Hazel returns to Black Harbor when her abusive ex-husband Tommy is found dead. It's been more than 8 years since she was last there, and the memories are not good. She has not seen her ex-lover Nikolai Kole in that time, and the meetings are inevitable as he is investigating Tommy's death.

Another dark and gritty tale from Morrissey, who manages to show the underbelly of this poverty stricken and drug infested place in such descriptive ways. As Hazel and Nikolai circle each other, they try to figure out who killed Tommy.

The characters are all flawed and plot is dark and twisty. I liked the fact that the story was told from both Hazel and Nikolai's point of view, but for some reason the plot lagged for me in the middle of the book. I like these characters very much and really enjoyed the earlier books in the series. This one didn't quite do it for me, although I can't really put my finger on why!

I'm still looking forward to the next in the series.

I listened to the book and I did like the way the narrator handled the multiple characters, and in particular the dialogue.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audiobook. All opinions in this review are my own.

Once you leave Black Harbor, you never come back. At least, that's what Hazel Greenlee thought. She left Black Harbor and the memories there years ago, but now she's being pulled back to this bleak, drug run city after her ex-husband was found dead.

Sergeant Nikolai Kole remembers Hazel all too well. His feelings for her never really waned, but now she may be a prime suspect in her ex's homicide.

I enjoyed this book more so than the first. I thought the writing was better. The murder mystery was more suspenseful for a police procedural type of book. The narration was well done, and the pacing was good.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and MacMillan audio for review copies!
Hannah Morrissey once again draws readers into the shadowy, all-consuming atmosphere of Black Harbor—a place where darkness and emptiness seep into its residents, shaping their every move. When I'm Dead unfolds with a slow-burn intensity, rewarding those who embrace its deliberate pacing and intricate storytelling.

Hazel, a former police transcriber turned novelist, is pulled back into the city she once escaped when her ex-husband, Tommy Greenlee, is murdered. The case falls into the hands of Sergeant Nikolai Kole—her former lover, tangled in a history of betrayal. As they navigate their fractured past to uncover the truth, the novel skillfully returns to early characters and themes, reflecting on how time and tragedy have reshaped them.

Morrissey’s writing is as sharp as ever, her prose dripping with atmosphere, ensuring Black Harbor feels both alive and suffocating. The narrative unfolds in layers, shifting perspectives to keep the mystery unpredictable, with plot twists that deepen the intrigue. The audiobook narrators breathe life into Hazel and Kole, amplifying the tension and emotional weight of their story.

Dark, moody, and deeply immersive, When I'm Dead is a gripping blend of police procedural and psychological thriller. Morrissey masterfully crafts a world where past and present collide, and every revelation pulls you further into the abyss of Black Harbor.

I had no idea this was the fourth book 😅 I felt that the author gave enough background information so I didn’t feel lost. But I do wish, they had listed that this was the fourth in the series.

Hazels ex husband has been murdered. Hazel and her ex lover Kole decide to work together to solve the murder. Along the way, they will face their own deepest, darkest secrets.

I was able to listen to the audiobook. I did find it to be really slow, I started losing interest. I love a good plot that really pulls me in but this one was a miss for me. I do think the narrator did a good job.

Rating: ✨✨✨
Publication Date: March 25 2025

Thank you NetGalley, Hannah and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

#NetGalley

THE UNLUCKY ONES by @hannahmorrisseywriter✨
ARC review • pub date 03.25.25
black harbor novel #4

Hazel and Kole are baaaack 🔥
If you haven’t read the Black Harbor series yet, what are you waiting for??
Definitely give the first three books a read before this one releases in March!
The first three books can be read as standalone but this one cannot, as it brings back the two MCs from Hello, Transcriber (book 1) and a LOT has unfolded since then.

Hazel returns to Black Harbor after a murder of someone she used to be close with. And Kole is working the case. They haven’t seen each other in almost a decade.

I love this series so much and book four was the perfect addition to it! If you need a new thriller series with an overall dark tone, definitely pick this one up 🖤

4.5⭐️

Thanks so much to the author, @macmillan.audio + @netgalley for my ARC!

#MacAudio2025

ARC review - rating 4,5 ⭐️

"The Unlucky Ones" by Hannah Morrissey is the 4th book in the "Black Harbor" series. The books in the series can be read as standalone, but before reading this one you should read at least "Hello, Transcriber".

I received an ARC from St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and ALC from Macmillan Audio (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

Publication date is 25 March 2025.

Hazel is a police transcriber turned writer, that returns to Black Harbor after 8 years, to help solve the murder of her ex-husband. The investigation is lead by sergent Nikolai Kole, the man she fell in love with
before leaving town.

I enjoyed all the books in the series, but this my favorite (followed by Hello, Transcriber).
This book has a dual POV, the story is told in 1st person by Hazel and in 3rd person by Kole.
The murder investigation uncovered links to other murders, including the one of Kole's brother and more connections to other crimes are revealed.
The story is dark, violent and filled with unexpected twists.
I also listened to the audiobook narrated by Angela Dawe and Robb Moreira and they did a great job helping me immerse in the story. They both did a great job portraing the characters and enhacing the story.

If you like dark crime thrillers with mystery and suspense I recomand this series.
Hopefully there will be more books in the future.

The Unlucky Ones by Hannah Morrissey
Rating: 3.5 stars
Pub date: 3/25

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook.

Hazel, a former police transcriber turned novelist, is pulled back into the city she once escaped when her ex-husband, Tommy Greenlee, is murdered. The case lands in the hands of Sergeant Nikolai Kole—who just so happens to be her ex-boyfriend. Their history is full of betrayal, but they must learn to work together to bring the killer to justice.

This is book four in the Black Harbor series, but I read it as a standalone. While it was easy to follow along with the story, Hazel and Kole have a history that I wish I knew more about because I think I would have enjoyed the tension between them even more.

The narrators were perfect picks for Hazel and Kole, and they did an amazing job bringing all the characters to life.

Morrissey does a fantastic job setting the scene, making Black Harbor feel like a living, breathing nightmare. The story is fast-paced, the tension is high, and the mix of mystery and messy relationships keeps you hooked. If you love dark, atmospheric police procedural thrillers with flawed but fascinating characters, this book is definitely worth the read.

I come from a family of addicts so I like books about addiction. It was interesting point of view of the cops and the addicts point of view of the town.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Morrissey, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

After discovering the Black Harbor series a few years ago, I cannot get enough of it. Quaint, yet mysterious, those who live and work here see other things lurking in the shadows. After the body of Tommy Greenlee is discovered, old faces return to make themselves known, while the crime has no solid leads. Working angles as best he can, Nikolai Kole must find a killer before everything implodes and goes up in smoke. It's sure to be a tough job, but someone has to keep things seeming bucolic to outsiders. Hannah Morrissey does well to slice another portion of Black Harbor up and present it to the curious reader.

Black Harbor was once a lovely place to live, but all that has changed. Violent crimes and racial clashes have left the community struggling to know itself, with a drug business that has turned things upside down. Police Sergeant Nikolai Kole makes his way to a crime scene and discovers it is anything but a straightforward murder. The victim has been killed and the body is put in a position to ensure it disintegrates swiftly.

The body is that of Tommy Greenlee, which adds new concerns for Segeant Kole. This is the ex-husband of Kole’s former love interest, Hazel. The body had also been shot and evidence points to Hazel potentially having been involved. Sergeant Kole knows there is more than enough reason for Hazel to have wanted her ex dead, but could she have gone this far?

After a long hiatus, Hazel is back in Black Harbor. The memories are anything but pleasant. Still, Hazel wants to know what happened to Tommy. The interactions with Sergeant Kole are inevitable, but the love affair has long gone cold and there is little chance they can warm it up after so long and a great deal of history. A dead body and a history that does not provide Hazel an alibi, Sergeant Kole will have to work quickly to make sense of it all and the evidence that is before him. Hannah Morrissey delivers another strong book in the series with this piece!

A story of this nature requires patience and determination to write, as the pieces must slide in together perfectly. There's something to be said of the abilities Hannah Morrissey offers to her reading base, while crafting a well-paced narrative. The story flows with ease and keeps the reader enthralled from the outset, with multiple mysteries that keeps Black Harbor all the more intriguing. I could not get enough of the quick writing and swift chapters that meld into one another as things progress with ease from start to finish. Characters emerge to offer their own perspectives, as some take the helm of narrative varioud parts of the book. This leaves the reader to sense things in a number of ways and keeps the story from getting too predictable. This is also found in the numerous plot twists that Morrissey provides the curious reader, taking things up a notch or two. The reader can bask in the nuances and there is much to discover. I cannot wait to see if there is more to come and how Morrissey presents it.

Kudos, Madam Morrissey, for a great addition to a series that has never let me down.

First of all, this is book 4 of a series, but you don’t have to read the previous book before this one. The author does a great job of providing enough background information.

Tommy Greenlee is murdered. He is Hazel’s abusive ex-husband. Eight years ago, Hazel left Black Harbor for New York. But, now she is headed back to Black Harbor to find out who shot Tommy five times.

Love the narration told in alternating narratives of Hazel and Cole. Some parts were slow, but stick with it the twists are worth it.

BORROW

Thank you #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #TheUnluckyOnes in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book in a matter of days! It really pulls you in from the first chapter and it’s easy to dive right back into the lives of those in Black Harbor. I had an inkling of the outcome, but I did not have everything right! That’s for sure!! The way the author, Hannah Morrissey weaves everything together is truly interesting. I enjoyed my time in this book and I would definitely go back to Black Harbor if given the chance! Please check your trigger warnings — I did personally have to slide by a couple animal related situations for myself!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, Netgalley, and the author for the complimentary copy of THE UNLUCKY ONES by Hannah Morrissey.

THE UNLUCKY ONES is the fourth book in the author’s Black Harbor series. This series follows Hazel, a transcriber in Black Harbor, though she has moved away and become an author before the start of this book. Detective Cole, who once was romantically involved with Hazel, has discovered the body of Hazel’s ex-husband.

The fact that the dead man wasn’t quite an ex when Hazel and Cole were involved muddies the water a bit, as does Hazel’s return to town at this moment in time. With the drug trade in Black Harbor still on the rise with new dangerous products in the mix, there are many questions that need answers.

I have really enjoyed the previous Black Harbor books, HELLO, TRANSCRIBER, THE WIDOWMAKER, and WHEN I’M DEAD, so I was looking forward to being back in Black Harbor for the latest installment. The series is very atmospheric with a very bleak backdrop in this town that has so much drug abuse and crime that it keeps our main characters very busy. Even as the dead body they’ve found is central to the story, there are a lot of other moving parts.

This book deals with some heavy topics including suicide, drug abuse, violence, and spousal abuse. I think it handled these topics well, but do take care going in. I think this worked well at developing the characters, dealing with the aftermath of the previous books, and fleshing out the relationships between characters.

I do think this book would work well as a standalone if you aren’t caught up on the rest of the series. The author does a good job of catching you up on the important points. That said, it will give some spoilers for the mysteries in the previous books.

The Unlucky Ones excels in atmosphere, immersing readers in a dark, bleak world that feels vivid and haunting. The author’s ability to set a scene is impressive, pulling you into the grim reality of her characters. However, despite the strong sense of place, the story itself felt slow, and I found myself struggling to stay engaged. While the writing is solid, the pacing and plot didn’t quite grip me, making it a bit of a slog to get through. A well-crafted setting, but overall, a somewhat underwhelming read.

The Unlucky Ones by Hannah Morrissey takes us back to Black Harbor with Hazel, the transcriber.

"Hazel, the former police transcriber but now a novelist, returns to Black Harbor to find answers to why her ex-husband was murdered"

Morrissey writes such a bleak place in Black Harbor - the heat, the drugs, the trash in the street, rampant crime, the smell and characters like Dirty Harriet. It all makes for a desperate setting. This is more crime fiction than the first book. There's a murder and the detectives try to find answers. Nick and Hazel eventually look together while dancing around the feelings they still have for each other.

Wild ending to this one.

Great audio performance from the team of Angela Dawe and Robb Moreira. You can feel the desperation in Black Harbor.

Another good story from Morrissey.

Hazel is back in Black Harbor…drawn back to figure out how her ex husband Tommie was murdered. The moment she is back her feelings of unease and unrest come back to haunt her. Will she be able to let all her demons go and stay in Black Harbor or will she run away again?

This book made me happy all over because I loved Hazel and her story and I was so glad to have her back. Overall the story was great albeit slow in some parts it had great twists and kept me captivated.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 3/25
•
The Unlucky Ones is book number 4 in the Black Harbor series. This one follows Hazel and Kole and many characters from book number 1. You most definitely have to read at least book 1 before picking this one up, but the series as a whole is fantastic so I recommend them all. She will reference the other books in this one, but everything is explained enough for you to not be scratching your head totally lost.
•
I loved getting another glimpse into the Kole/Hazel world. I was so excited to see what happened to Hazel and what kind of trouble she would get herself into in this book. This had the perfect amount of twists and suspense. It is a steady to fast paced book so buckle up!
•
I listened to this via audiobook while reading an eARC. Angela Dawe and Robb Moreira were fantastic. They were so complimentary of one another. I felt like I was actually watching this one. The audiobook is a 10/10 from me.
•
Overall, this is a series you do not want to miss out on. Every single book was great! Be sure to check this one out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Morrissey, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Welcome to Black Harbor where you definitely won’t want to stay unless you are a criminal or perhaps a cop.
This was my first book in the series. I definitely think you could read this as a standalone as I did. Kole and Hazel had a lot of history to overcome. So if you like to know backstories I’ve seen people say read Hello Transcriber.
I listened to the audio book which I enjoyed. I really liked the 2 narrators.
This is first and foremost a police procedural with a sprinkle of romance. So if you like this genre you will enjoy the read.
3.5 out of 5 stars for me.
I received an ALC of this title, all opinions are my own.

Hazel returns to Black Harbor to uncover the truth about her ex-husband. No one escapes Black Harbor. This city is dark and gritty, a place where only the ruthless survive.
I think I would have appreciated this story more if I had read the first book. While the author does a good job making this work as a standalone, I wasn’t really rooting for the love interest. The police procedural aspect was interesting, but the pacing felt slow at times.
The narrators, Angela Dawe and Robb Moreira, were good. Angela struggled a bit when portraying Kole but overall both did a great job.

This installment is my second favorite of the series (my favorite was When I'm Dead). In this book, Hazel returns to Black Harbor. Morrissey picks up threads from previous books in this story and we get some closure to some open things. I got a little annoyed at Hazel at times with her jumping to conclusions (like for real Hazel?), but overall this book was a good yarn and a good addition to the series. I will absolutely read more of them!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook for review.

Black Harbor's favorite police transcriber, Hazel, who finally
escaped the town's clutches years ago, has now returned after
the brutal murder of her ex-husband. But is she back to help
solve the crime, or did she have something to do with
committing it? As Hazel teams up with detective Kole, old
emotions flare, and they dig deep into Black Harbor's drug trade
in an effort to clear Hazel from wrong-doing. I enjoyed both the
written and audio (dual narration!) of this fourth book in this series. You don't need to read them in
order, but I'd recommend doing so. She writes the best morally
gray characters and brings back a few of my favorites in The
Unlucky Ones.