Thanks very much to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Press for the invitation to read a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review through NetGalley.

When Black Harbor Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp makes the shocking discovery that the newest body set for her table is her daughter Chloe's best friend, she has no idea that hours later Chloe herself will disappear under mysterious circumstances. And as she and her husband begin the desperate search to bring her home, they unravel a host of secrets that might tear the family apart permanently.

Let me start by saying that Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli & Isles series is a favorite of mine, so I was completely on board with the premise of a homicide detective and a medical examiner being at the heart of this novel. My expectations were high, and I was looking for a new series to settle into.

And I may revisit Black Harbor (though perusing the summaries, they don't all feature the Winthorps), but only under certain conditions. Notably, that they aren't written like this one (and I'm crossing my fingers that my biggest concerns will get ironed out in the final copy).

I read When I'm Dead quickly and with interest, but a few major concerns held me back from really connecting with it and making me want to read the rest of this series right away. First of all, this plot really forces you to put aside all reason and logic. I can't be the only one who's questioning the HUGE conflict of interest in Axel and Rowan taking such a primary role in a case they are so closely connected to.

Secondly, I found myself often frustrated with the repetition of the narrative. This includes both repetitious thoughts (sometimes word for word) among characters and repetition of description. We get it already: Rainbow Row is garishly painted with free government paint. Also, being repeatedly told that Black Harbor is this endlessly bleak, super dangerous predatory town with murders and crackheads galore does not gel with the fact that there's also a ritzy private school at its heart and multiple professionals with the ability to leave willingly stay.

And last, the characters. I was ready for a kick-butt husband and wife team to be at the heart of this story, but that expectation was not met. Rowan spent the entire book wallowing in guilt and self-hate and Axel was hardly a model of professional behavior. And are we just going to gloss over how absolutely inappropriate and creepy Libby is? Does she get a pass on basically stalking Chloe and breaking and entering (and a host of other red flag behaviors) just because she's the "weird fat girl?" Because her mom's the girl Latina not taken seriously as a doctor? Who knows, maybe she's being set up to be the villain of a future book...

Title: When I'm Dead
Author: Hannah Morrissey
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.0 out of 5

On a bone-chilling October night, 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. But, not without a trace.

A morbid mosaic of clues forces Rowan and her husband to question how deeply they really knew their daughter. As they work closely to peel back the layers of this case, they begin to unearth disturbing details about Chloe and her secret transgressions…details that threaten to tear them apart.

Amidst the noise of navigating her newfound grief and reconciling the sins of her past, an undeniable fact rings true for Rowan: karma has finally come to collect.

I’m not sure why I decided to read this after I DNFed the first book in the series, but I did. I wanted to DNF this for the first third of the book, and probably should have, as I just didn’t care for the characters. Man, the setting here is so absolutely bleak and depressing and the characters are, too. This was an okay read, but I wasn’t a fan of the characters.

Hannah Morrissey lives near Milwaukee. When I’m Dead is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 10/31.)

This is the second book I've read in this series, and each can be read as a standalone.
The town of Black Harbor seems to have more grisly crimes than most, and when her daughter goes missing after the daughter's best friend is found murdered Rowan and her detective husband will stop at nothing to figure out how the cases are connected and bring their daughter home.

This dark and twisty case kept me sucked in until I turned the last page. Hannah Morrisey has created the perfect atmosphere for these stories to take place, and each book has kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last. There are plenty of red herrings and suspicious characters to keep you guessing who the bad guy is, and even if you end up figuring out who the killer is, it won't dim your enjoyment at all.

I can't wait to go back and read the first book in this series, and I will definitely be reading whatever Hannah Morrisey comes out with next!

⭐️ SUNDAY 5 STAR book review coming at-cha featuring “When I’m Dead” by Hannah Morrissey ⭐️

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

“But is it ever truly safe? If the world itself is a dangerous place, Black Harbour is its core, a stagnant cesspool where bad people come in and never leave”.

Two “best friends”. One of them is dead. The other one is missing.

Medical Examiner Rowan Winthrop and her BHPD Detective husband Axel have been called to a crime scene and are torn apart to see the body of their daughter’s best friend brutally murdered. The nightmare does not stop there once they find out that their daughter Chloe has gone missing without a trace 😶‍🌫️

The desperation to find their daughter before it’s too late takes a strong hold on Rowan and Axel as they SPIRAL into a loop of dark secrets and deceit. They become HAUNTED by the fact that they may have not known WHO their daughter really was after all. Or what she was up to …

THIS BOOK 🤯!!! Yet another dark, sinister and twisted book in the Black Harbour series! I am obsessed with gritty police procedurals and sketchy unsavoury settings and Hannah Morrissey has nailed it once again!

Thank you kindly to @hannahmorrisseywriter @minotaur_books @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! I also grabbed myself a beautiful early release hardcover copy through my October BOTM box! This book releases on October 31, 2023!

Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I’ve only read two of the three in the Black Harbor series. but after this one I am officially obsessed. All of the books can be read as stand alone novels. There are references to the other books where Morrissey gives enough details to which you understnad the gist of what happened in each book (whichhh I guess is a spoiler but still if your starting with this one who really cares - am I right?).
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I flew through this one in a matter of two days. Hannah Morrissey has a way of creating this town that is just so dark, drabby and full of death, yet makes it seem like there’s some normalcy there. The murders are always brutal and very descriptive. This one starts right off with a murder and just keeps you hooked with more throughout the story. When I’m Dead is told in multiple POVs, which is a favorite of mine.
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This one brought me back to highschool days, when I remember how cruel girls could be. The things I watched happen makes me wonder how the hell I even survived. I love how all of the girls secrets were uncovered and how much you constantly are questioning each of the characters. Rowan and Axel are phenomenal and I would love to read more with them.
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The mystery surrounding this particular case was addicting. I wanted to know what happened to the girls, I wanted to know who was behind everything. When I’m Dead is super fast paced and there were many times that I found myself unable to put this down. This was super thrilling and suspenseful with really great twists thrown in to give you that shock factor!
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The audiobook is a full cast consisting of Andrew Eiden, Caitlin Kelly, Gary Tiedemann and Xe Sands all fo who were great! I really enjoyed listening to this one!
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I jumped into a buddy read with this one with @rachels.lit.reviews, @books_wine_and_sunshine, @bookedwithheather, @bubblebathbookworm and @readingwithmrsleaf. Cannot wait to discuss it! Huge thank you to @netgalley, @hannahmorrissey and @macmillanaudio and @stmartinspress and @minataurbooks for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed When I’m Dead by @heathermorrisauthor and not just because she’s a local author! This book had me guessing until the end. I enjoyed the creepiness and the gory details! Of the 3 books I’ve read of hers this one of my favorite so far.

Quick synopsis….. teenage girls are being murdered and one is missing in Black Harbor Wisconsin. The missing girl Chloe is the daughter of the local detective and medical examiner Axel and Rowan. Who is to blame? Is Chloe alive? The rush is on to find out the truth.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the gifted copy.

#bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookstagram #bookworm #readmorebooks #readmorebooks #bibliophile #readingislife #alwaysreading #ilovereading #netgalley #netgalleyreview

A dark and suspenseful read set in a gritty city that is ripe with crime. When I'm Dead is a bit gory at times and not for the faint of heart.

The novel takes place in Black Harbour Michigan, which seems to be equivalent to Gotham City. The crime rate is high and the economy is suffering. Rowan is a medical examiner, mother, and wife to Axle Winthrop, one of Black Harbour's hard working homicide detectives. Their lives are turned upside down when their teenage daughter, Chloe, mysteriously disappears right after her peer is found murdered. Is Chloe Winthrop another victim or the perpetrator? Her parents will stop at nothing to discover the truth.

This is book 3 in the Black Harbour Series and the first one that I've read. It was a solid read and I found the characters of Row and Axle to be likeable enough to make me want to read the other books in the series.

I docked a star because I figured out the the who and the why a bit early on; however, I was still engaged enough to keep reading. The novel is a bit larger than life at times, but I enjoyed it for what it is; a easily digestible thriller with some fun characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for a free digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a stand-alone thriller in an interconnected series. They are all set in the same town, but you can absolutely read them separately. It is a fast-paced thriller about a medical examiner and her detective husband who are called away to a homicide and while at work, their teenage daughter goes missing. Lots of secrets are unraveled as we learn more about the family, their friends, and the town. I enjoyed the book and would recommend to anyone who likes a quick thriller. I will say that I found it predictable and a little repetitive. Overall I would give this a 3.25-3.5 stars. If you read a lot of thrillers, you will guess the culprit, but even still it was a perfect Fall read given that it is set in October with a Halloween backdrop. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this as an ARC for my honest feedback.

Chloe’s parents, Rowan, and Axel work for the Black Harbor Police Force. She has grown to expect their absence to a certain extent, but the final straw is when they leave her debut performance of Lydia in her high school’s rendition of Beetlejuice. They get called to a crime scene of a young girl murdered near their home. When they return, Chloe is missing. Can Rowan and Axel solve the murder and locate their missing daughter before she turns up dead too? Hannah Morrisey!!!! The level of creepy gory detail ramps up the tension to a million percent throughout this book. Black Harbor itself is a character, the scenery overwhelms the senses. I loved the way this was written. While it is part of the Black Harbor series, it can be read as a standalone.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I would say it would be great to be back in Black Harbor, but oh what a bleak place! The way the author paints the town, you just know you would never want to live there, either by birth or accident. You can just feel the dreariness, poverty, and crime creeping around the edges.

Hannah Morrissey writes dark, intelligent thrillers but she's not afraid of using humor to break up the bits between the gore. "Libby's eyes land on a copper-colored vintage [wine] labeled Hallowine. She remembers sampling it once from her mother's glass and immediately making a face. It tasted like licking the basement floor."

While the adults in the book could have used a little more development, the teenagers were on point and included mean girls, victims, and secret connections. And because of Morrissey's background as a police transcriber, the book had a good frame of reference for the police and medical examiner procedural. Are you able to guess the perpetrator partway through the book? Yes. Was it Morrissey's intention? I believe it was.

I have liked all of the the author's Black Harbor, and I know if Morrissey writes it I will buy it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advance reader's copy.

This was a very well written book. Characters were well developed and relatable. I flew through this book and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. I had fun guessing who did it and who didn’t and I didn’t see the ending coming.

When a local teen’s body is found in a small crime ridden town, everyone is on edge. Then the daughter of a local police detective and medical examiner goes missing and through the multiple points of view we watch the deep investigation while the community falls apart around them. There is teen drama, no one knows who to trust, Rowan only hopes her missing daughter is not involved or dead. You’ll be guessing all the way through.

I will definitely be looking for more from this author. Thank you to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for the e book of this ARC.

I almost passed on this book because apparently it’s the third in a series and I’m usually too type A to not read the other books first. However, the synopsis sounded so good that I thought I’d just jump in and I’m glad I did! This was a great thriller! I didn’t feel like I missed anything important by skipping the first two books. The suspects were crazy creepy (the taxidermy girl?!?) and I was hooked from the beginning. I wasn’t as big of a fan of all the focus on Rowan and her husband’s relationship, but that’s probably because I didn’t have their full backstory. Otherwise, this was a thrilling read that I’d highly recommend to my fellow thriller lovers!

4.5 stars

When I’m Dead is a dark and twisty mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page!
When Chloe’s best friend Madison is murdered and Chloe goes missing in the same night, it leaves her parents and small community wondering what happened.
This book dives into love, doubt, and how well you really know the people you love most.
Read this book in one sitting! Couldn’t put it down and it led to a late night.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review :)
Four stars

When I'm Dead is book 3 in the amazing Black Harbor series by Hannah Morrissey.
These books can be read as a stand-alone.
First, I have give a big thank you to the absolute best publisher for the opportunity to read and review this set from the very beginning.
Hannah Morrissey is a favorite of mine and one of my auto read authors.
And it’s been a pleasure reading this phenomenal series.

Hello, Transcriber and The Widowmaker were both excellent books and after devouring When I'm Dead I’m almost certain Morrissey’s writing is one of my favorites.
This story is so absorbing and immersive. Detective Axel Winthrop and his wife, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthrop are very interesting and intriguing characters.
And I enjoyed reading their story.
A utterly compelling mystery, atmospheric settings with vivid and emotional prose, this dark and intense story will have you up late flipping the pages furiously.
Hannah Morrissey has writing yet again another well crafted story.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Read if you like:
#️⃣ Multiple PoV
📚 Stand-alone in a Series
🔎 Mysteries
🚨Police Investigations
🚬 Feeling of Guilt
🗣️ The ‘Bad Guy’s’ POV

This one sucked me in pretty quickly needing to know what the heck was going on where was Chloe and was she even alive?! Or was she behind the killing of her classmate?!

I have to admit, Rowan’s POV didn’t really add to the story, felt repetitive, and her guilt was truly so annoying in the context of the story with your daughter missing and instead of fully being focused on that, she was focused on something that happened 18 years ago that’s unrelated.

I did pretty much guess who the responsible party was for what was happening and felt pretty obvious but the twist of why I didn’t see coming.

I also didn’t like how with the reveal we got the explaination first before the scene unfolding where it made it anticlimactic for me personally.

All in all, I enjoyed the first part more than the second part of the book and wish I had enjoyed it more but it didn’t fully deliver on what I was hoping for.

Thanks so much to the publisher for my ARC of this one!

I actually didn’t realize this was part of a series, the Black Harbor Series. This book definitely isn’t for the squeamish, be warned that it’s fairly graphic and detailed.

Overall, I thought it was a good plot that had me guessing the entire story. Unfortunately I felt like the story played out in a way that felt rushed or maybe the culmination was underwhelming. There were a lot of details and tidbits that were never explored, maybe that was the point, to distract? I was also hoping for that last plot twist that all of us thriller lovers come to expect!

This was a domestic drama and murder mystery combination done well.

Husband and wife, Rowan and Axel are the local medical examiner and a detective in Black Harbor. Their town has been overrun with murders which keeps them busy non-stop. In the midst of this, their fifteen year old daughter is often falling through the cracks. Chloe seems to always lose out to a dead body and when she does, both parents have to go, not just one. So, when Chloe goes missing, Rowan and Axel's world is rocked and everything they thought they knew is thrown into chaos. Is their daughter even the girl they thought she was? Or a completely different person?

In trying to investigate the death of one of Chloe's friends while also trying to find Chloe, many things are uncovered about not just Chloe but also her so-called friends. Things definitely weren't what they appeared to be. Will Rowan and Axel pull together or will it rip them apart?

This was an intriguing read. The clues were thrown out at sporadic times and the narrators weren't always reliables so you truly didn't know who did what until the very end. It was cleverly written and I'll definitely look to read more by this author.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I really enjoyed the audiobook. The narrators were talented and fit the characters well. It all blended together well and enriched the storyline. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook. I chose to review both of them and the opinions contained within are my own.

This is the third book in the Black Harbor series, and it is another great one.

Rowen is the medical examiner, and she is called in to investigate the death of her daughter's friend. Her husband Axel, a police detective, starts work on the case too. When they are called away from watching daughter Chloe's school play, Chloe tells her mother " You will love me more when I'm dead." Within hours, Chloe is missing, and they are terrified that she is the next victim. Various clues all point to someone involved at the high school. When a second girl is found dead, the investigating team tries to unravel the relationships involved.

Girls that had been friends for years, are now not. Girls that never liked each other are now friends. How is the taxidermy teacher involved? And where is Chloe? As the evidence starts to point to Chloe as the killer, Rowan and Axel are in a desperate race against time to find Chloe and proves she is not the one responsible. Will their marriage survive?

Once again, the town of Black Harbor and its dark, depressing secrets, is a strong backdrop to the thriller. The characters are all well drawn, and I was sucked along by the plot. The complex clues and twists and turns keep you moving at a fast pace towards the climax of the story.

Thoroughly enjoyable!

First, thanks to NetGalley for the advance review copy. When I’m Dead opens with the death of Madison Caldwell. teenage classmate of Chloe, Sari, Libby, and Reeves. It is immediately followed by Chloe’s disappearance. Chloe’s parents are Alex, a Black Harbor detective, and Rowan, the Black Harbor Medical Examiner. Black Harbor is the kind of town that has seen better days and everyone is looking to escape. Its crime rate is climbing, keeping Alex and Rowan busy, maybe too busy to tend to their teenage daughter. When Chloe is cast in the main role of her school’s production of Beetlejuice, she takes on the role with vigor and chooses to immerse herself into character, much out of character to what her folks and teachers know. Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of one of the book’s characters which is successful in keeping you off balance. Each has his/her own theories as to what’s happened and who may be responsible. At one point, Alex and Rowan are at odds as to the possibility that their daughter, Chloe, could have committed the murder, “She’s on one precipice, and he’s on another, an ocean of “what ifs” roiling between them”. As the story progresses, there is no shortage of possible suspects. The book became more suspenseful toward the end. A good, short read with some twists that kept me guessing.

One October night, Rowan and Axel are pulled away from their daughter’s debut in her school’s production of Beetlejuice with a call that a dead body has been found. That dead body turns out to be their daughter’s best friend. While out investigating this call, they come home to discover their own daughter, Chloe, hasn’t returned home from school and is missing. They must dig deep, even if it means their own daughter is behind everything.

WHEN I’M DEAD by Hannah Morrissey is the third book in the BLACK HARBOR series and I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to read the others to have a full understanding of this one!


And I’m also here to tell you that this one was easily my favorite of the three! This book made my theater nerd heart happy and the mystery and alternating POVs had me flipping pages.

Despite my enjoyment for most of the characters, Rowan and Axel are awful parents and the fact that they didn’t really even notice that got on my nerves a lot - it also seemed like they didn’t care all that much that their teenage daughter was just gone??

Overall, a great book to read during spooky season if crime fiction is your jam!

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: October 31