grim, gritty, crime-fiction, psychological-thriller, triggers, criminal-acts, noir, discord, Wisconsin, suspense, small-town, local-law-enforcement, murders, investigations, writers, violence, PTSD, secrets, lies, spousal-abuse****

Eight years of backstory is well covered enough to make this effective as a standalone. Hazel returns to town about the same time that her abusive ex-husband is executed and winds up working with her ex-lover to investigate the murder. Lots of drama.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected digital galley from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books via NetGalley.
Avail Mar 25, 2025 #TheUnluckyOnes by Hannah Morrissey #BlackHarborNovelsBk4 St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books #PsychologicalThriller

This is book 4 in the Black Harbor series. If you loved book 1 with its beautiful writing and the love story between Hazel and Detective Kole, you will love this one too.
After 8 years away, Hazel finally returns to Black Harbor to help solve the murder of her ex-husband Tommy.
Hannah Morrissey’s writing really speaks to me. Book 2 and 3 felt different, but book 4 flows similarly to book 1 which was an absolute plus for me. The storylines, twists and turns were strong, however I wish there had been more of Hazel and Kole’s relationship. Hopefully Hannah Morrissey’s next book will bring us just that.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I need to be more aware when requesting a book to make sure it’s not part of a series. This could be read as a standalone but I think it would have been better to have some background story. The book was a bit slow at parts and I really had to push myself to finish it. Overall, it was okay

I am not a big series fan but have enjoyed this one. This is Book 4 of the Black Harbor series and features Hazel, the Transcriber. Hazel has been away from the town of Black Harbor series. Hazel has been away from Black Harbor and returns to help solve the murder of Tommy, her ex-husband. This also puts her back working with Sergeant Nikolai Kole, an ex-lover. But that is just a small part with the main story being the murder, crime and corruption running rampant in this small town. You can read The Unlucky ones as a standalone, but I recommend beginning with Book 1 for all the character history and backstory! This is definitely a worthy addition to the series, and I look forward to Book 5. I love Hannah's characters and writing style.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Hannah Morrissey and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Facebook and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of March 25, 2025.

This is the fourth book in her Black Harbour series. This was my first book and it didn't seem to affect my overall enjoyment of the story. I do want to go back and read the other books in the series. This book focuses on solving the murder of Hazel ex husband. By investigating his murder and couple others detective Nikolai Cole is in the same orbit as the only girl he loves. The twists were good but almost underwhelming and not completely finished. I also wish i seen more of the love story between Cole and Hazel. Overall a good book and I am looking forward to reading more.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5
Publication date March 25, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending this eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Hazel the transcriber is back! When Hazel learns about her ex-husbands murder, she goes back to Black Harbor after 9 years to find out what happened and get some closure. What she doesn't expect (or does she??) is being thrown into the middle of this investigation, with her former lover Detective Kole.

I absolutely love the Black Harbor series, and definitely recommend reading them all in order. I love Hannah Morrissey's writing style and character development. I hope to read more about Black Harbor, and am looking forward to any stand alone novels as well.

The Unlucky Ones will take you on an adventure through the seedy underbelly of Black Harbor, WI. When Hazel returns to Black Harbor, after being away almost a decade, to investigate the murder of her ex-husband, she has no idea what she will find. From her old haunts to old lovers, you will be taken through not only her past but her present to get to the bottom of the case.

This book is written for the person who loves to solve the case and get to know the characters. Not all the characters are likable but that emulates real life. If you want to get to know more about Black Harbor be sure to read the previous books in the series.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in return for my honest feedback.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Hazel returns to Black Harbor after being away for years. She is hoping that Tommie's murder will be solved. This book lagged at times.

Wow! I have thoroughly enjoyed this series, but this story is my favorite! What a heart-pounding ending to this fantastic series! Everything has come full circle. I love Hazel is back. I love her and Kole and their dynamic. I love the suspense and the investigations and the nuggets and details as they were dropped. I had chills as everything began to unravel. Fantastic storytelling. Intriguing, captivating, gritty murder mystery!

“The truth conquers all and yet…everybody lies.”

While I found the premise promising, the story ultimately fell short of my expectations. The plot began with an intriguing setup, offering a world or conflict that had real potential. However, as the story progressed, I found myself losing interest.

One of the main issues was the pacing. Early on, things seemed to move quickly, but the middle of the book felt drawn-out, with little progression in terms of character development or plot. The twists I was hoping for never materialized, and what should have been climactic moments fell a bit flat.

Characterization was another area where the book didn't quite hit the mark. While the characters were clearly designed to be compelling, they lacked depth and complexity. Many of their actions seemed to be driven more by the needs of the plot rather than their individual personalities, making it hard for me to emotionally connect with them.

The writing itself was solid, and there were moments of insight that made me think the author had a lot of talent. However, the underdeveloped plot and lack of meaningful stakes kept me from fully enjoying the journey. It felt like the book had all the right ingredients but didn't quite manage to cook up something satisfying.

Overall, I’d say this is a decent read if you’re not looking for anything too heavy or groundbreaking, but if you’re after a story with strong emotional resonance or a gripping plot, this one might not be for you. A three-star rating reflects the potential I saw, but the execution just didn’t live up to it.

I have to say that this author does not shy away from the dark side of a city and she builds a thrilling murder mystery that is raw and gritty. Her descriptions are vivid and believable.

This is a police procedural book that includes a fantastic plot that is headline-worthy and teaming with characters that hold their own. Most of them have qualities that are certainly questionable.

The Unlucky Ones is a dark, gritty murder mystery set in the underbelly of a city that reeks of drugs and rot. But within the pages, a romance tries to bloom between two past lovers. Morrissey teases us with a bit of lightness to offset the ugly.

Overall, this is a great police procedural that will suck you in and give you the feeling like you are on the streets with them as they unfold the murder mystery. If you are not shy about raw, vivid depictions of the crime-ridden world, this is a great novel and Kole is an awesome main character!

A huge fan of the Black Harbor series, I was thrilled to jump back into the dark world of Black Harbor, Wisconsin in THE UNLUCKY ONES, book 4 in the series. Hazel Greenlee managed to get out of Black Harbor 8 years ago but now her ex, Tommy, turns up dead with a calling card left behind. Finding herself drawn back to this dark town to find out what happened also leads her back to Sergeant Nikolai Kole, whom she had an affair with years ago when she was working with the department as a transcriber (which you can read all about in book 1 of the series, HELLO, TRANSCRIBER). I was beyond thrilled to jump back into the cruel world that is Black Harbor and Hannah Morrissey sucked me right in once again!? Highly recommended author, book & series!!

I was so excited to receive a copy of “The Unlucky Ones” as it was a book chosen by my book club for an upcoming monthly read, following a chat with the author herself. (I can’t wait to speak with Hannah and get to ask her some questions about this awesome Black Habor series she has created!)

The book series continues flawlessly, but if you haven’t read the previous books - don’t let it put you off. You can start right here as a stand-alone or you can go back to the beginning for the full effect. Whichever way you choose I am sure you will enjoy your journey :).

Black Habor is an interesting city packed full of crime and corruption. In this book a previous character, Hazel, returns to the city after learning of her abusive ex husbands demise. She is now free to take a chance on love with someone who has been close to her heart for a long time:

The potential aspect of romance is just a side note to an ongoing murder investigation and Hazel is sticking close by to see if she can uncover any secrets or details that will crack open the case.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books, and the author Hannah Morrissey for the EARC!

Publish date: March 25th 2025

This fast-paced crime thriller filled with unsavory characters definitely didn’t disappoint. I LOVED the inside look into Black Harbor’s underbelly. I just can’t help but compare it to When I’m Dead, which reigns supreme over this one, in my opinion.

I was thrilled to learn that Hannah Morrissey was releasing another book in the Black Harbor series - and even more thrilled to snag an ARC. Per usual, Morrissey hit it out of the park with The Unlucky Ones. I was immediately pulled in to the book from the beginning and the fast-paced plot kept me up late to keep reading. A must read!

I LOVED the return of Hazel to Black Harbor. I was really looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint! Hannah Morrissey is definitely an automatic buy for me.

The plot was fast moving and kept me interested thru the whole book. I love Hannah's writing style. I would make sure to read all the books in the Black Harbor series before this one, since there are a lot of recurring characters from previous books.

It has been awhile since I read Hello, Transcriber, but Hannah does such a great job of sprinkling little reminders throughout, that I was able to easily keep up! I loved the Easter eggs hidden, like a little secret between me and Hannah.. and all the other readers of the Black Harbor books! Being in Black Harbor during July was so different than what we are used to, and it only magnifies the grimness that is Black Harbor. I feel like we are so used to Black Harbor being this freezing tundra, and the heat just brings out all the worst parts of the city! I was SO thrilled when Hannah said Hazel was back! It is what we have all been waiting for! No duo is quite as electric as Hazel and Kole! I loved how their reconnection built slowly, creating some sexual tension that was palpable! There are some great twists and the story wraps up nicely in the end! I love being inside the mind of Hannah and can’t wait for more to come!

𝔽𝕀𝕍𝔼 ⭐️ 𝔽ℝ𝕀𝔻𝔸𝕐

Special thanks to @hannahmorrisseywriter @minoraur @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
The prologue is SO descriptive, I can smell👃🏼 the smells and see👀 the things. The writing is beyond phenomenal and puts you straight into Black Harbor. It's so atmospheric it's intoxicating😵‍💫, but in a good way.

Hazel is and has always been my most favorite💞 character or the Black Harbor series. The way she deals with life in general and then her love❤️‍🔥 with Kole, it's entrancing.

This story starts off running🏃‍♀️ and has your head going in a million different directions🥴. I felt tied to my seat, because I just couldn't wait to see what happened edge next literally the WHOLE BOOK😱.

If I had to rank the books of this series it'd be :
1️⃣ Hello, Transcriber
2️⃣ The Unlucky Ones
3️⃣ When I'm Dead
4️⃣ The Widowmaker
But they're literally separated by like .25 of a star⭐️ on each. The whole series is phenom and I'd recommend it to anyone!

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
March 25, 2025


ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ What is a series you just CANT get enough of, and ALWAYS recommend?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #hannahmorrissey #blackharbor #theunluckyones #hazelisback #hazelandkole
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There is a lot of action in this mystery a lot of unsavory characters involved with drug dealing and a romance. I think my students will like either the romance or all the action. It has more violence than I usually suggest for them, but the book is also written with more depth than others of this genre. So good for older students and of course there is a lot to discuss about dangerous street drugs

Hazel left Black Harbor and all of its haunts years ago, with plans to never return. That is until she’s drawn back when she hears of the murder of her ex-husband. Her return to Black Harbor also means being reunited with Nik, an old flame. Follow the two of them in this fast paced thriller that will leave you wondering who you can trust page after page.

I’ll preface that I read this as a standalone - I’m sure I’d have found the background information in the series helpful, but I was able to read alone without issue. A book jam packed with characters and plot lines, this one requires your full attention and will have you flipping page after page until the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.