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.

This was an ARC from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley. My first from this author and while the writing was fine, the plot of the book just did not pull me in and I found it a bit forced.

Not only is this so good in general, but it is P E R F E C T I O N for this time of year!

Before starting, I didn’t realize that this is actually #3 in a series that all take place in the fictional town of Black Harbor. I did read this as a standalone and it took nothing away from my reading experience.

I’m telling you I was hooked as soon as I saw - One girl murdered. Another one missing.

This is told through multiple POVs and it made this story move along at the perfect pace. The town of Black Harbor is reeling after the popular girl is found dead. Another girl, Chloe, is missing. People don’t know what to think.

The suspense and thrill were so good! I loved how my brain was constantly trying to figure out where this was going. Once the story starts to unfold and things begin connecting this book became nearly impossible to put down. The town of Black Harbor is creepy and almost a character in its own right.

Really, really loved this one!

4 ⭐️

WHEN I’M DEAD
Hannah Morrissey

Have you read a book in the Black Harbor mystery series? I just finished WHEN I’M DEAD and it might be my favorite of the three.

In WHEN I’M DEAD we’re going back to Black Harbor. Back to high murder rates, scary crime scenes, and unlimited suspects. We’re following Rowan Winthorp, Black Harbor’s medical examiner. Rowan was just called to the murder scene of her friend’s daughter only to come home and find that her daughter, Chloe, is missing.

Are the two cases connected? Where is Chloe and will they find her before another body ends up dead?

I love Morrissey’s moody and atmospheric writing. The Black Harbor Books are consistently dark and centered around some of the darker aspects of the residents of Black Harbor. The characters often explore their shadow selves, walk the line between good and bad, and have an ever-evolving quality.

This book is set in October in the days leading up to Halloween, making this entry in the Black Harbor Books the creepiest yet and a perfect book to read this month. WHEN I’M DEAD comes out on Halloween, October 31st. Make sure you pick up a copy!

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy!

WHEN I’M DEAD…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a nail biting thriller with multiple POV's. We follow a Medical Examiner, a Detective, and a teenager who are all in the middle of a murder and a missing persons case. There is a lot of back and forth on who you can trust - which I mean is the best part about a thriller!

I did really enjoy the first 45% and the last 20% but I felt like the middle was a little slow and hard to keep my attention at times, all in all it was a very good read and I recommend it to anyone who loves a small town murder story! Perfect for halloween and this time of year!

When Rowan and Axel are called away from their daughter’s play their lives are completely uprooted. Their daughter’s best friend is found murdered and their daughter disappears while walking home. The book has a lot of twists that kept me guessing and the varying points of view added got eh mystery of the book and made it hard to know who to trust. The author did a great job of keeping the story intriguing and addressing some themes of parental guilt, high school dynamics, and how grief can consume us.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

This was a nice way to kick off my October mystery reads. The inclusion of a goth teenage girl who is missing, the creepy town and it’s oppression on the main characters, and grisly murders all added to the dark suspense that was this book.

This does not have a lot of twists and nothing that took me totally by surprise, but it also didn’t try to lead me down the wrong path. I was definitely involved with the main characters as they tried to solve the crime but I did feel that their actions regarding their own missing child was not realistic. I kept waiting for them to plaster flyers all around town, contact the news media, and have a widespread search.

Nevertheless, the mystery itself kept me engaged. I liked that there were different points of view and each one was plainly stated so as not to confuse the reader. The ending wrapped everything up nicely and left me satisfied but a tad disappointed that this story wasn’t darker.

Disclaimer: I'm originally from Wisconsin and I gobble up everything I can that's set there (Not much, sadly) So I've been reading the Dark Harbor series since Hello Transcriber. This is the third book in the series and I feel Hannah Molrrissey has really found her footing with it.

This is addictive, with a well-developed plot and a creepy setting, it pulled me in from the first page. Morrissey’s brilliant coupling of Medical Examiner Rowan and police officer Axel provides a complicated family dynamic to an already entertaining plot. I need to go back and read the first novel in this series (Hello, Transcriber) and you better believe I’ll be watching for more from the Winthorp pair!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the ARC. Decent thriller by the author. There were some parts I had to skip over but otherwise a decent nail biter!

This book was a perfect serial killer book for spooky season around Halloween time . The book kept me on the edge and I could not wait to get to the end . It looks like it was part of a series but it can be read as a stand alone book . Definitely recommend !

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

When I'm Dead is another great book by the fabulous Hannah Morrissey. I didn't love it as much as her other books, only because the main characters in this book drove me crazy. It was a fast burn and I had to find out what happened to Chloe. The ending was not what I expected either.

I'm the problem, it's me. Sadly I just didn't click with this book. I love the idea of the story and the mysterious murder and kidnapping elements. I will still recommend it to others who love a good who dunnit!