Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

The disappearance of Clive Reynolds some twenty years ago remains a cold case in Wisconsin’s Black Harbor Police Department files. Despite the court of public opinion that says Eleanor Reynolds killed her husband, the department has no proof of this and resurrects the case from time to time and investigates it again.

Morgan Mori, hired to photograph the Reynolds family’s Christmas get-together, spends an evening with the family. But when she stops for gas, she witnesses the murder of Brix Garrison, an event that triggers the unearthing of a long-forgotten clue.

As the investigation into Garrison’s murder unfolds, Morgan struggles to keep the secrets of her past buried. But the present investigation may be tied to the horrors that Morgan once endured.

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Dark and mysterious, this compelling mystery offers readers an intriguing cold case, a horrific homicide, complex family drama, horrific trauma, and much more, all woven together in a can’t-put-it-down narrative. Interesting characters, a twisty plot, and a plethora of secrets keep readers guessing as the telling of the tale weaves past and present together with a few unforeseen twists.

Told alternately from both Morgan’s and Hudson’s points of view, the narrative slowly reveals its secrets while keeping readers guessing. But the ending may leave some readers wishing for more.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#TheWidowmaker #NetGalley

This story is something unexpected. I dove in thinking one thing and what I got was something so much better. It is dark and full of suspense. You may think one thing but then comes a twist that has you turning the page wanting more. You should click this book if you are looking for something exciting and unexpected.

This book was good, but just could not catch my attention enough to really pull me in. It was very typical of a thriller and I felt the characters were just not charming enough to make me like them. I did enjoy the way the author wrote however and would be interested in reading a different piece of work.

I want to than Net galley for providing me this book. I do this up front because I always seem to forget to do so.
The Windowmaker in its present form (will explain later) will drive the reader to exhaustion. An intense, riveting mystery that will overwhelm the emotions of its readers that when I finally finished the book I was drained, but exhilarated.
The characters were deep, complex, and so true to life. Cori Morgan always seemed to be standing in front of me as I had read her sections. I saw her there with her with her studded lips, imagined dark black hair plotting her return to a family that denied her. The multiple abuses she suffered strains one’s imagination but leave no doubt they could happen. Investigator Hudson, despite the imperfect human being he was, was smarter than all realized.
Not wanting to spoil the book you will have to read it to figure out its title
Finally, I could only rate the book four stars but hope when it is ready for publication it will be the five stars it deserves. The dialogue must be made clearer allowing one to know who is talking. Many times, I felt it was very hard to follow what was exactly being said and happening. But I will admit I am so glad I read this book.

In "The Widowmaker," Hannah Morrissey takes us back to Black Harbor, Wisconsin. This is a standalone story from her debut "Hello, Transcriber" — you don't need to have read one to appreciate the other, though I recommend them both.

This turned out to be the multilayered crime novel I didn't even know I needed. Here's the official synopsis from the publisher:

“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. ⁣
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“This could finally be the thing to crack open the chilling cold case, and Investigator Ryan Hudson has a chance to prove himself as lead detective. If only he could stop letting his need to solve his partner's recent murder distract him. But as Morgan exposes her own dark demons, could her sordid history be the key to unlocking more than one mystery?”

This one has it ALL, and it’s all so perfectly tied together. Family drama. A cold case. A creative with a traumatic past. A good-guy detective. The right amount of police procedures. Cop homicide. The hot detective from “Hello, Transcriber.” The gritty reality of a small American town in economic decline. I’m obsessed with how all of the storylines came together and recommend preordering!

Wow what a ride! Great thriller! The main character was written very well. I really enjoyed this book.

3.5 stars rounded up.
In the author's notes she states that the first iteration of this book received feedback from the publisher that it was "too dark and too weird". Don't worry, fans of dark and weird, because it still is.
However, possibly in the reworking of the novel, it may have become a bit scattered. There are a lot of suspicious characters who could be guilty to keep the reader guessing. Morgan had a key role, but her connection to the others was not revealed until ~50% through the book. This was a little too long for me. I understand building suspense and making the reader want to keep turning pages, but this took long enough to be frustrating. It felt disconnected from the rest of the story.
The author successfully created a dark, gloomy, creepy atmosphere. The crimes are perverse and scary; all of which seems absolutely intentional. The ending was somewhat unsatisfying. Not sure what happened to Morgan. Maybe that is left somewhat to the reader's imagination.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book had me completely hooked with every twist and turn. It also had one of the most satisfying endings that I've read in a while- chef's kiss!h Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the arc, in exchange for an honest review.

Very dark, bleak, unsettling mystery. A bit too dark and slow for my taste.
Interesting characters with secret pasts. A twist at the end that you might not see coming.
I did not like the format...flipping back and forth between characters and I thought it was a bit long on describing every body stance, thought, room description, etc.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I found this book hard to get into. I think it took too long to get to the cold case part/establish Morgan’s character. I like books where the narrator switches between characters but I’m not sure that worked here.

I really enjoyed this one! I felt a bit of apprehension in the first half that the Ruins and everything we didn’t know about they would make the story weird or unrealistic, but it ended up having a really nice twist and added dimension to the plot.

Morgan is a likeable character, as is Hudson. The Reynolds’ family is obviously full of secrets, but it’s not immediately obvious who’s trustworthy and who’s not.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t say much more, but this one had me captivated, especially in the last half! Excellent read.

I have to say that I am very impressed with this author. She had me guessing until the very end.
Morgan had a very dark and chilling childhood. Her mother left her with her Aunt who basically sold her to perverts and pedophiles, and anyone who enjoyed beating up a child. What saved her was her Aunt dropping dead outside her home. What had been done to Morgan was unimaginable to any sane person. She was put in foster care and later lived with a family, in the same place as the house of horrors.
Morgan witnesses a murder in the corner store. The person murdered was a retired police officer, turned PI., Garrison..
This event brings two cases together, a cold case and the murder of Garrison.
Inspector Ryan Hudson has been assigned the cold case. But the killing of Garrison is personal to him. Garrison was his partner and he needed to find his friends killer.
So begins the cat and mouse game, the more we learn about Morgan, the more we realize the 20 year old cold case of missing person Clive Reynolds, involves Morgan as well. Solving one case will help solve the other.
I look forward to reading more books by this author. Great bookclub read! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.

First off, thank you to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for access to read this book before release.

Morgan is back in her home town where it all began. She was "gifted" a skeleton key and a note that pointed her back to her hometown. She is on a mission to figure out what this key opens. After a photoshoot gig and a date, she stops to get gas and the station is robbed where a police officer is shit dead. Hudson is the police officers best friend and he is on a mission to find out who killed his friend, only he is put on a different assignment. Clive Renolds's Porsche is pulled out of a body of water. It has been there for 20 years. No one knows where Clive is or if he's even alive. 3 mysteries to solve....

In the beginning, this book drug on and was a bit confusing, but past the halfway point it started to really make sense and sped up. We get to see Morgan's mystery unravel and Hudson's assignment unravel as well.

My favorite character was the Bart Simpson doll. What a comfort item. Love it.

Read if you like investigative work, Jameson shots, and can't seem to get away from your hometown.

Quite the story : why do people think they are chosen? Really can you not know who is the blame Families are funny because of money jealousy ! Need to live your life

Clive Reynolds disappeared twenty years ago in Black Harbor and his wife was suspected of killing him, but no body was ever found.
Morgan Mori is hired to photograph a Reynolds family Christmas and is surprised that the family is nothing like she imagined. They seem so normal. After the party, Morgan witnesses a cop being gunned down and now his former partner, Ryan Hudson wants to solve his case.
When Hudson is put on the unsolved case of Clive Reynolds after new evidence appears during the investigation of his friend, secrets that have been kept for years will be discovered.
Morgan has some demons in her past that she has tried to keep buried but someone is trying to unravel them. Hudson has a few secrets of his own that could destroy everything he worked for. Will they be able to find the killer and the truth about Clive Reynolds?

I couldn’t put this one down. So many twists and turns. Wow! It’s my first book by this author and I can’t wait to read the next one.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Forced back to her hometown she must face her past while trying to come up with a new future. Everyone has secrets and no one maybe telling the truth, but how many might lose their lives to protect those secrets and will cold cases be solved if the secrets are found out? Very dark, with some very difficult topics covered (child abuse), this is not a cozy mystery.

Hannah Morrisey has surprised me again with her intense storytelling and twists throughout. I was gasping and pausing in surprise at irregular intervals through the whole book. After Hello, Transcriber, I didn’t think Black Harbor could get any darker but Ms Morrisey proved me wrong. It’s appropriately named, that’s for sure. Great unputdownable read!

My thanks to.Net Galley and St Martin's Press for this advanced copy to review.

Morgan Mori is leaving a job photographing The Reynolds Family holiday party,stops at a gas station ,and witnesses an officer being murdered. What she doesn't realize is this murder is linked to a 20 year cold case involving the Reynolds family and a link to Morgans past. With the help.of investigator Ryan Hudson, Morgan is forced to face her past.

I enjoyed this. Lots of twists. Only negative comment is about some torture scenes.

4 stars. This dark thriller was terrific! I did think that the story was a bit stale in the beginning but wow, what an ending! So many twists and turns that I did not expect. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

The Widowmaker is the second book by Morrisey and unfortunately this one didn't do it for me either. I was confused with the amount of characters to keep up with and I didn't identify with any characters. I usually don't mind coincidences in books because that is what makes the drama, but there were just too many in here for me.
I also felt like the ruins part was too vague for me to truly understand. However, the last 20% was outstanding and I really loved the ending!