Like everyone else, I was immediately drawn to this book by the unusual concept. Hannah Morrissey's "Hello, Transcriber" is a crime/police /mystery/romance set in Black Harbor, Wisconsin.  I've never read this author before & knew nothing about the atmospheric setting she describes. The culture, the frigid cold, drinking, guns, hunting, drugs, and crime seemed quite realistic.
The main character, Hazel, has just relocated to this backwater, crime ridden town. Her unfulfilled marriage & sex life is quite vividly detailed. She is newly employed transcribing police incident reports. What she really wants to be is a writer. The story revolves around several recent deaths attributed to an illusive drug dealer, Candy Man.
The plot, (which I guessed about 20% in) derails as she has an illicit affair with Kole, the lead investigator. The book summary states the book is a mystery suspense, when in fact it's much more a romance woven around the crime solving. This isn't necessarily negative, but not everyone will enjoy the pages of steamy sex scenes.
There are many interesting supporting characters: husband/hunter, sister, parents, spiteful coworkers, police detectives, and seedy neighbors.
The crimes were grisly and gruesome. However; the suspense was less about the Candy Man than Hazel and Kole's affair.
I truly enjoyed the originality of the story. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

You know that feeling when you find a book that makes you want to savor every single word? Welcome to HELLO, TRANSCRIBER.

From page one, I was wholly invested in aspiring author and police transcriber Hazel Greenlee’s life in frozen, gritty, Gotham-esque Black Harbor. This moody mystery is a richly drawn and brilliantly written account of Hazel’s life as she gets pulled into investigator Nikolai Kole’s orbit and his search for elusive drug dealer Candy Man. When her next-door neighbor/husband's friend confesses to hiding the body of a young boy who overdosed on drugs, and Hazel decides not to tell Kole about her personal connection to the case, her involvement turns dangerous.

Hannah Morrissey's masterful writing style is part of what makes this such an excellent novel. The language she uses to describe Black Harbor, its people, and Hazel's struggle is fresh and captivating, This is Morrissey's debut, and I'm already looking forward to reading more of her wonderful work.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Hello, Transcriber.

Hazel is an aspiring writer living in a dangerous Wisconsin city, making ends meet by transcribing for the local police, making her privy to all of the most gruesome events of the town. But maybe through transcribing, she can find inspiration for her next story.

Everything gets turned upside down when a local man comes in confessing the murder of a young boy in the area, a man that Hazel isn't anxious to admit knowing. But still interested in diving into the story, she sidles up with the lead cop of the investigation, and this takes her down a road that will affect her life personally and professionally.

First of all, my hat goes off to the author for painting perhaps the bleakest portrait of a scene yet. Black Harbor, WI, stay far away from my nightmares please. You could just feel the despondencies of the town, and the black pit that it was.

This was interesting to read because while I was rooting for the main character, and I felt for her, I also never liked her a whole lot. But sometimes that's how it works right? And I identified my frustration for her as a side effect of wanting her to succeed.

This is so dark, so twisty, and just felt so...cold to read! And if you're into that sort of thing, you know I mean that in the best possible way.

This was a good read, but it almost felt too long. It's a bit slow at the beginning and I felt like it could have ramped up quicker. Overall interesting story and well written!

I'm a fan of thrillers with a setting that's a character too, and Hello, Transcriber offers that with its atmospheric tale of Hazel, a transcriber for the ficticious Black Harbor, Wisconsin, PD. In this small town of secrets, murder, and darkness, two young people are found dead from Oxy overdoses. Unhappily-married Hazel inserts herself into the investigation to assist a handsome officer, despite her conflict of interest (she lives next door to someone who may or may not have been involved). As the duo begin an affair, the investigation twists and turns, suspects are uncovered and discarded, and Hazel's life unravels while danger grows around her. This noir-like story offers not only a nice mystery, but also a look inside one woman's decision to change her life--even if it could kill her.

Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and the author for providing me with this novel as an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

First off, the minute I saw the title, I knew I had to read this book. Why, you ask? Because I'm a transcriber! So the book grabbed me immediately, and I was not disappointed.

Hannah Morrissey's writing is descriptive and eloquent. The book's main character, Hazel, starts work as a transcriber for the Black Rock Police Department. She's new to the town, is in an unhappy marriage, and immerses herself in writing. Due to a series of events, she gets involved in a murder investigation.

The book is a page-turner at parts, although the sudden and intense romance made the book drag a little for me. But overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend!

A very dark, atmospheric book! Well written, captivating, and intense! One of those books that absolutely grips you from beginning until the very end! Fast paced, unique, and unputdownable! Highly, highly recommend this riveting story full of twist and turns, chills, thrills, and shocks! Mind blowing good!

Will buzz around platforms and use my top Amazon reviewer number!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey is ​an unsettling thriller with a dark atmosphere. The story revolves around new police transcriber Hazel Greenlee as she gets caught up in a murder case that has ties to a notorious criminal and drug dealer, the Candyman. Her neighbor confesses to hiding a body. Who is the dead boy? Was he murdered? And was the murderer the Candyman or someone else? As I read this book, I found myself very interested in the details of Hazel's job as a transcriber. Although it may seem like a menial job, the stories of the police officers that she describes are gripping and violent. Later, Hazel starts to become part of the investigation in ways outside of her job description, which I wasn't expecting, and her attempts to help with the investigation are a major positive aspect of this thriller.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1 that shows the grim, noir-like atmosphere of the book:

"I shouldn’t be here.
It’s stark daylight. The evergreens cut sharp silhouettes, arrowheads piercing a pearl sky. Someone will see the woman standing on Forge Bridge and they’ll call the police or try to save me themselves.
No, they won’t. This is Black Harbor, a purgatory where people mind their own. I could scream bloody murder, and it’s not that no one would hear me—someone probably would—but they would write me off, convince themselves that I’m just a rabbit being eaten by a hawk or something.."

Here's another excerpt from Chapter 1 that details the setting of Black Harbor:

"Two years ago when we moved to Black Harbor, I took to the running trail in the woods across the street from the duplex Tommy and I split with Old Will and his son. It stretches and winds through the entire city, but the part I run on most often is a five-mile strip that spits me out at Forge Bridge. It called to me like a siren. I was already halfway across when I suddenly felt its railroad ties creaking beneath my feet, and I stared for the first time into the cruel black below. Everything went silent, then, as it demanded something of me. Just one piece. A tribute in exchange for it letting me remain above its obsidian surface."

As you can tell, this book is dark, and it was much darker than many of the thrillers that I've read lately. I was reminded of noir TV shows like The Killing in that the shadowy atmosphere of the city seems to play a large role. Overall, Hello, Transcriber is a mystery set in a seedy city that will appeal to readers of police procedurals or detective stories. I could have done without the romance, but I found this book to be unputdownable. I found myself drawn into the story, and I could not stop reading this book until I had finished it. I especially enjoy thrillers with amateur detectives, so I found Hazel's character to be intriguing. She's an unusual character in that she's interested in solving the case, but she's also rather emotionless and detached from it, which added to the noir-like atmosphere. Not every reader will like her, but I found her very professional and clinical narration to be a breath of fresh air. If you're intrigued by the excerpts above, or if you're a fan of the thriller genre, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in November!

Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey. The story of Hazel who becomes a transcriber in the police department- a small town with big city crime. It's in a sad depressed town and that theme is carried throughout the book. She becomes involved in a case and involved with one of the officers. I like the idea of part of the story being told through transcription. Some of the description was pretty wordy and I had to reread paragraphs. I still wasn't sure what happened with Eric Kole suicide. I got a good feel for the characters especially Tommy and Nik. All types gossips, back stabbers were included in the PD. Undecided if I would recommend. Thank you for letting me review this book

A very solid addition to the crowded crime genre featuring a protag in a unique position. A recommended purchase for collections where thrillers are popular.

This one was just ok to me . It took a while to get into and wasn’t as fast paced as I like but overall was good

“Fargo.” That’s what Mona, the other transcriber calls Hazel, the new girl. To the cops of Black Harbor, Wisconsin, she’s the person who transcribes their reports. “Hello, Transcriber,” is how she’s addressed. And that’s the name of Hanna Morrissey’s book, which is due out in late November. Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and the author for providing me with this novel as an ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Hello, Transcriber takes place in the fictional town of Black Harbor, which sounds like about as depressing a town as there could be. At least, Hazel certainly does not want to be there. Whenever she is asked what brought her to Black Harbor, she replies that it’s because of her husband’s job. Now she is starting a job on the night shift as a transcriptionist for the Black Harbor Police Department. Apparently, the river has been known to be an accomplice in many deaths by suicide, as Hannah soon discovers.

The town is dismal, and the tone of the book takes on a somber feeling as well. A couple things did make me chuckle, however. First, the aforementioned “Fargo.” Being from “Up North” near Duluth, Minnesota, when I first got to college in Bemidji (which is also Up North), I was occasionally asked if I was from Canada. Huh? I guess back then I said, “aboot” for “about.” So does Hazel. I didn’t realize that folks in Wisconsin had that Fargo kind of stigma too. (My college days, however, were well before the Fargo movie came out.) Secondly, Hazel is the fastest and most accurate typist these cops have ever known, and she even corrects their punctuation – yes, they dictate periods and commas. Really? I did a wee bit of medical transcription during my secretarial training, and I don’t think even one physician did that. I’m told that some do, however, so I’m not questioning that. But what struck me as funny and a bit hypocritical is that Ms. English major Hazel refers to some “half-drank” soft drinks. O-kay. I guess a gal can’t be too high and mighty.

The book is narrated in first person from Hazel’s perspective. She hates Black Harbor – BH for short. She also doesn’t have a lot of love, honor, and respect for her husband Tommy. Tommy claims to love her with all of his heart, but in reality, no, he doesn’t. He’s a male chauvinist – fill-in-the-blank. It’s really no surprise that Hazel finds distractions elsewhere. Male cops with sexy voices on tape who face dangerous situations. It certainly awoke me from the doldrums that this book seemed to be headed for!

Hazel finally dares to shed the skin of boredom, pain, and hopelessness that is her marriage, her wanna-be novelist career, her transcription job, and her family relationships and takes a giant leap toward something daring, unique, individual. Will it lead to happiness? Success? Freedom? Or will it all crumble around her in ruins? Maybe it’s not an either-or situation. Life seldom is like that. It can turn out to be a huge gamble, and if she’s lucky, someone will be there to help her.

The characters in this book, especially Hazel, all felt like real people to me. There are gossips, back-stabbers, low-lifes, drug dealers, good cops, crooked cops, and maybe one or two people who will be there for you no matter what, and some who are just regular folks. There is mystery and danger, with people caught up in situations they frantically need to control. The same goes for the relationships – hormones and emotions get tangled with imagination and suspicion gone wild. Can it end well for Hazel?

This book is sad. It’s suspenseful. It has some twists along the way. It’s sweet, even romantic at times. It’s wordy. If you can get through long descriptions to take in the whole scene and the feeling it evokes, you can really like this book. Let the Black River carry you along as you read, and enjoy the journey.

4 stars

This was a good story, it took a little bit to get going but overall it was well told. Hazel Greenlee, newly moved with her husband to Black Harbor, WI, gets a job at the local police station transcribing police reports. The job hours are on the night shift, where she is the only person in the office. One night a man who she recognizes as her neighbor, writes a message on the window of her office, using a finger from a deceased young boy. The young boy had died from a drug overdose, a victim of the 'Candy Man'. While transcribing the report on the death, Hazel hears the voice of Kole Nikolai, the investigator assigned to the case. Eventually Hazel and Kole meet in person and she begins to become involved in the investigation, first by accessing the apartment of a suspect to look for his 'stash'. Her and Kole also become close, they engage in heavy petting on a number of occasions. Hazel's husband is a hunter, he regularly goes away on hunting trips and brings back a variety of wildlife that he has shot. He also has a very strict view on sex, every third day he has sex with Hazel, whether she wants it or not. This likely led to her not enjoying the act, but when her and Kole eventually do the deed, she finds that she does enjoy very much. There are a couple of more deaths attributed to the Candy Man, Hazel starts thinking almost everyone could be the Candy Man. The ending ties up very nicely all the loose ends. Overall I would recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Great read! Hazel is writing a novel that she feels will help get her out of a dead end town full of crime. Her fantastic typing skills lands her a transcriber position . Hazel is intrigued by the detective Kole and becomes involved in the crimes of her town. Her marriage is a wreak, and she is now involved with the detective. Hazel has gotten herself too deep in surroundied by danger.

A balanced storyline with excellent crafting of character, especially idiosyncrasies that help to develop complexity and warmth. The initial mystery almost takes second stage to a story of finding oneself, but does so in a way that is natural and still compelling.

This book started off somewhat disjointed for me... the description of the main crime that “sets the stage” for the rest of the novel seemingly came out of context after an establishment of the “unreliable female narrator” theme. I was skeptical, until I got about 1/4 of the way through... but then I was HOOKED. Part romance, part female empowerment, part mystery/thriller, I sped through the back half. I did figure out one major twist, but that’s because like Hazel, I’m a “words girl.” Pay close attention and see if you can spot it, too.

My thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book based on the synopsis, unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into the book and felt like it was more about a women just unhappy with her life than anything to do with crime or mystery.

This just wasn't the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for this ARC!
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Wow, wow, wow. Did I say wow?

It takes a lot for a mystery to keep me guessing until the end. I've always thought of myself as a pretty good armchair sleuth, but this did it. I had suspicions, but I was hooked until the end, and this hasn't happened with a mystery in a while.

The book is set in Black Harbor, a town where everything seems dismal all the time. The weather, the people, their fates. It sets the tone wonderfully, though somewhat oxymoronically, for a suspect they call The Candy Man.

I'm super excited to read more by Morrissey; her style and characterization was incredible.

Oh yes, this is an amazing debut. The editing and writing quality was spot on and I look forward to more of Hazel's adventures written by Hannah Morrissey!

Thank you, Netgalley for this ARC. This is about Hazel, who gets a job as a police transcriber at a station in a small town called Black Harbor. I'm confused about the actual size of the town, because some of the plot points seem implausible in a truly small town-word would have gotten around about certain secrets and people would have found things out that remained mostly hidden. This book appeared to be driven by the transcriber/crime aspect and, it was in a sense, but there was also a lot of very strange romance too. Said romance was incredibly insta-love and also unbelievable. I really wish there had been a bigger emphasis on the drug epidemic and the actual scenes with Hazel transcribing the audio files that came in from the detectives. Those were some of the most interesting scenes to read, but there weren't as many as you'd expect in a book with this title. As you read on, it becomes clear that Hazel is probably what you would consider an unreliable narrator; I am left with some questions still, even after just finishing the book. I guess this is a bit more character driven than I expected; Hazel transforms herself over the course of the book, but I'm left unsatisfied with the lack of details about her past and her motivations. Overall, this is a really interesting premise and it was done...okay, but I think it could have been done better.