This one was…odd. In some ways it was your typical thriller, but these characters are a little more out there. For example, one of the characters whose POV we get is a teenager who is learning to do taxidermy. That’s right, TAXIDERMY. It was a bit of a slow start, and I feel like I occasionally got a bit confused as to who was speaking, but this was also a part of a series, so it may be easier to people who are more familiar with the characters. It is not the best thriller I’ve ever read, the killer was fairly obvious, but it was still a good read.

This book was dark, twisted, and definitely not what I was expecting. This was my first trip to Black Harbor, and I’ve already purchased two more trips.

Rowan is the Black Harbor medical examiner, and her husband Axel is a member of Black Harbor’s Police Force. They are called away from their daughter’s high school play to the scene of a crime. This begins a story that is scary, haunting, and twisted. And along with a horrific crime to start this story, their daughter Chloe goes missing.

Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character in the story. The reader really gets the opportunity to go inside the heads of all of the major players. This character-driven tale leaves no stone unturned, and all of the major players scarred. It was difficult to read at times, but that was the point. I was so invested in getting to the end that I couldn’t catch my breath at times. I also really appreciated that the town/city of Black Harbor was a character of its own.

This story was brutal at times. It is a true thriller and police procedural with a bit of horror. It reads like a movie in your mind. Hannah Morrissey is a new author to me, and I already have the other two Black Harbor novels on my shelf. I can’t wait to dive back in!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy of this story. I love the opportunity to read a new author, and I’m very appreciative! I highly recommend this book - it’s perfect for a cold, chilly night!

When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey

Living in Black Harbor, Wisconsin’s most dangerous city, would be challenging enough for any family. But when you’re a medical examiner like Rowan Winthorp, and your husband Axel is a police detective, danger and death are a constant, no matter how hard you try to balance family life against them.

So neither Rowan nor Axel is entirely surprised to get a call that takes them out of their only daughter Chloe’s opening night high school performance of Beetlejuice: The Musical. When Rowan metaphorically draws the short straw and has to break the news to Chloe during intermission, the fifteen year-old is understandably crushed by this latest in a long line of disappointments:

QUOTE
Rowan suddenly remembered the roses. The cellophane crinkled as she handed them to Chloe. They seemed a cheap consolation now. “These are for you. We love you so much, Chloe. You’re killing it, you really are. But work–”

“Do you?”

Rowan paused. She felt her brows knit. “What?”

Chloe sighed. Her pointed bangs made everything about her look barbed, scary. And then she uttered seven little words that cut Rowan to the bone. <i>You’ll love me more when I’m dead</i>.
END QUOTE

As a professional, Rowan tries to set her guilt aside, even as she’s examining the brutal murder scene she’s been called away to. It’s an awful surprise to learn that the victim is her daughter’s best friend Madison Caldwell, who was likely attacked and strangled while walking to school to watch the evening’s production. Even worse, someone has knocked out her teeth, scattering them on the ground around her corpse.

Rowan has no idea how to break the news to her daughter, but a different sort of emotion soon overtakes her when she gets home and realizes that Chloe isn’t there. A series of miscommunications meant that Chloe did not have an adult chaperone home. Rowan’s worst fears are soon realized when no one can say where Chloe might have disappeared to. When another of Chloe’s classmates is found dead, Rowan has to confront the terrible likelihood that her daughter might have been killed, too.

Axel, on the other hand, has a worse fear. Is it just his desire for Chloe to still be alive that convinces him that she is not a victim, but might actually be a willing participant in all this? Regardless, the Winthorps will do everything possible to bring their daughter home, even if their marriage itself shatters in the process.

When I’m Dead is a book that isn’t afraid to tackle human weaknesses. So many children of couples who both work in law enforcement are portrayed as chipper and resilient, usually because it’s easier to not introduce that complicating sort of parent-child conflict when trying to wrap up fictional plotlines. Chloe, however, is understandably messed up by her parents’ devotion to their work, especially when she finds herself at an emotionally vulnerable phase of her own life.

The brooding backdrop of Black Harbor is as compelling as any of the characters in this novel’s pages, too. The polluted, crime-infested city has beaten down both Axel and Rowan, as well as other law enforcement officers like Axel’s chief, Niko Kole:

QUOTE
“Ah, fuck, Rowan, why do we live here?”

“No better place to be if you’re a cop, right?” Rowan repeated a line she used to hear from Axel, whenever he’d come home all electrified after making an arrest or testifying on the stand. Those days are long over. Now, he’s utterly defeated. A husk of the man she married.

“I used to think like that, but now I don’t know,” admitted Kole. “Dead kids everywhere you turn.[“]
END QUOTE

I appreciate how each installment of the Black Harbor series concentrates on a different inhabitant of the city, usually one with ties to its beleaguered police force. Each book contributes to a greater picture of a dark place being slowly overwhelmed by conflict and crime, despite the best efforts of the people within it. For all that, this novel is not without hope, as Rowan and Axel’s ordeal serves to focus their priorities on the one person who should have had their attention all along. Enjoying the twists and turns along the way is only icing on the reader’s metaphorical cake.

This was such a wild ride! It made me wish I could just read “in one sitting”, but that’s not happening anytime soon, as there is way too much adulting that keeps getting in the way. But this book definitely made me think how I’d prefer to just keep reading it.
There is so much suspense, there are twists, and it is just surprisingly good.

I wanted to love this book so much, I loved the premise, the cover is gorgeous, and the other books I've read by Hannah Morrissey were books I really enjoyed.

This book though, there's so much about it that I just can't in good conscience not talk about them.

Firstly let's talk about Rowan and Axel, their relationship is just unbelievable, their grief of having a missing daughter is non-existent, and the constant complaints about being in that town got to be exhausting after a while.

Let's move on to things that are hard to swallow, firstly a police officer and medical examiner being involved in a case that potentially has connections to their missing daughter, in what world is that not a conflict of interest?

Next, we have this expensive private school that has a teacher who has a very interesting back story where his ex-wife is concerned, where there are rumors of a teacher and student having an affair and no parents are called, and then there's the whole idea of taxidermy as an elective.

Now let's get into the fat shaming that runs rampant in this book, if there was one character I felt for it was Libby, I mean seriously, her parents have put her through mental trauma that will take years to undo if it's even possible.

Now for what I did like, and this might be a tad controversial but I figured out who the killer was early into the book and it made reading the book and seeing the little clues unfold a lot of fun and I found myself looking forward to them.

The author's voice, the storytelling, the actual structure of the story, and the number of characters, I will say that lately, I've read a lot of books that had either too many or not enough characters and this had a nice blend.

I have to say I went back and forth on how to rate this one, and overall I have to go with three stars, for as many things as there were that just didn't work for me there were things I enjoyed and had fun with, which seems really strange to say when considering the subject of this book. I also appreciate when a part of a series can be read as a stand alone and this one definitely can.

Thank you to St.Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Okay but how is this the first book I’ve read from this author?! This book was certifiably insane. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite so twisty and demented. I really have now words to describe this book which I spent two night reading past a normal sleeping time.

This is one book that you will for sure not be able to stop reading because you just need to know what the heck is going on. I swear, at one point you think you’re going insane wondering who the killer actually is & trust me when I say.. you so will not expect the ending to this book!

If you are looking for a book to binge - this is it! I am a huge fan of the previous book The Widowmaker. When I'm Dead did not disappoint!
I love the characters - Rowan, an ME, investigates the death of a close friend's daughter. When Rowan's daughter goes missing, Rowan and her husband question everything.
Plot driven to the end - great read!

This is one of the best books I’ve read and an amazing pick for book of the month I was so happy I got an advance copy so thank you so much

A riveting non stop suspenseful ride. Chloe’s parents must leave her play during intermission because a body has been discovered and it’s Chloe’s best friend. When she arrives home Rowen discovers her daughter Chloe hasn’t. Has she been murdered by the same killer, or is she the killer?

Thank you Netgalley, Minotaur Books and author Hannah Morrissey for a copy of both eARC and physical ARC for an opportunity to write a review.

✍🏼 My Thoughts
My second book from the Black Harbor universe and this first 60% of it I read it on my kindle, and the rest of it was a read-along. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the story was easy to follow. What I love the most about this author is her exquisite writing — very atmospheric and really taps into the nature of each character that I get to understand the importance of their part in the story. I enjoyed the build-up of the story until the end. I want more of her books! And for those who are wondering by the way, you don’t need to read the other two books. This can be a stand alone novel and it only mentions some characters in passing that it’s not truly relevant to the actual book. It was only mentioned for the reason that they’re in the same community, Black Harbor. When I’m Dead is out now!

I really enjoyed this one. From the end of the first chapter I was hooked, and couldn’t put it down.

I needed to know what happened.

It was thrilling, and mysterious. Exactly what I was looking for in a thriller.

I definitely want to read more from this author!

An ARC was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press Minotaur Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Hannah Morrissey - 4.5 stars!

Black Harbor is a bleak, dying industrial town. The job becomes personal when medical examiner Rowen discovers that her teenage daughter's friend has been killed. Then things turn worse when her daughter, Chloe, is missing. Together with her husband, Axel, a Black Harbor detective, they search for Chloe but their differing opinions may tear the family further apart.

I love this Black Harbor series and it's getting better as it goes! But each book focuses on a different group of people in town, with just a few mentions carrying over, so it's a great stand-alone read as well. The atmosphere of the town adds to all the mystery, and the author keeps the tension high throughout. I did feel for the parents - they are both devoted to their jobs, which takes them away from family at the most inconvenient of times. Morrissey also captured the teenage viewpoint and the mean girl attitude that can devastate their targets. I can't wait to read more in this series!

Teen life is complicated…for the teens and their parents. When one girl is found murdered and the daughter of the medical examiner and a policeman is missing, the town is on edge.This was a strong suspense novel told from multiple perspectives. With several legitimate suspects and possible explanations of what happened, it was hard to put this one down!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this book.

This is book #3 in the Black Harbor series but can certainly be read as a standalone. This was my first read in the series and I cannot wait to go back to read the first two.

At her daughters school event, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp is called in for the death of her daughters best friend. When she comes home that night, her own daughter is missing. Are the two events connected? What is going on?

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my ARC !

3.5 ⭐
I didn't realize this was book 3 in a series but it worked just as well as a stand alone! The characters were crafted and written well, with dimension and good foundations. I found myself really getting into the story and enjoying myself.

Axel is the town's detective and Rowan, his wife, is the medical examiner. They are called away from their daughter's play to investigate a murder. When arriving back home they realize that their daughter is missing. Can the dead girl, who was their daughter's friend, and their missing daughter Chloe have a connection. The more they try to find her, the more clues surface and they do not like what the are beginning to suspect.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A tense police procedural, When I'm Dead is a definite page-turner. The characters are well-developed; nuanced and multidimensional. The latest in a fantastic series, I look forward to the next Black Harbor mystery.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5! I absolutely love the Black Harbor series but what I love even more is Hannah's dark and twisty little mind that comes up with these fantastic ideas. While this technically the third book in the series, I do think they could be read as a stand alone as they don't spoil any of the other plots. I definitely think this is the darkest in the series so far in my opinion, and I will never look at taxidermy the same way...

Thank you so much Minotaur Books and Hannah Morrissey for my review copy! Published 10/31 so if you don't get a copy at this point you're really just doing yourself a disservice.

This is book 3 in a series. I haven't read the others, but this worked fine as a standalone.

Rowan is a medical examiner and her husband Axel is a detective in Black Harbor. They are attending their daughter's play but are called out to investigate a murder. Turns out it was their daughter's best friend. Much later when they get home, they find Chloe, their daughter, not home and apparently missing.

As they investigate, they start to suspect and question everyone, even the possibility that Chloe could be involved in the murder.

This one was twisty and gruesome at times. I found myself suspecting different people. When the killer is revealed I was like OF COURSE! But it was a wild ride getting there.

I had both an eARC and ALC so I got through this one quickly. Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 3 in the Black Harbor series. It’s about Rowan, who is the Medical Examiner and her husband Axl, who is a Homicide Detective. Their daughter’s friend is found murdered and then their daughter goes missing.
As always, this author’s writing is dark and raw. It’s another great installment of this series.