This had the potential to be really great, but it fell short in some ways. Too many red herrings can create a really convoluted plot that doesn’t feel very cohesive, and I feel like that’s the case here. I liked the alternating POVs and the ending. Overall an interesting thriller that had potential but fell short for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur the for eARC in exchange for an honest review.

All I want is for Hannah Morrissey to keep writing Black Harbor set books forever. The moody, dark atmosphere of the town and its reputation as a hub of crime means that it's rich with stories, and this tense, heartbreaking mystery showcases more of the dark sides of this community. You absolutely can read this as a standalone if you want to, but there are references to the previous books. I found that this balanced the tense search for a killer and a missing girl very well with creating vivid characters in Axel and Rowan, caught in the unfortunate connections between their work and their missing daughter. The last chapters of this story had me breathlessly reading.

Hannah Morrissey returns following The Widowmaker with the third in the Black Harbor series— WHEN I'M DEAD. A dark, gritty, atmospheric, and gripping domestic crime thriller around a family in crisis and gets darker from there.

The book opens with, "You'll love me more when I'm dead."

Rowan Winthrop is the town's medical examiner, and her husband, Axel, is a homicide detective.

Both, of course, have demanding jobs, and their teen daughter, Chloe, does not like it. She is resentful, moody, and dresses gothic to get into character.

The last straw was when her parents were called away during a performance at school. She was instructed to get a ride home with a neighbor, but she decided to walk home in the dark.

What she does not realize is that her parents are investigating the brutal murder of Madison, one of Chloe's friends.

Now Chloe is missing. The parents are distraught as the last words while crying when they leave, "You'll love me more when I'm dead."

Now, one girl is dead, and another is missing?

Madison Caldwell is dead, and Chloe Winthrop is missing. In a little neighborhood of 67 residents, it is unnerving. Also, there is something more complex and sinister at play.

Told from alternating POVs: Rowan, Axel, Libby (the next-door neighbor's socially awkward daughter), who is bullied at school, and a few with Eddie (teacher).

Rowan knows her livelihood resolves about the deaths of others. And in Black Harbor, it seems to be the only thing of which there is no shortage.

Atmospheric and haunting, it is approaching Halloween, which adds to the menace, eeriness, suspense, drama, and a town everyone wants to escape.

Does Rowan and Axel know their daughter? Is she a killer?

How many nights had they left her alone in the house so they could work a crime scene? For years, they've buried their heads in depthless piles of other people's problems, and they failed to notice the trouble that brewed at home.

Will Rowan and Axel be able to save their daughter before it is too late?

Heart-pounding, with a list of suspects, the author keeps you guessing until the explosive conclusion. Black Harbor is a claustrophobic, dying industrial town, and the author does a great job creating a creepy, bone-chilling atmosphere.

Ideal for those who enjoy dark crime suspense, cop procedurals, and haunting Halloween novels.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a digital advanced reading copy.

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My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 31, 2023
Oct 2023 Must Read Books

Dead teen found, another teen goes missing, and more murders happening in an on going murder and missing teen investigation. What’s the common denominator? The teens are all acquainted as friends, past friends, or frenemies. Is this a case of jealousy, bullying, and plain old mean girl mentality gone wrong? Or, does Rowan’s past have something to do with it? Axel and Rowan must find out especially since the missing teen is their daughter Chloe.

This is my first book by the author and I had fun with how she played out the murder mystery and suspense! ME/investigator Rowan and Investigator Axel have a personal motivation to find out what’s going on in Black Harbor. All while reading I kept in the back of my mind, “will they find Chloe” in time, before she’s murdered too? But, I did have several side questions like is Chloe the killer and in hiding because of being bullied? Is Libby the killer? There are several possible suspects to keep you guessing here and that I loved! I also love when authors don’t shy away from the gory descriptions of the scenes. It was helpful in this on to show the similarities of the murders. I now have to go back to her previous Black Harbor books because this one was good!

I found this to be a fast-paced crime fiction book. The story kicks in immediately. There were no shortage of possible suspects and paths to follow. I found the characters to be relatable. The setting also feels like a character in the story. It gives a very dark feeling to the whole story. There was the right amount of creepy without getting too intense. The book is part of a series, but I haven't read the others and had no problem reading this as a standalone. I am curious about a few of the other characters, so would be interested in reading some others in the series. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

4.5 stars

I feel like Hannah Morrissey's Black Harbor series just keeps getting better and better!

I really enjoyed the storyline and mystery of this book. Instead of romantic relationships, this third book focuses more on family dynamics, which intrigued me from the very beginning. Rowan, the medical examiner has been a prominent character throughout the first two books so having her be front and center of this one made it so intriguing.

Her daughter is the main mystery and her disappearance, and the case surrounding it, was chilling. I did guess the culprit pretty quickly, but I loved how Hannah Morrissey twisted the story with her usual dark charm that had me not want to stop reading.

Even though Black Harbor is a horrible place, I hope she never stops writing about it! I was also such a fan of having characters from the first two books pop up in this one! (Fingers crossed for Ryan Hudson to make a cameo sometime in the future.)

Pub Date: 10/31

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

"When I'm Dead" is the 3rd book in the Black Harbor series but I haven't read the first two and I don't think it affected my ability to follow the plot or get a feel for the characters. I also had no problem getting right into the book, which starts off with Chloe Winthrop's parents, Rowan (the Black Harbor medical examiner) and Axel (a Black Harbor police detective), being called away from her leading role performance in the school musical to attend a murder scene, which turns out to be one of Chloe's classmates and best friends. Tired of her parents leaving her for these situations, Chloe tells her mother "You will love me more when I'm dead", and these are words that come back to haunt Rowan when she returns home to find Chloe missing. Has Chloe been taken? Did she run off because because her parents left her performance? Or did Chloe have something to do with her friend's murder? Can Rowan and Axel's relationship bear the stress of losing their daughter and disagreeing on whether she is alive and hiding, or dead like her friend? Told from multiple perspectives, this book is dark and moody. Some of the twists I anticipated, but others definitely caught me by surprise.

Rating ⭐️ ⭐️

I'm so torn with this book. I feel like I really struggled with some major plot decisions which quickly took me out of the story while at the same time was intrigued by the overall plot. I found it hard to buy into the fact that parents were allowed to investigate their daughter's missing person's case as well as the murders of her friends. I liked that their were different POVs but was getting frustrated by the continual dancing around any potential information. I really struggled with Libby's character and kept almost wanting to skip her chapters.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but just couldn't unfortunately.

Thank you to St Martin's Press, Minotaur and NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One teenage girl is found murdered. Another teenage girl, the daughter of a police officer and a medical examiner, disappears. Is she kidnapped, dead, or the murderer of the first girl?

This is a dark book. The town, Black Harbor, is described as a place you’d never want to live in, almost a cesspool of violence and unhappiness. The characters are deeply troubled and struggling through their days.

The mystery is a twisty one, with a lot of surprises along the way, and an ending I definitely didn’t see coming. I don’t know if I would choose to revisit Black Harbor, but this was a good book.

What an enjoyable, fast paced read for me. This book is the third of the Black Harbor Mysteries set in Black Harbor, WI. October, the month of scary books and movies, this book is perfect for the season.

Chloe is getting ready to perform in her school play, Beetlejuice. Upset her parents yet again have to leave as ME Rowan and her husband, detective Axel, has a death case to get to, which ended up being Chloe's best friend.

Rowan was riddled with guilt leaving her daughters play and to be at a scene where her daughter's best friend was murdered, she felt the instinct to get home, only to find out her daughter is missing. Now Rowan and her husband are trying to not only locate a murdered but in fear that their child may be next. During the investigation Rowan finds out she didn't really know her daughter well.

I couldn't read this book fast enough; it is 3rd in a series but a standalone read.

If you like a good murder mystery thriller this is a book I recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital book in exchange for my honest review.

“When I’m Dead” is the third book in the loosely linked Black Harbor series by Hannah Morrissey. This one involves a couple of mysterious attacks on teen girls and the disappearance of another, all of whom seem to have been “frenemies” of a sort. Mean Girls vibe! What’s behind it all?

To make matters worse, the father of the missing girl is a detective with the Black Harbor Police and the mother is the city’s medical examiner, which adds a layer of tension and complexity to the investigation. Apparently the Black Harbor Police Department is so short-staffed that they actually allow the father to participate in the investigation! I was very surprised at that and I’m not sure how realistic that would be, but at least they tried to make sure that he always had another police office with him.

This would be a great seasonal read, as there is a lot of Halloween-related atmosphere.

FYI for those who worry about books in a series: this one is fully able to be read as a standalone. There’s not much that links the three books other than that they all take place in Black Harbor, Wisconsin.

I loved the previous book in the series, The Widowmaker, but for some reason, I just didn’t get into this one as much. Since I was sent a physical ARC, my husband also read it and he liked it more than I did, so maybe mine is a minority opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Wowza, this has to be one of my favorite police procedural mystery’s ever! While I loved Hello, Transcriber, this one takes the whole cake! Morrissey has a way with words that they just make you want to read more. I loved this murder mystery with relationship drama!

While this is technically a part of a series, this can be read as a standalone, you just won’t connect some of the Easter eggs from the first 2 books.

You definitely need to add this to the TBR, because this one is amazing!

****Many thanks to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, Hannah Morrissey, and NetGalley for my gifted copies in turn for an honest review.

This is my first read by Hannah Morrissey. When I requested this book, I did not realize it was part of a series, but I asked around and the general consensus was that the stories can be read as standalones.

The town of Black Harbor is a creepy setting, a town that has a high crime count. Rowan is the medical examiner and her husband Axel is a police investigator. They have worked together for many years, but this time their daughter's best friend is dead and their daughter is missing. The investigation reveals things about Chloe that he parents did not previously know. It

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the pace of the book, the setting, and the storyline. I do not think I missed out on anything by not reading the first 2 books in the series. I will say, I liked it enough that I bought the second book in the series - The Widowmaker, before I even finished this one.

I was absolutely hooked! The mystery is complex and full of intrigue and suspects. The multiple POV's draw you in. I really enjoyed Axel's chapters. I was invested in Rowen. There were plenty of twists to keep me guessing. I was surprised by the reveal. And I really liked the way it ended. A solid mystery read.

Hannah Morrissey has done it again!!! When I’m Dead is the third book in her Black Harbor Series. This is another suspenseful, thrilling story from Black Harbor, Wisconsin. Ms. Morrissey takes us back there with a new murder in a small town and all that goes with it. She will keep you on the edge of your seat with each page you turn. There are some gruesome discoveries with very detailed descriptions but I would expect nothing less from this talented author. It is compelling and engaging and loaded with secrets, mystery, grief and a lot of drama! If you love dark and tense, I highly recommend you take a trip to Black Harbor, you will not be disappointed.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and Hannah Morrissey for this spine chilling story to read and review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
#stmartinspress. #minotaurbooks. #hannahmorrissey. #whenimdead. #arc
#blackharborseries. #stmartinspressinfluencer

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

•Synopsis
One girl murdered, another one missing, & a medical examiner desperate to uncover the truth.

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.

•My Thoughts
Such a great spooky season read! The book takes place during the week of Halloween, which just adds to the already gloomy, gritty, crime-ridden atmosphere of Black Harbor.

Both the medical & investigation details felt well researched & believable. Reading this felt like watching an episode of Criminal Minds! The characters felt real & relatable, especially the guilt that Rowan & Axel felt over prioritizing work over their child. It's perfectly paced & again Morrissey showcases her unique, flowing writing style that I fell in love with when reading Hello, Transcriber. Full of twists, turns & clever misdirections that made me suspicious of everyone.

Though When I’m Dead is the 3rd book in this series, each book can be read as a standalone - they just bring you back to the grimy streets of Black Harbor, Wisconsin. I really hope there are more books in store for this series!

» Read if you like:
•the show Criminal Minds
•Beetlejuice
•seasonal reads - perfect for Halloween
•haunting, atmospheric setting
•multiple povs
•police procedurals

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

I haven't read the previous books in the series. I had no trouble reading and fully enjoying this book. The daughter of a police detective and a medical examiner turns up missing on the same night that her (formerly) best friend turns up dead. The parents have been leaving their daughter to fend for herself when they investigate the many murders that take place in their run down, crime ridden city. She has been lonely, she's changed a lot recently, and she has problems that they never knew about.

As the couple investigates the murder(s?) they find out more about themselves, their daughter, relationships, and the ghosts that they carry around. There are a lot of suspects. Some really creepy things have been going on. And an exciting ending.

I was totally engrossed by the story. I am happy to recommend it.

When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey is the third book in her Black Harbor series. Though I didn't read the first two books, this offering stands so well on its own that I felt at no disadvantage.

Pacing in this small-town murder mystery set in the chill of late October is steady and the mood is dark and tense. Rowan Winthorp and her husband, homicide detective Alex Winthorp, are called away from their daughter's high school play to go to a murder scene. The victim is their daughter's best friend, Madison Caldwell. As shocking and disturbing as this is for the couple, both personally and professionally, it will pale to the bombshell of learning that their daughter Chloe is missing by night's end.

This is a taut and very readable mystery suspense. The characters are well-defined, and the angst of teen life is well portrayed. I also liked that the story was told from 4 POVs. The author handled this very well.

I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief on the fact that neither Rowan nor Alex would be allowed to work this case in the real world given their personal relationships to the case. I also want to give a trigger warning for gory gruesomeness, though murder is rarely pretty.

Overall, this book gets a 3-star review from me.

My sincere thanks to Minotaur Books for allowing me to read a DRC of this book via NetGalley. Publication is October 31, 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

So many twists and turns to keep you up at night! Rowan is the town medical examiner and her husband a police detective and they are at their daughter's school play when they are called out to a crime scene. It is the murder of a high school girl, one of their daughter's friends. They told their daughter to get a ride home with their neighbor but when they checked in they found out she did not and probably walked home but never arrived. Now she is missing. First a murdered girl and now their daughter is missing. Hang on to your seat because there are so many suspects from the school drama teacher to other students to the neighbor's daughter. Do they really know Chloe at all? Twists and turns and more murders. Black Harbor is a scary place to live.

This story has an engrossing plot. When Axel, a detective and Rowan the medical examiner’s daughter go missing in a small town it throws everything into turmoil. The story is told from multiple point of views and gives the readers different perspectives and clues. With each turn of the page you are drawn closer to solving who the bad guy is and how the mystery will be solved.