3.5 ⭐️

Great Mystery!

Girls in Black Harbor are starting to go missing and being found dead. When Rowan and Axels daughter goes missing. They are caught between her being murdered or being the murderer.

This is was fun, fast paced Mystery novel that takes placed during the Halloween season. The murder acts are detailed and gruesome but bring so much to the storyline.

The plot was good. I wasn’t bored during most of it. There were some parts like I felt like dragged on.

What makes a great Mystery / Thriller is not being able to find out who the killer is until the end. This book did it perfectly. I was shocked to find out who the killer was and the motive behind the killings.

I also did not know this was a series and now I want to go back and read the first books in the series.

Throughout the setup, I wasn’t sure about this book but as it progresses it gripped my attention and didn’t let go. I was kept guessing the whole time, highly suspicious of each character, just as each character was convinced a different person was the killer. I thought that the author did a great job of writing an unsettling character, Libby, while also making her endeared to the reader. She put the perfect amount of interpersonal relationships in the book so that it was not all doom and gloom and revealed the killer at the exact right moment. While the concept isn’t fresh, I loved that I couldn’t predict the ending which is so prevalent in the genre. The only element that pulled me out of the story was the description of their city as this crime filled, drug riddled, rough and tough area but the story took place in a suburban neighborhood with a bougie private school that the parents let their kids walk through the woods to every day. It didn’t quite mesh with the description but I have not read the other Black Harbor novel from the author which may give more background context. Overall I enjoyed this read and would recommend it to any suspense readers or fans or lovers of Karin Slaughter/Tanya French vibes.

OH. MY. GOD!! I recently finished my ARC of When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey - my favorite author for the last couple of years. I started it when I went to bed one night and got about halfway through before Mr. Sandman knocked me out. I finished it the next morning and literally could not put my iPad down.

When I’m Dead totally blew me away!! Great plot, twisted characters, love that the setting is local even though it’s fictional, and I did not have this one figured out til Hannah revealed the killer!

The characters have so much depth. I loved Libby. She’s so relatable. Whether they will admit it or not, everyone was that awkward teen at some point. Rowan and Axel, busy parents trying to juggle demanding careers and family is something that is appropriate now more than ever. Nikolai Kole, a cop with a troubled past, determined to do the right thing. The various teachers and their quirks as well as the dynamics between Chloe, Sari and Libby…. So spot on. Teens these days have so many issues, magnified by the ever present cliques that seem to survive through the ages.

The book gripped me from the first page and did not disappoint. The different twists and turns as the case is unwrapped and the killer is revealed had me on the edge of my seat. I have followed Morrissey since her debut novel and love to see how she has grown as an author. Hello, Transcriber and The Widowmaker were excellent but each book is even better than the last. Highly recommended!

I loved this thriller! It was so good with lots of different twist and turns. I couldn't put it down at all!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Rowan and Axels teenage daughter Chloe goes missing and her friend is murdered in this creepy Black Harbor town. Many twists and turns in this gothic like thriller.
Thanks NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC that will be released October 31, 2023!

I didn’t realize this was third in a series when I requested it. I don’t think I’m missing anything by starting with this one. This was such a suspenseful thrill ride! The author’s descriptions of the gothic town was just superb. It was hard to put this book down and never ceased to grab my attention. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and thought the writing was so creative and original.

This was a really interesting read; I've read a lot of mysteries/thrillers, but something about the writing style of this felt unique to me. It was written in third person, which is not always my favorite, but I appreciated the multiple POV's that we got. Definitely check triggers, as there is some pretty graphic violence directed at teenagers.

The whole book had a dark, melancholy feeling to it, so I had to be in the right mood to read this, but I enjoyed it. I would be interested in reading more from this author.

While this is the third book (I believe) in the Black Harbor series, I hadn't read the others. I'm going to be ordering the others now. I tend NOT to be a fan of series, because at times authors get lazy with the plots. In this case, Chloe goes missing, and as most parents do, they think they know her. It turns out that they really don't. Chloe's best friend goes missing, and Chloe, their own daughter goes missing shortly thereafter. They are in a race to find the girls, but also to make sure they're looking past the life they thought their daughter was living, and look at the truth. I enjoyed this book a great deal. Highly recommended.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is book two in the Black Harbor series. It was a great read. I was hoping that Chloe would be found and there would be a happy ending to this drama. I would recommend the read.

Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp & her husband, Detective Axel Winthrop are called away from their daughter Chloe’s school play to investigate a murder. They recognize the victim as one of Chloe’s best friends. Who killed this teenage girl?

Chloe was supposed to get a ride home with a family friend but she’s nowhere to be found. Now the police are desperately searching for her and trying to find a killer. The clues they are finding lead the couple to wonder if they even know Chloe. Can they find her alive?

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A teenager has been murdered in Black Harbor, Michigan. Another teen is missing. The clues seem to point to the missing teen as the murderer, especially when another teen is killed. The parents of the missing teen investigate the murders all while wondering what happened to their daughter. Is she a killer or a victim? The investigation leads to discoveries about the residents of Black Harbor, both teens and adults. The truth is a bit far far-fetched, but it could only happen in a town like Black Harbor.


Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an e-arc of this book.

I think that I might need to give up on this series. I recognize why some people might like it, but I just cannot connect with the characters or get into the story.

I've been wholly invested in the gritty, wicked world that is Black Harbor since Hannah Morrissey's first novel, HELLO, TRANSCRIBER. In WHEN I'M DEAD, Morrissey expands the Black Harbor universe to introduce Rowan Winthorp and investigator husband Axel, whose lives are upended when their daughter Chloe goes missing right after her best friend is found murdered. Rowan and Axel's proximity to the case complicates matters, but not as much as the discovery that other high school students may be in danger as well.

Featuring Morrissey's signature lush prose and the same breed of dark and twisted plot readers have come to expect from her writing, this thriller -- set around Halloween and with all the requisite late fall vibes -- is one you won't soon forget.

If you read the first two books in this series(Hello,Transcriber & The Widowmaker), you know that Black Harbor is, shall we say, an interesting place. This time, husband and wife, Axel and Rowan, a detective and a medical examiner are investigating the murder of Madison Caldwel. She was a friend of their daughter Chloe(or was she). When Chloe goes missing, they can only think the worst.(IYKYK,Black Harbor isn’t a place where you picture good things happening.)
There are more than a few viable suspects, especially as Axel and Rowan learn how much they didn’t know about their daughter. While they each believe different things about their missing daughter, whatever the truth is, their relationship might never be the same. A page turner, and one that I made very few guesses about the whodunnit and why. The author writes plots that I have so far not been very good at having my final guesses be correct.
The best thing about reading this series? Learning more about the messed up residents of Black Harbor. The worst, wondering when the next book will publish(When I’m Dead publishes in the US on Halloween). Who knows what character the author will focus on next, but I can’t wait to find out.
I really really like this series! 4.5 stars.

As with her other two novels this one is dark and gritty and twisty in ways that are a pinch demented, yet there always seems to be some redeeming factor. The only drawback(s) are the constant reminders of what a terrible, crime-ridden place this is to live - which become a bit tiresome.

Firstly, thank you NetGalley, Hannah Morrissey, and Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press for the early access of this book I have been trying to imagine how I’d wait until October to read! Now it’s just the countdown to when I can finally hold the book in my hands!

It’s crazy to me just how much of this book reminded me of home and my life. The suspense was perfectly build by the chapter, and there was no shortage of suspects. The language throughout the mystery sets the scene and helps you picture the town as easily as seeing it on a screen. WHEN I’M DEAD is the third Black Harbor mystery from Morrissey and you know the saying…”good things come in threes” and man oh man is it so true!

You’ll wonder who did it, you’ll try to pin it on every suspect you meet, and it’ll (unfortunately) probably remind you of a high school experience at moments, but the love and humanity of the characters and their fears and insecurities will leave you feeling like you have a new set of friends by the last page. (And will leave you wishing that Morrissey was a real life friend of yours!)

When I'm dead was a book I didn't know how I;d feel about but came out loving. Thank you so much netgalley for letting me read this arc/

This book kept me interested the whole time. It was very hard to put down. The author keeps you guessing the whole time.

A murder mystery in Black Harbor Missouri. 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.

Although not as intense as the first two in this series, I did enjoy it. One thing I found troubling with the story was how much weight the mom gave to the concept of karma. Not knocking karma in any way, but the way the mom became so neurotic over what happened in the past was a little over the top, especially for something that happened that was clearly not even her fault. But otherwise the storyline was great and I blazed through it. I LOVE this author.

Hannah Morrissey, can we be best friends?

Holy Moly, I knew Morrissey was good, even great but my goodness did she deliver when it comes to her most recent upcoming publication, When I'm Dead.

I don't think I really knew what I was getting into. Bookstagram was buzzing for When I'm Dead before I had personally discovered it myself. My major FOMO kicked in and I knew I had to find out what had everyone up in arms. It was a long shot, I knew how popular Morrissey is but hey Im a cute little ankle biting book blogger, maybe the publisher will pick me!!

Well, thank you.

Now I get to spend every day bragging up until the big release on how I got to read this incredible, sure to be bestseller. My socks were literally knocked off!

The dynamic of characters, the plot, the twist.... just EVERYTHING!!!

I can't stop gushing. I have already pre-ordered quite a few copies for friends. There is no way in heck I will be lending out my own personal copy.

If you want to see what has me in a tizzy, you are going to have to pre-order yourself a copy!

Due out October 31, 2023 ( yes we have ourselves a little halloween scare!) you do not want to miss this one.

Teaser :

On a bone-chilling October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp investigates the death of her daughter’s best friend. Hours later, the tragedy hits even closer to home when she makes a devastating discovery—her daughter, Chloe, is gone. But, not without a trace.

A morbid mosaic of clues forces Rowan and her husband to question how deeply they really knew their daughter. As they work closely to peel back the layers of this case, they begin to unearth disturbing details about Chloe and her secret transgressions…details that threaten to tear them apart.

Amidst the noise of navigating her newfound grief and reconciling the sins of her past, an undeniable fact rings true for Rowan: karma has finally come to collect.