One Left Alive: A heart-stopping and gripping crime thriller

· Bookouture
4.7
333 reviews
Ebook
350
Pages

About this ebook

‘One of those rare books that really is unputdownable. A must read.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


A gentle breeze blew her blonde hair across her face, her glazed eyes staring blankly into the sunset. Her small frame looked lost hanging from the large oak tree. On the branch next to her was a worn child’s rope swing. She looked too young and beautiful to be dead.


When the body of a woman is found hanging from a tree in her front garden, rookie Detective Morgan Brookes is first on the scene. But Olivia Potter is past saving. And when her husband and daughters cannot be traced, Morgan knows there is more to this tragedy. And then she finds them. Lying huddled together in the dark basement, each of their faces covered with a small cotton cloth, their bodies cold to the touch.


But as Morgan kneels beside the family, she realises that one of the girls is still breathing. As she holds Bronte’s fragile hand in hers, begging her to hold on, she vows to find out who has done this.


Every day Morgan wakes at 4.25 a.m., her old insomnia now mixed with a new fixation on the case. But every clue about the murdered family leads to a dead end. Until, trawling through old files, she discovers a link to a cold case from years ago. Another family was found murdered, their innocent faces covered with white cloths.


When Morgan returns to the scene of the crime to discover more about this forgotten case, she finds another body. With Bronte still unconscious in hospital, Morgan must act fast to solve this case before the killer returns for the girl left alive…


A chilling and gripping crime thriller that will have fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Rachel Caine glued to the page.


Readers love One Left Alive:


Wow oh wow!! This book has definitely given me all the feels, how can I possibly write a review which shows how much I have enjoyed this book?… I devoured this gem in just one sitting. It completely pulled me in and was utterly impossible to put down. I love Morgan, she's a fantastic protagonist and I truly cannot wait for the next instalment… At points I've literally shivered… I have loved it!! A definite strong five star read and one which is deserving of higher. I highly recommend this book.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


What a page turner! I enjoyed this book very much. It had a perfect pace, a great plot, and people I’d like to get to know better… It is a well-written book, it flows nicely, and I did not want to put it down. A good start to what I believe will be an excellent series!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Ticks every box, dots every i, crosses every t and is a wonderful surprise right from the start… I wanted to know what happened but didn't want it to end, it was a pleasure to read and I enjoyed the whole experience enormously.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Such a great story. I'm looking forward to reading the next in this series already 😄

Wow I give 5 stars for this.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘This was a great read. I found myself becoming irritated by real life obligations that pulled me away from my reading time.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘Had me gripped from the start… Downloaded and read in one go… Could not put it down, thought a few times that I knew what was happening and then as usual the red herring threw me.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘I loved the story… 5 stars from me.’ B for Bookreview, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


What a story. I was engrossed from page one… Brilliant.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Absolutely loved… gripping.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

4.7
333 reviews
Linda Strong
October 30, 2020
Rookie Morgan Brookes ... her first day of patrolling on her own ... answers a call to investigate a call for help. First on the scene, she sees a teenage boy beneath the hanging body of a woman .. trying to hold her up until help calls. The woman hanging there is quite dead. The teenager is the boyfriend of the woman's daughter. Once identified, the police start looking for the woman's husband and her two daughters. But they are nowhere to be found. Morgan feels that something is just not right ... but she's just a rookie... and has never worked this kind of crime. The next day she tells her supervisor of her misgivings. He tells her to go back to the scene of the crime and take a second look. What she finds is the husband and two young girls in the basement surrounded by blood and with their faces covered with a cloth ... and one of them is still alive. The author has done a fine job of balancing a gripping plot with steady character development and word-building that puts readers right in the middle of all the action. This thriller is seen through the eyes of a young person hungering for her chance to prove she's made the right decision for her future. Brookes is not without issues ... she has a contentious relationship with her father. I really enjoyed the back and forth between Morgan and her supervisor ... a great start to a friendship, maybe a romance in the future. But he also has issues to overcome. It's the start of a riveting crime fiction. Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this police procedural/crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
1 person found this review helpful
Mags_louise
January 24, 2022
4.25⭐ One Left Alive wonderfully introduces readers to rookie cop Morgan Brookes who on her first day of solo patrol is called to a house where a woman is found hanging in her front garden, and the sight has a profound effect on the young PC. Who is determined to find the family of the deceased, so they can be notified. But when the absence of the family continues, Morgan realises something is seriously wrong and is determined to find out what. Which leads to a much more shocking discovery and her chance at a three-month attachment to CID and as Morgan and her new team digs for clues Morgan discovers an old unsolved murder case linked to the house. And this is when the story got much more enthralling, and with plenty of procedural detail, great characters and the Lake District as the setting this was a really enjoyable story. That I genuinely found hard to put down and would happily recommend to others.
Judy Odom
September 1, 2020
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
7 people found this review helpful

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