"We either bend to your power or we break. And if we're lucky, we are set free."

After loving the first three books in the Black Harbor series, I always hoped that we would see Hazel again. After her role in Hello, Transcriber, I always wanted to know more, and The Unlucky Ones is exactly what I hoped it would be. While it wraps up some of the loose ends from earlier in the series, more are unraveled. This series and dark and gritty, but, as evidenced by the quote at the beginning of this review, there's also hope and resilience. I love this series. It's one of my favorites. I've said it before, but I'm going to repeat it here. I am always fascinated by my visits to Black Harbor, but I definitely wouldn't want to live there.

i am in my crime procedural thriller era and im not even mad at it. this one was GREAT!

i did find the beginning to be a little confusing because we were thrown into the major crime this story revolves around and since i didn’t read the other books in this series i had whiplash. i feel like you don’t NEED to read the other books but maybe it would be helpful because the beginning of this book starts off with a bang and context and background would’ve been useful.

but as the story goes on and the plot progresses i was hooked. i love the way the author is so atmospheric and detailed in the way she describes the town and the tug and pull that hazel and kole experience with it. they are both complex but their addiction to each other was fun to read and was an excellent tie-in.

this book was chilling, intense, dramatic and all around a great read. i loved the high stakes ending and i can’t wait for the next book in this series!!!! im definitely going to read the other books in this series too!

thank you to st. martins press, netgalley and hannah morrissey for the advance readers copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

When I’m Dead was my first book in the Black Harbor series and I enjoyed it, so when I saw this new one coming out I had to snag it. I was intrigued by The Unlucky Ones, it was captivating and action-packed and full of suspense. It had great pacing and I loved the dual POV.

I wish I had read the first two books in this “series” though first; there was a lot of context missing that probably would’ve made me enjoy the book even more if I had. It definitely makes me want to go back and re-read them!

Also, I’m a Swiftie but the Taylor Swift lyrics scattered throughout the book were driving me nuts. They annoyed me, rather than enhancing the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy of The Unlucky Ones! Hannah Morrisey is my newest auto-buy author, and I loved this return to Black Harbor. This book had everything I love in a thriller: perfect pacing, an atmospheric setting, and memorable characters. Bravo.

If this is the last black harbor book I will be devastated. I’m so emotionally invested in Hazel. Anywho, I loved this. It’s dark and gritty. Morrisey isn’t afraid to push the limits. Maybe I am partial as a former Wisconsinite but this small town and its darkness is so visceral throughout the series but especially this installment. The mystery itself is engrossing as well. There’s not a lull to be found.

A nice circular ending - starting and ending with Hazel.

This wasn’t my favorite foray into Black Harbor but I’m happy with how this series ended. And I’m especially glad to see Hudson again 🥹 that’s baby boy.

Will always be excited if Hannah Morrissey writes anymore but either way that I’m happy with how this wrapped up.

Pub date: out now!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

This was my first book by Hannah Morrissey. I didn’t realize that The Unlucky Ones was the fourth book in a series. I think they can all be read as a stand-alone.
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This was a crime/thriller/police procedural book with a dash of romance thrown in.
Hazel returns to Black Harbor to look into the death of her ex husband. She also has a complicated relationship with the Nikolai, the lead detective.
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This book was all about the violet crimes and drugs in Black Harbor.
3 stars

Dark and gritty, Morissey delivers a mystery/crime/police procedural work of fiction with quality prose.

Black Harbor is a cesspool of evil. Crime rules the city, and Nikolai Kole is doing what he can to combat it. When a brutal murder occurs, the ex-wife of the victim, and Kole’s former lover, returns to Black Harbor to find out why.

Fans of the series will undoubtedly enjoy this one, as well as anyone who reads this genre. It can be read as a stand alone (which I did) but I do think it would be appreciated more for those who are familiar with Hazel and Kole.

Thank you to Minotaur books and NetGalley.

Oh, Hannah's Black Harbor series just keeps getting better! This is only the second book of hers that I've readybut I 100% enjoyed it! It kept me on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time, waiting to see just what else was around the corner.
A small desolate town, with an impossible drug problem, and Hazel is back in town to find how how and why her ex-husband was killed. I loved the intensity of the characters and the interconnections they all have.
An exciting crime detective thriller, I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this early release in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pub Date: 25 March 2025

The Unlucky Ones is the fourth book in the Black Harbor series and my second book by Hannah Morrissey and it solidifies that I need to go back and read the first two books in the series especially since Hazel came back to Black Harbor.

Hazel is the police transcriber from the first book in the series and who got a behind the scenes look into an investigation through Detective Nikolai Kole and now she’s returned to Black Harbor after learning about her ex-husband’s death. Nik doesn’t know what to make of Hazel’s return; she left once but she came back and he wants to know why but finding out could cause more harm than good for both of them.

Nik and Hazel are both complex characters and the town of Black Harbor takes on its own persona as well throughout the series being the driving force behind the criminal underworld. It takes a lot for Hazel to return to Black Harbor and Nik because both have a way of consuming you whole if you aren’t careful. Hazel has changed but hasn’t since leaving but now she understands Nik and herself better and how he’s needed in Black Harbor she just has to decide if she wants to be with him too.


Thank you publishers and netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Hannah Morrissey, does it again

The Unlucky Ones

This book is DARK. Morrissey introduces us to some pretty intriguing characters, well developed and flawed... . Black Harbor, a character in itself. A town thick with corruption, tensions and secrets. Morrissey does an incredible job creating a sense of dread that lingers behind every corner.

This is book 4 in Black Harbor series and the return of Nikolai and Hazel . Their relationship riddled with tension and unresolved issues plays out throughout the book and you can feel the emotion within both of them.

What happened to Tommy Greenlee?

The mystery surrounding the murder of Tommy Greenlee is intricate and engaging, Morrissey skillfully weaves together multiple story lines while always keeping you on your toes. So many twists and turns, I could never see what was coming next.

5 stars

Check out this teaser :

Black Harbor is a tinderbox. Temperatures and violent crime have both risen to all-time highs, a new drug razes the city, and the scene to which Sergeant Nikolai Kole responds is anything but a rote homicide. In the back of a clubhouse lies a body wrapped in garbage bags and doused in bleach.

It isn’t just any body. Tommy Greenlee, the ex-husband of Kole’s former lover, Hazel, has been shot several times and left for dead. What’s more…the killer left what appears to be a calling card.

Elsewhere, Hazel is haunted by her memories of Black Harbor. Lured there after eight years, she returns to find out who killed Tommy and why. Now back in Kole’s orbit, their love affair can hardly pick up where it left off. They both used each other to their own ends before, which begs the question: would they do it again?

With the atmosphere growing more volatile by the second, Hazel and Kole call a truce, and as they work together to solve this murder, they will not only unearth Black Harbor’s deepest, darkest secrets―they’ll each have to face their own.

The Unlucky Ones
By @morrisseybooks
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

-Murder Investigation
-Crime-filled city
-Cops & Drug Lords
-Relationship/Love
-Touches a little on Domestic Violence

Hazel is a beautiful, 30-something, successful new author with a history of overcoming domestic violence and starting a new life in Brooklyn. After nearly a decade, she learns that her ex-husband has been murdered and she returns to the crime-filled city of her past to learn more about the murder and maybe get a bit of inspiration for her next book too!

Nik is the lead detective investigating the murder and also a past love interest of Hazel's but who still has feelings after 10 years?

The book started off slow and I initially struggled to have a clear distinction of the individuality of each of the members on the detective's team, but i'm glad I stuck with it, because it all came together, was a great story and it picked up quite a bit.

This is a great book for true crime fans and murder mystery genre. This is a little outside of my usual reading because it was heavily focused on the detectives perspective of the investigation.

Happy Publication Month to @hannahmorrisseywriter and thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this digital ARC!

This novel is brand new and was published 5 days ago - will you be adding it to your spring back bag? Let me know what you think!

#readingtime #reader #readersofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #booknerd #bookdragon #bookreader #readers #reading #truecrimeaddict #murder #murdermystery

Despite my usual enthusiasm for police procedurals, this one didn't grab me. As the fourth book in the Black Harbor series, I was at a disadvantage at not being to form an emotional connection to Sergeant Nikolai Kole, Hazel, or the other recurring characters whose shared history clearly built on events from previous books.
The premise of Hazel returning to investigate her ex-husband's murder had potential, but the execution felt disjointed. The narrative bounced between characters and subplots involving drugs and corruption, making it difficult to stay focused on the central mystery.
While Morrissey creates an atmospheric setting, Black Harbor seemed like your average fictional crime-ridden town without that crucial character and setting connection. The investigation lacked the tension and momentum that makes a good procedural compelling to me. As I say, I need a timeline to SNAP and this moved pretty slowly to me.
I'm comfortable being the dissenting opinion among the many positive reviews. My experience only illustrates the importance of reading a series from the beginning and forming a relationship with the characters.

I had enjoyed a previous Black Harbor book and looked forward to reconnecting with the characters. Wrong.

Hazel's ex husband, who told her that she would never leave Black Harbor alive, though she did just that years ago, has been murdered and she returns to the town to see what happened to him. I still haven't figured out why she chose to do that as she had felt enough fear of him to still see him everywhere as she tried to live a normal life away from him.

Of course Nik, the man she'd had a relationship with (while married, of course) is the investigator she has thought of for years. You can guess where this is going. Through in a bunch of drug people and fellow officers along with some low life people and you find there is no one you care about in this book.

Pet peeve: why do authors insist on naming people by first and last name repeatedly throughout the book? Do you think we are stupid or are you getting paid by the word? Example: there is only one Aubrey in the book so why do you throw in her last name almost every time she is mentioned?Ditto for Nik- why spell out his entire first and last name when he is the only Nik?

Pet peeve #2: why are there constant recaps? Again-do you think we are stupid or paid by the word?

I won't be reading anything else by this author. Thank you NetGalley for and advance reader copy. Honest opinions expressed here are my own and are freely given.

Hannah Morrissey delivers another dark, atmospheric thriller with The Unlucky Ones, a gripping addition to the Black Harbor series. The novel plunges readers into a city on the edge, where crime, corruption, and personal demons intertwine. Hazel, a former police transcriber turned novelist, is drawn back into Black Harbor’s shadows when her ex-husband is brutally murdered. Teaming up with Sergeant Nikolai Kole—her former lover with whom she shares a complicated past—she navigates a case that’s as personal as it is dangerous.

Morrissey’s writing is sharp and immersive, painting Black Harbor as a character in itself—gritty, relentless, and suffocating. The tension between Hazel and Kole adds an emotional depth to the murder mystery, making their uneasy alliance just as compelling as the crime they’re trying to solve. While the plot occasionally leans into familiar noir tropes, the novel’s raw intensity and tightly woven suspense keep the pages turning. The Unlucky Ones is a chilling, well-crafted thriller that will satisfy fans of dark, character-driven mysteries.

I’ve followed the Broken Harbor series since Hello, Transcriber, and was thrilled to see Hazel return. Hannah Morrissey knows how to craft a twisty thriller and The Unlucky Ones is no exception. Truly loved the opportunity to dive back into this world and read this as an ARC!

The Unlucky Ones is apparently part of a series but can be read as a stand alone book. This was a gripping detective mystery filled with twists and turns, but had a great resolution.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Hannah Morrissey, and St. Martin's Press for the ebook.

I’ve been hopping around on this series (I read #1 then this, #4) which I think was fine because the other two follow different characters. I honestly think I liked reading these two stories back to back to keep the relationship and characters fresh in my mind. I love the setting of Black Harbor and that’s something that this series does really well. I didn’t love the characters as much this time around, I felt like we didn’t get much out of hazel and the time she spent away to be able to better understand her. The romance (which I disliked in the first book) was much better done here and I think this book stayed in the mystery arena much better. Overall, I enjoyed!

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

The Unlucky Ones By Hannah Morrissey
Publication Date: March 25, 2025
Publisher: Minotaur Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded Up To 5⭐)

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

Hannah Morrissey's Black Harbor series comes full circle in The Unlucky Ones, and I loved every damn minute of it. As a die-hard fan of this series of books, the return of Hazel to Black Harbor - and the reconnection of Hazel and Kole - was a long-awaited continuation of what began in Book #1.

Featured in the series' first book, Hello Transcriber, Hazel seemed to be one of the only residents of Black Harbor to actually be able to get out. This book brings her back to this dark town after the death of her ex-husband, and back into the realm of Police Sergeant Nikolai Kole again. Black Harbor continues to battle the infiltration of drugs on its streets, and Kole continues to lead the police department's charge to stop the carnage of drugs and deaths that permeate the streets within the underbelly of this town.

Just two chapters into the book, I was fully invested. There's something about the story of Hazel and Kole that has stayed with me since the beginning, and I couldn't wait to see where and how their paths might cross next. This book is just as dark and atmospheric as each of its predecessors, but with an additional tension around Hazel's safety upon her return to this town.

The ONLY reason I stopped short of giving this book a 5⭐ rating was because I was mad at a couple really stupid decisions Hazel made during the story. It was my own personal grievance with her character, not the telling of this suspenseful saga within Black Harbor's storied tales. If you're a fan of atmospheric thriller series and haven't yet discovered Black Harbor, you're in for a real treat because all four books in the series are available for purchase now!

Though this book answered so many questions that have plagued characters in this series for years, I have only one remaining question: will we get to visit Black Harbor again, Hannah Morrissey? 🤞🤞

#TheUnluckyOnes #HannahMorrissey #BlackHarborSeries #MinotaurBooks #ARC #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #thrillerreads #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #thrillerseries #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

Thrilling police drama with many twists. This is my first Hannah Morrisey novel and this book is number 4 in the Black Harbor series. Having not read any of the previous books, I did not feel lost while reading. However, probably reading the previous novels would have set me up for a better reading experience. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters and walking through the investigation with them. Thank you to St. Martins Press and Minotaur Books for the ARC.