I was fascinated by Hazel’s job. Spending her nights typing up reports from the officers of Black Harbor soundednso interesting. Through her transcribing she is drawn into the Candy Man case and she helps detective Kole solve the mystery.

I like that this book has both murder/mystery and a little romance. I flew through it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy of this book.

I actually really enjoyed this!
I felt instantly transported to Black Harbor. It was described so well that I felt like i could see myself in every scene!
I also like books involved with the cop scene.
I really liked all the characters and felt they were described so well!
I feel like i ended up piecing together who the real killer was before the FMC, but I also thought her theory was right, lol.
I liked how involved the reader was in the investigation.
I enjoyed this so much and would definitely recommend it! I can't wait to read the rest of the black Harbor novels!

Thanks so much for the copy! I loved catching up on the backlog books from this author, and really enjoyed her work. I cannot wait to read more from her!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Hannah Morrissey for the gifted digital copy!

"Hello, Transcriber" is the first book in the dark and gritty Black Harbor series. The story is set in Black Harbor, Wisconsin, the state's most crime-ridden city. Hazel Greenlee is a newly-employed transcriber for the police department, where she meets Nikolai Kole, the lead detective in a gruesome murder investigation. As Hazel transcribes Kole's reports, she becomes captivated by the case—and Kole.

I was very excited when the entire Black Harbor series became available on NetGalley earlier this year, so that I could start the series from the beginning. I actually read the third and fourth books in this series first and loved them. I had already met Kole and Hazel in "The Unlucky Ones" (another 5 star BTW!), so my expectations for this one were pretty high. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! This police procedural is an addictive and compelling read. From the first chapter, I was hooked, and I devoured the entire book in less than 24 hours. As with the other books in the series, the author does not hold back on the harsh realities of crime and addiction. It's a difficult subject, but this book was so well done. Overall, a page-turner that I could not put down. I highly recommend this series for true-crime fans.

Hello, Transcriber was easy to get into and I ended up really enjoying it. I didn’t care for the cheating in it but it was well written in that I could easily see why Hazel would end up going down that path. Her husband was a piece of work and I am glad she left. Hazel was excellent as a transcriber and I loved how involved she got in the case from the beginning. I did not expect that twist and it was great!

Agent Kole is mysterious which adds to Hazel’s intrigue with him. There was a lot going on with all the gossip and hate towards him. Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in this series.

3.5 ⭐️

This is the second book I’ve read in the series, and while I was able to read them out of order, this one gives the reader an atmospheric understanding of Black Harbor and its gritty darkness.

This book has both story/crime fiction and a romance of sorts. The mystery is the best part and my favorite sections of the book. The romance wasn’t as satisfying—I wanted Hazel to stand on her own two feet and thrive without either her creepy husband or her coworker.

So many books are set in big cities, and I always appreciate a small-town setting. This one provided a sobering look at the opioid crisis.

I’ve also read When I’m Dead, and that book was a solid mystery as well! I look forward to more from Hannah Morrissey.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy of Hello, Transcriber! It was so terrific to get a taste of Hannah Morrisey's backlist in anticipation of her latest release. She has a new fan in me! The writing is stellar, and her work is haunting and perfectly paced. A new auto-buy author for me.

I am not the target audience for “Hello, Transcriber,” a new novel by Hannah Morrissey. This story is strongly directed towards a certain type of romance with a touch of mystery. Sadly This book was a rarity for me: it was a DNF.

Hannah Morrissey’s Hello, Transcriber is a moody, atmospheric thriller that immerses readers in the bleak, crime-ridden world of Black Harbor. Hazel Greenlee, a frustrated writer stuck in an unhappy marriage, becomes entangled in a dangerous investigation after transcribing a chilling confession. As she grows closer to the enigmatic detective Nikolai Kole, her obsession with the case—and with Kole himself—threatens to unravel her already fragile life. The novel’s strongest aspects lie in its gritty setting and poetic prose, which effectively capture Hazel’s sense of isolation and desperation.

However, the pacing drags at times, and Hazel’s choices—especially her fixation on Kole—can feel frustrating rather than compelling. While the mystery has intriguing elements, the plot doesn’t always deliver the tension or urgency expected from a crime thriller. The book thrives more on atmosphere than action, making it a slow burn that might not satisfy readers looking for a gripping, high-stakes narrative. Hello, Transcriber is a decent read for those who enjoy introspective noir, but it falls short of being truly memorable. Three stars.

I loved Black Harbor's dark and gritty setting, the mystery of the Candyman, and the compelling characters. However, we get actual transcriber stuff, Which when I first started reading I thought it was a really cool thing to include, and I thought it would draw me more into the story but it took me out of it with all the commas here and periods there.

Rarely do I read crime books that comprise a series, but after hearing so many great things about this series and having all of the books as read now on netgalley I jumped for it. This one started off strong, I was really interested in our MC being a transcriber for the police, because what a great way to be involved while still not being an expert. There was quite a bit of backstory on Hazel which added to the depth of her character, and really kept me invested. The mystery was also one that kept me guessing and on my toes, searching for the hidden clues. Im really excited to see what’s in store for the next in this series.

I am completely invested in this book and cannot wait to continue the series. I also have a new career goal.

Go in completely blind, and trust me. Knowing nothing will truly make it more thrilling.

Hello Transcriber is the first book in the Black Harbor series and I can not wait to read the other books from this series. What happens when a female police transcriber tries to solve a troubling case? This had me captivated from the beginning and I was turning pages until the end. The author did such a great job writing this and all of the characters were amazing in it. I liked Hazel the most in the book. Overall, this was an amazing read that I highly enjoyed and would recommend to any reader especially to those who love mysterys or thrillers. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this read in exchange of my honest review of Hello Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey.

This was a very interesting story.

I have never thought of anyone having a job like this.

Thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am excited to read the rest of this series.

I had already read books 3 and 4, so I thought I had a good grasp of the world and some of the details. But going into this one, I quickly realized I had no real idea what I was in for. This book was an intense, even disturbing read, but it was executed so well that it never felt overwhelming—just gripping in all the right ways.

The atmosphere was thick with tension, and the way the story unfolded kept me on edge the entire time. There were moments that genuinely shocked me, even though I thought I was prepared. The author did an incredible job balancing the unsettling elements with moments of depth and emotion, making everything feel meaningful rather than just shocking for the sake of it.

Even after finishing it, I found myself thinking about certain scenes, trying to piece everything together. It’s the kind of book that lingers in your mind, making you question things long after you’ve turned the last page. If you’re looking for something that’s both thought-provoking and deeply immersive, this is definitely worth reading.

Obsessed. Obsessed. Obsessed! I finished all 3 in the series because I could not get enough!! Suspenseful while thinking WTF who did dis the entire time! Hannah bless you I love you!

2.5 ⭐️

I was very intrigued by the synopsis of this story but unfortunately it wasn't a win for me.

Here are the things I liked about this book; I liked the idea of a police transcriber involved in a mystery/police investigation in town. I thought the description of the town as a crime-ridden place added to the spooky atmosphere of this story. I liked how most of the police officers really embraced Hazel when she arrived.

I found the overall mystery a little confusing at times, I wasn't sure what they were investigating for part of this book. I will say the twist at the end did surprise me.

The part of the book that I had a very hard time with was the infidelity. I did not like the insta-love Hazel had with the detective and I did not like the infidelity. I felt like too much of the book was centered on their relationship and less on the mystery. I also did not understand the backstory with Hazel and her husband, he was obviously not a great guy and was very controlling but it seems that there was more to their history than was given in the story. Again, I felt that the story was more focused on the relationships than on the mystery.

This one was kind of a miss for me.

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

Hello, Transcriber By Hannah Morrissey
Publication Date: November 30, 2021
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:

Hello, Transcriber is a compelling mystery that kept me awake, ferociously turning pages long after my bedtime. This is the first book in the Black Harbor series from Hannah Morrissey, and it was a suspenseful and atmospheric introduction into these reads.

The whole vibe of this book gave me the sense that Black Harbor has a darkness to it that is going to create a series of really good mysterious storylines! The books are all told about people living in Black Harbor, but the characters change with each story as the places in the town remain the same.

This first book in the series focused on our female MC Hazel, who works as a transcriber with the police department and becomes fascinated with the cases about which she's transcribing reports during her overnight shift. She becomes enamored with Detective Nikolai Kole, who invites her to join him on one of his investigations looking into local drug dealers and their connections to a string of recent deaths.

This book has aspects of a police procedural with a suspenseful mystery, small town drama, and even a little bit of a dark love story. It was a fast read that was well-written, keeping my attention and entertaining me from cover to cover. I was so happy that NetGalley offered me this whole series of e-books ahead of the upcoming fourth book's publication on March 25th. So far, Black Harbor is a place I'd never want to visit -- but a place that has me absolutely intrigued to get right into the next book about its residents!!

#HelloTranscriber #HannahMorrissey #BlackHarborSeries #Minotaur Books #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #thrillerreads #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #thrillerseries #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

My second read of Hello, Transcriber truly cinched my love of Black Harbor and Hannah Morrissey's writing.

In all honesty, I had planned on transposing my initial review from January 2024 into this space, but it seems that the more I read this book, the more I have to say; my first time I had planned on writing a two-sentence review and here I am again with an overwhelming amount of thoughts to share.

This book is sinister and foreboding. It's dark, raw, gritty... and sexy as hell. It's utterly intoxicating. Morrissey's descriptions, the lust between Kole and Hazel... and the wordage that makes you heady with desire for more words. The title encapsulates it all, from Hazel's position to who she is, to the sexy way Kole says it. (Yes, shameless Angela Dawe plug... see the next paragraph for more.)

I've said that Angela Dawe is one of my favourite audiobook narrators, and this book is why. Dawe takes the soft vowels and the hard consonants of Morrissey's words and brings them to life; melodic in cadence, beautifully musical.

The further I delve into Hazel's psyche, the more I love her - and yes, substantially more than my first read. I am obsessed with characters like her, who you can relate to, empathize with, understand, and side with... even though that character might not be doing the "right" thing by society's standards. (And yes, Kole still has a piece of my heart.)

In short: the sun never shines, but you never miss the light.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the complimentary copy to read and review.

Thank you to St. Martins Press for my copy of HELLO, TRANSCRIBER.

This book is dark, it's moody, it's so dang engrossing! I really loved this creepy story and its chilling atmosphere. I highly recommend this book and I'm so excited to read the next in the series!!