I’ve grown up along the shoreline of Lake Michigan my entire life, in a city that started out small during my childhood, and has quickly morphed into a place I don’t recognize. This book may be based in a fictional town called Black Harbor, but all I pictured was Kenosha. The brittle, harsh winters. The clouds that hover low. The lake that is endlessly eating the shoreline. Hannah Morrissey understands exactly how winter is its own entity here, and that spoke loudly through these pages. The sharp wind was as much of a character in this book as Morgan Mori or Ryan Hudson were. I’m not sure what I expected from this book, but wow, what a punch. There was so much going on, and it was all connected. It was dark. What a twisty and brilliant mind Morrissey has.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey.

After reading Hello Transcriber, I was very anxious to get my hands on another book by Morrissey. She has mastered the art of the ice cold atmospheric thriller/suspense.

This one smacked hard of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. You have a deeply traumatized young woman, working as a photography to make ends meet, and a wealthy family with a dark past that hires her. She's back in her hometown and knows all the lore surrounding the affluent Reynolds family. But what really adds complexity to her visit home is watching a beloved police officer shot in front of her. What is going on all of these years later, and could any of it have to do with her?

This was a fantastic read, especially during a time that suspense novels are FLOODING the shelves. I love the chilly atmosphere, the suspicious characters, and the occasional ice melting romance woven throughout. This is the perfect rainy fall day read, grab a blanket and a warm drink!

Y’all know I love crime fiction, especially Nordic Noir & I recently saw @hannahmorrisseywriter’s work described as Midwest Noir. I could not agree more and absolutely loved her newest crime thriller, The Widowmaker. It is dark and has some great twists that you don’t see coming. I switched back and forth between the book and audiobook. I have to say that the choice of Xe Sands as the female narrator was excellent. I highly recommend grabbing either the book or audiobook when they publish!

Thank you to @stmartinspress @minotaur_books@macmillan.audio and @netgalley for allowing me to read & listen to this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

This is definitely a book with a very unique premise and lots of moving parts. But it hooked me from the beginning and I would think about Morgan and all she endured when I wasn’t reading the book. A great mystery featuring the homicide of a police officer, a wealthy family whose patriarch mysteriously disappeared, and many characters that wouldn’t cross paths under normal circumstances. A great story!

This book was compelling and kept me interested the entire time. The characters have complicated back stories that the author reveals slowly, drawing you in. My one quibble is that the ending resolution of the mystery or crimes was a little too complex for my brain to hold onto. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This is the second novel by Hannah and I’m extremely grateful for receiving an ARC.
We were introduced to Nikolai Kole in her first novel and he returns here, with more involvement.
There’s a dual point of view with characters Morgan and Detective Hudson. A current crime and a cold case bring these two together.
An inventive, dark and thrilling novel. If you want twists and good writing, this is for you.
Thank you NetGalley for the gifted copy.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Morgan suffered an abusive childhood and is left with PTSD and trauma that makes it impossible for her to find peace. Through a series of interactions with a wealthy family and a chance stumbling upon a crime scene, she discovers truths about her past.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. At first I found myself slogging through this book. I have a general rule of giving a book 50 pages before I quit and I’m glad I waited on this one. Morgan Mori is tasked with taking holiday photos of the Reynolds family. The patriarch, Clive, disappeared 20 years ago and the family has moved on. On her way home, Morgan is witness to a cop shooting in a Fast Mart. Ryan Hudson, the fallen officer’s partner, is now lead investigator. Nik Kole from Hello Transcriber, the author’s first novel, plays a peripheral part. Morgan has baggage and she only gets more caught up in the Reynolds family.

This is dark and requires a stretch of the imagination to believe some of the coincidences. There is bleak child abuse and crime and poverty vs. extreme wealth.

Morgan Mori has returned to her parents’ home in Black Harbor. She’s a photographer scrapping by, and she gets a gig photographing one of the few wealthy families in the neighborhood. The Reynolds’ name has had dubious connotations since the patriarch Clive went missing 20 years ago, and it’s widely assumed the wife is to blame, but no charges have been brought.

Morgan witnesses a murder that could crack open the Reynolds’ cold case, helping investigator Ryan Hudson prove himself as a detective.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES DECEMBER 6, 2022.

This was a very good book, the second by this author though some characters make an appearance I would not say it's a series and you do not have to read Hello, Transcriber before this one (though that book was also very good). Morgan has returned to Black Harbour after the building where she worked at burned down and someone left her a cryptic note that she interpreted to mean she should go back home. Black Harbour is home though she has not bene there for quite some time and her memories are not rosy at all, she had been given to her Aunt by her mother who disappeared and her Aunt subjected her to some horrific treatment (major trigger, the abuse she suffered is a bit graphic and very awful). The story is told between Morgan and Ryan, a member of the local police force who has been recently promoted to an investigator. Morgan had stopped one night at a gas station and while in the store she's there to witness the shooting of another police officer who just happened to be in the store as well. That police officer had been investigating the disappearance of Clive Reynolds, who had mysteriously left some 20 years ago with no trace, except his Porsche had recently been found in the lake with a body in it. Morgan is asked to photograph the Reynolds at a Christmas get together and starts to become close to one of the family members, Bennett. The chapters are quick and events move along very quickly. I would recommend this book. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Minotaur for the ARC.

In another Black Harbour Mystery, Morgan returns home after receiving a cryptic note. She finds herself witnessing a murder and as the story unfolds, secrets lies and mysteries start to surface.

I enjoyed the dark atmosphere of this story as well as the main character Morgan. Although not my fave thriller, it was a good read and made me want to check out the first book in the series, Hello Transcriber.
3.5/5
See full review posted on IG @kels_shelf

I read Hello Transcriber back in the unforgiving chill of a Midwest February, and this one managed to make me feel like I was right back there again despite the late-summer heat. The blue-tone cover is so perfectly fitting to the vibe of the book. I love an unreliable or conflicted narrator, and we’ve got those aplenty when it comes to Hannah’s writing! The underlying current of dread and despair in Black Harbor was still palpable, but somehow less all-encompassing than it was in Hello Transcriber, which made sense with the change in characters and also was a bit of a relief, because Hannah writes it so well that you start to feel it yourself 😉

(Also, the old PC version of Zoo Tycoon was mentioned, and that’s an instant one-way-ticket straight to my heart. iykyk)

Morgan Mori finds herself back in the one place she never planned to return to - home, Black Harbor, her parent’s house. Her trauma-ridden childhood sent her spiraling in wild and unforgiving directions, but a fire that leaves nothing behind but a note draws her back into the tangled web of her hometown.

After photographing the wealthy Reynolds family Christmas party, Morgan stops for gas on her way home and finds herself a witness to the homicide of a cop who’s dying words chill her to her core.

Investigator Ryan Hudson is working on a case involving the Reynolds family - and trying desperately to also follow clues that may help him find his partner’s killer.

But the closer he gets to the truth, the closer he gets to Morgan; and what the two of them discover could send the whole house of cards toppling to the ground.

WOW. This was my first book by Hannah Morrissey and WOW is all I can say.

This was written in such a unique way; it's hard to put my finger on what made it so special, but I'll try. She wrote every character in a way that made you feel like you were inside their head and described every location so vividly I felt like I was right there!

This was far from your average thriller. The plot was so deep and multi-layered I had to sit with some of it and absorb it very slowly. There were many surprises and twists sprinkled throughout but the ending seriously gave me whiplash.

All that being said, as Hannah herself said in her author's note, this book is "too dark, too weird" and she's proud of that! I would highly suggest looking up trigger warnings before reading this if you have concerns because a lot of the content was HEAVY.

I have nothing negative to say about her storytelling or writing, but I'm extremely impressed by the depth in this book and look forward to going back and reading Hello, Transcriber (her debut) now.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the physical copy of this book as well as an E-ARC through Netgalley.

This book will be available for purchase everywhere on December 6, 2022.

4.5 rounded up

This book started really slow for me. I picked it up and put it down a few times trying to determine the timelines but about halfway through with the characters figured out I could not put it down. I love the clues that I couldn't see until I finished. I loved the misdirection. I definitely had who I thought was responsible. I loved having the dual perspectives and the intermingling stories. I thought the author did an amazing job of having two strong voices tell this story. I will definitely be recommending this book as a slow burn thriller with a content warning.

This was a suspenseful dark thriller that was an enjoyable read. The author did a nice job balancing complex characters and keeping the reader engaged throughout the backstory and action.

I missed this author's debut but heard great things about the book. When I saw The Widowmaker, I jumped at the chance to read an early copy.
Black Harbor is a small town near Lake Michigan. Morgan has not been back here in years and honestly thought that she would never return. She lost her mother when she was quite young, and the aunt who cared for her was a real piece of work.
As the story unfolds, we learn more about Morgan's trauma-filled childhood and the scars from it that have shaped her life. Something bad happened to make her come back here, and just when she thinks she might have a chance at a fresh start, she witnesses a murder.
Hudson is a police officer just trying to make sense of a senseless crime. He and Morgan become unlikely allies, and her past may hold the key to the present investigation. It might also put Morgan in harm's way, as someone does not want her to learn any more about the past.
A gazillion suspects, a horrific past, two great main characters, and a compelling mystery that reaches back in time to before Morgan's birth. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

I enjoyed the heck out of this one. This is my second book by this author, and she has the knack for putting you right there into the story. You can feel the bleakness of the town in which this takes place. You completely forget you are reading and the writing gives you a sense you are there watching this all unfold. There's some really messed up stuff going on in Black Hills - a lot of secrets and surprises, and beneath it all is an undercurrent of darkness, with little tiny glimmers of hope shining through.

The Widowmaker comes out 12/6 and it is a dark, atmospheric mystery filled with twists and turns and complicated characters set again in Black Harbor. It was hard to put down!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

The Widowmaker tells the story of a woman finding out who she really is and a cop finding his place in a world that has not been kind to either of them. Its got everything - a missing patriarch, a suspected wife, an abused girl, a creepy Santa, a wealthy family with dark secrets, a murdered cop, a drug dealing brother and a lead detective.
I enjoyed this book immensely. There were so many twists and turns that its hard to write a review that doesn’t have any spoilers! I was hooked immediately, and the story held my interest throughout the entire time. I just needed to know what on earth was happening and how it all ended. Definitely recommend this dark and twisted tale.
There are a few trigger warnings that go along with this - violence and abuse, particularly child abuse.
Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. This book is due to be released on December 6, 2022.

Few authors captivate in their storytelling as does Hannah Morrissey. Blazing on the scene with her first novel, Morrissey does us one better with Widowmaker.

What makes these stories so special is not just the great mystery that it presents, though they ARE great. No, the story is really brought along by the realism of the characters, their growth (and sometimes, trauma), and the overarching dark brooding atmosphere that is Black Harbor.

And this one was dark! Hannah keeps up guessing while breathing a real life into her characters that wins us over. I mean, I'd bleed for Morgan... or Hudson equally!

With this amazing Sophmoric release, Morrissey surely cements her spot as one of the preeminent up-and-coming writers of the moment. Keep spinning them out Hannah! The readers are going to love whatever you give us!

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.