A police transcriber working on a case regarding a potential kid killing drug dealing serial killer known as the Candy Man????? What could possibly go wrong? Well, I’ll tell you – a stooooooopid freaking “romance” (affair) that had absolutely zero reason for even being included in the plot, let alone being the majority of the focus of its pages.

Nope.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Really interesting to have a story about a police transcriber but I found it a little dull to be completely honest. Something about Hazel was so weird and off to me, I just did not like her and I think I couldn't get past that. The story itself was a little slow and nothing crazy either. Thank you for the advanced copy of this book.

I wanted to love this one. As a transcriptionist myself, I was excited to connect with the subject matter, but, ultimately, Hello, Transcriber ended up not being for me. I found the plot to be just too out there, with Hazel almost immediately falling into a relationship with Kole, and her husband, who is apparently an educated guy dealing with climate change and changing shorelines, being basically portrayed as an imbecile who did nothing but shoot things and drink beer on his down time. I gave up when Hazel found herself snuggling up to the oddball neighbor in bed after thinking it was her husband. I did enjoy the writing style and will be interested in reading Hannah Morrissey's next book, but this just wasn't the one for me.

"...I am broken, like a doll missing an eye...A computer that won't turn on...Weeks ago, in the in-between time of me leaving the bookstore and landing this new job...I would have tried...Living with Tommy is like playing a board game with someone who makes up the rules as we play...He'll accuse me of being a bad wife...never happy no matter what...". Tommy was an aquatic ecologist hired by the city of Black Harbor, Wisconsin. The lake was devouring the shoreline. Land was becoming submerged and disappearing. As an outdoorsman, Tommy fished and hunted when not working and filled the fridge with filleted fish and meats. Hazel was never a priority, just an afterthought.

Nothing good ever happened in crime infested Black Harbor where Hazel and Tommy had lived for two years. "Black Harbor...attracts criminals and seedy characters who need a place to hide...Forge Bridge called...like a siren...the water six feet deep...the river beckoning me to come closer...Jump whispers the river. It's voice is a chorus...calling souls like [Hazel] to join them...".

Everyone was talking about the new transcriber, Hazel Greenlee. Hazel had secured a job as night shift transcriber for the Black Harbor Police Department. "...she types at the speed of light and doesn't make a mistake...corrects punctuation...a new transcriber who happens to have an English degree." "In writing, rules are meant to be broken. But this isn't writing...I type everything...verbatim...it's interesting work...". With a confidentiality agreement signed and dated, Hazel transcribed a "supplemental report pursuant to a search warrant...regarding a suspicious death" of a young victim. Why would a nine year old die from a drug overdose? By transcribing Investigator Nikolai Kole's report and subsequent reports, Hazel learned about the Candy Man. Who is this supplier of "blue pills"? Soon, a drug overdose claimed another victim. This job was "a strange juxtaposition of urgency and routine."

It's been a long time since Hazel has conversed with anyone except Tommy and her sister, Elle. Through this new job, she started to get over her fear of entering conversations with others. "I hadn't realized just how close [Nik and I] were until now...a stranger-someone who isn't Tommy." So many secrets and lies. Why had Nik been placed on leave for a prior incident? Where is Hazel's duplex apartment located?

Hazel, our narrator, felt she was being watched...invisible arms seemed to pull her to Forge Bridge. She had withheld information that might impact the investigation of the drug overdoses. Her confusion, naivety and search for acceptance led her to make surprising choices. Hazel was a complex character this reader was rooting for.

"Hello, Transcriber" by Hannah Morrissey was a tense thriller with many unexpected twists and turns. The unmasking of the Candy Man was a surprising revelation. The ending of the tome seemed fitting. Highly recommended.

I received a free ARC of Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Net Galley.