This was my first book by the author and while I was invested, I just didn't feel the "pull" to pick this book up after setting it down. I finished and ended up liking it, it just wasn't a favorite.

I loved the setting of this book and it felt SO spooky. I also thought that it was pretty fast paced. I just personally didn't love the characters or care much about them which made it hard to keep reading.

I was disappointed with this one. I had high hopes with it. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and there were times I felt lost and wasn’t sure what was going on in the story.

This is book 3 in the Black Harbour Series. One girl is dead, another is missing. Can Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp solve the murder and find the missing girl, or will there be more victims in this case for any answers come?

This was my first read by this author. I never read the synopsis, and I always go into books without any expectations. I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed this thriller. I didn't know this book was part of a series. I wasn't confused and I truly feel like this could be read as a stand alone. I loved the plot build up and I was invested in the story until the end.

I have read Hannah's other 2 previous books in the Black Harbor series and this one was one of my favorites. The Halloween/seasonal backdrop really fit the story perfectly. Right from the start, the book starts with a bang of a teenage girl found murdered. Then, the detective and the medical examiner on the case have their teenage daughter go missing as well. It was very entertaining and kept me intrigued although I figured out who did it pretty early on. Overall, it's a book I would recommend to readers.

Some of this book was really well done - the creepy factor, the horror, the semi-unpredictable ending. But other parts were just ehh. I did not really like the main characters. I found their involvement in the case (given that their daughter was missing) to be unrealistic. I understand they department was short staffed - but it just didn’t make sense. I also found the lack of major emotions to be bizarre. And their marriage and interactions were very fake and just didn’t sit well with me. I also found that some chapters moved very quickly and other parts were incredible slow. The book had a lot of ups and downs. i never read the first two books in the series, and I don’t think i missed anything. But maybe it would have moved faster if i were more invested in the town and characters? Overall and enjoyable read, but not incredible.

Thank you NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

I was up late into the night reading this one. It grabs you almost immediately and you’re on the hook from there. Another dark, tense and chilling trip down memory lane through creepy Black Harbor. 👀

When I’m Dead can be read as a stand-alone however I highly recommend reading the first two in her Black Harbor series as well because they’re so good. I love picking up on the references throughout each book. Hannah’s writing is like no other, she puts you right into the scene and as much as Black Harbor makes me feel like I never should have stepped foot there..I want to go back every-time I leave.

When I’m Dead wasn’t the thriller I thought it would be. It was just ok in my eyes but I see others loved it so maybe it’s just me? I didn’t read the other books in this series so I don’t know if that had any baring on this one but I’ll give it 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this release in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books, and Hannah Morrissey for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I have quickly fallen in love with Hannah Morrissey's writing style. I love her kinda dark/gritty style and her stories always hook me right away! I absolutely loved The Widowmaker so I could not wait to dig into this one, and as I expected she did NOT disappoint me! She kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I could not put this one down! So many twists and turns which I loved! Solid 4 stars for me!

I really enjoyed reading "When I'm Dead." It kept me on the edge of my seat and made me question what I thought I knew as the story went on. Definitely a creepy read!

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.