great book and such great characters. I enjoyed the mystery and some romance. I also enjoyed the journey of the characters. I didn't know what to expect with this book but I enjoyed it .

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Widowmaker is listed as #2 in a series on Goodreads, but I thought it read fine as a standalone, and nothing was unclear or missing from the story, I think these are meant to be read as different stories from the same universe. This one was fine….just fine. Nothing stood out as “omg” moments, and I felt it more of a slow burn mystery, that had a lot of potential that fell a little flat. I likely won’t remember anything about this one, especially since I read a lot of thrillers and mystery.

This one is out now if you want to check it out - again, many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for this ARC!

4 Stars 
Thank you NetGalley and Hannah for approving me to read the book early.
This book was okay. 👌. 
 I listened to the audio version narrated by Adam Verner and Xe Sands. They did an amazing job. Very Easy to follow both narrators, they both made the book come to life. This book is dark, deep, and full of so many lies and secrets. I would recommend to readers who enjoy crime, police procedural, and thrillers. 
Many thanks to Hannah Morrissey, NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio version in exchange for an honest review.

A darker read and I didn't realize this was part of a series when I started it. I want to go back and read the first book as I think that will add to some of the depth I felt was missing from here.
Overall I enjoyed this book.

The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey delves into a surprising look at a decades old cold case, a recent cop's murder, a young photographer who seems to be caught up in the middle of all of it. The story shifts from the perspective of Hudson, an investigator grieving the loss of his partner and Morgan, the photographer with too many buried secrets to count. Both Hudson and Morgan have their own separate ties to the mysterious disappearance of Clive Reynolds - a case that no one has been able to crack in the last thirty years. 
 If you enjoy reading books that make you say "wait what just happened" page after page then you'll certainly enjoy this one.

This is a dark and twisty tale of family secrets. The author pulls you in from the very first chapter, which is a bit mysterious and refers to events in the near past that only get clarified later in the book. The female main character, Morgan, has had a terrible childhood and it has affected her greatly. She is now in her early 30s, trying to make a living as a photographer in her home town. The male main character, Hudson, is a young police investigator with a secret in his past. The action takes place in a dismal city in Wisconsin, somewhere on Lake Michigan, called Black Harbor, in and around Christmas time. Hudson’s former partner, Garrison, is killed and we gradually find out all the links between a 20-year-old cold case involving the Reynolds, the city’s richest family, Hudson, Garrison and Morgan.

Content warning: child abuse/sexual assault in the past

The author has written a previous book that also takes place in Black Harbor but this is not being promoted as a series and I have not read the first book, Hello, Transcriber, although I’m interested enough in it now to track it down.

I listened to the audiobook with my husband on a long car trip and re-read some sections in the ebook in the evenings to make sure I understood what was going on - so perhaps reading this one may be better than listening to it. There are a lot of characters and back story to keep straight. Different chapters are told from the point of view of either Morgan or Hudson, and there were two narrators, one female and one male: Xe Sands and Adam Verner.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

As much as I really wanted to enjoy this one. This series is just not for me. I thought it was just the first book but this wasnt any different.

The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey is a murder mystery starring photographer Morgan, who witnesses the death of a police officer.  She and police investigator Ryan Hudson try to figure out what happened; and the more they discover, the more dangerous the case gets. I enjoyed this story very much and hope there will be a third installment of this Black Harbor series.  Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy.  All opinions are my own.

The Widowmaker was absolutely exceptional I love how the plot grips you from the first go and how well the story was told. I’m definitely going to add Hannah Morrissey as an auto buy author.

This is the second story I have a read by this author and has with the first one, this is just has great. It has a lot of mystery ,a little romance and a lot of suspense. I can’t wait to see what is going to happen in the next book.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This was a great solid read. The storyline and atmosphere were very dark. The story flower very well. A great combination of police procedural and family secrets.

Hannah Morrissey's second novel was a success! After reading and really enjoying Hello, Transcriber last year I was anxious to see what she came out with next. This one did not disappoint! While it's book number two in the Black Harbor series, I feel like it could definitely be read as a stand alone.

It was dark and atmospheric. The town of Black Harbor itself is grey and depressing and gives those creepy vibes to the story. While there were no mind blowing twists, the story moved along and flowed really well and kept me turning the pages. I read this one pretty fast!

It was a bit of a thriller and a bit of a police procedural. Secrets, lies, betrayal, murder, and hidden pasts... everything I wanted!

This book sounded great but it wasn't a good fit for me. It was a bit too dark and depressing for me though. I didn't finish it. I do think the writing was good but I just couldn't do it

If you like dark stories full of twists, turns, great characterization, a rich family with lots of secrets and "feel like you're there" atmosphere.......... this one's for you!!  I read it super-fast, which is hard for me to do with my crazy work hours, so this says a LOT! I believe there is a previous book set in this same town from this author. I will be looking that one up also. 

Thank you to #NetGalley, Hannah Morrissey and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC.  All opinions are my own.

I am always down for a good whodunit, and this delivers on that. This is the second in a series. I actually did read the first book in the series, Hello, Transciber. I can say that while the setting and at least one character are recurrent, there is no real continuation between book 1 and book 2. This story revolves around Morgan, a young woman, badly damaged from years of abuse. She is just trying to live a life in the hellscape known as Black Harbor, a remote, icy town with more criminals that residents. She thinks her life may finally be looking up, when she is witness to the brutal shooting of a well known police officer. In his dying moments the fallen officer seems to recognize Morgan, and this fact opens a Pandora’s box of questions about Morgan’s past and who she really is. The big question is does solving Morgan’s identity also solve the murder of the fallen officer and the decades old disappearance of one of Black Harbor’s richest and most notorious residents? This kept me guessing almost to the end. The author has a very detailed, visceral way of writing that is unique. A pleasure to read. Review posted to Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, Litsy, LibraryThing, Amazon

The Widowmaker is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. Hannah Morrissey really knows what she's doing. The story is fast-paced and addictive. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers up all night. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out The Widowmaker today.

This book was definitely a page-turner. If you're looking for a mystery/thriller, you will want to pick this one up.

A wealthy family with lots of scandals, a cold case, and a murder of an officer to solve. It seems like a lot, but it is all woven together to draw you into this book and its characters.

The story has lots of twists and turns that will keep you wanting more, and just when you think you have solved the cold case and the who did it... you or at least I was wrong.

Thank you @minotaur_books for this gifted eARC.

Who's ready to stay up all night reading? Because once you start this one, you won't be stopping. It's part thriller, part mystery. I love how all the pieces fit together, the depth of the characters, and the plot itself. It's fast paced and very interesting!

4 Stars!

This psychological thriller had all the vibes of a dark and twisty Nordic Noir even though it’s set in the Midwest. Morgan Mori is a woman trying to right her past. When she's offered a photography gig for a well known family’s Christmas party, she believes her situation is finally looking up. Unfortunately, Morgan has secrets and so does the family who hired her, but are these secrets connected?

Ryan Hudson, is a detective, who recently suffered a tremendous loss. He’s been reassigned to a cold case due to new evidence. This new information will connect him with Morgan and cause all kinds of secrets to bubble up.

Overall, this is a dark and deep book full of secrets and lies. There is a lot going on and I found that I had to listen for a long period of time to keep all of the characters and subplots straight in my mind.

The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey is a fantastic book! 
We’re returning to Black Harbour, the place we visited before in the author’s debut novel, “Hello Transcriber”. This is a disturbing but captivating story that keeps you hooked from page one. 

The characters are well-developed and the plot and pacing have you turning the pages as fast as you can. The writing is beautiful and the story is intriguing. The narrative is told from the perspectives of Morgan who is a photographer and Ryan the investigator in alternating chapters. Though I did kind of guess the identity of the culprit halfway in, the intricately and well-plotted story kept me engaged till the end.

I've read the author's previous book and one thing I can say is that she really knows how to write an atmospheric book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.