What a mystery! This was one starts off on a bit of a gruesome note, and continues to build the suspense in the coming pages. With a couple locked in an eternal embrace. with a rather macabre statement being made. As the team begins to investigates, the questions begin to pile up, faster than they can find answers.
Ben, Morgan, and the rest of the team are desperate to find answers, and there is going to be some heartbreaking turns throughout this read. It was one that you want to read faster to know what was going to happen, and then gasp as the next twist pops in.

Highly enjoyed this book. I did not want it to end! I look forward to reading more by this author!

Morgan and Ben are looking forward to a day off when their plans are scuppered by the discovery of two bodies just two doors down the street. Being so close to home, they can't resist abandoning their plans and jumping straight into the double murder investigation...
Their Dying Embrace is the 14th book on the DC Morgan Brookes series of police procedurals set in the Lake District.
A couple are found dead in their home with their lips nailed shut. Morgan finds a threatening note in their attic but does this mean she could be the next target?
The chapters are quite short and the plot rockets along at a fast pace. There are twists as one of their friends is attacked, and both Morgan and Ben are giving consideration to the future of their relationship. I enjoyed the cameraderie between the police characters as this softens the tension of the grisly crime. I was totally absorbed by the plot and the authentic characters, however I would have preferred a deeper understanding of the criminal reasoning behind the deaths.
Their Dying Embrace is a fast paced and engaging crime thriller.

As a detective, Morgan Brookes is well used to sudden deaths but when a couple are found dead who live close by it is a whole new perspective.
This series has been a favourite of mine since the start The big appeal has always been the characters and their development through the series. However, I was beginning to feel that the stories were becoming a bit repetitive with Morgan always being in mortal danger. This book was a refreshing change
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this book

Helen Phifer's books are an automatic "must read" for me and this particular book didn't disappoint. As this series has gone on, I have become quite fond of Morgan and her partner Ben and feel like I almost know them personally! This book CAN be read as a standalone but why would you? Start from the beginning and really enjoy :) As one of my friends remarked, this book also mentions Josie Quinn, another one of my faves, which is lovely as well.

Morgan and Ben find themselves, on their day off of all days, investigating the murder of a couple of their neighbours. A little bit too close to home and they must get to the bottom of it all, fast, as Morgan finds a note that chills her to the bone.....and that is just the start!

Another fabulous read and looking forward to reading the next one, obviously :)

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Their Dying Embrace is the 14th book in the Detective Morgan Brooks series and I am always surprised at how original and twisty each book is. Helen Phifer has penned a series where I look forward to reading every book that comes out. This book opens with a double murder in a home just a few doors down from where Morgan and Ben live. In the last book, Morgan was seriously injured and is just about ready to return to work, but with the murder in their neighbourhood, and knowing the victims. She and Ben take on the case. It is a terrible crime with not only the couple being murdered, but with an iron nail through their lips. Morgan is told that one of the victims kept hearing noise in their attic, so when she went up to check, found a spot where someone might have been staying as well as a note saying "You're Next". Who is next, Morgan because she found the note? Checking out Tattoo parlours they get a lead and seem to be on the right road, until a friend is seriously injured. Can they find the killer before that is another victim?

Morgan and Ben are front and center from the moment this book begins. With their neighbours being the first victims, they are on edge. As soon as they get a lead, something else happens to send them off in another direction. There is more than one murder in this book, and an attempted murder of a close friend had Morgan in a tailspin. There is a huge twist that I didn't see coming until we were supposed to. Even when Morgan is not 100%, she is still capable, intuitive, and has excellent reasoning skills. Their team works together so well. They have each other's back, yet are also fun-loving and joke with one another. Even the Medical Examiner is a friend outside of work. If you enjoy a good crime thriller, with great characters, well-plotted stories and some great twists, then I suggest you pick up Their Dying Embrace, of better yet, all the books in this series.

Morgan Brookes and her team are soon involved in another murder scene. The only difference is this was too close to home being only a few doors away from where she and her husband who is also her boss live. They had both met them at a street house party and what had been done to their neighbours horrified them both and made them more determined to bring who ever did it to justice.
Yet another fantastic book from this author. I always look forward to reading them. So many unexpected twists..

This one is number 14 in the Morgan Brookes series. The reason there is so many books in this series is because they are so addictive. I love them. I cant recommend them enough. Love this author.

Another episode of the Morgan Brookes series, set in the Lake district. This book begins close to home, in the street where Morgan and Ben live. A couple are found murdered in their home. No clues, but Rosie had been hearing noises in the attic. Plenty more action a couple more crimes occur and the pace is fast, though I did have my suspicions about the murderer, there are plenty of twists and turns and possible suspects in the plot. Having read quite a few of the series, the plot does seem to follow a formula, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I like the frindships in the team and with others in the local area.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

THEIR DYING EMBRACE is book 14 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)
13. Two Broken Girls (2024)
14. Their Dying Embrace (2025)

This is my review of Their Dying Embrace

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

When Rosie Waite, a teaching assistant and her boyfriend Matt, were found dead in their home in the Lake District, Detective Morgan Brookes is alarmed as she lives just two doors down. She never heard anything in the night. The sadistic killer had nailed the couple’s lips shut.

Morgan vows to catch this monster and keep the people safe in Rydal Falls.

After searching the property, Morgan finds a letter, a death threat, “ if you’ve found this, you’re next to die.”

Morgan’s team are fearful, and recognize Morgan’s life is at risk, and beg her to back away..but she refuses.

Morgan discovered that the piercing had been done with expert equipment. And Matt had been asking questions at a local tattoo parlor.

But then One of Morgan’s closest friends was attacked. His bloodied body was surrounded by nails – an exact match to the ones pierced into Matt and Rosie.

How will Morgan catch this killer?

A well-written crime detective novel with relatable characters, another unputdownable crime thriller.
Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for my digital copy.

Wowza! This was so dang good. I could not put it down. I’m sad I’m all caught up. I will say it again. Morgan is such a great character! As well as the entire cast. It’s such a great series. This one was a wild one! Morgan doesn’t disappoint.

You definitely can't go wrong with the latest installment in a favorite series and Their Dying Embrace was just what I needed to continue the Morgan Brookes series.

A double homicide has Morgan on the case when a local teacher and her boyfriend are found murdered together. A note in the home warns that the finder will be the next to die, and the victims' lips are almost pierced together. A second attack leaves Morgan with more questions than answers as she tries to find the killer and protect her friends.

As usual, Phifer does an amazing job with the mystery, crafting another page turner that keeps you reading until the end. Each subsequent book develops Morgan and her friends' characters even more, leaving the reader wanting more of Rydal Falls and its inhabitants. Morgan once again utilizes her own keen intuition to figure out where the mystery might be heading, whether or not it is the safest choice for her.

Book fourteen in the Detective Morgan Brooke’s series
This series keeps getting better and better even though you thought it couldn’t
Plenty of twist and turns
Read this in one sitting I couldnt put it down
Thanks NetGalley

Another fantastic book by Helen Phifer. I love the Morgan Brookes series and this book did not disappoint. Reading this book had me at the edge of my seat because the murders were so close to home and Morgan finds a threatening note in her home. Then Theo!! (I will not spoil it but I felt like I was in the waiting room along with Declan and friends). Ben and Morgan thought they could take a day off, oh how wrong they were. Thank you to Netgalley and Helen Phifer for this ARC.

Such a good team of characters and one ends up in jeopardy, so they are fighting for one of their own. And it always seems like Morgan is in the thick of the danger. She finds a note that says she’s next. All this is happening right in her neighborhood. She jumps in to investigate even though she is supposed to be off and works hard with the little clues there are.

I must point out that I smiled early on when mentioned she’s reading another of my favorite series, Josie Quinn. This fits my challenge prompt for a book that mentions another book I’ve read.

This one had a twist that I don’t think I’ve ever seen. No spoilers but it caught me off guard. The intensity was there from the start and had me turning pages.

Helen Phifer has written a great series that I always look forward to the next one, but any of the books can be read as a stand alone, because it is one case per book.

If you are a fan of police procedurals, suspense, and being kept on your toes, you should look into this series.

In Their Dying Embrace, Detective Morgan Brookes embarks on one of her most challenging cases yet. Just as she and her boyfriend, Detective Sergeant Ben Matthews, are about to enjoy a well-deserved day off, their plans are interrupted by Amber a police constable seeking their urgent help with a shocking murder at a nearby residence. Whereupon their arrival, they discover the bodies of teaching assistant Rosie and her boyfriend, Matt, brutally killed and disturbingly staged with a distinctive calling card.

As the investigation progresses, Ben and Morgan are determined to uncover the motive behind these tragic deaths. They begin to piece together clues, such as a friend of Rosie’s mentioning strange noises coming from the loft and a disturbing note found by Morgan, indicating that they might have been under surveillance.

However, the case takes a heart-wrenching turn when they learn that a close friend has been attacked and critically injured, complicating their search for answers and raising the emotional stakes for both detectives.

But nothing is going to stop Morgan, Ben and the team from connecting the dots between their friend's attack and the murders and putting this killer behind bars where they belong.
And with its engaging storyline, unexpected twists and suspenseful moments, "Their Dying Embrace" highlights Helen Phifer at her best, skillfully keeping readers on the edge until the very last moment.
I would happily recommend it to anyone in search of an enthralling mystery.

I started reading this series in Book 12 and am still catching up with prior ones. However, I've had no problems starting at this point in this series. Don't let the number in the series deter you from picking up a copy to see if Detective Morgan Brookes is for you. Book 14 did not disappoint and was just what I needed to have some witty humor thrown in while solving a murder. My favorite was the description "...his head's and a shed and he's lost it." Phifer is always evolving her characters in this series as well. They have grown and shown more sides of themselves even in a few books of the series. I would not want to be the life insurance company for Detective Morgan Brookes though.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for being able to read this next installment in the series.

Overall, this book is a delightful blend of mystery, psychological depth, and emotional resonance. Helen Phifer has certainly made her mark with this novel, and I’m eager to explore more of her work in the future. If you’re looking for a gripping read that will keep you guessing, I highly recommend you pick up a copy. You’ll be glad you did!

I realise I'm well and truly in the minority with my opinions on this one so im sure it says more about me than it does about the book. But this one wasn't for me. It's the fourteenth in the series but multiple reviews said it could be read standalone. I thoroughly disagree. There was far too much context missing all the way through the book on the characters and key events for this to be read standalone.

Thank you to the publishers and author for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

The fourteenth book in this series is yet again another unputdownable read packed with twists and turns. Helen Phifer is one of my go to authors and I don’t even need to read the book blurb to know how good this book will be. Once I started this book I was immersed in the world of Morgan and the rest of the police team. There is so much going on in this book and my heart was in my mouth at times. Everything about this book from the story to the characters is just fantastic and I can’t wait to hear what’s next in store for Morgan, Ben and the rest of the crew.

If I lived anywhere near Morgan Brookes I would be packing my bags and moving as far away as possible. After the traumatic events in her former apartment she has moved in with her partner Ben but trouble seems to follow her around as a couple living two doors down from her have been murdered.. I found some elements of this story a bit far fetched and to be honest I think it would be nice to see a basic murder case that doesn't have a connection to Morgan. It's still an enjoyable read but not as gripping as some other books in the series.

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