Helen Phifer ● Gone in the Night

Date Started : September 25th 2025

Date Finished :

Helen Phifer ● Gone in the Night ● Book 15 ●

I am so lost for words with this book that I was given the chance to read early before the publication date, its book 16 of a series that I started reading well over a year ago by Helen Phifer. I was glued to this book like always I just couldn't put it down. I was even reading with my kindle while vacuuming my house and lets not forget while cooking dinner (yes this is not hard for me to do, I know it is funny, I do it all the time and my strapsicles are what make it easier for the hold while doing normal chores.)

Your story once again dragged me into it, like I was one of the characters inside the book. I started reading your series in 2024 and since then I am always checking to see if your new ones are out yet or not. The story line was amazing, the details on the murders WOW so detailed i'm sure I even dreamed about it! 

The story had me gripping, you sit there reading and it feels like you’re actually in the story imagining it in a dream. Descriptions detailing information is very clear, you'll find things that have stood out and my reasoning towards the end of my review and there is a good amount of details to have the picture of what is happening. 

And once again another one of my favourite authors, because well each of Helen's books that she writes is a book that carry's on after the other one left off, there is none of this one month/two months/two years and so on skipping in the story lines. This is one of my major things I look for in a series, it's also what makes me look forward to reading them!

I cannot wait to read the next instalment in the series, and I will admit I hope that I get the chance to do this before it is published.

Finally Detective Morgan and Detective Inspector Ben go on a well needed holiday, they seem to always be working and never get time to themselves and it was really enjoyable seeing their holiday through the words at the start of the book! I cannot believe it is time to say goodbye to Detective Amy for the short time and that her baby is finally due very soon, it is about time that women has a break from work and concentrates on herself. Never a dull moment first day back from their holiday and boom straight into a murder case, time never does stay still for team they should have learnt that by now haha, I am still a little unsure on the new detective but time shall tell I am still at 20% as i'm writing this but I look forward to learning if he shall fit in with the team.

Wow I am left shocked when Jack admits that the murder victim is his girlfriend, or the person that he has been seeing and then the next day he has either killed himself or he was murdered. That was a plot twist that I never did expect, especially after everything he did and the way he treated Amy I didn't expect that to happen. Another murder victim that was of course going to happen and I knew this, because what serial killer would stop at one. But what's with the leaving them to not be found until days later, it has to be something in regarding the obsession with mummies. I had left of yesterday with being at 20% and when I wasn't able to sleep I was hooked, I carried on reading and ended up at 60% which doesn't surprise me. Cause with Helen's books I have this issue where when I start, I can't not just stop I have to keep on going reading, 

I am wondering when it will be that Ben finally proposes to Morgan, considering book 15 had the talks of him actually having a ring, but I am still waiting for this. Their relationship that they have is very special, and it is one book couple I shall always envy that is for sure! Now for some well needed book reading time this morning while I enjoy the little sunshine that we do have, before the weather does pack itself in. I know that I should be going on with housework and other stuff, but I just haven't the energy so today my plan is to have a resting day with my kindle.

As I promised here are descriptions that have stood out to me in the book with my own reasonings, this is because of how she has done so amazing in describing the images of how the characters see things and so on.

"ancient Egyptians and their mummification process" 

"enthralled as a ten-year-old boy" 

"mummies on display, which had totally blown his young mind"

This was well described on how he would remember visiting a museum and how he would imagine the murders that he has committed to be seen once they have been left to be found. The descriptions are creepy but well described making you imagine it yourself, giving you shivers while you read.

His thoughts on his parents, which how I am seeing this is why he has turned into wanted to commit murders, the loss of the love that their was their but also wasn't their due to it being his own mothers choices and then also the hurt and loss of being able to be a child growing up.

His mother: "her illness was self-inflicted; she chose to drink neat vodka" 

His Father: "his dad had walked out years before" 

His Father: "never forgave him for abandoning him and leaving him with a drunk who didn't care about anything but herself" 

I feel that the murders first steamed from his father walking out, he never could forgive after that and it had turned his thoughts and wishes and so on to the dark side. & the comment regarding his mother is regarding before his mother decided to self-inflict with the choices of alcohol. 

"if he got caught there was not a chance he could follow his dreams, but the compulsion to do it had been so strong, so intense, so all-consuming inside of him he knew that he wouldn't satiate it until he'd stabbed her through the hear" 

My thoughts on himself, as the murderer. Even though he thinks he can't get caught by the detectives he really doesn't stand a chance, they are good at their jobs and what they do as I have read with the last 15 books of Helen's. He may seem to think he will but he won't, what they do and how they work as a team is just amazing and it is what makes them always come out on top and solve their murders.