This was just not the novel I was hoping for. As the summary suggests, I looked forward to seeing crime and murders from a different point of view - the transcriber. But adultery and drug dealing took over the plot lines so much that I almost felt cheated by my expectations. None of the characters were likable and I really couldn't find a reason to care for any of their situations. I needed to be sympathetic to Hazel but the author never gave me reason to. Her early actions were detestable and unreasonable in my opinion. Overall, the author's voice is very readable. I would be open to reading more from Morrissey but I cannot recommend this title. Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I have a hard time articulating any cohesive thoughts on this one, so instead I'll provide a list of what did and did not work for me:

What Worked:
-A nosy protagonist who can't help butting into an investigation she has no business being involved with.
-The first 30% of the book kept me flipping pages like crazy

What Didn't Work:
-The dynamic between Hazel and Tommy
-The dynamic between Hazel and Kole
-The predictability
-The "disjointedness" of the plot
-The ending

On the one hand, I think this would be a great book for people who are looking to dip their toe into thrillers (it's possible I read too many and that's why I predicted "whodunnit"), but on the other hand, it's perhaps too dark to be an "intro to thrillers."

I wish I had more items to put in the "What Worked" column, but I'm afraid this one just wasn't for me. In any case, many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Hannah Morrissey for an advanced eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This mystery/suspense follows Hazel as she starts her new job as a transcriber for Black Harbor's police department. Her duties are to sit in a room five nights a week and type up and file any reports that the other officers have dictated and uploaded into the system - basically a perfect job for an aspiring author who can type 111 wpm. Soon after starting, however, her next door neighbor confesses to hiding a body of an overdose victim and Hazel gets pulled into the case both by the close proximity of her neighbor and also by the handsome lead detective - Nik Kole. As the investigation unfolds, Nik and Hazel grow closer and cross lines they can't uncross. As more bodies turn up, Hazel starts connecting the dots and finds the link to the deaths may be closer than she thought.

TW/CW: suicide, drug use, drug overdose, child death, animal death, infidelity, domestic abuse

[I'd also like to note that one of the characters in this book is transgender and there is scene where another character is remembering the trans character before they came out as trans and used the trans character's deadname when referring to that character in the past. They never say the deadname aloud, it is all in their internal monologue. The characters have a healthy and accepting relationship in the present day so the deadnaming isn't done with malicious intent but I did just want to mention it because it could be triggering for trans readers. Also, I did read an ARC so there's a chance this might be fixed for the final copy.]

The atmosphere and setting for this book is absolutely the star of the show. The story takes place in Black Harbor, Wisconsin - a fictional place that is described as being Wisconsin's most crime-ridden city. The descriptions we get of the city are centered on the high crime rate, high rate of drug abuse, and run-down infrastructure. It is not a hopeful place, especially not in winter when this story takes place. Hazel's life at home isn't much better - living with her husband in a rundown duplex that she often dreads going home to. The descriptions we get are gritty and despondent and it is mentioned multiple times that Black Harbor is not a place people want to be. Morrissey does a really great job of giving us a good amount of description and world building while not dragging down the pace of the story. This story taking place in Wisconsin, in winter, and with Hazel working the night shift means we see very little sunlight (actual and metaphorical). The setting and atmosphere feel like they're ready made for a limited TV series on HBO. Fans of the Nordic Noir subgenre would feel at home with the atmosphere of this book.

I really enjoyed the character work Morrissey does with Hazel, but found the secondary characters to be a little flat. Hazel is our main character and the story is told in first person POV so we are really settled in her head as the plot unfolds. I found Hazel to be a very well rounded character who felt like a real person - she's flawed in realistic ways and has a pretty in depth history and backstory that is slowly revealed as the plot progresses. I really liked to see the way she would make decisions and rationalize her actions. I did find that sometimes these inner monologues would run a bit long and I would want to get back to the action of the investigation. The cast of secondary characters were pretty well established, but there were a few times where it felt like they would blend together. It might just be a personal reading quirk but if a side character has a name and has more than a two line conversation with the main character, I'm thinking they're going to be important to the plot in some way. There were many characters who did pop up multiple times in important moments but there were also enough ancillary characters who never really came back into the story. This led me to have a general feeling of the cast of side characters to be pretty wide, but not very deep. For example, we meet a good number of the other detectives but she really only interacts, in any meaningful way, with Nik. I was expecting more out of these different characters than I ended up getting and so it made the side characters, as a whole, feel a bit under developed. Again, that might just be a personal issue and I think the characters Hazel does interact with on numerous occasions are pretty well developed and interesting so maybe my expectations were just a little too high.

The pacing and plot balance was where I had my main issues with the book. For the first half, I really thought this was going to be a 5-star read. The pacing and reveals were spot on, I loved how we were getting layers revealed in Hazel's personal life as well as moving forward in the investigation. There were some spot-on reveals and great building of tension that I was excited to see how everything would come together. Then, at about the halfway mark, the pacing really slowed down and lost me. After some reflection and re-reading, I figured out my problem was that after the halfway mark, we leave the drug investigation for a while and focus instead on Hazel and her personal life. Hazel is our main character and we've been following her POV for the whole book so it would make sense that when her personal life starts having issues that we'd be following along as she navigated those issues. However, Hazel had been having trouble in her personal life for the whole first half of the book and we were still able to flip back and forth in both plot lines just fine. But when we leave the investigation on pause, the story goes from being a mystery/suspense to basically a domestic drama/thriller. I think the domestic side was well written, but it was such a large shift from the narrative of the beginning half that it ended up making the book feel really disconnected. When we do, eventually, get back into the investigation thread it, again, felt really disconnected and jarring. On paper, I can see why Hazel had to focus on her personal life, but from a reading experience it made the pacing really slow down and then made the narrative feel not as smoothly connected. I found the first half to be really well balanced between the detective investigation plot and the personal life issues plot and I think if the book was able to keep that balance throughout the whole book, it would have felt much more like a cohesive story.

The mystery and investigation elements were mostly spot on for me but there were a few times I wished certain aspects were really brought more to the forefront. There are two specific plot threads that I really wish were further explored. I could tell by the way they kept getting brought up that they would be important to the overall story (and they were) but I think they could have been much better utilized to also ramp up the emotional tension in the story. Both of these plot threads have some pretty big emotional ramifications for Hazel but there was a bit of a gap, for me, between the buildup of these points and the outcome. I thought having her be a transcriber was an excellent choice and I think it was used well as a lens to explore the detective side of things without having this feel like a typical police procedural - we get the information that the police searched someone's house but we don't need to actually be there with the police searching, for example. I thought the investigation made logical sense and there weren't really any big solutions that came about by accident. I liked how Hazel was an active participant in the investigation and wasn't just being pulled along by Nik. I do think the mystery aspect was lessened by the investigation plot being basically dropped in the middle in favor for the domestic drama side of things to take over. I read this book in 2 sittings over 2 days but when we do get back to the mystery investigation aspect at about the 75% mark, I had almost forgotten about that thread so it took me a while to get back into that mindset. I think the ending felt a bit too convenient for my personal liking and I had to suspend my disbelief a smidge. I do like where Hazel, as a character, ends up at the end and her character growth through the book was really the highlight for me.

Overall, I really liked this book but had some issues in the second half. Great characterization with Hazel, good initial balance of the different sources of conflict in the story, and well built investigation. I do wish the different elements were better blended in the second half, but I'd be excited to read more of Morrissey's work in the future - especially more character driven stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for review

Expected publication date is November 30, 2021

Hello, Transcriber is a sad, depressing, intense, suspenseful novel that I could not stop reading. Hazel seems miserable in her life. Even contemplates jumping off a bridge. Her husband is uncaring and her town has the highest crime rate in the state. Then she gets a job transcribing police notes. Suddenly her life has more meaning and she has hope again. Her involvement in the investigation of dying kids leads to her taking risks and trusting others. I loved how fast this book went and the unexpected turns it took. I will definitely read more frim this author.

I will be purchasing this copy for my patrons. I think a lot of them will enjoy it! I personally found the main character frustrating, and the writing overly detailed. Hazel isn't a particular compelling character, but I can see how the thrill of the mystery and the twists will keep a reader going!

I liked this book enough but it started off a little slow and I had a hard time getting into it. I did love the unique premise as I don't think I have ever read a book with a transcriber as a character before. Hazel was the type of character I loved to hate, I felt for her in some ways as it seemed her job defined her as she had a crumbling marriage and suffers from depression. I like when books can focus on mental health in a non judgy yet real way...It happens to the best of us. Hannah Morrissey writes with great characterization and I was able to feel things about them. I did not like the romantic side of the story though, it wasn't needed, this book worked well as a simple crime story and an adult, school-girl crushing over a detective took something away from the story in my opinion. Overall a fairly decent read and I see great things in future for this author.

HELLO, TRANSCRIBER by Hannah Morrissey will be published on 11/30/21 (thank you to @netgalley & @minotaur_books for my advance reader copy). See my new playlist (link in bio) inspired by this book!

This was one of my most anticipated Fall 2021 debut crime novels. The story takes place in the cold, depressed landscape of small town Black Harbor, Wisconsin. The author introduces readers to the protagonist Hazel, as she interviews for the fascinating job of a transcriber for the local police department. The author brings an inside perspective to the narrative as she actually worked as a police transcriber. Hazel works the night shift and is in a misery-laden marriage with her apathetic husband, Tommy who spends most of his free time drinking. Hazel becomes engrossed by a murder involving a local drug dealer, the Candy Man. As local police contact Hazel each night, she feverishly transcribes the case and finds herself in the middle of a deceitful game of cat and mouse. One evening, Hazel notices an intriguing police investigator, Kole. Similar to Hazel, he is playful and lonely, which helps the two quickly bond. Through Kole and Hazel, the author added an element of emotional intimacy in crime fiction, all wrapped up in the universal struggle to find the balance between power and surrender in relationships.

As the narrative progresses, Hazel begins to question everyone and everything—who is the Candy Man and who can she can trust in this twisted web of deception?

Hello, Transcriber is dark romantic crime fiction at its finest, taking an astute look at two troubled souls in a small town with a heart-thumping plot. I will patiently be waiting to read more from this debut author with a unique way of stringing words together that results in invigorating prose.

I was intrigued with the premise of this book - a transcriber- for the police!!!! To me a transcriber sounded like a dream job, kind of like being in a courtroom during a trial. However, I was disappointed to find that instead of focusing on the actual transcribing, the mystery was more about the transcriber. Still a new idea, so I enjoyed the book instead of being transfixed.

Hello, Transcriber is a crime thriller that you will not be able to put down.
The first chapter or two were a bit confusing to me, but it picked up quick and I was hooked. Hazel is a character that is relatable, if you have ever felt sadness or like you don’t belong.
Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.looking forward to more from this author.

The premise of this novel hooked me: a young female police transcriber becomes intrigued by a crime that comes through her transcription queue, and before long, she’s not only embroiled in the investigation, but also enamored with the lead detective on the case.

A lot of other reviewers loved this book, but for me, it was just okay. Hazel’s life is pretty depressing – living in a run-down and crime-ridden Midwestern town, lacking direction, stuck in a toxic relationship with a somewhat abusive husband – absolutely nothing is going well for her. She becomes entangled in a criminal case that she transcribes and ends up infatuated with lead detective Nik Kole. I was hoping for more of a mystery/thriller, but it feels like that aspect takes a backseat to the relationship unfolding between Hazel and Nik. I would have preferred less romance and more focus on the criminal plotline. Readers that like romance with a side of police procedural will likely enjoy this novel.

This is Hannah Morrissey’s debut effort, and she does show a ton of promise as an author. Some parts of the book are exceptionally well written – I could easily picture this gritty Wisconsin town and Hazel’s dreary existence. However, there were an overabundance of similes in the novel (sometimes several on a single page), and although that may have been a stylistic choice given that Hazel in an aspiring author, I found it quite distracting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book.

The blurb from this book pulled me in—a lady who transcribes for the police, like how cool of a job will that be. At the very start of the book, the description was terrific! "The trees with their wet, charred-looking trunks; the smell of fish scales and soil; the coal-blackened bridge that looks like the exoskeleton from some prehistoric beetle, stretching from bank to bank." With that kind of description, this book should be balls to the wall excellent and let me devour sort of reading, well as the story started unfolding, I found myself not thoroughly enjoying it, and I felt confused as the story continued. We are introduced to Hazel, who is in a not good place with her marriage; she doesn't seem to have any female friends besides her sister, who is sort of TV talk show famous, our main character seems sad about her life. When a murder happens, Hazel is the one to transcribe it, but as our story unfolds, it looks Hazel may be helping officer Kole with finding out who truly is candyman, and it has something to do with the bridge that calls to Hazel. In the end, I found myself asking, so who was Hazel with because I was somewhat confused. I liked the premise of the story and how dark a feeling it was, but I believe at times, the descriptions telling us information was longer than need be. Would I read something by this author again? Sure I would, I think she has a way of telling us a story, and with every book, she will get better!

Get ready for quite the ride! Hello, Transcriber grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. Underlying trepidation takes the reader through the plot twists and turns throughout the novel. If you love mystery, psychological thrillers, Read This Book!

If you like atmospheric mysteries, this debut is for you.

I went into this thinking it was going to be a thriller but I definitely found it leaned more towards being a mystery, which I was perfectly fine with! This book is set in Wisconsin during the winter and the atmosphere was perfect for those cold winter nights where you're thankful to be inside a warm house. That being said, I read it in the fall and found it to be great for this time of year as well thanks to the creepy atmosphere!

I had never read a book with a main character who works as a police transcriber and I found it super interesting reading about the goings on from her perspective. I didn't know much about this job but it's really interesting because they hear all the gory details of the crimes but aren't actively involved in the investigations. I liked how Hazel, our protagonist, got to know the main police officer involved in the drug overdose investigations through his dictations first.

This is Hannah Morrissey's debut novel but she knows how to tell a story that keeps you turning the pages with a writing style that transports you to the cold winters of Wisconsin. I'm excited to see what she comes out with next.

Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hazel is a transcriber for the local Wisconsin police force. She hates the town in which she lives, has a unsatisfactory marriage and hopes to get away and become a writer. Then she starts to transcribe a case involving The Candy Man and listening to the case unfold from the lips of Nikolai, a police detective, she becomes very involved, both with the case and the detective. This story kept my interest and was a fast read.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you're looking for a dark, dramatic to read during the cold winter months, Hello, Transcriber is a great one to check out. Set in a crime-riddled city in Wisconsin, we follow the main character Hazel Greenlee as she transcribes reports for Black Harbor's crimes. While "falling in love" with detective Nikolai Kole, she also becomes increasingly obsessed with figuring out who the Candy Man is after transcribing a report by Kole.

I felt all of the darkness in this one. It's atmospheric and I could picture the all dark rooms, the big bridge and the dark cold water, and the woods. Hannah's storytelling is absolutely phenomenal and a beautiful debut. Definitely recommend this one!

4/5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This one sounded good but was too slow for me - this was more of a slow-burn with a side of women's fiction? It was bleak, but not dark but if that makes sense - it kind of reminded me of Long Bright River in the setting - very depressing. It was okay but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to push this one into your hands. 3 - 3.5 stars

This is a mystery/suspense novel that isn’t cookie-cutter genre fiction. The storytelling is original, and the author enabled me to feel like my concern for the protagonist, Hazel, is something I discovered on my own rather than the author manipulating my feelings.

Hazel has followed her husband to Black Harbor, Wisconsin, because of his job detailing the environmental effects of the industry that devastated the physical environment as well as the citizens—when it shut down, most jobs ceased to exist along with it—except for careers connected to law enforcement, where there are jobs aplenty since when people don’t have access to a decent way to earn a living, they sometimes turn to drug sales and/or use..

Hazel gets a job working nights as a transcriber for the police department. She’s an aspiring author, and when she transcribes a case of a nine-year-old boy who may be the victim of the Candy Man, she starts writing again. It doesn’t hurt that the case is being led by the impossibly handsome officer Nik Kole.

This is a slight dark novel. Unhappy marriages, towns ravaged because of economics and environmental destruction, a person’s own inability to break out of unhealthy cycles, it’s not a happy tale, but I couldn’t wait to get back to reading it when I had to stop for other reasons, which is one of the nicest compliments I can give a book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES NOVEMBER 30, 2021.

I fell in love with Hannah Morrissey’s writing right away. She has a way of being descriptive without being drawn out. I also really like the concept of reading a police procedural from the perspective of a transcriber. Being an avid reader, I am often obsessed with words, and I feel the author and main character are as well. This was a fun read and felt very much like a Nordic Noir (due to the dark, gritty, and cold atmosphere). This one seems like thee could be a sequel or series, and I really hope there is more about Hannah Greenlee.

This melancholic, dark mystery got my attention right away. Hazel Greenlee has just taken a job as a transcriber on the nighttime shift for the Black Harbor police department. Black Harbor has the distinction of being the most crime ridden small town in Wisconsin. Her home life was about as far from mine as I could imagine. Her husband seems to have a gun fetish, placing them everywhere throughout the house, including keeping one on the dining room table as he eats. The house is filled with critters and birds the man shot and stuffed. And let’s just say he’s lacking when it comes to consideration for his wife’s feelings. But I bonded with her immediately. She sees herself as a writer and adores the English language. She starts to fantasize about one investigator, loving his use of the words squalid and deplorable. “Is it wrong to be turned on by the fact that his commas are in all the right places?” Soon, her fantasies turn real and she is involved with him on multiple levels.
I loved Morrissey’s writing style. Including the police transcriptions was brilliant as it made me feel I was literally in Hazel’s shoes. Her descriptions of the town enabled me to see it vividly, from the suicide bridge to her decrepit duplex, “that sinking, worm-colored eyesore”.
There’s a great sense of underlying tension to the story. Exactly who was the Candy Man? I loved that Morrissey didn’t fall into a fairy tale ending. The ending perfectly fit the story.
I recommend this to all who like their mysteries dark and gritty.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

It took me a long time to get through this book even though it is good story and has gotten some wonderful reviews. I found it very depressing and the story seemed to focus more on her misery than the crime plot.

The story begins in the dark of night in Wisconsin’s most crime-ridden city, where police transcriber Hazel Greenlee listens as detectives divulge Black Harbor’s gruesome secrets. Hazel is an aspiring novelist and hopes that by writing a book this could be her ticket out of the hell she is currently living. Inspiration just isn’t there until her neighbor confesses to hiding the corpse of an overdose victim.

Hazel becomes intrigued by the lead detective, Nikolai Kole, and the chilling account he shares with her. Through his transcription, she learns that the suspicious death is linked to Candy Man who is, you guessed it, a drug dealer notorious for selling illegal substances to children! Kole invites her to accompany him on a covert operation to take the dealer down, and she sees this event as possibly as the key to her writing.
As the investigation unfolds, Hazel will begins to marvel at herself and just how far she will go to get a story, even if it means destroying her marriage, her career, and really the only chance she has of getting out of Black Harbor alive.

I found the story a bit confusing and as I said I wish it had focused more on the crime instead of her toxic relationship.