What I really love about this series is that although Morgan and Ben are the main protagonists there are also lots of other interesting characters. I particularly like pathologist Declan and was glad to see lots of him in this book. Morgan really must be the unluckiest detective in the force, she seems to have a personal connection to every stalker and serial killer in Britain. This story was as exciting as it was creepy with it's talk of haunted houses and trapped spirits.. Of course there was nothing supernatural about the sadistic killer here and I loved that the detectives had to look back several years to discover what was going on. I'm always a fan of a good cold case. I will be watching out for book 13.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Margery Lancaster tried to kill her abusive husband and their baby son. She went to prison and served her sentence but now she is targeted by a killer. The chief suspects are her ex husband and now grown up son. One dies before he can be investigated and the other is missing...
Poison Memories is the 12th book in the DC Morgan Brookes series of police procedurals set in the Lake District.
Morgan and Ben are battling the elements as the weather rages. This makes the crime scene difficult to preserve and the pair do their best to save evidence. Margery commited a terrible crime in the past but has completed her time in prison so deserves the police's usual meticulous focus to catch her killer.
There are some hugely emotive topics covered in this book. Margery was abused and possibly suffering from postnatal depression but there is no doubt that her actions were terrible. Morgan's superior officer is going through a nasty divorce and it is affecting his behaviour. Morgan reacts to both her victim and her boss with compassion as well as professionalism.
There is a spooky element to the book as the house was the site of murders centuries ago. Morgan hears creaking floorboards and whispers but could this be the weather? Her aunt Ettie, an empath and witch, has other ideas and I love her character. Ettie also met Margery in the past and this showed a slightly darker side to her abilities as well as their strength.
The relationships and dynamics between the police characters was fabulous as always in this series. There is teasing and banter but this is all underpinned by respect. The book has plenty of plot twists, despite only having two initial suspects so I was kept guessing. Chapters are quite short so the plot speeds along at a reasonable pace.
Poison Memories is an enjoyable police procedural with a good mystery and strong police team

This is book number 12 in the series. I love the characters in these books. You can read this as a standalone but I recommend you read all of them because they are just so good. !

Wow I loved this book so much. Helen is one of my favourite authors so I was excited to read this. It didn’t disappoint it was a real page turner which I had a hard time putting down. Must admit I did a bit of stealth reading at work! Really engaging characters and interesting plot kept me interested from page one right through to the end. Lovely bit of writing 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This is book 12 in the Detective Morgan Brookes series. You do not need to read the series to enjoy this book, it would be great as a stand alone book, but the series is so good, I recommend reading them all.

Morgan is called out to a suspicious death, she finds the body of a woman who lived alone in a isolated cottage in the woods, Margery Lancaster. Margery had served time in prison for poisoning her young son and husband, both of whom survived but who never had contact with her again. Margery was a loner who had little to no contact with others. As Morgan and her team try to figure out who killed Margery, the suspect list gets smaller as another death occurs. Can Morgan find the killer before they strike too close to home.

Such a great series. I cannot wait to find out what is next for Morgan and her team. I love that her Aunt Ettie is featured, she is one of my favourites in the series.

I loved this book and didn’t want to put it down. It’s the first book by Helen Phifer I’ve read and I’m now looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the Detective Morgan Brookes series.

Morgan and her boss and partner Ben are called to an isolated cottage with reports of a body being found. On arrival at High Wraith they are shocked by what they find. The deceased is Margery Lancaster who has been in prison for poisoning her husband and baby son.

Ben, Morgan and the rest of the team work tirelessly to try and find the murderer before things get worse. This was a fast paced thriller and it was a really easy read.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

On the path to isolated High Wraith cottage a body is chained to a branch of a tree. As the forensic team arrive in the midst of a howling gale & torrential rain, the branch breaks- making the collection of evidence even more problematic. The victim had a dark past. She was charged with trying to poison her husband and infant son. The most likely culprits are her family but when her ex husband is brutally murdered & tied with the same type of chains & her son collapses during an interview & ends up in a coma they seem to hit a dead end. This case has Detective Morgan Brookes & the team baffled. Why now after all this time? Why the attack on the husband & son- who must have led the suspects list to start with?

I have enjoyed this series of books from the very start & this was no exception. I love the different characters & how they fit together. The whodunnit bit is always a good story. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

We're already into book #12 for this amazing series and I can honestly say it just keeps getting better. Unlike alot of long running series, the Morgan Brookes instalments never get tiresome, they continually excite me.

Twenty years ago Margery attempted to kill her abusive husband and young son by poisoning them. Charged with attempted murder, she served her full sentence before returning to the house she had left on her arrest. A house that is full of past misery and with a history of murder and death.

Years later Detective Morgan Brookes and her team are called out to the isolated cottage owned by Margery. Outside, hanging by a branch of the oak tree is a lifeless body, tied with chains and with a black sack placed over their head. The weather is horrendous, winds howling and rain lashing down, Morgan shudders watching the body swing.

Who would want Margery dead? The only suspects the team have are the ex husband George and son David. With such a short suspect list, they get to work trying to locate them.

It soon becomes more urgent when George is found murdered, also tied with chains and brutally killed and then David appears at the police station but while there he becomes unwell and mutters the word 'poisoned'.

I loved the change in timelines and POVs in this story, hearing Maggies point on view showed a whole different side of the story and I also really enjoyed Etti' s involvement in this book.

I adore the characters and their development throughout the whole series. I love the banter the reoccurring characters have between them and how with each new book we learn that little bit more. I really enjoyed the sc3ne between Morgan and their new boss in this book *no spoilers * her empathy and honesty just makes me like her even more than I already did.

This is a brilliant thriller full of surprises and suspense that will have you turning the pages faster than you'll be able to.

Whilst this could be read as a stand alone I HIGHLY recommend reading the whole series just because of how brilliant it is!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Detective Morgan Brookes faces yet another disturbing case when her team is called to the scene of a bizarre murder. A woman's body hangs from trees across the driveway of a private residence. The murder victim was also a convicted murderer who tried to poison her husband and young son decades earlier. The investigation reveals that the husband and son survived, and they become the top two suspects. However, when they both are murdered, Morgan and her team must go back to square one and find another avenue to pursue in solving the three cases. It's an exciting read with a twist at the end.

POISON MEMORIES is the Twelfth book in a police procedural series featuring Detective Morgan Brookes by Helen Phifer. I have read all of the books in this series and this book is a definite winner! Although this book can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the books in order to get a full history.

The books in the Detective Morgan Brookes Series:
1. One Left Alive (2020)
2. The Killer's Girl (2020)
3. The Hiding Place (2021)
4. First Girl to Die (2021)
5. Find the Girl (2022)
6. Sleeping Dolls (2022)
7. Silent Angel (2022)
8. Their Burning Graves (2022)
9. Hold Your Breath (2023)
10. Stolen Darlings (2023)
11. Save Her Twice (2024)
12. Poison Memories (2024)

This is my review of Poison Memories.

The cast of the small control team includes:
DS Ben Matthews-Boss & partner
DC Morgan Brookes
DC Amy Smith
Cain Robson-new to the unit
Amber-Police Officer

Margery Lancaster lived in an old house in the middle of nowhere. She heard sounds of an intruder in the house.

Detective Morgan Brookes of the Rydal Falls Police station receives a call of a suspicious sudden death near High Wraith Cottage, and rushes with her team to the scene. There they found a woman’s body hanging, mid-air suspended by a rope chained to an old oak tree. Heavy rain had destroyed the scene, but they were able to identify the victim.

The victim was Margery Lancaster, a woman who once tried to kill her own family.

Twenty years ago, Margery Lancaster went to prison for poisoning her husband, George and infant son, David. After she was released, she went back to the family home. Both victims survived, but were treated as initial suspects.

Then Margery’s ex-husband is brutally murdered, and his son, now a local doctor, arrives at the station to be interviewed. Morgan watches as he drops to the floor and falls into a coma.

But the killer is closing in on his final victim. With the clock ticking, Morgan must find the killer before more murders can occur.

This is a fast-paced crime thriller with intriguing characters with a plot filled with twists and turns and will have your heart pounding as you reach the final, breathtaking twist.

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and Net Galley for my digital copy.

Having read a few in the series, I was excited to see what the author had in store for me this time and she didn't disappoint! It was fast paced, and kept me literally reading into the night. It's so well plotted out and the characters are all so well brought to life. The writing really is amazing and it's impossible not to be drawn into the story! Some really good twists and turns and I already can't wait for the next one

Poison Memories is the 12th book in the Detective Morgan Brookes Police Procedural, Crime Thriller Series. In this 12th outing, Morgan and her team have another crime that is tough to solve, but they are racing against the clock before there is another victim. This book introduces us to the Lancaster family. Mother Margery, Father George and son David all become victims to the same man, but who is he and why was he trying to wipe out the family. The story begins with Margery's death, a terrible crime where she is hung from a tree during a terrible storm, outside High Wraith cottage. We learn her story through flashbacks, and her ex-husband, George is the main suspect. When he ends up dead, also at High Wraith cottage, the team turns their eyes to their son who was adopted when a young boy. Can Morgan and the team find him before someone else ends up dead?

Wow, this was another excellent crime thriller/police procedural that pulled me in from the first page. The atmosphere of Wraith Cottage and the storm made me shiver. I enjoyed being back in Morgan's world as she works with Ben, Cain and Amy to solve this crime. The team has great chemistry and that makes the story more relatable. Mark, their boss, is back and is as much a pain as in the previous book. The trail to find the killer was creepy and the background story was extremely sad. Each twist and turn had me turning pages quicker to find out who the killer was. As always, Morgan follows her gut and intuition and finds herself in danger, but she would do whatever she needs to do to protect others, especially those she cares about. There are some serious themes such as spousal abuse, post partum depression, workplace issues and family that all play roles in this book. If you enjoy a good police procedural with a thriller overtone, then I recommend you pick up Poison Memories. Thanks to Bookouture for the opportunity to read, review and enjoy this book and series.

This is one of those stories where if I examined it too closely, then I could see all the implausible elements. However, Phifer's writing is so compelling that I'm willing to reinforce my suspension of disbelief bridge and go along with it all.

Poison Memories by Helen Phifer is the twelfth book in the excellent Detective Morgan Brookes series and this has alway been one of my favourite detective series you can get your teeth into. This new book was no different - it grips you from the start to the very end with lots of twists and turns throughout that will have you turning the pages to find out what happens next.

Just another superb read!

This book can be read as a standalone but I do recommend you read all the other eleven books, they will not disappoint. A great holiday read.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

I have been following this Morgan since the beginning and we find ourselves on book twelve of the series.

Morgan is a tenacious character who will stop at nothing to get justice for the victims of her investigations,

She has a real flare for bringing her characters to vision particularly the regulars who have been present in the series since its birth. (Nice to see the fabulous character of Ettie involved in this case.)

Helen writing is intense as it is engaging, detailed and haunting another fab edition to this wonderful serirs.

Rounding up from 4.5 stars

Poison Memories is the 12th book in the Detective Morgan Brookes series. As usual, I wasn't disappointed.

This installment follows Morgan and the team as they investigate the murder of a woman who attempted to commit familicide years ago.

Typical of Helen Phifer's books, this starts off fast paced and keeps the reader's attention throughout the book. You could read this as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the series in order to get to know the main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

DC Morgan Brookes has a huge case in front of her. There have been more than a few recent deaths, and currently there is the case of a woman who apparently lived alone. It is quickly discovered that the victim is Margery Lancaster. Meanwhile, as Morgan and her team begin looking for answers, there is a second story being told in dual-timeline fashion. The second narration is that of a woman named Maggie, and she is in a miserable and abusive marriage and is also the very unhappy mother as a toddler. Readers will realize immediately that Margery and Maggie are one and the same.

Morgan soon learns of Margery’s sad and tragic past, but is unclear as to why she became a murder victim. Meanwhile, the picture is being painted as to how miserable Maggie was with her husband George, a most definitely unlikeable character. The book even lightly touches on a very serious situation that involves some mothers after the birth of their child.

I loved Morgan’s take in this story. Never once did she judge Margery for her past actions, and she was resolute at finding justice for Margery. As the story develops, the weather adds another layer of atmosphere as they are all but being drowned out with long days of rain. These non-stop rainy days add a level of eeriness to a story that is edged with sadness. Factor in the intriguing twists in this story, and it is clear that Helen Phifer has written another winner.

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

Poison Memories is book 12 in the Morgan Brookes series by Helen Phifer. You can easily read this book as a standalone if you've never read a book in the series before. I love the Morgan Brookes series and look forward to a new book as soon as I finish the current book. The characters in this series are fantastic and you want to know more as you read. Morgan and her team are called to a grisly scene at High Wraith cottage. The owner of the cottage is hanging from a tree in the front yard and very dead. Who would want her dead? She went to prison for 12 years for attempting to kill her husband and son. They both survived. Margery Lancaster was a troubled soul who had been abused by her husband.

The suspect list is short in this case, the ex-husband and the son. Before Morgan and her team can interview George, the ex-husband, he's brutally murdered. His hands are tied with the same chain that Margery was hanging from. They try to locate David, the son, but he's not at work or home. When he shows up at the police station, it's a shock. He collapses to the floor and starts convulsing. He's been poisoned. So now that both suspects are down, who could be doing these things and why? This is an exciting entry into the series that will have Morgan and her team searching for answers before more murders can occur. When someone close to Morgan is in danger, the stakes are high. Can Morgan get there in time? I rate Poison Memories 4 stars with a high recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of Poison Memories in exchange for a fair review. #PoisonMemories

I love the Morgan Brookes series. The was a great mystery that keeps you guessing.
Fast paced and a great read!

Detective Morgan Brookes and the rest of the team arrive at a home to find a gruesome scene. It looks like something out of a horror movie. A woman is hanging in a morbid fashion that makes it readily apparent that someone did this to her. The entire scene is creepy. The house is in the middle of nowhere and is creepy in and of itself. It is cold, wet and windy. Just reading this scene gave me chill bumps. The victim is Margery Lancaster. Twenty years ago Margery attempted to kill her husband and baby by poisoning them. They both lived. Needless to say these two men are the first suspects. However, was this revenge or something more sinister?

As the team delves further into the past, they learn there is more to the story of what happened in that house 20 years ago. This was a puzzle inside of a mystery that needed to be solved.

I enjoy this series because I really like the characters. They each have a story and a past that has defined them. They are cracker jack investigators who know their stuff. Morgan is a justice seeker, and has no fear. She wants answers, and she will stop at nothing to get them. This twisty, creepy mystery/police procedural will keep you glued to the pages.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.