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.

A teen daughter of parents involved in law enforcement feels ignored. In anger she tells her parents something to the effect of “maybe you’ll pay attention to me when I’m dead” and then goes missing. Parents are frantic and distrusting of each other, mom has dark secret. Nothing groundbreaking but a fine read.

After not enjoying Hello Transcriber as much as I had expected to, The Widowmaker was a huge win - after enjoying it so much, When I'm Dead paled for me a little bit. The story definitely drew me in and was hard to put down, but after awhile there were some repetitive bits that got a little annoying to me, such as Rowan perseverating on karma from a past mistake. The ending wrapped up a bit nearly as well; I wouldn't have expected the survivors to have bounced back from all that trauma so easily.

I really love this series. The multiple POV’s kept the action constantly moving. Black Harbor is an intense, gritty place but going back there always is a treat. This is third in the series and I like to read in order and think the reader benefits more from doing that.

Favorite Quotes:


If there’s one thing she’s actually learned at school, it’s that rumors are like fingerprints: everyone has their own special set, and like it or not, they are part of our identity.

The girl has a lurchiness about her, a furtive expression and andante shrinking inward that suggests she’s always trying to disappear from the space she inhabits. The elephant in the room desperately wishing it were a mouse.

Sometimes, she wonders if finding nothing is worse than finding something.

Teachers shouldn’t be airing their dirty laundry in the classrooms, not like Ms. Allouez, the recently divorced chemistry teacher who allegedly had students destroy her wedding photos over Bunsen burners.

I figured I’d save myself the cost of a divorce. They’re a hundred percent preventable if you don’t get married.

Her heartbeat thrums in her ears. She can feel her temples pounding and she’s convinced that if someone were to look at her dead-on, it would appear as though there’s a pair of Beats headphones screwed to her skull beneath her skin.

How easily madness strips us of who and what we once were. It changes us into something we don’t know how to navigate.


My Review:

This addictive and twisty series has been dark and moody, bewitchingly atmospheric, and brilliantly plotted with barbs of sharp wit, keenly honed insights, and canny as well as uncanny observations. Hannah Morrissey is a special kind of evil genius.

I just finished "When I'm Dead," the third book in the Black Harbor series, and let me tell you, it's a thriller that totally blew my mind. Hannah Morrissey really knows how to weave a dark, twisted tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Set in the eerie town of Black Harbor, Wisconsin, this book had me hooked from the get-go with its suspenseful plot, dramatic twists, and a shocker of an ending. Perfect for anyone looking for a little spookiness in their reading list!

The story kicks off on a chilling October night. Rowan, a Medical Examiner, and Axel, a Police Detective, are thrown into a nightmare when they find out their daughter's best friend has been found dead and their own daughter, Chloe, is missing. The last thing Chloe said to her mom was haunting: "You will love me more when I'm dead." From there, the plot thickens as another girl is murdered, and Rowan and Axel are desperate to find out if these cases are connected and if they can save Chloe in time. The tension in their marriage, the understaffed police force, and the dark vibe of Black Harbor all add layers of suspense to the story.

I couldn't put this book down and am already looking forward to the next one in the series. If you're into crime mysteries with a good dose of psychological thriller, this is definitely one to pick up. It's a solid read that's as thrilling as it is emotional, earning a big thumbs-up from me!

Thanks to the publisher for my ARC!

This is the first book I read by Hannah Morrissey, and it was engaging from beginning to end. This suspenseful read had plenty of twists and turns that kept me flipping through the pages into the late hours of the night. Although a bit predictable after a certain point in the book, I have to say that i really enjoyed this read. With both the main POVs working in the crime world, the book had a lot of details pertaining to the profession, and that was a nice addition. Highly recommend for any crime/mystery book/podcast lover.

Thank you to @hannahmorrisseywriter and @minotaur_books for my #gifted copy!

4.5✨
Out October 31st, 2023

It’s so good to be back in Black Harbor, where the bad seems to be never ending! I would hate to live there but love reading about it! I felt the pain of this one, as a parent. The relationships, working, the balance. The quote “ You’ll love me more when I’m dead” literally broke my heart! When I’m Dead is Dark and twisted and with a sense of utter dread that pulls you in harder. I loved that you get new characters but we also get old favorites like Kole! This is a series but you don’t have to read them in any order.

On the night of their teenage daughter Chole’s school play Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp and her husband Axel, an investigator with the Black Harbor Police Department, are called away to a crime scene involving a dead teenager. Madison Caldwell, their daughter’s best friend, is found brutally murdered and on the same night, Chloe does not return home after her school play and she is presumed to be a suspect in Maison’s death.

“You’ll love me more when I’m dead.”

As Rowan and Axel search for Chloe, the deep dive into their daughter's life reveals plenty of teenage drama, rivalry, scandalous rumors, and secrets. How well did they know their own daughter? When another of Chloe’s classmates is found murdered, it becomes evident that someone is targeting Chloe’s friends. Is Chloe alive? Will she be one of the killer’s next victims, or is she behind the murders? Can they find her before it is too late?

Having enjoyed the first two books in author Hannah Morrissey’s Black Harbor series, I was eager to read her latest offering. When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey is a suspenseful read with plenty of surprises to keep you engaged. Though the ending wasn’t completely unpredictable after a point, there is a lot to like about how the plot is structured. I will admit to having not enjoyed this installment as much as the previous books. With both Rowan and Axel involved in the investigation, the professional/procedural aspect takes precedence over their personal lives, which makes it difficult to connect with them as individuals whose daughter is missing. I also felt that Rowan’s guilt over an incident from her past was an unnecessary plot point, though it does add to the drama. The atmospheric vibe felt a tad forced ( set close to Halloween to emphasize the eerie, vibe, unlike her other novels where the crime-infested town and its darkness was better woven into the plot) in this story and I’m not a fan of the “mean girls” trope which took up way too much space in the narrative and did detract from my overall reading experience. However, there is no doubt that Morrissey knows how to craft a dark, twisty, suspenseful thriller and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Even though this is the third book in the series , it can be read as a standalone.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy o 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 the third book in the Black Harbor novel series. The storyline revolves around the murder of one teenage girl and the disappearance of another. The missing girl’s (Chloe) parents are the medical examiner (Rowen) and a police detective (Axel) in Black Harbor. The murdered girl is her “best” friend. As Rowen and Axel investigate the murder, they discover that they don’t really know their daughter as well a they thought they did. Rowen’s past intrudes wears on her as does the last thing Chloe said to her – “You’ll love me more when I’m dead.” I found it odd that the parents of the missing girl were included so closely in the murder/disappearance investigation. I don’t feel that the characters were well developed. It felt like we needed more background. Perhaps that’s because this is the third book in the series??? We should already know the cast of characters??? Although I was intrigued by the description of the book, it wasn’t a book I enjoyed.

Rowan and Axel are often called to crime scenes at a moment’s notice, but this time is different. Their daughter’s best friend was killed and their daughter, Chloe, is missing. They race to figure out what happened in hopes of finding Chloe before it’s too late.

An engaging thriller with underlying storylines that help support the main plot without weighing down.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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This was the first book that I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more books by Hannah Morrissey.
This book sets place in a small town around Halloween with a husband and wife, Axel the homicide detective and Rowan the Medical Examiner, teaming up to solve the murders of children from their daughter's school, but also trying to figure out the disappearance of their daughter Chloe.
This was an easy fast paced who done it police procedural with so many suspects and different twists and turns through out, I would have never guessed the ending. This book definitely kept me turning the pages to try and figure out what was gonna happen next.
The only negative remark I have about this book is that I wanted more background history of Rowan and her past, I was just antsy to find out, but left me with questions instead. Maybe a book about Rowan's history in the future?? If so, I will definitely read!!!
All in all, I would recommend this book for my Library. Thank you NetGalley and
St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for my advanced copy.