I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘One Left Alive’ by Helen Phifer in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Detective Megan Brookes is sent to a house where Olivia Potter is found hanging from a tree. The family can’t be found but Megan’s instinct tells her they’ve missed something and the next day asks to return to the house where she discovers a door to the basement and the bodies of Olivia’s husband Saul and daughters Bronte and Beatrix. They have all been beaten around the head and squares of white cotton placed over their faces. Saul and Beatrix are dead but Bronte is still breathing and Megan vows to find the person responsible. On reading through the records of the house Morgan learns that forty-five years earlier another family died in similar circumstances. Could the two cases be connected?

‘One Left Alive’ is the first in the Detective Megan Brookes series and bodes well for future books. Newly working for CID due to staff shortages, Megan has a sixth sense and acts sometimes without thought of the consequences but always endeavouring to find answers for her boss DS Ben Matthews with whom she has a growing friendship, and wants to prove to him she’ll make a first-class detective. This is an action-packed thriller that contains suspense, drama and twists and turns, the final twist revealing the identity of the killer which took me completely by surprise. I’ve enjoyed reading this book and can recommend it.

What a great start to a new detective series !

One Left Alive is also a refreshing new start as Morgan became a part of the detective squad almost by fluke so she is all gung ho, has something to prove but more than that has great instincts and is surrounded by a great team starting with Ben and Amy.

Four members of the same family are found in their home , three are dead, one survived.

Can this murder be related to another horrific murder years ago.

The pages will turn quickly as you along with team try and solve what happened that horrible day.

I will certainly be waiting for the second book in the series and look forward to getting to know Morgan even more.

Thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for a refreshing read

One Left Alive, the first book from Helen Phifer's Detective Morgan series is a novel that I enjoyed reading recently. It features a rookie police officer named Morgan who finds her place in the detective wing luckily on the first day of her service. She joins the team led by Ben who is impressed by her skills and instincts and begins working on a family murder case.

Olivia Potter was found hanging on a tree in the compound of their beautiful home and the rest of the family including her husband and two daughters were no where to be found. The incident brings a shock throughout the neighborhood when on the next day, the remaining three of the family is found heavily injured in the basement, two dead and one alive. Morgan does a quick research on the house which takes her to the details of another family who were murdered in the same house years ago. In the mean time, a famous media person is also killed, and Morgan's instincts keeps on telling her that all the incidents are somehow connected. The novel features the adventures and shocks that are awaiting Morgan in her path to unleashing the truth.

The book is so nice and I loved very much as it for kept me on the edge my seat right from the beginning till the last page. I am a fan of detective thrillers which has many crimes in store and One Left Alive is no exception. The narrative is fast paced and keeps up the element of suspense till the very last line. Equally adorable are the characters, I loved Morgan and Ben and l hope they will make out a perfect couple in the upcoming books.

I enjoyed this book, I really liked Morgan and most of the other characters.What I really liked is that as a reader we are in at the start of Morgan's journey as a detective .Usually the detectives are experienced and maybe somewhat battle hardened,nothing wrong with that,but I feel its a different take to be in at the start of someones journey ,and I look forward to seeing her develop in future books.This one was twisty, and kept me guessing.Good read.

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

a rookie cop morgan is now out and about on her own and is just cruising around being high visibility when she is called to a disturbance

once there she finds someone hanging from a tree and a young man trying to keep her alive by trying to take her weight..but morgan can see it is already to late....

after calling in the cavalry help arrives and morgan helps to contain the scene....and now the real task is at hand, trying to find out why this woman committed suicide and then to notify the family....

morgan turns out the be a cop that will go the extra mile and she comes to the attention of the detective who is in charge and its not long before she gets an invite to join that rank even though she is still classed as a rookie but she shows potential, it doesnt go down well with her fellow officers.....

an interesting storyline that i took at face value and can see how this could be an exciting new storyline as morgan who is still raw can be moulded into a very good detective...and with her being promoted so early on in her career could lead to some interesting cases.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'One Left Alive' by Helen Phifer

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 1st September 2020

This is the second book that I have read by this author. It is also the first book in the 'Detective Morgan Brookes' series. I am looking forward to reading more of this promising looking series.

I was originally drawn to this book by its gorgeous and interesting blurb and by the fact that I have already read one book by Helen Phifer which I enjoyed and said then that I wanted to read more of her books. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 58 chapters which are short to medium in length so ideal to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

Before I even began reading this book I loved the thoughtful dedication that Helen had included and would like to thank her for it. The dedication:
'This book is dedicated to all the amazing NHS workers and key workers who kept Britain going throughout the 2020 pandemic. I thank each and every one of you for your selfless acts of bravery'. We'll done Helen for this consideration. It may not seem like much but to some this may really mean alot.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Morgan and Ben. The way it is written made me feel like I was floating above them watching everything that was going on. I enjoy books written in third person and from different perspectives as you can see more of what is going on and get the bigger picture.

This book is based in the Lake District. I always seem to connect with books based in the UK more because I live in Wales and sometimes I have visited places mentioned meaning I can picture them much better. The fact that I have visited the Lake District is even better!

This book is very well written and a very smooth read. It has loads of excellent descriptions which help to really put the reader in the scene with the characters.

I was sucked straight into this book and couldn't stop turning the pages until I finished. I loved the fact that there had been 2 murders in the same house and how Morgan was researching the history of the first murders too. I enjoyed the fact that there was lots of other things going on as well as the main crimes. The only thing I found a shame was that I wasn't really surprised when the perp was revealed although there are quite a few twists and turns and red herrings put in.

The characters were all very strong and the fact that Morgan and Amy are such strong females was definitely a bonus with me being female myself. I loved Amy and her relationship with Ben and would love to read more about her. I'd love to read more about Ben, Morgan and Stan actually. Morgan's relationship with Stan is very interesting and it was good to see how it changed throughout the storyline. I would like to see what becomes of them. I would also love to see what becomes of the relationship between Ben and Morgan also and I liked the way they had quote similar histories.

The book is filled with suspense, crime, drama, red herrings and is a very good psychological thriller that kept me up until late at night.

Overall a page turning and intriguing psychological crime drama.

Genres covered include Crime, Mystery, Murder, Police procedural

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of M. J Arlidge, Angela Marsons, C. L Taylor and Carol Wyer .

332 pages.

This book is 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 4/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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A good start to a new series, the storyline was great, so many twists in it, the characters were good. It seemed a bit rushed in some places, but not enough to spoil the book. I am looking forward to reading more about Morgan, Ben and the rest of the team.
Thank you netgalley.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, but it won't be the last. This first installment of the Detective Morgan Brookes series sees Brookes thrown in at the deep end her first day after finishing her training. Great character development of Morgan and her boss, and room for a developing relationship to continue in future entries in this series. Oh yes, and a very good mystery plot as well.

I really enjoyed this! I love Helen Phifer's writing and she's quickly becoming one of my go to authors, with the likes of Angela Marsons and Robert Bryndza. I absolutely loved the characters in 'One Left Alive', Morgan is just so sweet and as a main character I found her incredibly likeable. It's very refreshing to have a main character that isn't jaded and carrying a rather large chip on their shoulder. Ben and Amy easily make this one of my favourite crime fighting teams. The case is brutal and gripping, a whole family wiped out with a link to the past. Plenty of suspects, twists and turns. This is certainly a page-turner and I can't wait to be back with Morgan, Ben and Amy.

I loved this, it was brilliant. Helen phifer is one of my favourite authors so was really excited to read this. It didn’t disappoint it really delivered the goods. A really fabulous start to a new series. I liked the characters, there is plenty of scope to build on their relationships and the plot was clever and well written. Really deserves 5 stars.

There are so many police procedural books around at the moment and I’m sure it must be hard for an author to start a new detective series , wondering will it be as good as others etc etc. Well I can honestly say this first book of a new series was just excellent. A good story line and strong characters. I recommend this book 100% and can not wait for the next in the series,

Detective Morgan Brookes is a rookie cop who happens to fall into a detective position. A multiple murder is what Morgan arrives on during her first solo night on patrol. Story is made even better when she finds out that the murdered family home was the site of another similar crime many years before. Characters are great as is the story. Read it quickly. I have read other Phifer books and enoy her style of narrative. Look forward to the next in this series. "A copy of this book was provided by Bookouture via Netgalley with no requirement for a a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

I liked thhis very much. It is a fast paced thriller with a couple of twists in the story. The detective characters are likeable, but have their own problems. In places, I thought that some of their behaviour was questionable but that did not really spoil the read for me.
The book is set in the Lake district . The main character is Morgan, a new policewoman who joins a new team. I liked the way the relationship with her new collegues developed. There was an incident of bullying (?) which I thought could have been dealt with better in this book. If this is a reflection of reality in the police force, it does not show the force in the best light .
I am looking out for more by this author. I like her writing style, the suspense and the details in this book.
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book was an enjoyable enough way to spend a few hours, but the story was all a bit too neat and tidy for me. There wasn’t a lot of mystery involved, no big secrets, no major twists, and no big reveals. I also found the brewing romance a little off-putting. There was no need for the young, rookie investigator and the seasoned, damaged investigator (also, her boss) to begin developing feelings for each other, which I imagine will grow deeper in Book Two. It was a stretch to think a rookie would be pulled into investigations on her first solo day on the job, but I overlooked it and went along on the journey anyway. Like I said, it was enjoyable enough but it wasn’t an edge-of-the-seat thriller, by any stretch. **2.5 stars**

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

The book starts with a very thoughtful dedication: to all the key workers that kept Britain going through the pandemic. I add my regards to this to all of them anywhere in the world.
This book is set in the most beautiful part of England that I visited. Unfortunately, we’re not given beautiful scenery but vile, horrible examples of the worst human behaviour; a shrill contrast.

PC Morgan Brookes works her first day as an independent patrol woman when she called to the scene of an apparent suicide. When nor the children, nor the husband can be contacted, she senses that something is off with this case. DS Ben Matthews sends her back to the house to look for more clues. Behind a door that looks as if it leads to the garage, she finds a cellar with the lifeless bodies of the husband and the 2 daughters of the dead woman. It’s a horrid, gruesome view; their heads are all smashed in and blood is everywhere. The oldest daughter has very weak signs of life but remains in a coma and chances for survival are very slim.
As the team is missing half of its detectives, they’re seriously understaffed and Ben is told to pull someone from the general response as a temporary relief. He picks out rookie Brookes, which doesn’t fall well with other hopeful officers.
The detectives discover that 45 years ago, in the seventies, there was a very similar murder case in the same house. There’s also a politician that had an affair with the murdered mother, a nosy newspaperman, a few red herrings along the way before they find out the truth.

I have several, issues with this book. The main one being that there’s absolutely no respect for procedures, hierarchy, and even common sense of the police. There’s no way that a rookie will ever be promoted like that on her first day. This is not the only place where this happens. Procedures are repeatedly ignored. Ben doesn’t obey anything he’s ordered to do and disrespects his boss in a way that no-one will accept. On top of that, it’s made out as if Morgan is some kind of genius while the experienced officers need 3 visits to the house to discover the murder weapon. When they have it, nothing is done with it.
Around the halfway mark, I figured out what must have happened. It wasn’t too hard to figure out. When the detectives have all the information the reader has, surely they must suspect something along that line.
Then there’s the developing relationship between Ben and Morgan. You see it coming from the first day they meet. Getting together would be nefarious for their careers, but I predict that by book 2 or 3, they’ll be an item.
All those elements speak of a romantic cosy mystery, not of a gripping crime thriller. If you’re looking for a simple, pleasant beach read that doesn’t have to be realistic but can put a smile on your face, this is a good choice.
I thank Netgalley and Bookouture for the free ARC they provided for me, this is my honest, unbiased review of it.

A great start to a new series.

Morgan is going to be a great character and her relationship with Ben is interesting. Amy is also a kick ass character and I'm looking forward to reading more about her.

I was hooked from the first page and I totally raced through the chapters.

I look forward to reading the next book.

This is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be the last.

Rookie Police Officer Morgan Brookes is first on the scene when the body of a woman is found hanging from a tree. Although everyone believes it to be a suicide, Morgan has a hunch that there is more to the tragedy than it appears. Seconded into CID, she then discovers the rest of the family with severe head injuries.

When she finds that another family was murdered in the same house over 40 years ago, she is determined to discover if the two cases could be connected. Can Morgan put all the pieces together to help solve the case?

A good start to this series. An interesting plot line. I look forward to more from this author.

4 Stars from me

My first time reading anything by this author and I really enjoyed the simplistic and open writing style - I can see this appealing to a wide audience and it certainly made the story easy to get into.

Morgan Brookes sure caught a lucky break - it's a bit of a dream scenario being plucked out of the masses and seconded to CID on your first day! 

I love that it was set in the Lake District, this made for some delightful imagery among all the gore! 

The storyline itself was good, a nice amount of intrigue and a race to find the killer. I found the relationship between Morgan and Ben a little bit 'off' not sure why, think it was all so rapid and although only having met her once everyone seemed to be heavily hinting at it - something just didn't sit right there.

Overall, a good read with a lot packed in!

what a story was engrossed from page one .Morgan has completed her police training on her first day she is called to a suicide . Olivia Potter . but as the story unfold all the potter family have been murdered in the basement but one is still alive Bronte . CID want Morgan to work with them Ben and Amy. and they find out that another family before the potter s where murdered in that house how this story unfolds is brilliant i so cant wait for book two highly recommend

The story started with a good plot and fast paced investigation, but as it progressed it began to drag and felt as though the author was just filling the pages. As this is my first book by this author I would like to give a one more try. 2.5 stars