I always appreciate a series where the books can be read as a standalone book, and while I am glad I read Hannah Morrissey's previous Black Harbor books, it was not necessary to enjoy When I'm Dead. This book was highly entertaining, dark, and suspenseful. I couldn't give it five stars only because I found the relationship between characters unrealistic and unbelievable (quick example, Rowan seems barely bothered that Chloe is missing). But, overall, the action makes this a fast-paced book I could not put down!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. The mystery of Chloe's missing and the investigation done by her father was enough to have me glued to my seat wanting to finish the book. I really found this book engaging and entertaining.

"A sanctuary for some, and Hell for all, Black Harbor waits with open arms for souls looking for a place to hide."

Welcome back to Black Harbor! It's Halloween-time, the town's getting ready for the high school production of Beetlejuice, and there's murder. And pumpkin abduction. A lot of dark things happen in Black Harbor.

"When I'm Dead" is third in the Black Harbor series, featuring steely detective Nikolai Kole. There are callbacks to the prior books, but this one can be read as a standalone. Moving at a fast pace, Morrissey layers in rich, lush prose to convey the creepiness that is Black Harbor. Loads of detail, color, atmosphere, this one will keep you guessing.

"If the world itself is a dangerous place, Black Harbor is its core, a stagnant cesspool where bad people come in and never leave." See you next time Black Harbor!

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I am not familiar with the previous works of Hannah Morrissey, nor her Dark Harbor series. However, after this book I am interested in going into her backlist. I found this novel fast paced and interesting. I enjoyed that at time this husband and wife combo who both work in homicide, but in different roles, on opposite sides of their view of the crimes and their daughter's disappearance. The narrative is compelling and moves at a good rate. I think readers of suspense will enjoy this novel. The setting is descriptive and evocative.

This book was just okay. It's easy to spot the bad guy from a mile away, so there was really no shocking twist. The writing at times was also pretty simple, and the story seemed to drag at times. The different parts of view was a little confusing and didn't really follow a good time flow.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

First of all, thank you to Net Galley, St Martins Publishing Group, and Hannah Morrissey for allowing me to read this in advance of its release in exchange for my honest review!

And honestly, I LOVED it. I’ve been on a thriller kick lately and this was perfect. It’s the third in a “series” but I read it as a stand-alone and it was fine. But now I need to go back and read the others!

It was so dark and twisty and the perfect who done it novel. Just when you’d think you had the suspect pinned, something new would pop up at the right time and leave you hanging until it all came together in the end. Definitely a different setting than I’m used to but once you get to the end it all just makes sense

This was my first by this author and definitely not my last!!

When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey is the third in a series. I didn’t realize this when I started it but I don’t think it makes a difference. They are all set in the same bleak and dark town, Black Harbor, but each story is about different people. This was a very dark and disturbing novel in the best way. The way the author describes the town was so detailed that I feel like I have been there before and know exactly what everything looks like. In fact, the town is a character itself. The chapters alternate between different characters people.’s point of view and I enjoy that plot device. I like how things are revealed little by little . The end was very satisfying. I definitely am going to go back and read the first two novels in this series. Thank you publisher and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I read When I’m Dead as a standalone because I didn’t realize it was a series! Rowan is the towns medical examiner and her husband, Axel, a police detective is assigned to the murder case of their daughter’s best friend. Only to notice that their daughter is missing. To make matters worse, she’s presumed a suspect in the murder.

What a wicked psychological thriller; told via multiple POV with several shocking twists thrown in. It’s dark, sinister, and extremely entertaining. I found Rowan and Axel’s careers fascinating especially in a story like this.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for an advance copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I'm Dead is the third book in the Black Harbor Series by Hannah Morrissey; however, each book can also be a stand alone so you do not have to read the first two before you read this one.

Hannah knows how to write dark, twisty, mysterious books and this one did not disappoint. A creepy town, teeth, taxidermy, and so much more. The book opens with one girl dead and another girl missing and the twists don't stop coming throughout the book.

I love that this book takes place in my home state Wisconsin and was honored to have Hannah join Thrillers by the Book Club MKE Branch this week. We had a fantastic time talking about the book, writing process, and Hannah's murder board. I can't wait for the next Black Harbor book to learn more about the twisted town!

When I am in a gritty crime thriller mood, Hannah Morrissay is my go to author. This is the 3rd book in her black harbor series but you didn't need to read the first two books to be able to follow along with this book.

A 15 year old girl was brutally murder and her best friend went missing. The missing girls parents learn that they didn't know their daughter as well as they thought as her secrets start to come out

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈’𝐦 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐲

🖤𝑨𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒑𝒖𝒕𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒘𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒏𝒐𝒊𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆🖤

You guys! If you are looking for a cold weather, atmospheric, gritty, police procedural/mystery series this winter, GET THESE BOOKS!

The series:
Hello, Transcriber (1st in the series)
The Widowmaker (2nd in the series)
When I’m Dead (3rd in the series)

Black Harbor, Wisconsin, the setting of this series, is a dark and crime riddled city. It’s so gritty and cold and dreary…I love it. Truly the setting is 🤌🏻!! @hannahmorrisseywriter has mastered the art of suspenseful pacing, once you start, you will be up into the wee hours of the night racing to finish.

All the stars for this book and this series

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ps. The audio narration of all her novels is also 5/5!! Highly recommend audio for these if you’re into that!

Here’s the back of the book blurb for When I’m Dead:

“One girl murdered. Another one missing. And a medical examiner desperate to uncover the truth in the latest Black Harbor mystery by acclaimed author Hannah Morrissey. On a bone-chilling October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp investigates the death of her daughter's best friend.
Hours later, the tragedy hits even closer to home when she makes a devastating discovery-her daughter, Chloe, is gone.
But, not without a trace. A morbid mosaic of clues forces Rowan and her husband to question how deeply they really knew their daughter. As they work closely to peel back the layers of this case, they begin to unearth disturbing details about Chloe and her secret transgressions…..details that threaten to tear them apart. Amidst the noise of navigating her newfound grief and reconciling the sins of her past, an undeniable fact rings true for Rowan: karma has finally come to collect.”

I cannot wait to see what happens next in Black Harbor.

Are you mystery/thriller reader or a Christmas romance reader during the winter months?! I usually alternate between the two☕️

When I'm dead was a cool thriller. I liked that it was told using different POV's. I thought the story was engaging and held my attention although I thought some of the details about Rowan's past weren't needed and didn't add much to the story. Even though this book is part of a series I didn't feel like I was missing any contextual details by having this book be my first introduction to the Black Harbor series. I also really liked the gritty tone the author set for the book. It really helped keep me grounded in the story as a whole. Thank you Netgalley and St.Martin's press for the ARC of this book.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you Netgalley & Minotaur Books for the advanced reading copy!

SYNOPSIS: Rowan Winthorp and her husband, Axel, are called to the scene of lots of bodies. As medical examiner and homicide detective, respectively, they investigate all of Black Harbor's gruesome deaths, but never that of their daughter's best friend, Madison. When their own daughter disappears that same night, they are forced to chase down the chaotic and morbid set of clues and transgressions in hopes of finding her alive. With a dark and complex past, a creepy next door neighbor and a potentially creepy teacher, Rowan and Axel have their work cut out for them.

** NOTE -- WHEN I'M DEAD is the third book in the Black Harbor series, but can definitely be read as a standalone! There are some small tie-ins to the first two books (I've only read the first one, HELLO TRANSCRIBER, so far) that will make you perk up if you've read them, but nothing that makes it hard to keep track of the story at hand. **

WHEN I'M DEAD was dark and twisty and creepy and the perfect fall thriller. The story was well-woven and I found myself guessing at every turn. I really enjoy the Black Harbor setting, in part because it's a dark Wisconsin town with which I am all too familiar, and in part because it's gruesome and atmospheric and fun to read about. I had the pleasure of meeting author Hannah Morrissey at book club this week, and it was so interesting to hear how her dark and twisted mind (the highest compliment!) took her Wisconsin town and turned it into the sight of these gruesome stories. I really enjoyed WHEN I'M DEAD and I can't wait to see what's next in Black Harbor (or beyond!).

"You'll love me more when I'm dead."

When I'm Dead is a mystery based in Black Harbor. While it is technically book 3 in the series it can be read as a standalone without causing any confusion.
Black Harbor is a city well-known for crime and murder so when a young girl is murdered, medical examiner Rowan Winthrop drops everything she is doing to aid local law enforcement, including her husband Axel. Things take a turn for the worse when they arrive home to find out their teenage daughter Chloe is missing.
There was so much about this book that I enjoyed. I am a huge fan of books with multiple POVs and this one definitely delivered. Though most of the book is told through Rowan and Axel's POV we also get some through Libby's, the daughter of Rowan's best friend who lives next door. I felt like it added a lot to the story. I felt like the story was paced well and I loved that the way things panned out wasn't how I expected it to go! There were some great plot twists. I would absolutely recommend this book and have plans to go back and read the other books in the series.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. When I’m Dead was published on October 31, 2023.

When I'm Dead is a mystery about a fifteen year old girl who was murdered and her former best friend who is now missing. There are multiple perspectives, largely the missing girl's parents who work in law enforcement. This is the third in the series, but worked as a stand-alone book.

The story is intriguing, but I found myself so confused by the setting of Black Harbor. Many of the parents are affluent and yet live in the crime-ridden cesspool that is Black Harbor? It was also wild to me that life went on as usual after a high schooler was murdered and one was missing. The parents were also allowed to investigate the murder and missing person case despite clear conflicts of interest.

I listened to the audiobook which had multiple narrators. It worked most of the time, but Rowan's narration was so hard to understand at times as the narrator constantly mumble.

Overall, the story was pretty interesting. I especially liked the descriptions of the mother's job as medical coroner and neighbor Libby's perspective.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for providing this ebook and audiobook ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Medical examiner Rowan Winthrop and her husband Axel are seated at the high school play "Beetlejuice" where their daughter (Chloe) has the starring role when both their work phones ring alerting both of them to a crime scene which they must immediately respond.

Chloe is devastated and begs her mom not to go but duty calls and Rowan is the only medical examiner in Black Harbor so she doesn't have a choice in not responding to a death scene. Rowan finds the dead body happens to be Chloe's best friend and she is shaken to her core when she sees the horrific violence that was done to this fifteen year old girl.

Later when Rowan and Axel arrive home they find Chloe missing and can't understand what could have happened to her. Did she run away or has someone taken her just like her friend. As time passes the couple realize that they didn't know their daughter as well as they thought. Chloe was the keeper of many secrets and unknown to them a very unhappy child.

As the investigation continues for both girls, they find many signs that Chloe could have been involved with her friend's murder especially when another fifteen year old's murdered body is found with similar brutal characteristics.

Black Harbor has always been known for a certain darkness concerning many violent crimes over the years but two vicious murders and possibly another is more than outrageous and more will occur if they don't find Chloe (hopefully alive) or the murderer soon!

Who is this teen predator that is stalking and killing these beautiful girls from the same high school and why now?


This was a most engaging and emotional crime/mystery/drama involving young teenagers and their secrets that they keep from their parents and loved ones. Sad to see that many teens don't have enough supervision and are left with too much time being alone and the consequences that could occur since they aren't old enough to have or use sound judgment in many if their decisions and the possible consequences that could happen. Frightening to think how many children are probably left alone in our real world because of so many working parents who are trying to make ends meet. So scary and sad! This book was an interesting, behind the scenes police procedural that took the reader into their difficult personal lives.

This also was a fast, intriguing read since the book was so well written and I look forward to reading more books from author "Hannah Morrissey" in the future.


I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 4 VICIOUS AND DEPRESSINGLY GOOD 🌟🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

"When I'm Dead" presents an enjoyable narrative rich in suspense and intrigue. With well-crafted dialogue and a compelling mystery, it kept me curious from beginning to end. However, refining the multiple perspectives and strengthening the emotional connection to certain characters would enhance the overall impact of the story.

While the multiple perspectives added dimension, focusing on just a few would have allowed for a more concentrated and immersive experience. Additionally, the connection to the missing daughter felt somewhat distant, leaving me torn between empathizing with her plight or considering her as a potential suspect, which detracted from the emotional investment in her storyline.

The revelation of the mother's secret, while intended to be a pivotal point, didn't resonate strongly. It felt somewhat trivial and distracting from the main plotline's momentum.

Overall, "When I'm Dead" was a gripping story brimming with suspense and mystery, featuring a constant air of intrigue that kept me captivated throughout.

Thank you #NetGalley and #MinotaurBooks for a chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this book! This was a pulse-pounding twisty thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. Readers of Allison Brennan will love this book.

“On a bone-chilling October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp investigates the death of her daughter’s best friend. Hours later, the tragedy hits even closer to home when she makes a devastating discovery—her daughter, Chloe, is gone. But, not without a trace.

A morbid mosaic of clues forces Rowan and her husband to question how deeply they really knew their daughter. As they work closely to peel back the layers of this case, they begin to unearth disturbing details about Chloe and her secret transgressions…details that threaten to tear them apart.

Amidst the noise of navigating her newfound grief and reconciling the sins of her past, an undeniable fact rings true for Rowan: karma has finally come to collect.”

I mean @hannahmorrisseywriter can do no wrong in my book. I love the Black Harbor series. It is gritty, dark and an amazing police procedural. Alex’s characters was one of my faves. You feel the world on his shoulders. He’s trying to support his family while working insane hours at his job. It’s hard not to feel for him. As much as I love Cole, Alex might be my new Black Harbor boyfriend. Rowan was also trying to be the best mother she could be along with working insane hours. How they have to look for Chloe’s friends killer as well as Chloe is enough to make any parent break. Add in some red herrings and it makes for a book that you can’t put down. Definitely recommend this book for anyone who loves a police procedural thriller

Shoutout to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ALC and eARC

DNFed. This book just did not hook me at all. I read about the first 10% and I couldn’t get into it. I had no interest in continuing the story.