This was the perfect book to read during October! It was creepy in the best way! Rowan and Axel are a married couple that are also a local town cop and a medical examiner. Quite the pair! Their daughter is missing, and her friends keep turning up dead. The book had a very dark vibe. I felt like I was on edge. It was well written with well-developed characters by a great author. Hannah Morrisey is new to me but she’s now on my radar as a must read author.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

I have such mixed feelings about this book.

Did I enjoy it? Yes, immensely.
Was I hooked? Obviously.
Am I in love with it? I'm not sure.

I thought that the pacing, characters, and overall suspense of the book was on point. The multiple POVs really help to move the story along and piece together the various clues at a rate and order that makes sense. There aren't too many red herrings. Overall, it's an enjoyable mystery surrounding a dark, dreary town in Wisconsin (where, thankfully, I do not live).

However, I figured out the bad guy way too early. I feel like some of the clues were very in your face, rather than lettering the reader get their "ah-ha" moment.

But I mean - I feel like a wicked detective for guessing the bad guy...and getting it right for once!

Honestly, this is a great thriller/suspense! And, from my understanding, it's a little less dark than her other novels, so it might be a good starting point if you're new to Morrissey!

rating: 3.5 STARS (rounded up to 4)
genre: thriller, suspense, mystery
creepy factor: 3/5 creeps

This one was just okay, a solid 3.5 stars. The ending was great. I was hooked from the beginning, then it dragged for a while, and got great again around 80%. There was a lot of fluff in the middle, especially Rowan's inner thoughts, and some passages got really descriptive, which for me don't add much to a mystery story like this. Overall I still recommend for a quick, easy thrill, but will not stand out to me in the future.
The relationship progression between Axel and Rowan was really sweet, and how they were able to come together again. And their realization of leaving Chloe out and how they needed to prioritize that more was a great addition.

This is the third book by Ms. Morrissey that I have read and this was another hit for me. I loved how dark, gritty, atmospheric and twisty the story was.
It was great to revisit Black Harbor, however, I'm very thankful I don't live there.
I highly recommend all of Hannah's books. She is a definite preorder/keeper shelf author for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

When I’m Dead is the third book in the Black Harbor series although could be read as a stand alone (as in my case). A story about murdered teenagers, a missing teenager and two parents in law enforcement trying to solve the crime.

Overall it was a decent read. Some things felt a little unrealistic in terms of how the case was being worked and about half way through I figured out who the killer was but it was a good read for October.

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Oh, boy…

This is entertaining. Definitely entertaining. Yup. I’m running out of good things to say.

So, the book defies logic. It’s an everything but the kitchen sink plot in a world where cops can investigate the disappearance of their own kid, medical examiners can autopsy a murder victim they know (who is frenemies with their missing daughter), and where high school kids apparently regularly take taxidermy courses where they can practice on their own dead pets. But…it’s supposed to be our perfectly ordinary world!

There must have been hundreds of times when I was reading this when I simply exclaimed, “No. Did not happen.” The author never, ever got me to believe in their world or their characters.

I finished the book just to see what unbelievable thing would happen next – and boy, there were a lot of them!

I don’t mind brain candy and popcorn reads. In fact, my tired brain loves them. I just want the author to…try.

• ARC via Publisher

Hannah Morrissey is a new author to me, hence, “When I’m Dead” is the first book I’ve read in her Black Harbor series. Still, coming into this story not having read the prior installments did not present an issue, as I felt that this book is easily read as a stand-alone. That said, I did have trouble connecting with one of the main characters, and the story felt a bit disjointed at times. But overall, I found “When I’m Dead” to be intriguing and suspenseful, and it kept me guessing right up until the very end.

If you are looking for a creepy, scary, Halloween themed book, you might enjoy this one. Teen-aged Matison Caldwell is found murdered on the path leading to school and her teeth were broken out. Lots of other teens could be considered suspect as Madison was very popular but was also a bully. Madison's former best friend, Chloe, beat her out of the lead role in the school play. Sari Simons, an Army brat, is one of Madison's best friends and also a bully. School outcast, Libby Lucas, is interested in taxidermy and loves working with dead animals.

This book started out really good but then it fell flat for me but then picked back up towards the end. None of the characters are likeable at all. Marnie (Libby's mom) and Rowen (Chloe's mom), are totally clueless about their daughters and what goes on in their lives.

Thank you NetGalley abnd St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

This is my first book by this author and it definitely won’t be my last!
While this is book three in a series, I jumped right in and enjoyed every minute!

This author has been hit or miss. This is third book in the series and I enjoyed this one. A couple of twists that I wasn’t expecting. A fairly quick read.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Oh. My. Gosh. This was my first book by this author and I was speechless! It hooked me in from the first chapter and had me glued to my seat! Could not put it down! Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Medical examiner, Rowan Winthorp, is called out on a chilly October evening to investigate the death of her daughter's best friend. Hours later, tragedy hits closer to home when Rowan returns home to find her daughter Chloe missing. As Rowan works alongside her homicide detective husband, Axel, to unearth what really happened to Chloe, she also battles with tragic events from her past.

WHEN I'M DEAD is the third instalment of the Black Harbor series but can absolutely be read as a standalone as each book focuses on a different main character. In WHEN I'M DEAD, we have two main narrators with a few chapters told in other character's perspectives. The two main narrators are Axel and Rowan, alternating between both of their perspectives.

As I've read each of Hannah's books to date, I love how she has main characters that are not typically the main characters in crime thrillers, offering up a unique view point in this genre. I really enjoyed the complex family dynamics shared between Rowan, Axel, and Chloe. Each character is well developed, complex, and interesting, all holding troubled pasts for one reason or another.

I enjoy the dark, creepy, and gritty atmosphere that Hannah develops within WHEN I'M DEAD. Black Harbor is shown to be a city with lots of crime and a difficult day-to-day existence for many; having the story set here adds to the grim and tense atmosphere. The plot was highly suspenseful and intriguing, leaving me guessing and suspicious of everyone until more pointed clues are peppered in to guide me to the grand reveal. The climax of the story was filled with action and had me biting my nails in suspense of what was to come. A superb ending to a great story - can't wait to see what Hannah will write next!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.</i>

Though "When I'm Dead" by Hannah Morrissey is the third book of the "Black Harbor" series, it definitely can be read as a stand-alone novel. I have not read the other two books in the series and I had no trouble following the plot. There were a few what I believed to be passing references to the other books, but these references did not really matter to the events of this book.

This book is great for a reader who wants an easy read to pass a chilly afternoon. The story is interesting, though a bit predictable. Though I figured out the killer very early on in the book (the hints were fairly glaring), I didn't know why the perpetrator did what they (intentionally using the gender neutral pronoun so as not to give anything away) until the very end. The writing style is accessible, though a bit simplistic, and filled with silly clichés such as "If murder were a product, it would be a top import of Black Harbor." At times the language used was so eye-rolling that it detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I also found the parents of the missing child to be a bit too robotic; there wasn't enough true emotion for them to come alive for me.

Overall, I believe fans of police procedurals and mystery thrillers in general, and of Hannah Morrissey specifically, will enjoy this book. It isn't award=winning literature by any stretch of the imagination, but it is entertaining and worth a read. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

⭐️: 3/5

What starts as an investigation into the death of their daughter’s best friend hits much closer to home for medical examiner Rowan and her husband Axel, when their daughter goes missing hours later. As more and more information comes to light, Rowan and Axel begin questioning how well they actually knew their daughter, all while Rowan is plagued by the sins of her past coming back to bite her.

I guess this one is part of a series, but it seems that all that ties the series together is the town and the police department, since it feels like these characters we’re necessarily introduced as main characters previously, although I could be wrong. Regardless, this one definitely functions as a standalone, with the caveat that some of the resolutions to the previous books in the series may have been spoiled in this one? Anyway, I started reading this ARC, and then BOTM picks came out, and this was one of them, so I was even more excited to dive into it. I love a police procedural with different POVs, so this one seemed really up my alley, since I’m also always looking for more detective thriller series. I ultimately found the interweaving storylines to be a little too disjointed, and the personalities of the main characters were left a little lacking to me. I also was disappointed in how predictable the whole book ended up being, since I like to be surprised by at least a few twists along the way when I’m reading thrillers. It’s fun to guess and be right, but at the same time, I also don’t like it when that happens. Anyway, this one was just ok for me, nothing super special but nothing terribly bad about it either. I may give the previous books a read, just for context, but I’m not sure.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers @stmartinspress and @minotaur_books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this amazing psychological mystery thriller!

Wow! What a roller coaster. The book had me second guessing myself until the ver end.

The authorvhad me on the edge of my seat. Full if that will keep you guessing to the very end!! Full of so many twists and turns.

This is not my typical gonre, but is thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Highly recommend.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

A brutal murder of a teenage girl in a small town....with the chief suspect as the girl's best friend.

Lots of interesting twists and turns, told from multiple points of view.. An enjoyable read.

To be fair, I don't normally read this type of novel so the morbid descriptions were difficult for me. It may be the perfect spooky season read for you but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

“You’ll love me more when I’m dead” are the last words Rowan Winthorp’s daughter says to her.

When the Black Harbor medical examiner is called away to investigate the death of her daughter’s best friend, it causes her to leave her daughter Chloe’s school play. Between Rowan and her police officer husband Axel, one or both of them is always having to go when duty calls, leaving Chloe lonely and feeling forgotten. But on this night, while Rowan and Axel are at the crime scene, Chloe also goes missing. Now Rowan and Axel are at a race against the clock to find their daughter. They will stop at nothing, following any lead even if it causes them to questions everything they thought they knew.

Man, it was good to be back in Black Harbor!! The town itself is practically a character in Hannah Morrissey’s books. Once again, she skillfully weaves a mystery set against the backdrop of a dark town. The spookiness of Black Harbor radiates off the pages along with the desperation Rowan and Axel felt. Rowan was so tortured by her past and my heart broke for her; I just wanted her to get her daughter back. I related a lot to Libby, the neighbor’s daughter who was a bit of a loner. Told from multiple perspectives, the story unfolded bit by bit and I felt like each character added something new to it. Although this is book 3 set in Black Harbor, “When I’m Dead” can definitely be read as a stand-alone! As a long-time fan though, it was fun for me to catch the Easter eggs and references to previous characters and their stories. Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC!

“When I’m Dead” releases October 32, 2023. This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.

On a chilly October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp and her husband Alex, a detective for the Black Harbor Police Department, are called away to investigate the murder of a young girl who just happens to be their daughter’s school friend. Hours later when they arrive home, they discover that their daughter Chloe is missing! The panic that ensues and the disturbing clues that are uncovered lead them to a case that is truly unsettling. As more bizarre deaths are discovered, the town of Black Harbor is rattled, and more and more people become suspects.

This was a great tale of mystery and suspense. There were twists and turns that led authorities to suspect first one person and then another. The unsettling conclusion was a twist that blindsided the whole town, and I loved it. This is the third installment of the Black Harbor Mystery series but easily could be read as a stand-alone. I recommend this suspenseful thriller.

I would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and Hannah Morrissey for generously providing me with a digital review copy of this thriller and to experience this author’s exceptional storytelling in exchange for my honest review.

You'll Love Me More When I'm Dead" those words haunt Rowan after her daughter goes missing, and they replay in her mind. Chloe goes missing the same night her friend is found murdered. It is a twisted tale of loneliness, regret, heart ache and at the root, love and what it can do to us.

This book had my heart and mind racing the whole time. So many suspects, such a dark town. The ending was wild.

The story is a must read for true crime thriller lovers.

This is my first novel by Hannah, will not be my last. Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinpress for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.