I didn't finish this book. I read about 135 pages and it just didn't captivate my interest enough to continue. I refer this free from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

This was a very well written thriller, a dark story that wasn't predictable, a heroine, clumsy and courageous. The descriptions and descriptive phrases were, for the most part, excellent, though maybe would have been a little more effective if there were less of them, esp in the beginning. While most of the story was tied up, there were worlds open for Hazel, the main character and I would a book two about her

HELLO, TRANSCRIBER by Hannah Morrissey follows police transcriber, Hazel Greenlee, as she gets involved in a high-stakes investigation that could end up being her ticket out of town.

I have a lot of thoughts after reading this that are quite difficult to sort out…

1. This almost felt more focused on romance at times than on actual detective-work (I’m a sucker for that kind of thing, so I did adapt, but it did feel disjointed.)

2. Said romance also had a lot of problematic moments that weren’t fully dissected

3. And because of all of the romance, the main drug/murder case details seemed to just all of a sudden come to a conclusion and the components and ultimate build-up felt rushed

I think I liked this book...but there was so much going on for a 300-page book, that it would have benefited greatly from an extra hundred pages. Regardless, the idea of being a police transcriber seems like such a cool job, and those elements of this book were ~ amazing ~

Overall, a quick and, ultimately, enjoyable read if you find yourself at all interested in the premise!

Publication Date: November 30, 2021

*** special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review ***

Hello, Transcriber transported me to Wisconsin with its depressing mood and moody characters. Every night Hazel Greenlee transcribes detectives investigative recordings into official reports. Until one night when an investigation gets a bit too close and her neighbor confesses to hiding a corpse. Hazel quickly becomes wrapped up with the investigation... and the lead detective. This book started a bit slow but it ended with a bang!

What makes this book different is the writing style and people should care because it's a book unlike any I've read before.

This dark and atmospheric thriller keeps twisting and keeping the reader off balance to the very end. Hazel becomes a police transcriber after failing at other jobs, when what she most wants to do is become a writer of fiction. When she's pulled into a murder investigation that cuts too close to home, her own life is in danger and she doesn't know who she can trust any longer. I loved the immersion into the soul of a Wisconsin town slowly losing its battle against drugs and violence, and the matter-of-fact optimism of Hazel and her loved ones.

I started this Sunday and had read like 40 percent in the pool and only stopped because I realized my skin was frying lol! I was honestly upset when I had to stop reading - darn adulting and responsibilities! I have since spent every free moment at home devouring this - even though I had figured it out early on it was still a great page turner and so well written!!! I now want to see if Hazel’s Job as a transcriber is real because it sounds so interesting and I kind of want to do it (I know it is a book but for real she sold me on this job!!!)
If you like thrillers , mystery books, etc I def recommend this - as a bonus there is a bit of steam and romance in there too!

This was an error of mine for asking for this title. Not my type of book. I am sure it will have an audience, just not me.

“Hello Transcriber” is the greeting given to Hazel the new police transcriber in Black Harbor, Wisconsin.
I am a big mystery fan. “Hello’ drew me to the story!

However this wasn’t ‘a Big Wow’ for me.

Delighted to see so many 5 stars and knowing that this is working for a lot of readers!!
It appears most true crime buffs love this!!!

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press ~ Minotaur Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 30, 2021

While the writing was solid, if a bit overwrought, the protagonist was incredibly hard to sympathize with, as were most of the characters. While that might be realistic, it made caring about anyone very difficult.

Hazel Greenlee has taken a new job as a transcriber for the local police station of Black Harbor. Police man continuously file reports on tape for her opening with "Hello, Transcriber." She excels at transcribing and quickly falls into the rhythm of the job. It's not long before she finds herself enmeshed in a drug story that includes her duplex neighbor. Worse yet, it's being investigated by the very attractive Nik Kole. Lots of questions follow - who is at fault, who is guilty, will Hazel cheat on her very unlikeable husband?

This is a very atmospheric novel. I loved how it could have taken place anywhere and that I fully believed in Hazel's self sabotage. The mystery was less interesting to me than the choices Hazel ultimately makes - I think that signifies very interesting and complex characters.

If you like police-based novels, atmospheric, almost gothic descriptions and complex characters than I would recommend this book to you! just remember, its gritty and urban and there is violence made more violent with excellent descriptions.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey in exchange for an honest review. Hazel Greenlee works as a police transcriber in Black Harbor, a crime ridden city in Wisconsin. Every night Hazel listens to detectives talking about the crime scenes they have come across. To keep her mind off the horrors, she is writing her own novel. This is a dark story full of interesting insight into the job as a police transcriber.

This is a crime/police/mystery thriller. I found it to be confusing, as there was a lot going on in the book. Also, the beginning of the book is quite depressing.

This was just not the book for me. I think others may thoroughly enjoy it.

Thanks to netgalley for the ecopy of this book.

Like so many others I was drawn to the premise of this one and the original concept, hooked in the beginning by the Intriguing openings, but then quickly felt like I was the victim of a bait-and-switch as this turned into more of a romance than a thriller...

Romance is not my thing, so that quickly set my attention to flagging. The crime/how to prove it angle was not as well developed as I expected it to be, given this was billed as a thriller, so I found that a bit disappointing. And I found the writing uneven - it was very good in a number of places, but then felt like it dragged on in others as the book vacillated between the crime and the affair.

On the whole I think I just wasn't the right reader for this one...

This book was a bit of a let down for me. It seemed long and dragged on without really making any head way. The characters were depressing and everything about the town was dark and dreary. I would not recommend.

Hello, Transcriber hit me in a strange way. I expected a suspense novel, but the book was mostly about relationship dynamics. I enjoyed the “romance” element more than anything and, with the bleak tone of the novel and dreariness of Hazel’s life, I was hoping for a traditional “happy” ending for her. What I got was much more ambiguous and left me feeling melancholy. Even so, the book was worth reading. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

QUICK TAKE: solid murder mystery about a police report transcriber who gets caught up in a murder investigation. I thought the author did a nice job laying character groundwork before unraveling an interesting and entertaining mystery. Is it perfect? Far from it, but there's a lot to like about this one, and if you're looking for a propulsive crime thriller, it's definitely worth prioritizing.

This was super interesting - and I picked it up for the premise. Admittedly, I wanted a lot "more" of the thriller component and felt as if it was more about social dynamics/relationship of a couple people - but it was still pretty good! Would love to see more from this author!

Like everyone else, I was immediately drawn to this book by the unusual concept. Hannah Morrissey's "Hello, Transcriber" is a crime/police /mystery/romance set in Black Harbor, Wisconsin.  I've never read this author before & knew nothing about the atmospheric setting she describes. The culture, the frigid cold, drinking, guns, hunting, drugs, and crime seemed quite realistic.
The main character, Hazel, has just relocated to this backwater, crime ridden town. Her unfulfilled marriage & sex life is quite vividly detailed. She is newly employed transcribing police incident reports. What she really wants to be is a writer. The story revolves around several recent deaths attributed to an illusive drug dealer, Candy Man.
The plot, (which I guessed about 20% in) derails as she has an illicit affair with Kole, the lead investigator. The book summary states the book is a mystery suspense, when in fact it's much more a romance woven around the crime solving. This isn't necessarily negative, but not everyone will enjoy the pages of steamy sex scenes.
There are many interesting supporting characters: husband/hunter, sister, parents, spiteful coworkers, police detectives, and seedy neighbors.
The crimes were grisly and gruesome. However; the suspense was less about the Candy Man than Hazel and Kole's affair.
I truly enjoyed the originality of the story. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

You know that feeling when you find a book that makes you want to savor every single word? Welcome to HELLO, TRANSCRIBER.

From page one, I was wholly invested in aspiring author and police transcriber Hazel Greenlee’s life in frozen, gritty, Gotham-esque Black Harbor. This moody mystery is a richly drawn and brilliantly written account of Hazel’s life as she gets pulled into investigator Nikolai Kole’s orbit and his search for elusive drug dealer Candy Man. When her next-door neighbor/husband's friend confesses to hiding the body of a young boy who overdosed on drugs, and Hazel decides not to tell Kole about her personal connection to the case, her involvement turns dangerous.

Hannah Morrissey's masterful writing style is part of what makes this such an excellent novel. The language she uses to describe Black Harbor, its people, and Hazel's struggle is fresh and captivating, This is Morrissey's debut, and I'm already looking forward to reading more of her wonderful work.