I really enjoyed reading Hello, Transcriber last year and then this summary sold me instantly - scandal, cold case and a dark past? Yes please!

This one takes place Black Harbor, which is the same town as her last book but it can easily be read as a standalone! I enjoyed the alternating viewpoints between photographer Morgan Mori and investigator Ryan Hudson and while a bit of a slow burn at times, it certainly was suspenseful!

I was intrigued and entertained from start to finish. This police procedural is definitely gritty and dark so trigger warnings beware!

𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨: I was really excited to listen to this book as I enjoyed The Transcriber. Unfortunately this one didn't work for me, although the audiobook was good with great narrators. The story meanders a lot and it was underwhelming. I couldn't connect with any of the characters at all.

𝑃𝑢𝑏. 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑒: 𝑂𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑤

***𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑀𝑎𝑐𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑛 𝐴𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝐺𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑝𝑦. 𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛.***

Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and the author for the audio copy of this book. The subject matter of this novel, child abuse and in particular pedophilia, turned me off in the beginning. Though handled well by the author, nearly caused me to stop reading. The story itself seemed overly complicated. The writers style is one that is very descriptive, which I liked, there were points in the story where it seemed to drag. I literally listened to it at 1.25 speed most of the time. I would recommend ‘The Widowmaker’, but with caution due to the sensitive story matter.

*NetGalley Review*

This was my first book by Morrissey, and for the most part I really enjoyed it! The book shifts from Morgan's viewpoint to Detective Ryan Hudson's. Both have heartbreaking back stories. This book had twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, but I struggled through the middle of the book. It was a bit difficult to match up all of the missing pieces in the end and it did go from slow-moving to rushed, in my opinion. Overall, it was a decent storyline. It kept me mostly entertained, but I'm unsure if I'll be going back for book #1 in the Black Harbor series. Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Morrissey, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read/listen to this one in exchange for an honest review.

Looking for a holiday read that isn’t a romance? Maybe one with a dysfunctional family, dark secrets, murder, and deception? Then look no further: here it is!!

This is actually book two in the Black Harbor series, though you don’t have to read book one first. They take place in the same location, but are completely separate stories. I didn’t read the first one, but have added it to my TBR!

The story is told from multiple POV, which I always enjoy. It features great, complex characters and the author weaves their stories together masterfully. There is a lot going on and at first I thought maybe I should have read the first book before this one. But everything is eventually revealed and made very clear.

I listened to the audiobook and the performances were excellent.

There are definitely some potential TW I thought I should mention:
🔴 Abuse/Torture
🔴 Child Rape/Molestation

WidowMaker by Hannah Morrisey, is a dark, messy, atmospheric novel taking place in the wintery days of December. Black Harbor, Wisconsin is not the most inviting place. It’s bitterly cold and riddled with crime. Amidst the bleakness of the area, you have the uber-wealthy Reynolds family who has lived under the cloud of suspicion when the father went missing years ago and the family was suspected of his murder.

When rookie, Ryan Hudson is put on the case to distract him from his partner and friend’s recent horrific murder, he meets Morgan, a photographer who has recently completed a Christmas photo shoot for the family. The two are inextricably drawn into the mystery and the result is a surprisingly emotional, evocative story that ropes you in. These characters are flawed, the crimes are gritty, and the story is compelling. You do have to suspend disbelief, accept some plot holes, and prepare for a wild ride, but if you’re game, I think you’ll enjoy this thriller.

The audiobook was narrated by the well-known Xe Sands and Adam Verner. Their presentation and elocution is clear and easy to understand and their acting is perfectly suitable for the characters. The audio version of this book really gives an authenticity and realistic sense to the plot. I highly recommend.

The Widowmaker is the second in the Black Harbor series by Hannah Morrissey, but it is a standalone entirely. Beyond the setting, The Widowmaker is entirely unique as it follows photographer Morgan Mori and Detective Ryan Hudson, separately, as their lives intertwine when two investigations Hudson is involved in collide. Morgan has finished photographing the famous Reynold's family Christmas pictures when she witnesses the murder of Officer Garrison at a gas station. As the sole witness there's no one else who knows Garrison's final words to Morgan. Hudson is placed on a cold case involving the Reynolds' to keep him away from the investigation into his former partner's death. Somehow Morgan is the key to both cases and it'll take a skeleton key to open her up.

Written like a psychological thriller with police procedural touches, The Widowmaker is an incredibly interesting and unique read. While I didn't love the audio, I was totally enthralled with the story and desperate to know what would come next. It heavily features a past storyline, that of Morgan's youth, and it's as dark as they come. This could feel like a heavy read for some, but it's totally rewarding when you reach closure as well. I never truly connected with the characters, but rather felt like I was watching a movie play out in my head and if I could have finished it in two hours I would have. It's addicting. A solid second go at thriller writing from Morrissey and a new dark read for my shelves and yours.

I did not like the story, plot or characters. I thought the main character was a gothy teenager and it turned out she was a women in her 30s... total ick. This book was such a chore to get through and books shouldn't be that way.
The narrators did a great job- that part I did like.
Thank you to Netgalley for approving me for this audiobook.

This book intrigued me since it is a police procedural and investigates a cold case. However, I did find it dragged and was repetitive in some parts. The main character definitely has a dark and horrible past, which to be honest I didn't really see the merit in making it that dark other than for "shock" factor for lack of better words. I also found certain aspects of this story a bit unlikely. Overall, it was an ok story but be warned it has some very dark subject matter.

I switched back and forth between the audiobook and ebook. The narration of the audiobook was good but there were several little twists along the way that I feel I would've appreciated maybe more if I had read the entire thing physically.

Content warnings: Child abuse, including pedophilia (this part was particularly hard to read), prostitution, sexual assault, graphic violence, death.

Thanks to NetGalley and St-Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey is a fast-paced unputdownable thriller with well developed characters and a mysterious plot that kept my head spinning with theories all the way through.

The story follows Morgan as she is drawn back to her hometown of Black Harbor, a bleak town that holds dark and disturbing memories for her. Morgan unexpectedly finds herself as the sole witness to the murder of a cop and her world becomes quickly intertwined to Detective Ryan Hudson, former partner of the slain officer and investigator of a 20 year old cold case. The story is told from their alternating points of view, as Morgan and Ryan learn the two cases might be connected and the key to solving it all… is Morgan.

I really enjoyed the audio and digital copy of this book, and would highly recommend it if you are a fan of crime thrillers. I do have to give you a warning that some of the content might be triggering, as there are depictions of child abuse. As dark as some of the storyline is, I do feel that the author did a thoughtful job of writing tough subject matter, so that it was too graphic or drawn out.

* I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via Netgalley
for a fair and honest review.

After being introduced to Karin Slaughter this fall, I was excited to read some more dark and twisted thrillers. Unfortunately, this novel did not live up to my expectations. It was full of coincidences that felt more convenient than believable, the characters acted in ways that did not make sense, and the conclusion was unsatisfying. I was drawn into the beginning as we learn about Morgan's background and her connection to the wealthy Reynolds clan, but her relationship to Hudson, the other POV character, didn't ring true to me. I felt that the plot and character backgrounds devolved into shocking for shocking's sake as the story continued, so a promising start led to an ultimately disappointing ending.

The narrators of the audiobook did a fine job with the material, although I did find Xe Sands's male voices to sometimes be so husky as to be hard to hear at the volume that I could comfortably hear everything else.

I definitely picked this one due to the cover (chilling vibes) and ended up listening to it on audio. It was a solid murder mystery book but it didn’t knock my socks off. It had some of the aspects I love in thrillers:
❄️ Wealthy family
❄️ Cold case
❄️ Multiple storylines
❄️ Mysterious past

Honestly though, I got super confused by all of the different characters. I had a hard time feeling invested in either storyline. And then when everything came together it just felt so out of left field.

This is definitely dark and contains a storyline with child abuse. And I felt like it was trying to be like Karin Slaughter and Jennifer Hillier but just didn’t quite reach the mark.

This is a great option for thriller lovers who want a book set during the holidays but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend.

This is my first book by this author but second book in this series! I was able to easily engage with the book and it can easily be a stand alone book. That being said, I will definitely be reading the one before because I enjoyed this one so much! Dark and twisty, this one had all the components of an amazing thriller! Told in multiple POV’s, the story flowed effortlessly and kept me engaged throughout! 4 stars for me!

The audiobook version of this book was well done — the narrator was excellent!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook

Morrissey's debut, Hello, Transcriber, had a huge impact on me. But I found it difficult to get into this one. A mysterious note and an antique key are given to Morgan, who uses them to return home. She is a photographer who has been recruited to document the Reynolds family, a wealthy family in the community, at their holiday celebration. Twenty years ago, Clive, the family patriarch, vanished. She stops at a convenience shop on the way home and sees a police officer dead.
Despite the fact that it is not his case, the partner of the police officer, Ryan Hudson, is committed to finding the murderer. His primary focus is a 20-year-old cold case involving a body discovered inside Clive Reynolds' automobile at the bottom of a lake. As is often the case with books of this type, everything is resolved in the end.
The two major characters trade off in the plot, which also jumps back and forth in time. Both have secrets, and the plot twists appear as we uncover more of what each is keeping hidden. It's a pretty bleak tale with horrific child abuse that might be upsetting to some people.

My issue was that I was never able to empathize with either character. Despite several intriguing narrative turns, I thought the story was extremely convoluted and unrealistic.
I mostly listened to this. I enjoy  Xe Sands as a narrator a great deal and she didn't disappoint. Her husky voice matched perfectly with the story's narrative.

The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey was a great thriller with plenty of twists and turns. I listened this one on audiobook and enjoyed the narrator for this book.

The story overall was a little bit harder to follow on audiobook due to the twisting plot. I think I would have preferred to read this one as a paper copy so I was able to easily go back as needed. The characters were likeable as was the setting and overall story line.

Clive Reynolds is a rich man from Black Harbour and he disappeared two decades ago. His mystery was never solved. Fast forward 20 years and Morgan a Photographer was called back to her home town to phorograph the Reynold's Christmas party. As she returns home she uncovers deep routed secrets about this family. She becomes the sole witness to a homicide of a police officer. This investigation uncovers long burried secrets.

Overall I would read more from this author but would prefer the paper copy compared to the auddio version.

This was pretty dark which isn't typically my style but I definitely enjoyed it. It deals heavily with childhood trauma which can be off putting and uncomfortable for some people. This has lots of crazy twists and turns which I really enjoyed. If you are good with dark concepts then 10/10 recommend this because it will keep you guessing!

So i had no clue this was basically a sequel to Hello Transcriber. I feel like initially the audiobook had me hooked, but then I started to really lose track of what was going on. I did enjoy the ending though & feel like it all came together well. Definitely going to read Hello Transcriber now & hopefully it will tie everything together.

"My Ruin: All Roads Lead Back To Home."

When photographer Morgan Moir finds a cryptic note with a skeleton key she knows it's time to head back to the place she swore never to return to, Black Harbor. So begins the chilling storytelling in The Widowmaker by compelling author Hannah Morrissey.

Morgan finds herself photographing the most powerful rich family in Black Harbor, the Reynolds, at their holiday party. The patriarch Clive has been missing for 20 years, presumed but never proven, killed by his wife.

On her way home she stops for gas and her world is turned upside down. A gunmen holds up the gas station killing an off duty cop; who just before he dies looks at her and whispers his last words, "I found you."

Want more craziness? When diving into Black Harbor to look for the gun used in the crime the divers find a 1978 Porsche 930 Turbo, known as The Widowmaker, owned by the missing Clive Reynolds.

As she did so expertly in her brilliant debut novel, Hello, Transcriber, the writer spares no one with her depiction of despicable humans, sickening abusive acts and the truth of horrible people. But what she also does so flawlessly is bring broken people together. When Detective Ryan Hudson tries to solve both the cold case and the murder of his mentor in a gas station he never thought he find his person in the "ruined" Morgan.

Narrators Adam Verner and Xe Sands
inhabit the heart of Ryan and Morgan with their soulful performances.

Very much a stand alone story, this is the second book in the Black Harbor world with a too short cameo from Det. Nikolai Kole. I still need a book devoted all about him. Now that's a man who knows about widows and what to make of them!

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via @netgalley
for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

i was kind of confused as to where the author was going with this book as I try not to read too much about books before I read them. This book has murder-mystery-second family and abuse in it. There is sexual abuse in this book and some mention of SD&M so if that is one of your triggers you may want to opt out of reading this book. The book is a good murder mystery book and I really don't think it needed to go so far dark as to add in the child SD&M.

Morgan Mori is delighted when she is contacted by the wealthy Reynolds family to be the photographer for their upcoming Christmas party. The Reynolds family has been notorious in Morgan’s hometown of Black Harbor ever since Clive Reynolds went missing twenty years ago. Clive’s body has never been found and no one has ever been arrested in connection with his disappearance.

After Morgan photographs the party, she witnesses a police officer being killed during an attempted robbery at the local convenience store. While the police are investigating the incident, Morgan is drawn into the Reynolds Clan. Meanwhile, Investigator Ryan Hudson has been assigned to work on the cold case of the missing Clive Reynolds, but he also wants to find out who killed his partner at the convenience store.

The story is told from the alternating points of view of Morgan Mori and Ryan Hudson. Throughout the story, many shocking secrets are revealed. Parts of the story were hard for me to listen to due to the nature of some of the secrets. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator’s voices were hard to follow at times. The female narrator talked much faster than the male, and I had to keep changing the speed of the narration throughout the book depending on which character was talking. Overall, it was a good thriller and kept my attention throughout. I give it 3.5/5 stars.