Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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I’ve only read two of the three in the Black Harbor series. but after this one I am officially obsessed. All of the books can be read as stand alone novels. There are references to the other books where Morrissey gives enough details to which you understnad the gist of what happened in each book (whichhh I guess is a spoiler but still if your starting with this one who really cares - am I right?).
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I flew through this one in a matter of two days. Hannah Morrissey has a way of creating this town that is just so dark, drabby and full of death, yet makes it seem like there’s some normalcy there. The murders are always brutal and very descriptive. This one starts right off with a murder and just keeps you hooked with more throughout the story. When I’m Dead is told in multiple POVs, which is a favorite of mine.
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This one brought me back to highschool days, when I remember how cruel girls could be. The things I watched happen makes me wonder how the hell I even survived. I love how all of the girls secrets were uncovered and how much you constantly are questioning each of the characters. Rowan and Axel are phenomenal and I would love to read more with them.
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The mystery surrounding this particular case was addicting. I wanted to know what happened to the girls, I wanted to know who was behind everything. When I’m Dead is super fast paced and there were many times that I found myself unable to put this down. This was super thrilling and suspenseful with really great twists thrown in to give you that shock factor!
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The audiobook is a full cast consisting of Andrew Eiden, Caitlin Kelly, Gary Tiedemann and Xe Sands all fo who were great! I really enjoyed listening to this one!
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I jumped into a buddy read with this one with @rachels.lit.reviews, @books_wine_and_sunshine, @bookedwithheather, @bubblebathbookworm and @readingwithmrsleaf. Cannot wait to discuss it! Huge thank you to @netgalley, @hannahmorrissey and @macmillanaudio and @stmartinspress and @minataurbooks for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the 3rd in a series but a 1st time read for me! Maybe reading the other two Black Harbor novels would have made this more interesting to me but all in all, I don't think it kept me from being able to enjoy the story. What kept me from being able to love the story was how many times I was asked to suspend my belief.

It's okay that the father of the missing child is hands on in the investigation, go with it! Yeah, totally normal that the medical examiner can autopsy the neighborhood kid she's known since they were a baby! How Rowan and Axel are allowed anywhere near what's happening once, let alone throughout the entire 3 pronged investigation is beyond... Black Harbor is filled with a cast of characters but I didn't really connect with any in particular. Idk. It was alright but not a novel I would recommend. 2.5 stars.

This was my first time reading this author. I enjoyed the story, although I did find it a bit gruesome at certain points. The story centers on a girl named Chloe, who goes missing. Meanwhile, another girl is dead and they can’t figure out who did it. Chloe‘s parents are a medical examiner and a cop and they’re desperately trying to figure out where their daughter is and why people keep ending up dead. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an advanced audio copy.

3.5/5 stars

This is apparently part of a series, but I listened to as a standalone. It is multiple POV which keeps me intrigued as I am getting different revelations from different characters. Chapters were relatively short and ended with cliffhangers that kept me listening until I was all the way through. There are a fair amount of red herrings along the way and a lot of different twists.

Definitely interested in reading the first and second book in the series to get the main character's back stories.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey

Thank you to @netgalley, @minotaurbooks, and the author, @hannahmorrisseywriter for the opportunity to read this #advancedreadercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview! This book is available now for preorder and will be published October 31. 🖤

A chilly night in October, Rowan Winthorp, Black Harbor Medical Examiner, is called in to investigate the murder of her daughter’s best friend. But the night takes an even more grim turn when their daughter, Chloe, disappears. Unsure if Chloe is the next target of this killer or possibly the killer herself, the race is on to find Chloe before it’s too late.

I have enjoyed this series so much! When I realized book 3 in the Black Harbor series was on the way I sprinted to Netgalley (and also ordered the physical copy from BOTM!)! This is definitely a book that makes sense and can be read as a standalone but there are characters and references to the other books that you’ll appreciate if you’ve read the other books. This book was chock full with eery suspense, red herrings, and an ever-changing array of suspects. The audiobook has a full cast and I LOVE that! I highly recommend for those looking for a suspenseful mystery.

TW: bully*ng, g*slighting, viol*nce, in*ppropriate relationships, more

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ - 4.5/5

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. There were many twists and turns, and just when I thought I had it figured out, I didn't! My only beef with it was the female narrator for Rowan. I felt she was a bit monotone to play the grieving mother. The parents, in my opinion, didn't seem distraught enough at the fact that their daughter was missing. There could've been a little more emotion shown there. Other than that, I thought it was a wonderful story! I would definitely recommend it to others!

Kudos to Book Of The Month for featuring this book, creating an opportunity for me to read a new to me author & now an author that I want to read her whole backlist! 🙌🏼

This book sucked me in from the beginning! Filled with fairly short chapters from multiple POVs - the mini cliffhangers on the ends of those chapters kept me intrigued!

The different possibilities of who could have been the killer in the small town of Black Harbor was something that kept me thinking & guessing. Just when I’d think it was one character, evidence would point to another - making for a very face paced read.

I appreciated being able to read this both in physical format & listen to it on audiobook. The only critique I have is that the narrator for Rowan was very melancholic no matter what was being described or occurring. I understand that there is a part of her character that requires this, but for the consistent mopey-ness was a little bit of a struggle when it came to those chapters.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book - how fast paced it is & the twists and turns did keep me guessing!

I almost passed on this book because apparently it’s the third in a series and I’m usually too type A to not read the other books first. However, the synopsis sounded so good that I thought I’d just jump in and I’m glad I did! This was a great thriller! I didn’t feel like I missed anything important by skipping the first two books. The suspects were crazy creepy (the taxidermy girl?!? ) and I was hooked from the beginning. I wasn’t as big of a fan of all the focus on Rowan and her husband’s relationship, but that’s probably because I didn’t have their full backstory. Otherwise, this was a thrilling read that I’d highly recommend to my fellow thriller lovers!

4.5 stars

I went back and forth between the audiobook and the physical book. The narration was well done.

Read if you like:
#️⃣ Multiple PoV
📚 Stand-alone in a Series
🔎 Mysteries
🚨Police Investigations
🚬 Feeling of Guilt
🗣️ The ‘Bad Guy’s’ POV

This one sucked me in pretty quickly needing to know what the heck was going on where was Chloe and was she even alive?! Or was she behind the killing of her classmate?!

I have to admit, Rowan’s POV didn’t really add to the story, felt repetitive, and her guilt was truly so annoying in the context of the story with your daughter missing and instead of fully being focused on that, she was focused on something that happened 18 years ago that’s unrelated.

I did pretty much guess who the responsible party was for what was happening and felt pretty obvious but the twist of why I didn’t see coming.

I also didn’t like how with the reveal we got the explaination first before the scene unfolding where it made it anticlimactic for me personally.

All in all, I enjoyed the first part more than the second part of the book and wish I had enjoyed it more but it didn’t fully deliver on what I was hoping for.

Thanks so much to the publisher for my ARC of this one!

This was a domestic drama and murder mystery combination done well.

Husband and wife, Rowan and Axel are the local medical examiner and a detective in Black Harbor. Their town has been overrun with murders which keeps them busy non-stop. In the midst of this, their fifteen year old daughter is often falling through the cracks. Chloe seems to always lose out to a dead body and when she does, both parents have to go, not just one. So, when Chloe goes missing, Rowan and Axel's world is rocked and everything they thought they knew is thrown into chaos. Is their daughter even the girl they thought she was? Or a completely different person?

In trying to investigate the death of one of Chloe's friends while also trying to find Chloe, many things are uncovered about not just Chloe but also her so-called friends. Things definitely weren't what they appeared to be. Will Rowan and Axel pull together or will it rip them apart?

This was an intriguing read. The clues were thrown out at sporadic times and the narrators weren't always reliables so you truly didn't know who did what until the very end. It was cleverly written and I'll definitely look to read more by this author.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I really enjoyed the audiobook. The narrators were talented and fit the characters well. It all blended together well and enriched the storyline. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook. I chose to review both of them and the opinions contained within are my own.

This is my first Hannah Morrissey book so obviously the first book for me in the Black Harbor Series. It will not be my last. I was lucky to get this audio book with a cast of narrators and it was wonderful. Some of the other reviewers talk about this being a little slow - just when it would start to get a little slow - boom! a clue is dropped and you are right back in it. I thought the timing was perfect.
Black Harbor is a cesspool of humanity and criminals and Rowan and Alex are giving more than they have to get rid of the crime there. The intrigue, mystery, and the authors ability to bring the reader in closer and closer to the situation and keep the reader invested is perfectly matched with the storyline.

Now excuse me while I read 1 and 2 and get ready for 4!!

This was interesting at first but it felt like it went on FOREVER!! It seriously felt like one of the longer thrillers I've listened to. It was interesting at points but also super slow at other times. I almost just quit but I wanted to know the conclusion.

I totally suspected our murderer when we met them but didn't see the whole ending so at least there is that. I did like the creepy Halloween vibes. But this felt way too long and dry. Overall, not my fav. The audio was pretty good that I didn't like the female voice for the moment character.

When I’m Dead is a twisty and atmospheric thriller that will keep you glued to the page!

There is so much tensions and suspense in this novel! I listened to it and couldn’t turn it off. I haven’t had a book keep me up late in a while and I loved how this one had me going through all the possible theories late into the night.

The characters in this novel are complicated and interesting. The author did an excellent job of capturing the emotions of the parents looking for their missing child and depicting what it’s like to be a teenage girl.

I enjoyed the full cast narration for the most part. I think that Rowan’s narrator could have been a bit more expressive.

If you’re looking for a fall read, this is it!

In complete honesty, I wasn't the biggest fan of Hello Transcriber. It didn't speak to me, and I wasn't able to connect with the characters, but I gave Hannah Morissey a second chance with The Widow Maker, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. With When I'm Dead, I'm a Hannah Morissey fan. This was by far the best in the series so far. Not only are we learning more about the cesspool of humanity that is Black Harbor, but we're getting to know more of the characters that we've only known on the periphery, and they're fascinating. I loved the interplay between Rowan and Axel and their search for their missing daughter. With the expertly placed red herrings, it's impossible to know who the true villain is, and I loved it. The narrators for this book are perfect@ They nailed every suspenseful minute!

Really enjoyed this thriller - you really jump right into it. Fast-paced and definitely keeps you on your tips. Multiple POV and unreliable narrators. I did end up figuring out "who did it" early on but I think that was kind of intentional.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I had not read any other books in this series so it can definitely be a stand alone. I was drawn in by the couple working the case together with their child as a victim.
I did not suspect the ending so that’s a positive. The storyline slowly led you there with some red herrings along the way.
The book opens with a graphic crime scene and other deaths along the way are also gruesome. This was a cool aspect for me but might be too much for some.
I always enjoy different narrators for different characters. I found the audio for rowen hard to understand at times bc of the gravelly voice and I usually had to turn the volume up on those chapters.
Overall, I liked the book and appreciated that the characters were distinct, distinguishable, detailed enough to create a good visual in my mind. There was diversity but it wasn’t an overt theme, just a normal makeup of the community.
The ending, however, lost me a bit. Unlike many stories that build and build only to rush the conclusion, this conclusion seemed to go on quite a while and required a lot of suspension of belief.
Oh, and the sex scenes were gratuitous. They contributed little and I don’t think most people would have much libido in the midst of searching for their missing child and finding other dead people along the way. Thus, 3 stars overall.

A morbid murder mystery and suspense novel great for spooky season. On a cold October night, a small town is investigating the death of a teenage girl. That same night, the girl’s best friend Chloe - daughter of the medical examiner - goes missing. As the case progresses, secrets come to the surface and more than one will fall victim as the question remains: is Chloe also a victim, or is she responsible for all of it?
The story was good, if not a little predictable, but there were almost too many perspectives to follow along with. The book’s narrators Andrew Eiden, Caitlin Kelly,
Gary Tiedemann, and Xe Sands all brought the story to life though!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Minotaur for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This comes out 10/31!

I enjoyed this one! I liked that the audio was narrated by different people for each character. I didn’t realize that this was a part of a series and even though it can definitely be read as a stand-alone I feel like I would have been more connected to the characters if I read the others but that is me not the author or the writing. This took twists and turn I wasn’t expecting but that is something I love in a thriller!

A police detective and medical examiner who are a married couple find themselves at the heart of a murder investigation of their daughter’s friend. The daughter has become closed off and difficult lately and signs are pointing to her involvement. Now she’s missing and her last words to her mother were, “You’ll love me more when I’m dead.”

This is #3 in the Black Harbor series, but can be read as a standalone. The town is the constant in the series with different characters. Unfortunately this one was not for me. The idea that any police force would allow the employee parents to run a murder investigation where they knew the victim and their missing daughter is a potential suspect is well beyond ridiculous no matter how short staffed they are. Even if I could set that aside, the abundance of cliched antidotes and the “teeth sucking” threw me right over the edge. Who the murderer is was clear from the first time you meet them with no surprising twists. Usually a multicast narration is helpful, but in this case it was not. The voice actor for Rowan mumbled and whispered so much that I was constantly changing the volume. Then the voice actor for Axel did the same thing.😳 I did think the voice actor for Libby was quite good though. Clearly others liked this more than I did so if you are interested, there are plenty of more positive reviews to read. I would rate the story three stars, but the frustrating narration was a factor. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advance audio copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This gothic thriller has so many scenarios and secrets. Is someone out for revenge? Did Chloe plan her own disappearance? Is she alive? Will Chloe’s parents being able to handle the stress? Another novel that kept me up to finish. I had to find out what happened to Chloe, and I was invested in her.