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.

3.5 stars ---

We return to Black Harbor for a new crime and a new set of characters. I was disappointed by Hello, Transcriber but wanted to give this second crime novel a shot. It is not at all connected to the events of the first book, other than sharing one character.

This book is definitely haunting and gritty -- with an emotionally charged plot filled with many less than savory characters. Some parts still felt disorganized and unclear (for example, one of the characters describes having her phone stolen in one paragraph and then one page later describes a text she received on her phone....) but I was able to connect to the characters and the plot easier this go around than with Hello, Transcriber. I think this author is still finding her stride but I will continue to be along for the ride!

Having read the author’s debut, “Hello, Transcriber”, I was excited to read her latest. It is adult subject matter, dark and explicit, might be sensitive to some. It’s not necessary to have read the first.
This second mystery is again set in the frigid Lake Michigan area at Black Harbor. The small town has little to offer and while most can’t wait to escape, Morgan has come home. It’s just before Christmas time and she’s running from a troubled past. Morgan has dark demons, she’s starting over again. An unplanned detour to grab a candy bar and put gas in the tank puts her in the midst of a robbery and ends with a murdered officer.
The slain officer, Garrison, wasn’t just his partner, he was Investigator Ryan Hudson’s best friend. Procedure dictates Hudson not be involved in the murder investigation but, that doesn’t deter him. The chapters alternate between the main characters, Morgan and Hudson, as their paths cross and a twenty year old cold case resurfaces.
A fire destroyed Morgan’s former house, all she has left are horrible memories and a blackened key with a note referencing The Ruins. She’d bought a professional camera and is scheduled at the Reynolds wealthy mansion for a shoot at the family’s holiday gathering. Both her car and the camera equipment was stolen during the robbery. All her photos are gone.
The Reynolds family is large and full of their own secrets. The public perception has Eleanor Reynolds pegged a black widow. Her husband, Clive, disappeared twenty years ago, everyone thinks she got away with murder. Hudson follows some clues from his dead partner’s notes and gets sucked into a twisted murder plot. Is Clive really dead, or alive enjoying freedom from responsibilities? Is the wife, her new boyfriend, or the grown children suspects or grieving heirs? Millions can be a big motivator.
All the while Hudson keeps interviewing Morgan about his partner’s murder. She is holding back more then he can imagine. Morgan isn’t the most likable character. Sometimes she’s a victim and then an angry, vindictive, rage filled, revenge seeking lost soul. At times I was sympathetic of her circumstances, then I was appalled and disgusted. Hudson is drawn to her, but fighting his own demons and unbearable loss and pain.
There were quite a few unexpected twists, the plot was deep and filled with very well drawn characters. It should challenge your perception of people, certainly gave me pause, even when it was hard to read. The author dug deep to write this story.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of “The Widowmaker” by Hannah Morrissey and to Minotaur Books. These are my honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

Just Awesome!
If you read Hello, Transcriber, you will immediately recognize Morrissey's writing style, gritty situations,
dysfunctional relationships, claustrophobic ---- but a steady hypnotic beat as the protagonist/s push forward. Nik Kole returns to the story as well as a bonus!

In The Widowmaker, Morgan Mori and Detective Ryan Hudson both narrow in on suspects for mysterious events and murderous activities that surround them. Set in Black Harbour again, there is sense of defeat, decay and almost complete anarchy in the town that Morgan has returned to, the same town the Ryan protects. Ryan is trying hard to be the best police detective he can be when his best friend is murdered at a gas station they had been surveilling. Before he become embroiled in the case, he is quickly assigned to a cold case that may turn out to be connected. This case however, seems to involve Morgan, who was at the scene when the policeman is murdered. Before his death he indicates that he seems to know her, which sends her spiralling.

Before long, everything begins to connect in this story and as each block slides into place you cannot avoid the sense of foreboding. If you like noir and gritty mysteries, complicated and broken heroes or just want an electric thriller that could stop your heart, The Widowmaker is for you!


#STMartin #HannahMorrissey #Minotaur #TheWidowmaker #HelloTranscriber

The writing is superb. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters development is outstanding. If you like psychological thrillers, this one is for you. So many plot twists, you won’t be able to put this book down. Adding the author to my must read books.

4.5⭐

“My Ruin: All roads lead back to home.”

A cryptic message left for struggling photographer Morgan Mori, at the site of her destroyed workspace in Chicago, leads her back to her hometown, crime-infested Black Harbor, Wisconsin where the “city’s grim atmosphere gnawed on people’s morals”.

Back home, Morgan is hired by the wealthy and influential Reynolds family to photograph the family Christmas party. The Reynolds family has its share of mystery and scandal surrounding them, ever since Clive Reynolds, disappeared twenty years ago without a trace. Everyone suspected his wife Eleanor of killing him for a hefty insurance payout - a crime that was not proven. However, Morgan finds the Reynolds family to be pleasant and welcoming. After the party, Morgan, stops at a gas station and witnesses a cop being shot to death by a masked assailant. The cop, Brix Garrison, before drawing his last breath seems to recognize her, which perplexes her. Morgan remains haunted by her horrific childhood characterized by abandonment, unimaginable abuse and trauma before being rescued by the police when she was eight years old and eventually being adopted by the Mori family when she was ten , Her experiences have left scars and have had a significant impact on her adult life. Someone, who knows details about her past and present life, is taunting her with messages that are indicative of a secret from her traumatic childhood.

When Clive Reynold’s Porsche, which was reported missing ten days before he disappeared twenty years ago, is recovered from the bottom of a lake with a dead body in it, Investigator Ryan Hudson of the BHPD is assigned to look into the cold case. He is also covertly looking into the murder of his friend and former partner - the murder Morgan witnessed- despite being told to stay away from the investigation.

As the story progresses, both Morgan and Ryan find themselves tangled in a complicated and dangerous web of dark secrets, lies, deception and murder.

Hannah Morrissey knows how to create atmospheric settings. With its consistent pacing, intriguing plot and interesting characters, "The Widowmaker" by Hannah Morrissey is dark, intense and gritty. The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Morgan and Ryan in alternating chapters. Though I did kind of guess the identity of the culprit halfway in, the intricately plotted story kept me turning pages to follow how all the missing pieces of the puzzle came together in the end and I was not disappointed with the twists and turns along the way! The story is a perfect balance between complex psychological thriller and police procedural. However, even though I liked both Morgan and Ryan, I feel that the relationship between them needn’t have gotten so personal so quickly. But I’m willing to overlook that one given that it did not detract from the overall reading experience. Hannah Morrissey’s impressive debut novel, "Hello, Transcriber" was also intense and dark, but with "The Widowmaker", Hannah Morrissey has firmly established herself as a must-read author for me. (Sergeant Nikolai Kole, from "Hello, Transcriber" plays a supporting role in this novel, proving to be an ally to Ryan. Please note that it is not necessary to read "Hello, Transcriber" to follow this novel. This is perfectly readable as a standalone novel as there is virtually no overlap.)

Thank You, Hannah Morrissey, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due to be released on December 6, 2022.

P.S. : Please note that this is not an easy read. Those triggered by graphic descriptions of violence and abuse (especially involving children) might find some parts quite disturbing .

This is the first book I’ve read by Hannah Morrissey and I’m now a fan!! Can’t wait to read her first book. This mystery hooks you from page one until the end - do not assume you know “who dunnii”.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance review copy of The Widowmaker. Atmospheric with subject matter in the form of child abuse, it is not always easy to read. Having said that, there was a good mystery to be solved, the disappearance 20 years ago of the head of the wealthy, influential Reynolds family. As the story unfolds, there are plenty of secrets held by members of the Reynolds family and others in this small town. Connections abound and the unraveling of those make for a good story. From Ryan Hudson who is assigned to the cold case and Morgan Mori who is drawn back to her hometown when she receives a note saying “all roads lead back to home” accompanied by a key. As she works at finding what the key unlocks, she gets closer to learning more about her past and her connection to the missing Clive Reynolds. This book releases December 6.

Hannah Morrissey’s debut “Hello, Transcriber” was such a juggernaut. It had everything — murder, intrigue, and a love story. You couldn’t help but wonder if she could bottle lighting a second time with The Widowmaker, but no doubt Morrissey’s not only matched the exigency and intrigue of her debut (if not surpassed it) but has written a sophomore offering that proves she’s not just a one-hit wonder.

Without getting into spoilers, the mystery (set again in Black Harbor, Morrissey’s gothic/noir Michigan city that was introduced in Hello, Transcriber) is gripping. A family drama, a murdered cop and a photographer with a sketchy background round this noir thriller. Some old friends show up too, giving us a sense of familiarity as we delve into the history of Black Harbor. And that photographer? She’s hiding something explosive.

I can’t wait to get a hardback copy of this one. I’ll be purchasing it the day of release. And no doubt, Hannah Morrissey is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me.