the relationships didn't ring true. I particularly liked Amy and hope the author builds her storyline out further in the next edition. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.