When I’m Dead was an interesting read for me. I liked that this was a dark thriller where I couldn’t figure out who the killer was. I was not too fond of the multiple POVs, but they grew on me. They did give me insight into Chloe and the facts surrounding her disappearance. They also gave me insight into the people murdered and how the murders are tied to Chloe.

The main storyline is centered around the murders and Chloe’s disappearance. The investigation into the murders did raise my eyebrows, though. The main detective and the medical examiner knew the victim(s) and, later on, knew what they did to their daughter. I know this is fiction, but I didn’t think it was kosher. I also thought that Axel interrogating suspects was against everything I knew about police procedure. The author does attempt to explain why they were both working the cases. There was a shortage of MEs and police officers. Then there is Libby’s role in everything. She didn’t tell Axel or Rowan everything she knew and, most importantly, defaced evidence in Chloe’s room. Her behavior made me think she was a suspect until it was proven she wasn’t (alibi). But Libby was central in figuring out who the killer/kidnapper was and the motive behind everything.

The mystery angle was well written. The author gave a ton of red herrings and had me thinking different people were the killer/kidnapper. Heck, she even had me thinking that Chloe did it and ran away. But when she revealed who the killer/kidnapper was and the motive, I was shocked. That person wasn’t even on my radar.

The suspense/thriller angle was also well-written. I was kept on the edge of my seat, wondering when Chloe would be found and the killer would be revealed. And at the end of the book, I was on edge with everything happening.

The end of When I’m Dead was great. I liked the twists that the author threw in about the killer. As I mentioned above, I had zero clue about the killer’s motive and who the killer was. I felt that the very end of the book was a little anti-climactic due to everything that happened.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Hannah Morrissey for allowing me to read and review this ARC of When I’m Dead. All opinions stated this this review are mine.

I’ve never anything by this author, but I will continue to do so now. This book was so creepy and so good! It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and the twist were amazing.

3.5 Stars

*Can be read as a standalone.*

Medical Examiner Rowan and her detective husband, Axel, were summoned last minute to investigate the untimely death of Madison, a classmate of their daughter. Even though their daughter's school play was at the same time, they had no choice but to abandon it to attend to the case. However, tragedy struck when their daughter Chloe disappeared after the school play. The search for their daughter is now a race against the clock. They must find her before it is too late.

It has been a year since I read the second novel, so I essentially approached the novel as a standalone and found it to be easily comprehensible. The plot was intriguing, however, I couldn't build a connection with any of the characters. Further, I was able to anticipate the culprit. Overall, not my favorite by this author, but it was still an enjoyable read.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Morrissey, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for graciously sending me the E-Book to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

This was my first book by Hannah & I really wanted to love it. I went into it with very high expectations. It was just ok for me though. The first 75% of the book was so slow & drawn out. I normally finish a thriller book in 2-3 days but this just dragged on for a week. We had picked this for our thriller book club pick for November & out of 11 people-only 2 people finished it. I will still read the other Black Harbor books to see if maybe this one just wasn’t for me. I wouldn’t deter someone from reading this I just wouldn’t tell anyone it’s a must read

This book was everything I hoped for and more. I was not sure what to expect going into this read, because I really haven’t seen any reviews for this one before. What a twisted and eerie thriller. The beginning of the book is a bit of a slow burn, but once the story picks up I couldn’t put it down! I couldn’t recommend this one more, and hope that more people will read this soon! I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 3 ⭐️
WHEN I’M DEAD
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: thriller
📖 320 pages
𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 🔪🩸💀🚔🎃🦷

🩵𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲🩵

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress @minotaurbooks for the #gifted copy!

WHEN I’M DEAD had potential that I wanted to fully embrace, but it left me wanting more. The narrative, told from 3 POVs, felt prolonged, & even though it wasn't lengthy, the pacing seemed off & it felt long to me 🫠. The detailed gore added intensity, capturing my interest initially, but the story slowed down afterward. It held my attention for the first 1/3 or so but felt slow otherwise.

The unpredictable ending was a plus, & I enjoyed the eye-catching cover 😍😍. Unfortunately, the book won't linger in my memory—it was just an okay experience 🤷🏼‍♀️

⚠️ bullying

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ taxidermy
◽️ playing Never Have I Ever
◽️ Beetlejuice
◽️ multiple POV’s
◽️ dead bodies 👀

4/5 stars. I really enjoyed this dark crime thriller. The characters were well developed, and I always enjoy a book told from multiple perspectives. There were really dark and creepy aspects to this one which I always love in a thriller. I didn’t guess the killer right away, I felt compelled to keep reading to find out what was going to happen and who was responsible. This was my first time reading this author and a few thing about her writing stopped this from being a 5 star read for me such as some of her vocabulary choice and repetition but I will definitely read this author’s work again.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC. We thoroughly enjoyed this twisted psychological thriller.! The daughter of the local medical examiner and homicide investigator goes missing after her friend is murdered. Everyone is suspect, including the missing. Lots of twist and turns as this fast paced, dark mystery unfolds.

A Perfectly Eerie October Read

As this book begins, the reader is engulfed in a sense of foreboding and dread. Black Harbor is a city where no one seems to be happy to live. . . and where so many people die.

Medical Examiner Rowan Winthrop and her homicide detective husband Axel are over-worked and stressed. Black Harbor's city police is experiencing a shortage of personnel which impacts the already crime-ridden city. Rowan and Axel have no balance with their work/family life. And as is always the case, this is felt by their 15-year-old daughter Chloe. Lately Chloe has been distant and secretive with her parents. Like many parents, they lean on their daughter's school to help fill in the gaps. On the night of Chloe's school play, the Winthrops are called out to investigate the death of one of Chloe's classmates. They tell her to get a ride home with a friend as they rush off to the crime scene. This is the beginning of a parent's nightmare. Later they find out that not only is her best friend dead, but Chloe is missing.

This book is a dark twisted tale with a multiple POV. Just when it seems that the murderer has been found, something happens to change that idea. I see that this book is the third installment in the Black Harbor Series, but it is definitely able to be a stand-alone book.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martins Press & the author Hannah Morrissey for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was so good!! It was the perfect Halloween read. I loved the suspense and how fast-paced it was. The multiple POVs also made this read more exciting. This one is dark and gruesome.

A wonderfully twisty psychological thriller that really makes you question what you really know. The town of Black Harbor has its share of crime. But things change when the towns children begin to show up dead. Who is killing all of the girls? Is it a serial killer? Is it the local taxidermist? And will anyone figure it out before they lose another child? It’s dark and twisty, and Black Harbor is not a place I want to live. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one.

A dark twisted psychological mystery! The suspense, creepy atmospheric setting and lies were an absolute wild ride. When I'm Dead was hard to put down, as I had to know the "who" was committing the crimes.

Black Harbor, Wisconsin has a nefarious criminal on lose targeting young girls from the local high school. A local cop and his wife, the town coroner, iare racing against the clock to save their daughter after her friend is found murdered. This town is small yet menacing as the parents take the investigation into their own hands.

A heart-pounding thriller!

Thank you St. Martins Press for the complimentary copy.

I read widowmaker and I have been dying to get my hands on the next installment. All it did was deliver.

I am going to first point out that it is not necessary to read the other books first. They all work as excellent standalones.

I loved the characters and the dark undertones that came off the pages in waves. The pace was decent and it was mty favorite read of oct!

4.5 stars thank you for my gifted copy @minotaur_books and netgalley

This is book three in the Black Harbor series, but each can be read as a stand-alone. I've enjoyed all of them, and this one was my favorite. It was dark and disturbing in the best way possible.
When I'm Dead, it is filled with twists and turns that kept me riveted all the way through. It was a perfect psychological thriller with great characters. I was deeply invested in all of their outcomes.
I seriously hope there's more coming in this series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review.

When I'm Dead is book three in the Black Harbor series by Hannah Morrissey. I read this one not knowing it was part of a series and I think it read just fine as a standalone. There might have been some references to the previous books that I just didn't pick up on. Main character Rowan Winthrop is a medical examiner investigating the death of her teen daughter's best friend. Shortly after this death, Rowan's daughter goes missing. From there the story delves into the secret lives of residents of the town that Rowan is desperate to leave. Plenty of mystery and secrets keep this plot moving right along. Read and enjoy!

What a suspenseful and creepy story that takes us on an unforgettable exploration of human psyche.
The story revolves around 2 parents, one a medical examiner and another a police detective and their teenage daughter.
If you read the synopsis of the story, you pretty much know what the story is about. Lots of mystery, intrigue, suspense and twists and turns.
I have not read the previous books in the series and had no issue reading this as a standalone.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Reading Between the Wines book review #129/115(met goal in Sept!) for 2023:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: When I’m Dead
Author: Hannah Morrissey
Available Now!!

Sipping thoughts: I enjoyed this book and really liked the different narrators and point of views. The major downfall was Rowan’s chapters. I really like audiobook but did not like Rowan’s chapters only because the narrator was VERY hard to understand. The voice was low, mumbly and just hard to really listen to. Most times I listen to an audiobook I can do something else like get dressed. These chapters were so hard to understand that I had to sit still and barely breath just to hear it. I had the ebook as an ARC so I just started pausing it and reading the Rowan chapters. Once I got passed that, the storyline was so good-dark, twisty, and unexpected.

Cheers and thank you to @StMartinsPress, @MacmillanAudio and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @WhenImDead.

#WhenImDead #HannahMorrissey #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Short synopsis: When Rowen and Axel are called out to investigate a murder, their daughter Chloe goes missing.

My thoughts: This is the third book in the Black Harbor series, but can totally stand on its own. In fact, I haven’t read the other two, and while I’m sure there’s stuff in the other books that overlap I didn’t feel lost at all. I breezed through this one on audio in less than 24 hours and the multiple narrators made the story so great.

This one definitely got dark and gruesome, and the twists and turns just kept coming. The ending wasn’t completely unexpected but I didn’t see it coming.

I can’t wait to pick up the previous books in this series because I’m sure the other stories are just as good as this one.

Read if you love:
- Police procedural
- Multiple perspectives
- Thrillers with missing or dead teens
- Thriller series
- Taxidermy (iykyk 😬)

One of my favorite books of 2023 for sure! This kept my attention which has been difficult for me lately. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey is an entertaining thriller, with several interesting twists. Someone is killing teenage girls in the run down town of Black Harbor, Wisconsin. Rowan and Axel are married and both work in law enforcement. Their daughter Chloe goes missing at the same time a friend of Chloe's is murdered. The plot is narrated by several different characters and it is these viewpoints that keep the reader guessing. Some of the story is a bit predictable, but it is still an enjoyable and interesting read.