DI Lucy Harwin and her colleague DS Mathew (Mattie) Jackson have a serial killer on their hands in Brooklyn Bay. This is the first case that Lucy leads since her promotion and she is pulling out all the stops to prove that she can handle the new job. The first body is found in a derelict church and the scene is as gruesome as any that Lucy has ever seen. The second one shows all the signs of being a victim of the same killer. And then comes a third...Lucy is trying to hold it all together and racing against the clock to discover the identity of the psychopath. She suspects that there is a religion element as an underlying motivator and knows that the killer is likely someone connected to the local vicarage. When Lucy herself is attacked she realizes that she can't be sidelined even though she's taken off the case. Can she figure out the killer's identity before more people are murdered?

This is a fast-paced crime thriller, the third in a series, and the second one that I have read. Lucy has some personal problems that she refuses to let distract her from her main passion in life -- her job. She lives for her work and it's been the source of the breakdown of her marriage. She's headstrong and determined but she is also vulnerable to self-doubt and loneliness since all she wants to do is focus on the case. The narrative is told from Lucy's point of view with some backstory in the killer's words. There are red herrings, but a reader will likely figure out fairly quickly who is doing the crimes. The supporting characters are thinly drawn and I'm hopeful that they will develop further as the series continues.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I am looking forward to book #4 to see if Lucy is able to make some real changes in her life.

I just finished reading Last Light by Helen Pfizer. It’s truly a psychological thriller and keeps your attention to the end.

Lucy Harwin is a newly promoted DI and this is her first case in charge. Several people are found murdered and they all have connections to the local church which also plays a role in the disposition of the bodies.

DI Harwin cracks the case but earns an enforced time of absence while attending counseling. There’s plenty of gore and it might frighten some away.

I will definitely recommend this book and thank Bookouture and NetGalley for letting me read this advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Solid 4 stars

Great story by a new author to me, I will keep an eye out for more in this series. Great plot and characters you root for.

Gritty police thriller with good characters and lots of twists and turns.An engrossing novel which kept me guessing till the end.

I received a free e-copy of Last Light (Detective Lucy Harwin #3) by Helen Phifer from NetGalley for my honest review.

This is the first book I have ever read by Helen Phifer but it will not be my last. Very happy I had the opportunity to read this book as I was so impressed by the writing, characters and the story line was on point.

This book will hook you in, stir your emotions and have you hooked from the beginning. I even shed some tears on this one. A++ writing! Now I want to go back and read the series from the beginning.

Really enjoyed this serial killer/police procedural. Lucy Harwin is a very believable character, struggling with her personal life, trying to prove her recent promotion was worthwhile and being pulled between work and family. A bit macabre and a shocking twist at the end, but a good read. I look forward to more.

As usual excellent. I love this author’s work and it never fails to disappoint. The way that the scenes of the crimes are described, is so vivid that you can almost imagine the image and the smell. These books are unputtadownable (whilst I know that isn’t a word, it’s a description) and reading when going to bed, leads to many late nights as you cannot help reading just ‘another’ chapter….. From Helens descriptions of Lucy and Mattie, I can imagine what they look like and it’s almost as if I am watching a TV programme….maybe a TV tie in in the future would be possible????

A body has been discovered in an old abandoned church. Detective Lucy Harwin is assigned the case, her first murder inquiry as the lead detective. Is this just a one off or will more bodies be found. Although most of the book is told from Harwin's point of view there are chapters which relate the childhood of the unknown killer.
Although it was an interesting, well-written story I just didn't take to the character of Harwin or some of her actions.

Actually 3.5 stars but I have rounded up.
I really loved the first two books in this series so I was looking forward to this book loads. Sadly, for me anyway, although it was a reasonably decent read that kept my attention on the whole, it didn't hit the spot quite like the previous.
Lucy has had her promotion and her first case in charge is nasty. A body has been found in an abandoned church and to say that the method of killing is brutal would be an understatement. Initially there are no leads and little evidence so she and her team don't have much to go on. Despite the heinous nature of what she is investigating, Lucy is thankful that she has a distraction to her disastrous love life and rebellious daughter. When there's another body discovered, killed in the same way, the investigation points to the church where Lucy's daughter volunteers. Talk about close to home! Can Lucy get to the bottom of things at the same time as trying to protect her own, before the body count rises further?
I've already mentioned that this book was a bit pale compared to the first two in the series. I think that part of this could be due to the fact that I absolutely loved the relationship and interaction between Lucy and sidekick Mattie in the first two books and, sadly, he was absent for the majority of this one. The other thing that didn't quite work for me was the apparent lack of suspects and I guessed very early on who the perpetrator was. The why wasn't really a secret either as we hear from them quite a few times along the way. So, as a who/why-doneit, this book fell quite short of my expectations and needs. Lucy also annoyed me a little with her behaviour at times too. She has had a promotion but she seems to have devolved as a character rather than evolving into her new role. Maybe this was due to the lack of assistance by the aforementioned Mattie and normal service will be resumed in book four.
There were also a few continuity errors that weren't really plot points so can't be waived aside for the good of the plot. Mainly due to her use of her mobile phone! This irked me a little along the way and did mar my overall enjoyment of the book.
All in all, a decent read that despite the above comments I did actually enjoy once I had got to the end. Hopefully normal service and quality (for me anyway) will resume in book four. I'm definitely not ready to abandon ship on this series just yet. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This was ok but didn't really light my fire, I wasn't too taken with the main detective , the pace was good and so was the story but for me it wasn't a page turner,it was alright but that was it for me.I hope others enjoy it more.Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an ARC.

Last Light is the third book in the Detective Lucy Harwin series by Helen Phifer I enjoyed this book however, I found it a slower read to her two other books. I was not hooked like I was the others.

Detective Lucy Harwin is in charge of her new team, was called out to a woman's body that was crudely- fashioned crucifix the woman was displayed on. was abandoned in a crumbling church. Lucy and her team started to investigate this murder, this case will test her leadership skills to the limits. Especially as Lucy and her team has no leads. who she is.

Another body turns up and this time its an elderly woman who devoted her life to the local church.

Are these both connected? and in what way?

Now, faced with the Killer or Killers stalking the streets of her coastal town, Lucy first case is turning into a nightmare
Lucy has linked the killer to the church and it's where her own teenage daughter volunteers,

Will Lucy and her team catch the killer before they strike again?

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of Last Light by Helen Phifer.

Detective Lucy Harwin is back and in charge!! I just love this series by Helen Phifer and was very excited to read the next instalment.. and I was not at all disappointed. This book should had me hooked from the first gruesome murder and didn't let go until the very end.

A tough case for her first one in charge of new faces... a woman found strung up to a crucifix in an abandoned church. Who is she and who could have done such an awful thing. Lucy is stumped, and then another body is found, brutally murdered. This body is closer to home but also with connections to the church.. the church that her daughter has just started to volunteer at. She literally throws herself into this case as a distraction from her personal life which is falling apart. She will not stop until her stops this killer.

A fantastic book 3 in this series and can't wait for book 4. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

A bit slow paced but a good read overall. The characters are interesting and don't get lost in the story itself. This is the first book in the series that I have read and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the others, which I plan to do. There are enough twists to keep the reader's attention. Overall I liked it and would definitely read the next.

Another outstanding book from Phifer.

This is the third in a series of books, but I haven't read any other books in this series and it didn't matter.

More ups and downs than the big dipper. We follow Lucy Hadwin as she tries to track down a killer. Lots of twists and turns and i was up several nights late desperate to find out what happened.

Cannot wait to read more books in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my review based on my honest opinion.

Helen Phifer is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I love both the Lucy Harwin series her Annie Graham series; great lead characters, realistic, always seeking and demanding the truth, humble, caring, shaped by tough circumstances. This is the third book in the Lucy Harwin series, but could easily be read as a stand-alone book, although I imagine most will go back and read the previous, they are that enjoyable.

In this book, the action grabs you right from the first page, a woman is found murdered in an abandoned church, the circumstances are horrendous and Lucy is determined to find her killer; in fact, she promises the woman at her autopsy that she will find her killer. As the case goes on, they cannot find a lead, until another body is discovered, this time a beloved church member, who has closer ties to the Station than they would like, but now Lucy has her thread joining the two. Where will this lead and how will it impact their lives and co-workers. Lucy is without her righthand man, Mattie, most of the book and I missed him, but is was interesting to see her without her regulars to call on, and to see another side to Browning. Great read.

It's non-stop, as Lucy tries to find the killer and protect those she loves; as we find out more and more about who the killer is and his motives behind the murders. Will Lucy find him before another body is found or will she be the one in danger. Love this book and cannot wait for the next one.

Another fabulous read from the highly talented Helen Phifer and the third of the series featuring D.I.Lucy Harwin who is becoming a real favourite of mine, she is a one feisty character A police procedural with plenty of excitement, false trails and some pretty unpleasant characters which make it a real unputdownable read which I just ploughed through. This author can really write one heck of a good plot and I hope the next book won’t be too long in coming so if you want a terrific read well here you have it look no further its brilliant !!! 4+ stars
My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to read the ARC I loved it.

A good read, first I have read from this author but not sure I would read any more.

I found the storyline overall a bit weak and and boring in parts but this is purely my opinion and I am sure I will be in the minority.

Based on this I wouldn't automatically recommend this book.

As I have never read a Lucy Hawin thriller series, I was expecting a character having the same eccentric and perceptive traits that Elizabeth George’s Barbara Havers and Sally Spencer’s Monkia Paniatowski had in their mystery series; however, I ended up disappointed. I found Lucy, despite her promotion to leader of the crime finding group, to be lacking in knowledge and understanding of the crime scenes and of the persons involved.

A novice fan of mystery and thriller novels may enjoy this book more than a well-read enthusiast, since the storyline was simple: an abused mother and child along with no surprising killer.


My critique was based an ARC that was provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

A 3 star read for me. I didn't find this as gripping as the previous books and it just wasn't the same with the absence of Mattie. Would still recommend though.

Last Light is book 3 in the Detective Lucy Harwin series.

I am a big Helen Phifer fan so was super excited to read this, and boy it didn’t disappoint. Explosive straight out of the gate it captured my attention and kept me engaged right the way through the book.

I loved everything about this book, the characters, the relationships Lucy has with her team, the well thought out and executed plot and the explosive finish. It was captivating and thrilling and the twists kept coming leaving me hanging onto every word rapidly turning pages hungry for more, reading late in to the night.

Lucy is faced with her toughest case to date, as the bodies start mounting up can she find the killer before it’s too late and someone else dies? This time it’s a little bit close to home as the killer is linked to the church where Lucy’s teenage daughter volunteers, will she be the next victim? You had better buy the book to find out!

This is a seriously good book, and a great series, I highly recommend it. I would suggest you read from book 1 so that you get the full background story on Lucy, however you could read this as a stand-alone is you really wanted to.

I don’t hesitate in giving this 5 stars, this is in my top 5 of my favourite books of 2018, I loved it, it was really good. If I could give it more stars I would. Go and buy this book when it’s released you won’t regret it!