Ebook received for free through NetGalley

Another great book that I had trouble putting down. On edge, heart wrenching, and great.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Hannah Morrissey for an ARC of When I’m Dead. I didn’t realize when requesting this that it was apart of a trilogy, but I saw Hannah’s post that you can read them as stand alone. I will 100% be reading the next two very soon! I would say this book is a slow burn, but it’s not at a snails pace. I enjoyed the journey of this book and seeing how the events trailed out for Axel and Rowan. It was slightly dramatic, but I am here for it. I did wish I felt more of a connection with the characters - everything did feel like at a surface level. But otherwise a great book! This is a great spooky season read 🧡

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for this ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The characters are dynamic - and untrustworthy at times - and the mystery is multi-layered. I love a story set in a not-worn-out setting and this one fit that bill. Set in a fictious town in Wisconsin - with a murder rate that would make me want to move ASAP - the premise grabbed me right away and I found the missing girls parents interesting and a-typical. I would recommend for anyone who likes missing person murder mysteries and small time crime stories. Great fun!

I didn’t realize until I finished When I’m Dead that it was #3 in a series. This crime fiction novel worked fine as a stand-alone, however. For those who like crime stories with a touch of gothic atmosphere, this book provides a good storyline with plenty of plot turns and possible suspects. The investigation of the murders of two high school girls and disappearance of another captured my interest and attention. I enjoyed the chapters from the point of view of Libby, a high school friend of the missing girl. And though I had a pretty good inkling of who the culprit was when that person was first introduced, I couldn’t guess the motivation for the crimes.

What I found distracting is the way the author manipulates the atmosphere and plot through obvious statements and implausible scenarios. First, she sets up the dismal creepiness of Black Harbor by continually (I mean, in practically every chapter) telling us how violent, bleak, and crime-ridden the town is; it's so bad everyone wants to find ways to escape. But readers are supposed to take the author’s word for it because we don’t actually see examples of the other crimes and acts of violence that make Black Harbor significantly different from any other small town. The author also wants to make sure we realize that the story takes place in autumn. A person could get pretty lit playing a drinking game based on the number of times she mentions the presence of scarlet (and red and brown) leaves.

Second, the author expects readers to believe that the parents of a missing girl would be professionally involved in the investigation of her disappearance and the murders of her friends. Blatant conflict of interest. Apparently, they must be included because there are so, so many murders in Black Harbor--all the time--and the police force needs everyone they can get. And those parents don’t act the way I would expect from people whose daughter is missing and possibly, quite probably, dead. They seem much more concerned with their marital issues and beating up suspects than they do with actively searching for their little girl.

Despite these distractions, When I'm Dead provides an engaging plot with plenty going on to compel readers to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press–Minotaur Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book. My review is voluntary and reflects my honest opinion.

My introduction to Hannah Morrissey's taut, descriptive prose was in HELLO, TRANSCRIBER, the first book in the Black Harbor series. WHEN I'M DEAD is book three, and I'm delighted to say the author's raised her game to yet another level rendering a gripping, highly atmospheric story sure to keep readers up late burning through pages. Strap in for this one, and I advise you to leave the lights on!

WHEN I'M DEAD is a gripping, domestic crime story concentrated around a family in crisis. Rowan, the town medical examiner, and husband Axel, a homicide detective, have demanding professions that command their attention at a moment's notice much to the chagrin and resentment of their moody teenage daughter Chloe. When her parents are called away in the middle of her performance in the school play, they leave Chloe with another thoughtless, impulsive apology and instructions to get a ride home with their neighbor. Heartbroken and in tears over them choosing work over her yet again, Chloe chooses to walk home alone in the dark not realizing her parents are investigating the brutal murder of one of Chloe's friends. Rowan arrives home later expecting to find her daughter asleep, but Chloe is nowhere to be found. It's apparent she never made it home. Someone is murdering teenagers . . . is Chloe a victim? Rowan recalls her daughter's last words to her as they left her crying in the theatre - "you'll love me more when I'm dead." A premonition or warning? They have one dead girl and another missing and as readers soon learn, Rowan has dark secrets of her own. Has her past come calling?

Dark, gritty and highly visual, WHEN I'M DEAD unfolds through multiple points of view via alternating chapters which are riveting. The narrators include Rowan, Axel and Libby, the next-door neighbor's socially awkward daughter who is bullied at school. Morrissey sets the perfect spooky scene with Halloween approaching, haunted houses, and falling blood red leaves adding to a dark tone of malice suffocating a fading, rundown town many people dream of escaping one day. The pace escalates steadily as accusations surface about Chloe and her friends implicating their involvement in some unsavory activities, leaving her parents shell shocked and wondering if they ever knew their daughter at all. The author does an excellent job keeping readers off-kilter by shifting focus to several red herrings as the list of suspects is ever changing. The characters are complex and believable, having little trouble earning readers' empathy with their increasing anxiety and desperation. Morrissey is proving to be an expert at creating highly atmospheric scenes that threaten to swallow characters and readers up as they maneuver all the dark twists and turns on the way to the shocking climatic ending. I'll admit to having the killer on my radar but was never one hundred percent sure until the big reveal.

WHEN I'M DEAD is a well-crafted, heart pounding thriller sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. The author's ability to strand characters and readers in super creepy, haunting scenes sets off warning bells that increase as the story progresses. Fans of highly atmospheric crime thrillers are going to love this one.

When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey
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On the night of their daughters play a medical examiner and detective are called to the scene of a murder. It’s someone their daughter is friends with. But when they get home, their daughter is missing.
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This is book three in the Black Hatbor series but can be read as a stand alone.
I loved that we had a POV from three people in this book. The parents of the missing teen and a neighbor. It added a lot to the story.
The mystery was a good one and led me along all of the possibilities, I was hooked.

What is really cool about these Black Harbor books is that the author does a stellar job of creating vibes. Black Harbor is a somewhat dark and ominous place to live. And each book tells a different mystery with it’s own characters POVs. Yet there are little easter eggs in the books that tie back to the previous books. I love that.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really enjoyed this dark mystery and it had a great ending.

An almost gothic like, police procedural story.
The third in the series!

Black Harbor, the town the story is set in is a dying town that no one wants to be in. In books 1 and 2, you meet some of the characters in the town.

This story, you get meet a family. The town and weather also play characters in this book. This book will grip you from the beginning and you won’t be able to put it down!!!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: November 7, 2023
“When I’m Dead” is the third novel in the “Black Harbour” series by Hannah Morrissey. In no way do you need to read any of the previous novels in order to follow along (I, myself, have only read this one and its predecessor, “The Widowmaker”) but I recommend doing so all the same.
Medical examiner Rowan Winthorp is used to grisly scenes and dead bodies. But nothing quite prepares her for the chilly night when she discovers the murdered and mutilated body of her daughter’s best friend, butchered and left in a gulley. Things go from bad to worse when Rowan, and her husband, police officer Axel, realize that their daughter, Chloe, is missing. Haunted by a tragic mistake in her past, Rowan wonders if she is finally paying the price for her biggest regret. Has karma come to collect?
Although Rowan and Axel are the main protagonists here, the story has some chapters narrated by various other characters, including Libby, Chloe’s neighbour. As each character is introduced, they provide an interesting viewpoint that makes them a suspect in the police’s eyes- and the readers. The suspense slowly builds as the case unfolds and the ending was both unexpected and believable.
Black Harbour is a town where everyone is (sometimes literally) dying to get out, as the crime rates, specifically murder, skyrocket. As a cold and dying factory town, Morrissey sets the perfect stage for the dead bodies to start piling up. Black Harbour on its own is enough to cover you in goosebumps, and that’s before young women are murdered. It is the ideal location for such dirty deeds, and I was riveted.
“Dead” 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!

How many times can I praise Hannah Morrissey and her ability to provide magical prose while writing such dark stories?! I love the way she throws you into the scenes and makes you feel like you’re in Black Harbor. Every time I sit down to read her books, I know she is going to deliver a book that is hauntingly beautiful. This is her third book, our third time visiting Black Harbor and arguably her best yet! The way the storylines come together and how she is able to get into the minds of not only various adults, but also teenagers and switch back and forth so effortlessly 🤌🏼 All of her books can be read as standalones, but reading them in order of release only enhances your reading experience, as you get little nods to previous characters. The worst part about finishing her books is trying to adequately express in words how truly gifted Hannah is as a writer. Highly recommend this book as well as all of Hannah’s previous books! I cannot wait to see what is next for her!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey releases on October 31st, 2023.

I am conflicted about this book. First, I did not realize it was a series when I requested it. That was fine, it didn't dampen the reading experience. Second, some of the plot seems....awkward? Unbelievable? I'm not sure how to explain it other than there were a few scenes that had me skeptical. Overall, though, the book is relatively fast-paced and a nice thriller. Not the best book I've read this year, but not the worst either - just...average.

My first from this author! I didn't know what to expect, but I really enjoyed this one - and I want to read more from her!

Rowan, the medical examiner and her husband Axel, a detective, are called to the site of their daughters best friends’ death. Hours later, they learn that their daughter, Chloe, is also missing.

Random clues force Axel to wonder if they really know their daughter. As they work to peel back the layers of the case, they begin to uncover some unsavory secrets about their daughter, ones that threaten to tear them apart.

As time goes on, and the case continues, Rowan is forced to reconcile the sins of her past, and nothing is truer than, karma.

I really enjoyed The Widowmaker, so was excited to read the next installment in the series. The author does a really good job writing complex characters and bringing them to life. She also does a really good job of keeping readers on the edge of their seat. I felt so many emotions while I was reading this one, and I loved it. I couldn’t wait to find out the twists in this one, and they were good! I really enjoyed the different points of view on this one. Most were Rowan and Axel, but Libby also had a few chapters, and then there was one surprise point of view. It was really interesting and a lot of fun.

If you are looking for a fun suspenseful murder book, then check this one out, you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's/Minotaur for allowing me to review this arc .

I was not aware that this was a series . This was my first one that I read. I was a little on the fence with this. It was decent. Rowan Winthrop, a medical examiner, has to autopsy her friends daughter while her own daughter is missing. Her husband. ,a cop works on their daughters case. Now in reality this would not be allowed. Had a bit element of Psycho, which I've seen before. Still a decent read.

A murder mystery in Black Harbor Michigan. A teen goes missing after another teen is murdered. A great read!

A great read that has some major twist, it left me believing I thought I knew who the person was and boom another twist…. I felt like it did have a slow start, but over all it did turn out to be a good read!

Being new to the Black Harbor series—and to this author—I didn’t know what to expect. But who doesn’t like a hood thriller, right? When I’m Dead delivered and kept me on the edge of my seat. I particularly loved the dynamic between Rowan and Axel, their respect of one another, their muted love, fears and doubts. I thought the novel painted grieving parents and their complicated journey into the unknown in stunning, beautiful way. I really connected with them, felt and fell for them. Up until almost the end, I couldn’t say whether their daughter was dead or alive. It’s a superbly-crafted story, and the writing is elegant, which makes the whole thing all the more enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, I’ll definitely check the other books by Hannah Mortissey.

When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey is my favorite of the Black Harbor mysteries so far. Gothic and creepy and yet there is engagement between the main characters that goes a bit farther than the usual creep show.
Black Harbor is a fictitious town full of crime and poverty with a definite divide between the down and outs and the rest of the residents. This town has a personality and it isn't a pleasant one -running to dark moods and murder. I also need to mention When I'm Dead borders on a horror story with depictions of the murders and well, I can't say what else!
Perfect for a SPOOKTACULAR weekend of fall reading. This can be read alone but there are snippets referencing characters and cases of the previous two books in the series. I say jump in and get all three, if that is how you roll.
4.25*

Thank you to Minotaur Books and St. Martins Press for access to an early e-copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

When I’m Dead
Written by Hannah Morrissey
Publisher St. Martins Press
Release Date October 31, 2023

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“One girl murdered...another one missing...and a medical examiner desperate to uncover the truth in When I'm Dead, the latest Black Harbor mystery by acclaimed author Hannah Morrissey.”

With a blurb like that who would pass this up.

Rowan Winthrop, town medical examiner, is married to a local police officer and they have a daughter Chloe. One night Rowan is called to a gruesome scene to find her daughters friend dead. Rowan is devastated and rushes to talk to he daughter but to her dismay, Chloe is nowhere to be found. She hopes that maybe she is just sleeping but soon realize their are clues that lead them to her disappearance. Things that no parent wants to know about their child. And things that could potentially destroy them as a family.
Can Rowan find her daughter in time or has karma come for her?

Certainly this is a great book with may twists and turns inside the story line. I enjoyed the premise of the book and found the writing to be well done. There were a few places where the descriptions lingered too long as well as fillers that took up too much of the evaders time. I read the entire book in one sitting and enjoyed the suspense build up as well as he characters.

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

I didn’t love this book which surprised me because the story was appealing to me and I typically get really into reading about medical examiners, detectives, and typical thriller mysteries. It was a slow start, and some of the details just didn’t seem believable to me. For starters, Black Harbor is described as a dangerous place with lots of crime but the parents were letting their teenagers go out (while there is a murderer running loose) without any supervision or warning. That felt off to me. And the way Rowan and Axel reacted to their missing daughter was odd to me. There wasn’t a lot of emotion described and I didn’t feel invested in the characters. I didn’t realize this was the third book of a series so that could be why I had some reservations. Overall a decent but not great book.

Thank you to Hannah Morrissey, NetGalley, and the publisher for the advanced reader copy of this book.

I loved it, great addition to an already great series. Very suspensful, but thought it was paced well and had me on the edge the whole time.