I wish I had read this series from the start because if this book is anything to go by, then the previous three would be just as good! I devoured this audiobook. With excellent narration, I found myself hooked in this police procedural from start to finish. If you enjoy this genre, you’ll love this one!

I absolutely loved the audio version of this novel—I couldn’t stop listening! Even though I hadn’t read the previous book, I was still fully captivated by the story. The emotional depth really hit home for me, especially the moments that were both incredibly sad and heartwarming. There’s something about the way the author blends raw emotion with warmth that made the experience unforgettable. I found myself connected to the characters, feeling their joy, pain, and everything in between.

On top of that, I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery in this book! It kept me on my toes with so many questions arising throughout the story. The suspense was palpable, and I found myself eager to piece together the clues alongside the characters. The characters were well-developed and engaging, each bringing their own unique perspective to the investigation. I became invested in their journeys and the relationships that unfolded as they worked to solve the case.

Resolving the murder of a young victim was an intricate puzzle, and the way the author unfolded the clues was both clever and satisfying. Overall, this was a fantastic read that combined suspense and great character work perfectly. Highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery!

This was an enjoyable police procedural. I did have a little bit of a hard time focusing because it kind of bounced around a little. I enjoyed the bit of relationship aspects included in this one. I like a bit of thriller with romance intertwined. I’m not huge on the drug complexities in books tho. It makes it hard to focus on the plot. There was just a lot going on and a lot of characters. It was good and held my attention but wasn’t super memorable either. I wanted more focus on the major mystery.

I also enjoyed the narration. It was super well done. I like both. I did recognize the female more easily, she’ll always be Finlay Donovan to me haha! But the male was great in my opinion as well

Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan audio for an ALC of The Unlucky Ones by Hannah Morrissey. I've now read this book TWICE - Ebook and audiobook, and 10/10 recommend.

Wait. Just wait. Tell me this isn’t going to be the final book of the Black Harbor series. I may actually cry.

I decided to read all of the BH books over the last 2 weeks, and damn are they good! Morrissey is now an auto-buy, absolute favorite author. I don’t often find myself highlighting passages to go back to later, but she has such a way with words that I want to absorb and remember all of them. With each book, you become so attached to the characters (Even the ones that we should absolutely hate. Yes, once you read this you’ll know who I’m talking about).

This one brings us back to Nikolai Kole - one of BHPD’s finest, and Hazel, the transcriber from the first book. You don’t need to read the series to pick this one up, but you will NOT regret it if you do. As soon as Hello, Transcriber ended, I knew I needed more of Hazel and Nick, and I am SO happy that Morrissey delivered here so we would know how their story continues.

Hazel is back in Black Harbor to solve the case of a murder of someone close to her in her past life (Not going to ruin this one for those who will star the series!) Black Harbor hasn’t slowed down in the underworld of drugs and crime. Violence has reached an all-time high, and a new drug, Xombie, is taking over. I honestly can’t say too much about this without giving things away from the earlier books - But Morrissey has reached Karin Slaughter level in my book and this series will go down as an all time favorite in my book. 1o/10 recommend.

It's been eight years since Hazel left her husband, lover, and Black Harbor. But now she's back to figure out who killed her ex-husband.

This is a signature Hannah Morrisey story with complicated characters and a gritty setting. I loved meeting Kole and Hazel again.

Hazel and Kole are back in this installment of the Black Harbor series, this time tracking a killer with a unique calling card.

I really enjoyed this one! The case took quite a while to really get moving, but I really enjoy these books because of the interesting setting. Whereas so many mysteries/thrillers are set in idealic towns where crimes shock the whole town, the Black Harbor series gives us a town where crime is the norm. These books are dark and gritty, almost like noir. As a result, the characters are all somewhat shady, each with their own dark history and some of their own secrets. The only downside is that none of the characters are especially likeable, so you're not really rooting for any of them. At the beginning of this one I was really excited to see Hazel get out of Black Harbor.... but within a few pages she's right back there. I would love to see this series either go dual storyline with someone who gets out, so it keeps the gritty edge but also some contrast.

Black Harbor draws Hazel back after her ex-husband is found dead. She doesn’t believe it was a suicide and is determined to find out what actually happened. Hazel and Cole are pulled together by common goals.

You can’t go wrong with Hannah Morrissey, the Black Harbor Series is gripping. I was completely engaged throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this audio ARC copy for an honest review.

Published March 25, 2025

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC!

I love Hannah and the dark and brooding city of Black Harbor and always look forward to a trip back there, especially as a Wisconsin resident!

I really love these characters and I really enjoyed that we got to spend more time with them in a deeper capacity in book #4!

While I thought the plot itself was exciting and fun as always, it was a welcomed change to spend a little more time on the personal lives of the characters and it actually made me appreciate the book more! Hazel and Kole 4EVA!

As far as the audiobook itself, I thought Angela did a great job capturing the nitty gritty vibes of Black Harbor!

Book 4 of the Black Harbor Series
Pub Date : 3/25/25
★★★★☆ 4.5/5 stars rounded up!

✦ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 :
-dark + atmospheric reads
-crime thrillers
-4th book in a stellar series 🖤
-dual POV
-short, bingable chapters
-fantastic audiobook
-doggy besties

✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 :
If you’ve ever asked for a series recommendation, chances are you have heard me rave about The Black Harbor series. These crime thrillers are something really special - dark, atmospheric, & suspenseful. To say I was excited about The Unlucky Ones would be a huge understatement!

I absolutely loved getting to be back in Black Harbor, & back in Hazel & Kole’s orbit. Like all of these books, the writing was so perfectly nuanced - atmospheric & eerie. I loved that you could feel the sweltering summer heat, the drama & tension. The Easter eggs from the previous books were so fun! My only complaint was the ending, but only because I wanted MORE! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this isn’t the last time we see these characters, I’m always gonna want to come back to Black Harbor 🖤

(The first 3 can be read as standalones, but for this newest chapter in the Black Harbor saga I definitely recommend at least reading Hello, Transcriber first so you can really appreciate the push/pull relationship between Hazel & Kole ❤️‍🔥)

Thanks so much to the Hannah Morrissey, Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio & Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

★★★☆☆

I enjoyed the read, but nothing stood out in the plot or characters. It was a nicely told police procedural thriller with a gritty atmosphere and a solid mystery, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression. The tension in Black Harbor was well-crafted, and the investigation had some intriguing moments, but the story felt somewhat predictable. A decent read for fans of the genre, but not particularly memorable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED this book! I am soo glad Hannah Morrissey decided to bring Hazel back to Black Harbor and bring some closure to her and Cole. And I loved how every one of the Black Harbor stories wove through this one. Such a perfect Midwestern Noir, gritty atmosphere but full of characters you can’t help but love. She writes such amazing twisty mysteries as well that just grip you. And I love all of them! The audiobook was also fantastic.

Note: You don’t have to read all of the Black Harbor novels before this one, but you will want to read Hello, Transcriber.

This is my first book in this series, and I felt quite confused when I started reading because I didn’t realize it was part of a series. I wish I had read at least one other book beforehand to better understand the characters' backgrounds and how this story connects to the others.

The book took some time to capture my interest. The two narratives, presented from different perspectives (third person and first person), were challenging to follow due to their distinct styles. I found myself preferring Kole’s chapters over Hazel’s. I also felt that Hazel and Kole’s relationship was strange. The exploration of the underground drug scene was interesting, as it's not something I typically read about, and the plot moved along quickly. Overall, it was a good story, but I did not love it.

I had access to both the Kindle and audiobook versions, but I listened to almost the entire story. The narrators Angela Dawe and Robb Moreira both did a great job.

Thank you to NetGallery and to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for my copy.

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.

Wow! Just wow! Five huge stars for what is now my favorite entry into the Black Harbor series. This book exceeded my expectations, and my expectations were already very high. This one will be on my “best of” list for 2025.

Black Harbor is known for its crime. That is never in question. This time around, the city’s drug problem is officially at an untenable level. Detective Nikolai Kole and crew are back to investigate the murder of Tommy Greenlee. If that name sounds familiar, it is because he was in the first book of the series, Hello, Transcriber. Tommy’s ex-wife, Hazel returns for some answers. To say that I was excited for her return would be an understatement. Her entrance in this one was perfect too.

This book is gritty, violent, and heartbreaking - just as you would expect from a Black Harbor book. It was also incredibly human. The thing that really surprised me about this was the weather. Readers are used to the brutal cold and desolation of this area. This time around, we have the heat of July. This somehow made Black Harbor even more brutal. Black Harbor is its own character, and it lives up to its reputation again. This series truly gets better with each installment.

I read both the book and listened to the audiobook for this one. The narrators - Angela Dawe and Robb Moreira - are incredible. I could not put this one down or stop listening!

And that ending! I’ve already reread it 10 times.

Now, when is the next book?

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read this fantastic book! I highly recommend this entire series. This one is out on March 25 - preorder it now!

I didn't read books 2 and 3 in this series...but lucky me, this book picked up with the characters from Hello Transcriber! Nothing unlucky about that!. I love how these characters evolved over the 8 years apart, and how maybe they were both just in limbo that whole time. The audio version is spectacular!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately this just wasn't the book for me. I didn't like any of the characters, I didn't enjoy the storyline. I just didn't connect with anything. I did stick through it but it wasn't for me.

I had difficulty following this. I learned from GR it was #4 in the series which explains why I was confused and not connecting with certain characters. Hard to say if this could be a “stand alone” for others. Wasn’t for me but I’m sure fans of the series will enjoy.

"The Unlucky Ones" is the fourth novel in the Black Harbor series. In this exciting police procedural, readers are reintroduced to Hazel Greenlee, a police transcriber-turned-novelist, who returns to Black Harbor, Wisconsin, when her ex-husband, Tommy is murdered. Investigating the case is none other than Sergeant Nikolai Kole, Hazel's former lover.

Once again, Hannah Morrissey has written a captivating, unputdownable thriller. I really enjoyed the last book in the series, "When I'm Dead," but I loved this one even more. Each book follows different members of the Black Harbor Police Department, and I loved that this book brought back Hazel and Kole from the first novel in the series, "Hello, Transcriber." The main characters from the other books also made appearances throughout, which was fun. The other books worked better as
standalone novels, but I think you should read the rest of the series before diving into this one.

I knew this was going to be a five-star read after the first chapter. I was completely hooked and could not put it down. The author does not hold back on the realities of crime, especially drug use and gang violence. Her vivid descriptions of crime-ridden Black Harbor and its residents will leave you feeling uneasy. The pacing was excellent, and I enjoyed the dual POVs of Kole and Hazel. As a former prosecutor, I sometimes struggle with police procedurals, but this one was so well-done. A pulse-pounding page-turner that I highly recommend!

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Robb Moreira and Angela Dawe. They blew me away and had me hanging on to their every word. I've listened to many of Dawe's audiobooks before as a Finlay Donovan fan, and she has such incredible range. Moreira was excellent too and is one of the best male narrators I've ever listened to. Their performances made it difficult to pause the audiobook. They did such a great job bringing the characters to life and delivering a fast-paced, suspenseful story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.