I’ve been reading this series out of order, so while it’s the second in the series, it’s the third I’ve read now. I still stand by the chaotic reading order and I don’t feel like there were any spoilers revealed by reading the last book before this one.

This book focuses on a different detective than #1 and #4 do, as well as a new-to-me character who is a lead witness to the crime at the beginning. The actual plot was pretty good, I found the mystery somewhat interesting, however I had a really hard time wanting to keep picking it up for one reason or another. I couldn’t understand why these detectives kept trying to brainstorm with their lead witness? I also think I’m getting a little run down from this series, so will be taking a bit of a break before reading #3 (the one left that I haven’t read). I also rarely read crime mysteries so reading 3 books in this series nearly back to back, I feel like I need to switch up and read other genres for a bit.

Say Hello to my new favorite series. I recently read and loved Hello Transcriber, but I enjoyed this book even more. It's hard to review without giving away any spoilers - but I urge you to go in blind so everything is more thrilling.

I love all of the mysteries that happen in Black Harbor as well as the various characters and their stories. I cannot wait to continue this series.

This dark thriller was everything and more!!! Written effortlessly, I was blown away at some parts of this book that had my mind spinning. Loved the main characters and everything was just totally unexpected!!!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion!!

I really enjoyed this suspenseful thriller despite the dark subject matter. The psychological damage that had been done to the main characters brought them together and created the perfect blend of unreliable yet believable narrators of this dual viewpoint story. I listened to the audiobook and I thought Adam Verner and Xe Sands did an amazing job giving them voices. I couldn't stop listening and now I need to get Hello, Transcriber.

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.

Hannah Morrissey’s The Widowmaker is a dark and atmospheric thriller that intertwines a decades-old disappearance with a fresh murder in the crime-ridden town of Black Harbor. Morgan Mori, a struggling photographer, finds herself entangled in the mystery of the powerful Reynolds family when a holiday gathering turns deadly. Meanwhile, Investigator Ryan Hudson is desperate to prove himself as he pieces together clues from both past and present crimes. The novel excels in its moody, noir-like tone and its exploration of trauma, secrets, and the cost of ambition.

However, the pacing is uneven, with moments of gripping suspense often slowed down by meandering subplots and a lack of urgency in the investigation. While the characters have intriguing backstories, their development sometimes feels shallow, making it difficult to fully invest in their journeys. The twists are engaging but not always surprising, and the resolution leaves some threads feeling unresolved. The Widowmaker is a decent read for fans of slow-burn mysteries, but it doesn’t quite deliver the high-stakes tension it promises.

Okay, so I already knew I loved Hannah Morrissey's writing to the nth degree, but it's truly The Widowmaker that cinched it!

This book is so different from Hello, Transcriber while remaining the same! Basically, distinct characters make up this dual point of view, which is just as edgy, gritty, and addictive as the first in the series!

Both Morgan and Hudson are so unique that there's no mistaking them from other Black Harbor residents! Hudson really stood out to me, with his character depiction so clear and pronounced! I never could (and still can't) determine what made him so unique... maybe it's just that he's really not Kole (which may have been what I was expecting!?); instead, Hudson becomes almost the antithesis of Kole. As for Morgan, she is unbelievably dark, and I loved every aspect of her!

Morrissey is a master plot weaver with this one, cleverly releasing snippets of information along the way, which caused my mind to constantly be blown. It's an art, and she does it effortlessly!

This ending!!! It was so needed!

And now I must talk about this audiobook! Adam Verner and Xe Sands were outstanding choices to voice these characters! Verner sounded so atypically "cop" and Sands came across as straightforward and uniquely sexy. Whoever is choosing the audiobook narrators for this series deserves a trophy!

I've got a reread of book three - When I'm Dead - lined up next, and I can't wait for my trip back to Black Harbor! (Although, at this point, maybe I should just invest in some real estate there!)

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

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my copy of THE WIDOWMAKER.

I love Black Harbor and all the insanity it contains. I love that this series isn't locked into certain characters but they come back in new books like old friends. I've got her next book, WHEN I'M DEAD all ready to dive into. Do yourself a favor, if you haven't already, snag yourself a copy of HELLO, TRANSCRIBER and start your Black Harbor journey.

This is the second book in the Black Harbor series.

A wealthy family shrouded in scandal, a detective tasked with solving an impossible cold case, and a woman with a dark past collide.

This book starts with a very interesting premise.

Ever since business mogul Clive Reynolds disappeared twenty years ago, the name "Reynolds" has become synonymous with "murder" and "mystery." And now, lured by a cryptic note, down-on-her-luck photographer Morgan Mori returns home to Black Harbor and into the web of their family secrets and double lives. The same night she photographs the Reynolds holiday get-together, Morgan becomes witness to a homicide of a cop that triggers the discovery of a long-buried clue.

I am excited to read When I'm Dead, the third book in the series.

4.5/5 stars

Thank you Minotaur Books for the advanced reading copy!

Loved this one! So excited to dive back into black harbor (albeit out of order lol). Hannah Morrissey’s writing is so dark in the best way — every word oozes with atmosphere and drips with mystery. I liked both of our main characters in this one and enjoyed both POV’s. Xe Sands is the best and creates such perfect vibes for this writing. The mystery was good and unexpected. Gave me A KILLING COLD vibes, which I also enjoyed. Thrilled to pick up her newest — THE UNLUCKY ONES — next!

This book completely consumed me. The atmosphere the author created is nothing short of mesmerizing. From the very first page, I was drawn into a world that felt both haunting and immersive. Every detail, no matter how dark, felt purposeful and deepened the emotional impact of the story. The author's ability to craft such a rich, atmospheric setting is unparalleled—it's as though the shadows themselves were alive, pulling me deeper into the narrative.

Even when the story took me into darker, more unsettling places, I found myself unwilling to look away. It’s rare to encounter a book that not only keeps you reading but actually pulls you inside its world, and that’s exactly what this one did. The tension, the mood, the weight of it all—it's a thrilling experience I can't recommend enough. This is one of those rare reads where you don't just read the story, you feel it, you live it.

If you’re looking for a book that will keep you riveted from start to finish, enveloping you in an atmosphere that feels alive, this is the one to pick up. It’s dark, it’s gripping, and it’s unforgettable.

An amazing winter thriller. Will be my number 1 recommendation for anyone interested in a winter thriller. Loved it!!

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

The Widowmaker By Hannah Morrissey
Publication Date: December 6, 2022
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:

The Widowmaker is the PERFECT next read in Hannah Morrissey's Black Harbor series! Again, we're gifted with a compelling mystery set in Black Harbor, where secrets linger and cower in the darkest parts of this town. Morrissey really knocked it out of the park with this one, as this mystery was even more fast-paced and heart-pounding than the first book in the series.

This book's story surrounds female MC Morgan, who emerged from an abusive childhood to leave Black Harbor and avenge her abusers in a dark way. But she's back in Black Harbor and living with her parents, forced to face the town of her horrors again. We're introduced to a of new characters in Black Harbor in this read, but we also get reacquainted with many of the characters and places featured in the first book of the series.

While the vibe of this book is just as atmospheric as the first one, I actually think I liked this story even more! There were several plotlines filled with suspense, and I enjoyed trying to connect the dots as I read. Once again, this is a police procedural, but this time there's an investigation into a cold case and current investigations that might just connect with one another. I was so happy to see some of the same police officers featured again, but in a different way, and I loved the little nods to the storylines and characters in book one.

There's no shortage of small town drama and an undercurrent of a new Black Harbor love story - in the dark and chaotic way one is coming to expect in this town. If anybody's wondering, yes, you can read this one as a standalone, but you don't want to. So far, this series is giving me all the things I love in suspenseful thrillers, with strong storylines and character development to love. There's still time to catch up on this series before the fourth installment publishes on March 25th -- and I highly recommend you fictionally visit this dark town of Black Harbor as soon as you can!

#TheWidowmaker #HannahMorrissey #BlackHarborSeries #MinotaurBooks #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #thrillerreads #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #thrillerseries #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

"The Widowmaker" by Hannah Morrissey is the second book in the "Black Harbor" series.
Even if it takes place in the same town, the book can be read as a standalone.
Rating 3,5 stars

I received a digital copy of the book from St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books via Netgalley.
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

In this book, a cold case is reopened after a Porsche 930 Turbo 1978 (also called Widowmaker) that belonged to Clive Reynolds is found in the water. He disappeared 20 years before in mysterious circumstances.
Morgan Mori is a freelance photographer hired by the Reynolds family, but becomes a witness in the murder of a cop.
Ryan Hudson is a Broken Harbor cop and he becomes involved in the investigation of his partner's murder.

I liked that the story is told from dual POVs (Morgan and Hudson). This is darker than the first book and more disturbing. Morgan has many secrets from the past and she has a deep connection to Black Harbor.
The writing is good and it keeps you intrigued, but there are triggering parts, including description of child abuse and violent crimes.

The twists were unexpected and also the relationship between Morgan and Hudson was a bit strange.

I am curious about the next book in the series.

"It's amazing how all the world's secrets reveal themselves if you're patient enough."

• Synopsis
A wealthy family shrouded in scandal; a detective tasked with solving an impossible cold case; a woman with a dark past. How are they connected?

• My Thoughts
This twisted mystery, set against bleak December days in a city plagued by crime, is a perfect balance between psychological thriller & police procedural. This is my favorite in the series!
Morrissey's poetic writing hooked me right away, & the dual POV made the pacing perfect. It's moody, dark, with characters that are heartbreakingly flawed & real. The suspense was killer, the complicated story unraveled in such a satisfying way.
I LOVED Hannah's debut Hello, Transcriber - then I was lucky enough to read (& love) an ARC of When I'm Dead. So of course I couldn't wait to jump back into Black Harbor. Although The Widowmaker is the 2nd book in the Black Harbor series, I read them out of order & never felt confused or lost. These are each stand-out standalones.

- Read if you like:
• photography details
* classic cars
* dual POVs
* chilling winter settings
* Butterfingers
* The Simpsons
* dark, atmospheric reads
* revenge

Thank you Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey! WOW! ok, I just binged all of the Black Harbor novels in the last two weeks. Why did I wait so long to read these? Morrissey is an absolute talent for taking words and letting them sink deep into your core. I don’t often highlight passages, but her writing makes me want to absorb every sentence.

The Black Harbor series kicks off with The Transcriber. Each of these books can be read standalone, but are even better if you’ve read the others. Easter eggs galore, the Widowmaker is dark, twisted and deeply unsettling. This one follows the rich Reynolds family and a photographer named Morgan Mori who returns home to Black Harbor and gets sucked into the family secrets.

I will always and forever recommend Morrissey’s books, and I absolutely can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Hannah Morrissey's *The Widowmaker* is a gripping thriller that plunges readers into a world of secrets and suspense. Set in a small town shrouded in mystery, the story follows a determined detective unraveling a chilling crime that intertwines with her own dark past. The plot deftly explores themes of trust and betrayal, as characters grapple with their own inner demons and the shadows of their history. With unreliable narrators, the tension escalates with each twist and turn. Morrissey masterfully crafts a fast-paced, riveting narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers.

I was really excited to read this sequel, and I was happy to see that it focused on different characters from the first book yet continued where that one had left off, with references back to it here and there (but nothing that gave anything away about that story). This one is written in a way that, though it's a sequel, you don't really need to have read the first one beforehand, which I appreciated since I read it quite a while ago (and there have been many, *many* books in between).

The various twists and turns of this story kept me on my toes, and the last 100 pages or so went by in a blur, I was turning them so fast. There are lots of characters, especially in the Reynolds family, which can make it a little hard to keep up at first, but the plot itself is paced pretty well and keeps the reader intrigued (though the references to and descriptions of Morgan's history could be triggering for some readers, so proceed with caution). I'm already looking forward to reading the next book in the series whenever I can find the time to do so, because I know I'll get sucked in and will want to read as much as possible in one sitting.

4 stars

**I received a free copy from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and comments contained within are my own.**

3.5⭐
Genre ~ police procedural
Series ~ Black Harbor #2
Others in the series ~ Hello, Transcriber
Setting ~ Wisconsin
Publication date ~ December 6, 2022
Publisher ~ Minotaur Books
Est Page Count ~ 296 (45 chapters)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 39 minutes
Narrator ~ Adam Verner, Xe Sands
POV ~ dual 3rd
Featuring ~ cold case, murder, child abuse, pedophilia

Morgan is a photographer back in her hometown. After taking pictures of the Reynolds family she stops off at a gas station and witnesses a cop gunned down.

That cop was Investigator Ryan Hudson's partner. He's desperate to find the killer, but it's not his case to investigate. Then a Porsche owned by Clive Reynolds, a man who has been missing for 20 years, was pulled from the lake and he's assigned to the case.

Morgan and Ryan work together on the intertwined cases and I liked them together. Overall, I found it to be fast paced and chilling at times, and not just because it was winter in the blustery Wisconsin. There are some pretty dark elements referred to.

Series notes:
Sargent Kole from Hello, Transcriber makes quite a few appearance, but I don't feel like reading book 1 was really necessary to this story. I enjoyed this book much more than that one.

I didn't like this novel and I didn't finish it. The writing isn't bad and I'm sure the story is okay it just wasn't for me and it was triggering. Thanks to the author , NetGalley and the publisher for this arc