Sleeping Dolls

Detective Morgan Brookes, Book 6

By: Helen Phifer

Narrated by: Alison Campbell

Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

The beam shines around the dark room, lighting up the woman in sky-blue pajamas lying on the couch. But she doesn’t wake under the bright glow. She isn’t sleeping at all....

When a concerned neighbor reports a woman missing, Detective Morgan Brookes squeezes through the stiff front door to find the woman dead. At first, the case appears unsuspicious, but something about the scene unsettles Morgan. Every clock in the house has been stopped, every mirror covered, and the woman seems physically unharmed except for one missing lock of hair.

Shirley Kelly was loved by her friends and hated by her ex-husband and his new wife, but they have an iron-clad alibi, and Morgan is certain that the scene-staging holds a vital clue. She’s devastated to be proved right when another woman is killed, her home arranged in the same way. The only difference is that the second victim has been stabbed, using a knife from Shirley’s own kitchen....

The team can’t find a connection between the two women, but Morgan is sure there is a deadly pattern to the killer’s actions. She hunts through each woman’s past until she finds the link: Years ago, they both worked for a woman called Evelyn Reynolds, before tragedy struck her young family. But what has made them targets now? Morgan knows this twisted case is far from over. Can she find the final clue before the clock stops for the next name on the killer’s list?

Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan, and Rachel Abbott!

©2022 Helen Phifer (P)2022 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Another Winner!

I have enjoyed every book in this series, and this one was no exception. It has been so fun to see how Morgan is growing into her role as a young police investigator! She deals with some horrifying crimes, but is very skillful in eventually solving them. The author always manages to surprise me when I think I’ve got everything figured out…
I’m going on to the next chapter in her life! Alison Campbell is an excellent narrator.

Ready for her next adventure

Love this series. A great mix of detective work and humour. The narrator makes this such an enjoyable listen.

Another great book

Love that all these books keep intertwining with each other. Bring back memories of places.

IF Only there was a plot

While I have enjoyed most of Helen Phifer's books, this one was just annoying. There didn't seem to be much of a plot, no suspense, and it was pretty predictable. I listened to it, thinking it would get better, but it did not. Book 7 was excellent, but for some reason, I can't review it.

Morgan Brookes is too good to be true

But worse than her empathy radiating at all times is Campbell's narration.
I can't stand it.
It would be interesting to hear these books read by someone who wasn't smiling sweetly while reading ...

Never Bore Your Readers

Have read a number of Helen Paired books and generally enjoy them, but this particular series has an imbalance. The part of the writing that deals with the murder mystery itself is strong, but I am bored to tears by the romance between Morgan and Ben. There is a total absence of conflict in their relationship which goes against life experience. Understandable when they first got together, but now they're living together and Morgan, though still very young, is presumably maturing, I'm hoping for a more realistic presentation that will better balance the detection story at the center of the plot.