When I’m Dead is twisted roller coaster ride of a mystery. As the medical examiner and a detective, Rowan and her husband, Axel are called away from their daughter’s high school play performance to the body of another teenager, their daughter’s best friend. When their daughter doesn’t come after the play, Rowan and Axel uncover bullying and secrets that their daughter has been keeping. They race to find Chloe while disagreeing on the likely hood that their daughter could be a killer. The story twists and turns with a shocking whodunnit. Though part of a series, I did not have trouble keeping up without reading the previous books.

While investigating her daughters best friends murder, medical examiner Rowan Winthrop's world will be turned upside down when her own daughter, Chloe goes missing. A rollercoaster of twists and several suspects make finding her daughter more and more difficult.

Thank you Net Galley and St.Martins Press for an ARC of this book for an honest review.
I didn’t realize this was a series and this being the third book but it seemed to me like a standalone book
I enjoyed this creepy thriller although it did drag out for me some times. I kept reading because there was excitement in it. Who is killing these girls ? I must say I didn’t know who the villain was before it was revealed. This would be a good book to read around Halloween. I would recommend reading this book if you like creepy, scary books.

One girl missing. One girl dead.
Will the body count stop there?
Is someone seeking vengeance?

I really enjoyed this highly charged suspenseful murder mystery and couldn't put it down. It is the third book in the Black Harbor series by this author, but it can definitely be read as a successful standalone.

This story is told in alternating chapters from the viewpoints of Rowan, a medical examiner as well as the missing girl's mother, Axel, a homicide detective and missing girl's father, and Libby, the girl next door who is an overweight, frequently bullied classmate. The suspense of this novel grows and grows like a small snowball rolled from the top of a hill and I soon began to suspect almost everyone of murder. The superb writing made me feel the raw emotions of the characters; the desperation of the parents to find their daughter at all costs and the fear of the neighbor girl. An economically struggling town and lead up to Halloween also adds a dark atmospheric touch to this thriller. There is a lot going on in this story, but ultimately the tense hunt for the killer builds to an exciting crescendo and a climactic ending.

Trigger warning: Graphic death scenes, autopsies, explicit sex, and bullying.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in Hannah Morrissey’s Black Harbor series. A teenage girl is murdered and another is missing, it’s a race against time for two of the crime investigators, since their daughter is the one missing and the murdered girl was supposedly her best friend. I couldn’t put this book down so many twists that kept me guessing. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this arc.

A young girl is murdered on a well used path and another girl, Chloe, is missing. Chole's parents are a detective and a medical examiner. What is going on? How well do they know their daughter and her friends? This is a story of parents at their wits end trying to find their daughter while doing their jobs. The police force is decimated due to cutbacks. It is very difficult for parents to work the case and stay impartial. This is part of the dilemma.

The book is an exciting read with many twists. Who is killing young girls? It seems to be someone they know which is scarier. Readers will enjoy the cat and mouse of this book. How well do we know our neighbors, our children and their friends.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #HannahMorrissey, and #MinotaurBooks for a copy of this book.
#WhenImDead

A complex mystery revolving around a missing teen. Chloe is missing while two of her friends are found murdered. But Chloe is not just any teen: her mother is the medical examiner and her father is a detective. She may be a runaway, another victim, or may be the perpetrator. Chloe has been changing a lot over the past year, and her parents aren't sure they really know her anymore. They are juggling finding Chloe, finding the truth, and protecting their daughter/family, The investigation is plagued by secrets, misdirection and rumors - all which lead to unexpected results. A motley cast of characters consistent with what you'd find in a small town - all a little strange in their own way. A very engaging mystery with an ending that blindsided me! A wonderful read!

What do you do when your child is missing and her best friend is dead? The parents in this story are dealing with this very real situation and it definitely mirrors the nightmares many parents face. Bullying and social media damage all play into the events that surround the missing girl. There is a bit of a missing story that isn't really fully explained involving mom and could have definitely used more story time here. But story had many twists and turns.

The book starts right off with a murder, a young girl is murdered and both parents of Chloe are called to the scene. Her mom, Rowan is the medical examiner and her dad, Axel is the Investigator. It's Chloe's best friend who is dead and then Chloe doesn't make it home the same night. Then another body is found of a young girl. Another friend of Chloe or is there more here? When you tease, insult, threaten, mock, speak mean to or spread rumors about someone with the intent to belittle or embarrass them, it’s considered bullying. Who is the bully? The story is about finding Chloe and the tangled mess of connections that lead you through it. A very fast paced, plot twisting story that will keep you up reading until you reach the end. The story is told through alternating narrators.
I loved this book and am confident you will too if you are a fan of mystery and thrillers! It has all the good stuff you look for in a good book.
Now I am off to the bookstore to buy everything Hannah Morrissey ever wrote!!!!!!!
Thanks to St. Martin Press and NetGalley for the gifted ARC copy. All opinions are my own.






when you tease, insult, threaten, mock, speak mean to or spread rumors about someone with the intent to belittle or embarrass them, it’s considered bullying.

Positively gripping, the author poured her heart into this one, I couldn’t read fast enough. I often read a novel where the location piques my interest. The scenic descriptions of this town are like a visual smorgasbord. So vivid that I assure you Black Harbor, Wisconsin will never be on my bucket list. It’s a dark, evil and gritty place, the frigid cold would be the death of me. There are of course some good people living there just trying to keep the criminals from winning. Rowan is the medical examiner, married to Axel, a homicide detective. Both are so devoted to their jobs, so frequently absent, summoned at all hours day and night, their teenage daughter becomes a stranger. How had they become so utterly clueless about who their teenage daughter was, who her friends are, what she’s doing with the drama teacher. Chloe attends an expensive academy where some of her friends no longer include her in their circle. Talk about mean high school girls, these are beyond vindictive and spiteful! Some of those once inseparable friends have now been viciously murdered and Chloe is missing.
Rowan and Axel are each pursuing every possible lead, each clue, all possibilities to find Chloe before she becomes the next victim. However, they have differing perspectives and theories which fractures their relationship. Is Chloe even alive, can the pieces be reassembled in the once happy family?
Relevant topics including the all to prevalent theme of police cutbacks, budget slashes, and deficit of personnel are interspersed without sounding preachy. As are the timely and tricky issues surrounding the spreading of misinformation, rumors and lies on social media sites. I’m eternally grateful my kids are no longer teenagers. What a wonderfully complex story full of intrigue and emotion that threatened to overwhelm me. There were so many plausible suspects I couldn’t begin to predict the outcome. This was a murder mystery I won’t soon forget.
I highly recommend both the series and the author! A digital advance reader copy of “When I’m Dead” a Black Harbor Novel, by Hannah Morrissey, St Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, was provided by NetGalley. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without any compensation.

This book takes you on a whirlwind of a ride! It carries an eerie feeling throughout! I was waiting for the end with crazy anxiety! A girl is savagely murdered and another one is missing. We are carried into the plot with mostly two points of views-the medical examiner and her husband the detective. The missing girl is their daughter. And as the case progresses, they don’t know if their daughter is alive, dead, or even a suspect. After all, teenagers can be awfully cruel to each other, especially high schoolers! I appreciate Net Galley allowing me to read this ARC. I have enjoyed other books from this author (the Veronica Lee series), and I enjoyed this one as well! Recommended!

Four and one-half stars

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

When cast as Lydia Deetz in “Beetlejuice,” Chloe Winthrop became an emo teenager, explaining that, as a method actor, she was simply getting into character. Her parents, Black Harbor Police Department investigator Axel and medical examiner Rowan, have just discovered a new cause for worry.

Chloe’s best friend, Madison Caldwell, lies beneath a little stone bridge, a murder victim.

As they investigate the fifteen-year-old’s murder, they realize that Chloe is missing.

Is Chloe dead, just like her friend? Or might she still be alive? Did Madison’s murderer take Chloe? Or did Chloe run away?

=========

Third in the author’s Black Harbor series, works well as a standalone. Anchored by a strong sense of place and relatable, believable characters, intrigue fills this dark tale. The plot twists and turns, taking the story in unexpected directions and keeping readers guessing.

With bullying and meanness playing a large role here, readers will find it easy to relate to the unfolding story. But, with so many suspects, readers may find the identification of the culprit an unexpected revelation. The only real issue here stems from Axel continuing to investigate the case even with his daughter’s involvement. It’s doubtful that any police department would allow this.

For readers who enjoy police procedurals and thrillers, this is a perfect tale of murder, mystery, and betrayal.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#WhenImDead #NetGalley

This was so good! 🤗 I always like police procedural thrillers. I liked the characters and the storylines. There were just enough turns to keep me engaged. Good job, Hannah Morrissey! 🤓

Thank you, NetGalley, for letting me read this. I thoroughly enjoyed it! 💗

This was a super compelling read. Daughter of a medical examiner goes missing the same night her best friend has been found murdered. It’s up to Rowan and her husband Axel to team up and bring Chloe home as well as find answers for her best friend’s, Madison’s, death. I thought the suspense was fantastic and the plot paced really well. Kept me guessing and entertained which is rare for me when it comes to these types of thrillers. I’d definitely recommend this and would even check out the rest of the series!

✨When I’m Dead, the third installment in the Black Harbor series by Hannah Morrissey, was a 4 out of 5 star read for me and one I recommend for those who enjoy police procedurals, thrillers, and suspenseful novels that will keep you turning page after page, late into the night.

📚Chloe has recently been cast as Lydia Deetz in her high school’s production of Beetlejuice. Claiming to be a method actor, she’s dyed her hair black and taken on the lifestyle of an “emo teenager.” While her parents, Rowan and Axel, once commended her dedication, they’re now plagued with worry and doubt as Chloe’s closest friends turn up dead. And Chloe is nowhere to be found. Most disturbingly, Chloe’s last words to her mother Rowan, spoken after her high school performance were “You’ll love me more when I’m dead.”

Rowan is a medical examiner in Black Harbor while Axel is a homicide detective. When the body of a young girl is found shortly after the high school performance, they both must leave their daughter, Chloe at school while they rush to the scene. Rowan tells Chloe to catch a ride home with the next door neighbor Marnie who is Rowan’s best friend. Once Rowan and Axel finally arrive home from the disturbing scene, they learn Chloe isn’t there and Marnie was never asked for a ride home. Chloe is missing, a girl is dead, and a killer is on the loose. Time is ticking to unfold the newest mystery in Black Harbor.

✨While this is the third book in the Black Harbor series, they can be read and understood without having read the previous books.
This book was dark and mysterious, suspenseful, and full of intrigue. At one point, I suspected everyone as being guilty! The proposed release date is October 31st, 2023 making this a deliciously spooky tale at the perfect time of year!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Hannah Morrissey for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook ahead of its release in exchange for honest feedback.

It has been a bit since I have tried out a murder mystery - I need to go back and read the actual series, but Hannah Morrissey did a fantastic job. The Black Harbor series is a for sure read for anyone looking for a bit of mystery. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

Started this one and couldn't put it down. It is both a mystery and a story of relationships, husband and wife, parents and children, neighbors. How well do we know the people we love. Very well down and think my older students will like it and relate to the teenagers in it as well 4.5

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of Hannah Morrissey's When I'm Dead.
I enjoyed the book though it was a little slow at the beginning of the novel. Once I got further along, it picked up for me and I started enjoying it more. I did feel as though some parts dragged on throughout the book. I really enjoyed a lot of the descriptions shared throughout the novel. It gave forth very vivid imagery. I would definitely classify the book as a psychological thriller.
I rated the novel as having 4 out of 5 stars due to the slow start. I would recommend this book to others and just let them know to persevere with it and it will be enjoyed.

•Hannah Morrissey’s latest, When I’m Dead, kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time!

•Welcome back to Black Harbor. A teenage girl is murdered and Detective Axel Winthrop and Medical Examiner Rowan Winthrop are determined to figure out who’s behind it. The fact that the victim is their teenage daughter’s best friend, just adds more motivation to solve this case quickly.

•While investigating, their daughter, Chloe, actually goes missing as well. Axel and Rowan race against time to try to figure out what happened to these girls— and if they can save Chloe.

•Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. Make sure you grab a copy when it’s released on October 31, 2023.

I had the privilege of reading this book way in advance. The suspense was perfect and the ending caught me by surprise. I went back and re-read it JUST for the hidden easter eggs I didn’t catch before. I could not recommend this book enough. Definitely Pre-Order while you can! Comes out this year on Halloween!
Thank you Hannah Morrissey & Net Galley for the opportunity to enjoy your work.
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
334 pages (currently)
Favorite quote: “I never trust a guy with two first names.”