Hannah Morrissey's third book, When I'm Dead, takes us back to the town of Black Harbor. But, this latest book can absolutely be read as a stand alone.

Black Harbor is the setting of Morrissey's books, dark, grim, foreboding, dusty and dirty from the coal mine backdrop. A place that everyone wants to leave. As much as Black Harbor is the setting it seems to also be a character - with its own agenda. Here's one example - but there are many more.

"He knows the haunting air belongs to Forge Bridge which isn't far from here, its rusted rungs and railroad ties groaning and whispering, beckoning people to its edge." Shivers! I love how Morrissey has blended this into the entire narrative.

Return readers like myself will be happy to see that Investigator Nikolai Kole returns in this third entry. He's an excellent lead - determined to do the best he can, knowing that his window of leaving is getting smaller and smaller. Other characters from the first two books take larger roles. They too are well drawn. The reader is privy to their thoughts on the crime, the why, the self rumination. This plays a key part of Morrissey's intricate plotting. I also liked how tendrils from the first two books have insinuated themselves into this book.

Morrissey's writing is unsettling and so addicting. There's no way to predict where the plot is going to go. There are many many choices for the final whodunit. I thought I had solved the case, only to be proven wrong. I love being proved wrong.

A gritty, dark tale that's another five star read for me from Morrissey. See for yourself - read an excerpt of When I'm Dead. I'm hoping there are more stories to be told from Dark Harbor.

High school student Chloe lands the staring role in her school’s production of Beetlejuice. Chloe’s mother Rowan Winthrop is the town of Black Harbor’s Medical Examiner and her father is Police Detective Alex Winthrop. All too often Chloe’s parents are called away to assist at crime scenes. Tonight is no different. In the middle of the play Rowan and Alex tell Chloe that they are leaving yet again. Chloe’s frustration is evident when her reaction is “you’ll love me more when I’m dead”. Rowan and Alex discover at the crime scene that the victim is Chloe’s best friend Madison. Within hours of her best friend’s murder, Chloe is missing. While her parents are frantically searching for Chloe, Sari another one of her classmates is murdered. I was not aware that this part three of a series but it works as a standalone book. It didn’t take long to figure out what was happening thus the rating of 3 1/2 stars rounded up.
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I'm Dead had an interesting concept and I was intrigued to see where the story would go. However, I found the characters fell quite flat to me so I couldn't really connect with them, despite the horrible position they were put in. The story did deliver some creepy thriller vibes and had some plot twists I certainly did not see coming. While the book is part of a series I appreciated that it could be read as a standalone.

I received an ARC of this book. I couldn't put this one down! Great suspense story with plenty of twists. Kept me guessing until the very end!

When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey is the third book in the Black Harbor mystery suspense series. Thank you to #NetGalley and #MinotaurBooks for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest, given freely, and are my own.

We are back in Black Harbor, and this time female teenagers from Monroe Academy are being murdered and mutilated. After the first body is found, Detective Axel Winthorp and his wife Rowan, the medical examiner, are called in to investigate, leaving their daughter Chloe alone at her musical. Rowan explained to her that they got called in to work, but she doesn't want them to go because she's starring in the play. The last thing she says to Rowan before she leaves is "You'll love me more when I'm dead." Chloe is supposed to get a ride with their next door neighbor, Marnie, but she doesn't...and when Axel and Rowan get home, Chloe is nowhere to be found.

Now, there are murdered teenagers and another one missing. Did Chloe run away because she was mad at her parents? Or was she taken? Or is she the killer and in hiding? It's a race against time to figure it out before more people end up dead.

This novel was written differently than the first in that it switches points of view between Rowan, Axel, and Libby, the next door neighbor and Chloe's schoolmate. The story moves along at a good pace, and although I thought early on that I knew who did it, as I kept reading it became very obvious that I didn't. There were lots of red herrings and turns I didn't see coming.

All in all, if you enjoyed either of the first two books in the series, then read this. If you like a murder mystery with family issues, a good whodunit, and small town crime, then this is for you.

“You’ll love me more when I’m dead.”

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was the perfect wrap up to October and Halloween as it released yesterday. It was my first by this author, and although this book is part of a series, it’s a standalone. I do plan to read the other two previous books. Axel and Rowan live quite the life, being a homicide detective and a medical examiner. Their demanding jobs certainly take its toll on their daughter Chloe feeling like they never take part in her life.

When one girl from Chloe’s school is murdered, and then Chloe herself turns up missing, the race to solve the case is on. More deaths start to stack up, and suddenly everyone turns into a suspect…a boyfriend, a supposed friend who had jealousy issues, a teacher accused of an inappropriate relationship with a student, and the quirky friend who seems to know everything about everyone. As the investigation unfolds, Axel and Rowan are left questioning how well they truly knew their own daughter….

This book was a perfectly crafted thriller. Just when the investigation takes one direction, and it seems like there is a plausible explanation for everything, you just know deep down that it’s not the truth and we readers are being thrown off on purpose to prepare for a twisty curveball!

What’s On The Pages:
-murder mystery
-a cast of suspects
-multi POV
-a past that haunts
-a tightly woven whodunnit

✨Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A special thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this eARC! When I’m Dead is out now!

WHEN I'M DEAD by Hannah Morrissey was a fantastic next book in the town of Black Harbor! I paired the digital book with the audio which was expertly narrated by Xe Sands, Andrew Eiden, Caitlin Kelly, & Gary Tiedemann. (I love a cast audio!)

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

All I want to say about the plot here is that this is a story centered around a murdered girl, a missing girl, and then another murdered girl and all the drama surrounding this with the missing girl's parents who happen to be a detective and medical examiner.

I really liked this story. It had all the grit I was expecting from Morrissey with a deeper examination of what this could do to a couple. I liked that the tension kept strong throughout, the plot felt twisty, there were some really heavy sad moments that felt real, and overall I felt so satisfied by that creepy end! I will keep coming to this cursed town to see what is next.

I am a big fan of Xe Sands voice. She has a deep resonance that fit Rowan so well. I loved all the various narrators as well! Having a cast is so fantastic in audiobooks. It made reading this ARC a great experience!

Thank you to @netgalley
@macmillan.audio
& @minotaur_books
for the digital ARC and ALC! This is my absolute favorite way to read, and this is published today! This will be a perfect winter read, so for all you gritty thriller lovers, go grab this one!

*4.5:Stars On My Instagram Account*

"The worst thing about a lie is there's a kernel of truth to it."

And therein lies the turmoil of the chilling When I'm Dead by pulls no punches gritty author Hannah Morrissey; what is a nasty rumor and what is the awful truth to finding a missing teen girl and the murderer of another girl...or is the missing girl the killer?!

In this third book, though very much a standalone, taking place in the high crime world of Black Harbor, coroner Rowan and her detective husband Alex are stunned to find themselves at the crime scene of the brutal murder of their daughter Chloe's best friend. When they call Chloe to make sure she's home safe from a school play their world is turned upside down when she doesn't answer, when she's not home and when searches turn up nothing as to her whereabouts.

With a full cast of tremendously talented voice actors, Andrew Eiden Xe Sands, Caitlin Kelly and Gary Tiedemann, this meticulously plotted crime drama keeps your heart stomping as the bodies pile up, the rumors fly and Chloe is less missing and more a runaway suspect. Rowan and Alex are overcome with guilt by the last words Chloe said to them,

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

All the time they left her alone for a murder scene, cancelled plans for an investigation, then hear she told her friends,

"The only way they'd notice her was when she was dead."

This writer creates a world where you almost taste the grime of the city, smell the stench of the dead and feel the grittiness of Black Harbor permeate the tense narrative throughout the story.

There are twists, wrong turns and a cameo from Detective Nikolai Kole, from the author's brilliant Black Harbor debut, Hello Transcriber. When I'm Dead let's you know you're alive with every pulsating chapter.

I received a free copy of this book/ audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Hannah Morrissey is back with the third installment in her enthralling Black Harbor series. When I’m Dead is razor sharp, dark, unsettling psychological thriller ride that is totally impossible to put down. This new book like the previous books in the series can definitely be read as a stand alone. The captivating storyline grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept me guessing right up until the very end. I absolutely loved reading every page of this book. A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press, the author and NetGalley for the advanced electronic copy of the book.

When I’m Dead is a highly immersive, eerily atmospheric story told from multiple perspectives. The plot is filled with riveting suspense, complex family dynamics, secrets, lies, tension and surprisingly unforeseen twists that will have you on the edge of your seat.

On a frigidly cold October night in Black Harbor Medical Examiner, Rowan Winthrop and Police Detective Axel are conducting an inquiry into the death of their teenage daughter’s best friend. In shadowy Black Harbor the police force is under staffed, so to solve this murder they will have to do it themselves. However, as time passes both Rowan and Axel have to come to grips with the shattering discovery that their own daughter, Chloe is missing. But, not without any indications. All Rowan can think about are the last words her daughter said, "You will love me more when I’m dead."

With their investigation moving forward, another teenage girl is found dead. The whole town is scared and on edge. The rush against time is on to find out who is killing the young girls of Black Harbor. Can they find Chloe before it’s too late. And with grisly clues mounting Rowan and her husband are starting to question how well they actually know their daughter. The deeper they dive into these murders the secrets and lies start to unravel…threatening to destroy them. Are the sins of her past finally catching up to Rowan. Will she be able to save their daughter and keep her marriage intact.

When I’m Dead is a gothic masterpiece of riveting mystery and suspense, a propulsive page turner. If you are looking for an outstanding series look no further than The Black Harbor books. I highly recommend reading them.

When I’m dead by Hannah Morrissey is the third novel in the Black Harbor series. I did initially know this going into this book, but have not read the other books previously. It reads well as a standalone. I really enjoyed all the different POV’s from the characters we got. Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the digital ARC!

I was pleasantly surprised to start this book and discover it was set in my home state of Wisconsin. However, I don't think I'd want to live in the fictional community of Black Harbor which was aptly named thanks to its depressed economy and high rate of crime. Even though this is the author's third book in a series, I had no problem reading it as a stand-alone novel. It was a real page-turner for me. I would compare it to watching a Lifetime movie where I find myself holding my breath in the final moments. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for an advance copy to read and review.

This is the third book in the dark chilling Black Harbor series can be read as stand alone.I was immediately caught up in When I’m dead full of so many twists and turns red herrings that kept me guessing.Hannah Morrissey has written another page turner.#netgalley #st.martins.

This was the first book I have read by Hannah Morrissey. I didn't realize this was the third book in this series but I didn't feel like I missed anything. I will be going back and reading the other two book now. The suspense in this book will keep you on your toes and keep you guessing. I think Hannah did a wonderful job writing this thriller. I highly recommend this book!!


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

When Rowan, a medical examiner, and Axel, a detective, are called to a crime scene, they are horrified to discover the victim is their teenage daughters best friend. Then they discover their daughter is missing. Rowan and Axel must race to discover who has taken their daughter, and who is committing the murders of her friends.

After loving The Widowmaker, I had high hopes for this novel, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. I felt like this was a plot we’ve seen many times before, it didn’t feel unique or original at all. This wasn’t a bad book, it’s well written and kept my interest, but it just felt like every other missing persons thriller I’ve read before, and I was a little disappointed.

This book seemed a little confused. The prose in places was gorgeous and incisive, the way a literary novel would be. The murder mystery was cold-blooded and horrific, the way a police procedural would be. The relationships were tangled and complicated, the way a women's fiction novel would be. So what was this book?

The narrative keeps stringing readers along with red herrings and the promise of answers long enough that I stuck with this all the way to the end just to find out what happened to Chloe, but it was really tough to get there. After a while, the lines about Black Harbor being a terrible place started to lose their punch because of how many times we hear them in some variation. I started the book feeling creeped out by the murders but ended up skimming the last three to four chapters just to get the main information, because the descriptions and the characters pondering their lives and the pacing dragged too much.

I also felt like the characters were only halfway developed, which is a shame. Libby is sufficiently spooky until about 2/3 of the way through. Then she seems to snap into "regular secondary character" mode -- why? Reeves Singh never felt real at all; most of what we find out about him is when he's off the page. Axel and Rowan seem the most developed, but, again, they both spend so much time agonizing over everything that it got a little stale after a while.

I also had a lot of questions about how the investigations into the murders was proceeding. There wasn't enough information given on what the police were actually doing to find out what happened to Madison and Sari and where Chloe went. Axel, because he's Chloe's father, gets sidelined for most of the case, so we end up just getting his suppositions and his (understandable) rage at not being allowed to do much. But what is everyone else doing? This one started out strong for me but ultimately just didn't follow through on a lot of the promises it made.

“When I’m Dead” is Hannah Morrissey’s third ‘Black Harbor’ novel. These books can be read as a series, or as standalone novels. This book focuses on a Medical Examiner who is trying to solve the murder of her daughter’s best friend. When she finds out her own daughter Chloe, is missing too, Rowan and her husband have to ask just how well they really know their child. Will they be able to find her in time and save her, or will they fall apart trying?

This has been one of the best books I’ve read all year. I genuinely cannot recommend it enough. This novel is so dynamic and clever that I had to read it in one sitting. I’ll now be anxious awaiting Hannah’s next book because she is such an incredibly talented writer!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur books for the ARC of this story. “When I’m Dead” by Hannah Morrissey is publishing today, on October 31st!

The storyline was super intriguing to me but even then, the story did start out alittle slow. I thought it picked up nicely in the second half and overall ended up enjoying this one! Also perfect that I finished reading this on Halloween🎃 Some of the characters weren’t my favorite but not to the point where it took away from the story.

Medical Examiner Rowan Winthrop and her homicide detective husband Axel, are called to a murder scene during their daughter Chloe’s high school play. Rowan tells her daughter they’re leaving, to which oft-neglected Chloe replies, “you’ll love me more when I’m dead”. It turns out that the victim is a fellow classmate of their daughter, and before the night is over, Chloe will go missing.

This book started off really slow, and remained that way until maybe the last quarter of the book. Rather than focusing on the investigation which would have propelled the narrative, the chapters instead alternate between the POV of the characters themselves, where they each have secrets that aren’t especially compelling, were repetitive, and added almost nothing to the storyline.

This is the first series I’ve ever read out of order, but I don’t believe that was an issue, and this can fully be read as a stand-alone, as they all take place within the same town and revolve around investigations within the Black Harbor Police Department. It wasn’t my favorite, but it takes place in the week leading up to Halloween, which coincidentally is the same time I was reading it, and I enjoyed its sinister fall vibes. 2.5 stars

Minotaur Books via NetGalley kindly provided me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this read!! I loved reading from the perspective of the parents of a missing/accused/dead murder suspect/victim (lol). The entire book, you don’t know whether Chloe is dead or alive, victim or murderer and I realllllllly liked that. I changed my mind about ten times!

The investigation unravels, seen through the eyes of Chloe’s very busy parents; a medical examiner mother and a criminal investigator father. As the story develops, the reader will have an ever growing list of suspects and that list even includes Chloe herself! With a host of other suspicious & quirky characters, it will truly keep you guessing! What a fun ride.

I highly suggest you add this one to your #TBR for October 31, when it releases everywhere. Perfect for a fall mystery; and it reads like a criminal minds episode. Loved that show!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all I didn't know this book was part of a series. I should look into the books more before requesting. But I think this book can be read as a standalone and I wasn't lost at all.

This was my first time reading Hannah Morrissey's book and I didn't mind the read. That being said, I wasn't really captivated to this book. I got kind of annoyed with the constantly repeating that Black Harbor is a terrible town of and if you grew up there, you wanted to leave right after high school. You could of just said it periodically, instead of like every chapter. Communication could of resolved some of the arguments, but I also get Axel and Rowan were in a high stressed situation of losing their daughter. I was interested in the side characters, especially Libby. I really want to know what's going through her head to do some of the things she does.

I guessed who the murderer is right away and connected the dots when the person was mentioned. It was pretty easy knowing who it was with the clues. It was a fun read nearing Halloween. It did drag on a little bit at the end. I will have to go back and read the other 2 books in the series to get more of what happened with other Characters and Black Harbor.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this arc, in exchange for an honest review.