I didn't realize that this is the third book in a series when I requested it. I didn't feel that I missed too much from the previous ones, so you could read this as a stand-alone.

The book is a blend of crime, drama, and mystery.

At the start, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp and her husband, Detective Axel Winthrop, are working a crime scene. The victim is a high school girl. They soon receive disturbing news - their daughter is missing.

You can feel the angst of the parents as they seek somewhere to place blame for the situation, all the while looking for their daughter with the hope that she is still alive.

Lots of twists and turns.

I'm now planning to read the first two novels in the series to get a more complete picture of the characters.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was a little lost with this one I didn’t realize it was the third in a series. I will have to work on catching up to these books and read this one soon!

I enjoyed Hannah Morrissey's third installment in the Black Harbor mystery set! I did not read the first two, and though I feel as though I did not need to read them to follow along in her most recent novel, When I'm Dead, I will definitely will be reading them for enjoyment!

Hello, Transcriber was one of those books that really grew on me after I finished reading it, and I could not stop thinking about Black Harbor. So when When I'm Dead was revealed as a BOTM choice, I knew it was going to make its way into my blue box.

"Only in a place like Black Harbor is the line for the morgue longer than the queue for a Chick-fil-A drive-thru. Too many bodies, not enough of them warm."

In this book we are introduced to Rowan, a medical examiner, and her husband Axel, a detective. The night their daughter Chloe is starring in the school play they receive a call on "the death phone" and are called to the scene of a crime--only to find it is their daughter's best friend. Rowan is shaken and hurries home, only to find Chloe missing.

The pov alternates between a couple different people--one being Libby, their teen next door neighbor and Chloe's classmate.
"If there's one thing [Libby's] actually learned at school, it's that rumors are like fingerprints: everyone has their own special set, and like it or not, they are part of our identity."
Libby may have been the most interesting character for me, just because her narrative threw me off every single time. I would have a really strong opinion on who the killer was and why, and then I'd get to a Libby chapter and have to rethink everything.

Morrissey's writing felt both sharper and more fluid in this installment versus her debut, and I have to say I'm a fan. Now I need to go back and read The Widowmaker because despite myself I'm fascinated by Black Harbor.

It's also worth mentioning that the story is set in the days leading up to Halloween, so this is the perfect read to finish out your October.

When I'm Dead is the third book in the Black Harbour series by Hannah Morrisey. While I have read the first one, I haven't read the second and did not have any problems with this book as it does read well as a standalone.

Hannah Morrissey has a knack for writing dark, atmospheric thrillers that have grit to them. The seedy town of Black Harbour is so vivid it makes you uncomfortable as you're reading about this town filled with darkness and violence. My reading experience was 100% enhanced by the fact that I read this in October, when the book is set, making it even easier to slip into the story and feel like I was there as questions about what happened to Chloe raced through my mind. Because of how atmospheric this book is, do yourself a favour and read it during the dark and cold months.

This was a solid thriller but unfortunately didn't have my heart pounding throughout which is what I personally like most when reading a thriller. That being said, I still really enjoyed it and it did keep me guessing! If you haven't made your October BOTM pick yet, I do recommend this one.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love @hannahmorrisseywriter’s books. They are noir novels that are well written and have you on the edge of your seat for the whole book. They are all based in Black Harbor, WI with a cast of characters that are gritty, hard working investigators. I love that the focus of each book shifts to different characters within the police department.

In Hannah’s newest novel, When I’m Dead, the story follows Detective Axel Winthrop and his wife, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthrop. They are called away from their daughters play to investigate a girl who was murdered, only to find their daughter missing when they get home. The investigation that follows sheds light on the bullying occurring at the local high school and secrets.

I highly recommend grabbing this book to read!

Thank you @minotaur_books and @netgalley for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(This review has also been added to the Barnes & Noble website.)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
4.5/5 STARS

Genre: Thriller/Mystery

Synopsis:
The daughter of a small town medical examiner & detective goes missing. As they race to find her, dead bodies of other teen girls keep turning up.


This is the third book in this thriller series, but you can read it as a stand alone as the only similarity is that each book is set in the same small town, Black Harbor. I have read all three and this one is my favorite. I love a small town murder mystery. I think Hannah’s writing keeps getting better with each book. Written from 3 POVs, the book will keep you guessing as to who the killer is until the end. It is set during Halloween, so it is the perfect read for spooky season! I hope there is another installment in the Black Harbor series.

Thank you Minotaur Books for the ARC! 🎃🎃🖤

A procedural drama perfect for SVU fans, When I’m Dead is a page turner. Chloe, a high school student goes missing the same night her ex-friend is killed. Her parents are left grappling with the facts, could Chloe have killed her and run? Did someone kill them both? This story is told from the POV of Chloe’s mom, a medical examiner, her dad, a detective, and her (albeit creepy) friend/neighbor. The switching sides helped you to build up the case and form opinions until the three of them finally teamed up. Overall, a gruesome read at times, but perfect for true crime guilty pleasure readers.

A murder mystery in Black Harbor Michigan. A teen goes missing after another teen is murdered. Will Rowan and Axel survive this nightmare and keep their marriage from falling apart… Twists upon sick twisted events happen to cause turmoil between characters in this small town. Everyone is on edge suspecting one another, causing havoc between families, students, teachers and friends.

A hard to put down suspenseful thriller that Hannah Morrissey is known best to tell. She grabs your attention through her descriptions of this dark, gothic-like town with its french creole natives. Never a dull moment, with this creative writing that keeps you wanting more. Escape into a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

WHEN I’M DEAD is the third in the Black Harbor series by Hannah Morrissey, but my first read of hers. I saw reviews saying you don’t need to read all the books or to read them in order so I decided to give it a shot!

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
-a lot of people to keep track of
-Black Harbor is an eerie town full of darkness it seems
-multiple POVs
-police procedural 👏🏻
-reminds me of Body of Proof
-very suspenseful at the end

WHEN I’M DEAD was an atmospheric read perfect for #spookyseason and while I was able to guess the murderer I found myself bingeing this. I def want to go back to read books one and two from the series!

Thank you St Martins Press and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the third installment from Hannah Morrissey in her Black Harbour series. Like the first two books, this one was quite dark and at times, quite gruesome. It follows a medical examiner and her detective husband who find their friends daughter dead one night, and their own daughter missing. There are secrets, lies, rumors and a variety of possible suspects. The town of Black Harbour is such a dark and depressing sort of place. It was really interesting and entertaining and a great read!

I really enjoyed this one. It had some dark themes. Gave me some criminal minds vibes. (I love that show!)

There were many red herrings and suspected each of them. I liked how the whodunit came about. It wasn’t what i expected!

I really felt for Chloe and Libby. Girls are rough! I did not have fun in high school so i felt like i related to them. Also related on feeling distant from my parents.

I didn’t find the parents of the missing girl working the case to be too realistic but i still liked the story.

I’m definitely interested in more from this author. I think each book gets better and better.

. I did want some more character development on our two leads tho. Axel and Rowan. I struggled with feeling connected to them but i felt more for the character who was missing i think. I think i enjoyed the beginning more than the end. I’m definitely interested in more from this author. I think their writing is getting better for sure.

This was my first Hannah Morrissey read, and I have to say, I. really enjoyed it. As someone who hasn't read the previous two books in the series, I feel like this can absolutely be read as a stand-alone story. The plot was entertaining, and the pacing was great! I love how Morrisey didn't shy away from the darker and grittier moments in this story,

A solid read. 4/5 stars.

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Very interesting read. I was enthralled the whole time. A girl is dead and another is missing. During the hunt for the killer we meet many possible suspects. Finding the real killer was a difficult journey but the motivation seemed plausible.

Basically the same cover as Karin Slaughter’s Pretty Girls.

When I'm Dead
By Hannah Morrissey

This book begins with the murder of a teenage girl, Madison Caldwell, and the disappearance of her "best friend", Chloe Winthorp. The hook here is that the homicide detective and the medical examiner on this murder investigation happen to be Chloe's parents, Axel and Rowan Winthorp.

Then a second young girl is murdered, and the Winthorps begin to understand that they might not have known their daughter – and her friends – as well as they thought they did. What is motivating the murderer, where is Chloe? Is she dead too and they just haven't found her body? Or is she somehow involved in these terrible crimes?

There are many truths in this book about teenage friendships, angst, betrayal, and love between parents and children. The author forces her characters to take a long hard look at themselves and to realize that we all make mistakes and must learn to live with the results, to make amends where possible – and to forgive ourselves and each other.

The author allows the reader to gradually see many of her characters as fully fleshed out individuals, and to understand the trauma and despair that social media can encourage. I think that this book aims high and hits a bull's eye!

This was my first book by Hannah Morrissey which means I read this as a standalone and not as part of the Black Harbor series. After this, I am definitely going to start from the beginning.

Crime fiction is not usually my go-to, however, I am happy I tried something new! This book is so dark with loads of tension throughout. There are 3 main POV's - Rowan (medical examiner and mother of missing girl, Chloe), Axel (detective and father of Chloe) and Libby (the outcast girl that lives next door to Chloe). I loved reading each perspective as all three tried to discover who was committing devastating crimes in their town.

Overall, a great read with VERY heavy themes. This is not a book for people who are triggered by violence towards children.

Even though it can be read as a standalone there was so much I wanted to know when it came to Rowen and Axel that I knew was all built up from the other books, but other than that I enjoyed this one. I was on edge! From beginning to end. When Chloe goes missing and what they went through to find her and uncovering a whole ton of secrets, the town is a sad one. The end was not what I expected but Chloe is not your average 14 year old.

4.5 stars!

Thank you to Minotaur Books for an ARC of When I'm Dead. The 3rd installment of the Black Harbor series can be read as a standalone, which was how I read it. Black Harbor is an eerie town where murders are not out of the ordinary. Rowan and Axel are a couple that work for the local PD, and they are always focused on solving the latest crime to hit Black Harbor. The crimes hit too close to home when a teen is found dead, who is a close friend of their daughter, Chloe. When they return home from processing the crime scene, they soon discover that Chloe is missing, and possibly dead.

This book was hard to put down! The descriptions were grisly, and the possible suspects of the serial murders (and missing teen) were all super creepy. I was suprised by the outcome, and couldn't turn the pages fast enough! My main gripe was that Rowan and Axel didn't seem all that concerned with their own daughter's disappearance, even treating her as a suspect for much of the book. This was my first novel by Hannah Morrissey and I look forward to reading more. This book takes place around Halloween and it is the perfect book to pick up during the spooky season!

I did not realize this was part of a series initially, but it reads as a standalone. I do think I might have been more invested in the characters if I had read the first two books in the series.

I thought that the plot was engaging, but many parts were simply unbelievable or never fully fleshed out. I was interested enough to keep reading to find out who the murderer was, but other parts meant to distract us from the killer were confusing and never explained.

It was a little jarring that the parents were allowed to be so involved in the investigation of their missing daughter. It get it, it’s fiction. I also felt like even though the pages were passing, not a whole lot was happening. Especially for having multiple dead bodies.

Again, maybe I would have been more invested had I read the first two. Even with the issues I had I still liked it. I’m not sure if I’m invested enough to go back and read the others though.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy.

Wow, this book was phenomenal! Both the literal and figurative darkness of Black Horror added greatly to this atmospheric read. All of the main characters were wonderfully complex and I enjoyed every minute spent with them. This mystery was expertly plotted which kept me glued to the page. I look forward to reading the first two books.