This is such a good mystery. Lots of twists. One girl is dead and another disappears.
Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Hannah Morrissey has quickly and easily become one of my favorite authors. I absolutely LOVED Hello, Transcriber and The Widowmaker so I had very high hopes and expectations for When I'm Dead. And it did NOT disappoint!

We're back in Black Harbor, the fictional town that joins all 3 of Hannah's novels, and I think When I'm Dead may be the darkest installment yet. I like my thrillers dark, twisty, atmospheric, and character driven and When I'm Dead ticked ALL of those boxes. It's creepy and weird and grim and I mean all of those things as tremendous compliments!

If you're in the mood for a chilly thriller (set around Halloween - bonus!), When I'm Dead is definitely the one!

Many thanks to my friends at @minotaur and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies of this book.

Dark. Intense. Fast paced.

“You’ll love me more when I’m dead.”

As Rowan arrives on the scene of a new murder investigation, she’s haunted by the last words her daughter said. Rowan and her detective husband, Tom, often struggle to balance family life with the demands of career. When Chloe goes missing, everything, even the job, turns personal.

Not for the faint of heart, this is a disturbing narrative focused on the brutal murders of teenage girls. Set during Halloween, the plot is fittingly dark and gruesome.

The standout element in this book (and the series as a whole) is the rendering of the town itself. A crime ridden, dying place everyone longs to escape, yet within the read, it’s a living component that haunts every part of the plot.

With the storyline revolving around a family—daughter missing, mom and dad working a connected investigation— it’s a tangled web of duty and devotion. The personal connections upped the stakes and amplified the anxiety-ridden search. While this did require some suspension of belief, the emotional complexity heightened the intensity, making it a worthwhile tradeoff.

I read this one around Halloween, and it set the perfect tone. I’m already looking forward to my next trip to Black Harbor.

🎧 Narrated by a full cast, the audiobook was hard to put down. It created a distinction between characters and oozed with suspense and emotion. XE Sands’ performances consistently deliver. Yet within this cast, her sections were imbalanced, both faster and quieter. This was a small frustration, but it interfered with overall continuity.

I have been provided with a review copy of When I'm Dead from NetGalley for an impartial review. This book was just so easy to get lost in. I completely got lost in the story and I just loved getting to see these new characters come together. I just absolutely love this story and I just didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

I enjoy Hannah Morrissey's writing very much. Her writing is clean and easy to consume. Her characters have personality and are very easy to connect with. I enjoy this series and the setting and the characters. Its hard to give too much of a review on book 3 of the series but without spoiling anything, I'd say that Hannah has created a great dark work in which these characters reside that shows you the gritty side of life. They are real people in real situations and you do not have to suspend disbelief to enjoy the story.

This was my first novel by Hannah Morrisey and overall I really enjoyed it! This book kept me guessing the whole time! I will definitely want to read the other books in this series.

Of course I didn’t notice this was a book in a series before getting it. A girl’s parents both work at solving crimes/in the morgue so she feels like she would get more attention if she was dead. Kinda annoying at times but enjoyed the twists and the story moved along.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was book 3 in the Black Harbor series, but having not read any of the others, I felt like the story held up well as a standalone. Two dead teens, a mean girl clique, rumors galore, suspense, and intrigue, this kept my attention throughout. Loved the tie-in with Beetlejuice, as it’s such a classic movie! Thanks so much to Hannah Morrissey, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-arc!

Thank you to St Martins Press and NetGalley for an electronic version of this book.

Rowan and Axel are no strangers to crime, as a medical examiner and detective they’re seen their fare share. But when their daughter goes missing the same night as one of her classmates is brutally murdered, their ability to solve a crime could mean the difference between finding their daughter dead or alive.

I thought Morrissey’s writing was solid enough and would read another by her, but there was a lot I struggled with in this book. Axel and Rowan seemingly go about their lives while their daughter is missing, continuing on with carving pumpkins and going to ju jitsu. The people of the town let their teenagers go to an haunted house despite a murderer on the loose. Some of these plot points were really hard for me to understand. But those who could see past these things and appreciate a dark, atmospheric crime novel may enjoy this one more.

I overall thought this book had a great concept. However, I couldn’t get into it. I had trouble focusing on the story line and it didn’t really hook me in. I do believe that others may think differently about this book it just wasn’t my interest after reading a few chapters.

Intoxicating, gritty and elegant, this haunting murder mystery had me gripped from the start and featured everything I love in a thriller: gothic vibes, teenage angst, twists galore, and the agony and emotion of a compelling mother-daughter relationship.

The story starts with a bang with one teenage girl murdered. Then Rowan Winthrope, the town’s medical examiner, and her husband, Axel, a homicide detective, realize their daughter Chloe is missing. And is a prime suspect in the girl’s murder.

Wildly original, this dark and twisted tale is not to be missed.

Okay, this one was good! I knew the description sounded great and it lived up to it.

It was thrilling and creepy and kept me turning pages. Everything you could want in a book like this.

Another page turner coming in hot. With parents as a medical examiner and detective respectively, one could not imagine Chloe living a normal teenage life. When Chloe lands the lead in her school play, a girl turns up dead and Chloe’s parents are on the case; missing her play. It’s at this point, Chloe goes missing. A series of events following point the finger in different directions regarding the supposed killer while Rowan (Chloe’s mom, medical examiner) and Axel (Chloe’s dad, detective) fight to separate themselves as parents and in their professional roles. I finished this book rather quickly and was not shocked with the ending however I didn’t discover the killer until later on in the read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I'm Dead is the third mystery in the Black Harbor series. I have not read the previous two books, and this did not hinder my understanding or enjoyment of the book in any way. One thing that becomes immediately clear, Black Harbor is a place that people want to leave, want to escape from. Bad things happen in the town and there is a dark and menacing atmosphere that hangs over it.

Thus, we are not surprised to find a murdered young woman on the opening pages of the book. Rowan Winthrop, Black Harbor's medical examineer, and her husband Axel, who is a detective, are often involved in the same cases. Such is the situation when they are both called to the scene of a murder. Rowan realizes that the murdered girl is a friend of her daughter Chloe, or at least at one time they were friends. Chloe is starring in her school play, and both her parents are called away because of the murder. This is an all to common occurrence in Chloe's life. When her parents eventually return from their gruesome work, they find that their daughter never made it home.

The rest of the book is chasing down leads to try to find their daughter, with another murder or two along the way. their are suspects a plenty, and I was kept on the edge of my seat trying to determine who the killer was. The conclusion was satisfying, and I enjoyed reading this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Hannah Morrissey, and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an entertaining thriller where it starts with a murder.

Rowan is a medical examiner and Axel is detective. They are both at a high school musical where their daughter, Chloe, is the lead. Unexpectedly they both must leave to go to a crime scene, a crime scene where their daughter’s best friend is the victim. Later when they return home, Chloe is missing. Did she run away, did something happen to her, or did she have something to do with her best friend’s death?

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this one. Told via multiple points of view of a cast of complex characters. The suspense made it difficult to put down. It kept me guessing what really happened to Chloe and who was responsible for her best friend’s death. I loved all the twists and the ending. This one is perfect for those who enjoy true crime.

When I'm Dead is the 3rd book in a series, which I did not know until I started to post this review. I am not sure if that affects my opinion in any way. I found the book to be OK. I guessed the murderer, which isn't always a bad thing. I agree with other reviewers that there were too many things that were a bit unrealistic, such as a father (cop) that's allowed to work on a case that involves his missing daughter who may or may not be the murderer. Same with the mother, who is the medical examiner. She shouldn't be allowed anywhere near any of the bodies since her family is so close to the case. Also, taxidermy class at a private school? Very strange!

Thank you to the author, publishers, and also to NetGalley for a complimentary digital copy of WHEN I'M DEAD. All views are mine.

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. Nice moody atmosphere actually feels cold and gives me goosebumps, more than once!

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. It doesn't seem likely these two parents would be allowed to work on their daughter's disappearance in any case.

2. I'm really struck by how unimpressive this book is for me. That's always a style problem, with me. In this case, the sentences all sound the same and certain images and ideas repeat over and over. This could be and probably is foreshadowing, but I'm distracted with all the repetition.

3. The ending is unfittingly preposterous.

Rating: 👮👮‍♀️ cop parents
Recommend? Not really...
Finished: Nov 2 '23
Format: Digital copy, Kindle, NetGalley, SMPI
Read this book if you like:
🛴 character driven books
🔪 thrillers
🫥 missing person
🌫 moody stories

More twists than a pretzel in this. You will be hooked from the start and guessing until the end. Also while this is in a series it is 100% readable and enjoyable completely as a stand alone so don’t feel like you have to commit to the previous books first.

Hannah Morrissey's 'When I'm Dead' plunges the reader into the chilling depths of book three in the Black Harbor mystery series, intertwining the raw emotion of a family tragedy with a gripping crime narrative. The story opens on a bone-chilling October night, introducing us to Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp as she grapples with the death of her daughter’s friend and the subsequent disappearance of her own daughter, Chloe.

Morrissey masterfully crafts a tale that is as much a poignant reflection on the complexities of teenage life as it is a compelling crime drama. The book delves deep into the themes of parental responsibility, the hidden lives of teenagers, and the heart-wrenching consequences of secrets kept and judgments misplaced.

The narrative is skillfully woven, offering an insightful look into the police procedural and the personal lives of those involved in solving the crime. Morrissey's writing style is fluid and engaging, making the book a fast-paced read that is both thrilling and emotionally resonant.

What sets this novel apart is its ability to not just tell a mystery, but to also explore the emotional undercurrents of its characters. The journey of Rowan and her husband, as they unravel the layers of Chloe’s secret life, is filled with suspense and heartache, highlighting the often unseen side of familial relationships and teenage rebellion.

I enjoyed this story but felt like it really dragged. The ending was very captivating and I wish more of those details were throughout the whole book.