I read the first book in the Black Harbor series a few years back and remember loving the deary atmospheric feel of the book. I was surprised to find that our lead characters in the second installment were different from the first, and that the characters from Hello, Transcriber we hardly mentioned. For such a small town, I felt this to be slightly strange but decided to give this one a go anyways.

While I felt the two storylines/murder mysteries were interesting and I liked how they came together, I had a hard time getting invested in Morgan’s or Hudson’s POVs. I think I didn’t fully connect the characters with the narrator’s voices, as I listened to this one on audio. The audio wasn’t bad, it just didn’t jive with what I would have picked, which is always a risk with audiobooks.

I’ll probably keep reading this series, as it’s well written but it’s just not my favorite page turning series. If you’re looking for a dark, gritty, and atmospheric series though, this one is for you!


The Widowmaker is out now. Thank you to Minotaur Books and MacMillan Audio for my advanced copies in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books or on TikTok @speakingof.books. This review can also be found at SPEAKINGOF,ORG.

I really got stuck on this one and was eventually just unable to finish. I really had trouble tracking the storyline amd keeping track of characters on the audio version. I liked where the story was going but felt too confused to stay with it. I'm going to give this one to try in written form .

I really really enjoyed this one. I will warn that the story does have some dark parts (not exactly what I was expecting but definitely dark) but overall it’s a really great October read. I listened to this one on audio and thought that was an awesome format for this story!

Thank you for allowing me to read & review this story. The review can also be found on my instagram, @manymerrybooks.

I appreciate receiving this audiobook arc from netgalley and the publisher for review. Although I like Hannah Morrissey's writing, I think this one fell a little short. I don't think Xe Sands was the best choice for narration for Morgan. There was something about it that just didn't fit with her character. I also felt that the story jumped around a lot, without focusing on one event enough. And I don't understand why there needs to be a love interest or sexual encounter between the main characters in HM's novels (I felt the same way in the first one). I will pick up her books because she is a local author to me, but they continue to have something missing.

Entertaining, fast-paced, and well-narrated. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

The Widowmaker #jaylammreviews
This is book two in the Black Harbor series but these can really be read as standalones. 

Once again Black Harbor is a character in this book. This town is run down and spiraling. We do get a glimpse into the wealthy side of Black Harbor. The main character Morgan comes back to town and is hired to take pictures of the Reynolds annual Christmas party. The Reynolds are well known in town. They are wealthy and have a mysterious past, as the head of the family Clive has been missing for many years...without a trace. 

This book delves into Clive's mystery but it also has a current murder of a cop that dominates the novel. We get the perspective of Morgan and then also the perspective of Hudson, a cop that is trying to solves his friend's murder.

I really enjoyed this. Once again, the writing was fantastic. Can't wait to read more books set in Black Harbor!

Audiobook was fantastic! Narrator really brought the story to life.

Wow, this was a dark and twisty read. I hadn't read the first book in this series, but this stood alone quite well. (And I will be reading the first one.) Damaged characters with dark pasts (and presents) - trying to unravel a mystery and uncovering even more secrets. I enjoyed this one a lot, atmospheric, with interesting characters and the mysteries kept me reading. I listened to the audiobook and both narrations were excellent.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Morgan Mori, a photographer who couldn't succeed in Chicago returns to her small home town of Black Harbor. Raised by a relative who abused her and allowed others to do so, Morgan struggles with keeping life together, both emotionally and financially.

Asked to take Christmas photos for the town's wealthy family, the Reynolds family, Morgan gets pulled into the secrets and lies of the prominent and wealthy yet seemingly cursed family. Police Investigator Ryan Hudson wants to solve not only his recent partner and friend's murder but that of the Reynolds family scion who disappeared 20 years ago. Morgan is unknowingly tied to both events and works with Hudson to clear up her own life's mysteries.

Recommended for fans of mysteries with a twist. The audiobook, narrated by the experienced Adam Verner and Xe Sands, will keep you listening with few breaks.

#TheWidowmaker #HannahMorrissey #MacmillanAudio
This is a suspenseful and enjoyable audiobook that follows Morgan Mori, a photographer who returns to her hometown of Black Harbor and becomes entangled in the Reynolds family's web of secrets. When she witnesses the murder of a cop, Morgan finds herself embroiled in an old cold case, and her own troubled past may hold the key to solving the case's sinister and puzzling developments.

The audiobook is well-narrated and keeps the listener engaged throughout the story. It is an excellent choice for fans of the mystery genre, and anyone who enjoys a good, suspenseful listen will not be disappointed.

I was a bit worried when I saw that The Widowmaker is the second in the Black Harbor series by Hannah Morrissey, but it is a standalone story and is only a series based on the setting. This story follows photographer Morgan Mori and Detective Ryan Hudson, as their lives intertwine when two cases that Hudson is involved with converge. Morgan has finished photographing the famous Reynold's family Christmas pictures when she witnesses the murder of Officer Garrison at a gas station. She is the only witness and the only one who knows what Garrison's last words were. Garrison was Hudson's partner and the police want to keep him off the case. He is put on the cold case of Clive Reynolds when his car is found submerged in the lake. As he investigates that case, it becomes obvious that Regan is the key to both of these and it is up to Hudson to solve them and keep her safe.

The Widowmaker is an interesting and gripping story. It is told in alternating chapters with Morgan's and Hudson's POV. This does make it a bit repetitive at times, but it is nice to get both POVs. There was a bit of a dual timeline in the sense that Morgan's past comes to light and it was a dark one. There is a theme of child abuse and pedophilia that was disturbing and may trigger some readers. This was a well written story, that I sat back and listened to. It was part police procedural, part psychological thriller and part mystery. Morgan was a great character. With everything she had been through, she was a fighter and did not give up like many would have. She was starting a new life for herself and as some of the secrets were revealed, I could see her getting closure to the tragedy of her youth. I loved both Morgan's and Ryan's character and was cheering for them to find the answers and solve not only the cold case, but the murder of Garrison as well. The reveals were shocking and the twists brought this story to a satisfying conclusion. With the darker storyline in the middle, this book will not be for everyone, but I enjoyed the cases, the investigations and the conclusion as it brought a wonderful closure for Morgan. The audiobook was performed by Adam Verner and Xe Sands. They are both narrators that I have listened to before and I knew I was in for a treat. I thought they did a wonderful job with this book adding just the right amount of tension and reality to the story. If you enjoy a good story with a mystery/thriller vibe, then I recommend The Widowmaker. After listening to this one, I do want to go back and read her debut story, also the first in the Black Harbor series.

Keep the Black Harbor series going!!!

This book is dark and may not be for everyone as there could be a lot of triggers. I loved it. It's the second book in a series but definitely could be a stand alone book as well. I am quickly becoming a huge fan of Hannah Morrissey.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey.
This book had a lot going on, and I had trouble connecting with a lot of storyline. The characters were two dimensional, and flat. At times it was slow, and at times difficult to follow.

"The Widow Maker" is a gripping and well-crafted thriller that captivates readers from beginning to end. Through vivid characters, intricate plot, and page-flipping suspense, the novel keeps a the plot moving and the tension just the right on the squeeze. Hannah Morrissey is often described as masterful and engrossing, with her ability to weave together multiple narratives and timelines in a way that keeps readers guessing, and for good reasons. Bonus points for the poetic descriptions of the Cornish countryside,

I'm grateful for the opportunity to listen and review this title, though I did not enjoy it as I expected I would. For me, it took way too long for this story to run its course and reveal its secrets to the reader/listener. It seems like a lot of readers (who did not listen to the audio version) enjoyed this story immensely, so maybe I will give it another try on kindle!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook version of this title by Hannah Morrissey! I look forward to this author's upcoming release!

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.

3.5🌟
This is a book I tried so hard to love. While there were moments I was all in, I did have a few bumps along the way.

I initially started this book as an audio but quickly realized it just wasn’t going to work. In the past, I’ve had difficulty connecting with this narrator.

So I quickly grabbed a digital copy to complete my read.

The two principal characters are Morgan Mori and inspector Ryan Hudson.

With Morgan, I always felt was missing critical parts of her personality that made her real. So as a result I could never warm up to her.

As for Hudson, I loved his character. An inspector who lacked respect from his department. He resembled an IT tech rather than a detective.🤓 Of course, looks can be deceiving.
Perhaps it was his personal struggles that really made him feel real.

The storyline itself was a bit complex and at times I had difficulty following along. But I was determined to see it through to the end.

At a point about midway I realized it was book 2 of a series. And no, I didn’t read book one.😑Hmmm… perhaps that’s why I lacked some connection?🤷🏻‍♀️

Overall, there are many positive reviews so please take a look at those!

A buddy read with Susanne that worked out better for her as she always enjoys this narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio

This atmospheric mystery novel starts off engagingly with a believable main character with a somewhat over the top name, Morgan Mori, who has an even more over-the-top backstory of having been horribly sexually abused as a child and then letting that experience shape her young adulthood in a way that allowed her to exact some revenge on her abusers.

The novel concerns itself with a kind officer trying to solve the murder of his partner while looking into the 20-year-old mysterious disappearance of a wealthy patriarch, Morgan is connected with the disappeared man because she is asked by the wealthy family to take photographs for them -- and she is connected to the cop killing because she was an eyewitness to it. Does this stretch credulity a bit? Perhaps, but not as much as the ending does. I hate when perfectly nice-seeming guys turn out to be serial killers you didn't see coming. Does that ever actually happen in real life?

I didn't know this novel was second in a series about Black Harbor, the blue-collar Michigan town where the story is set, but it must not matter, as I didn't feel I was missing any back story. I am giving this novel 3.5 stars because I was put off by the unrealistic character development that is revealed at the novel's end, but I'm rounding it up to a 4 because prior to that there was some actually excellent character development of Morgan and the cop, Harper.

If you can take all the graphic sexual violence against children, you might like this novel, despite its insistence that we are surrounded by evil and should trust no one. The novel was compellingly narrated by two narrators, Adam and Xe, and I appreciate Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced-reader copy of this audiobook.

I wasn't able to follow this one very well on audio. The storylines were hard. Perhaps it just wasn't the right time for me.

What does a wealthy family, a detective that is trying to prove himself by solving a cold case and a photographer with a haunting past all have in common. Hannah Morrisey tells a story that will have you wandering how all these pieces come together. With a hint of Girl with Dragon Tattoo type of revenge. If you enjoy a detective mystery that has multiple pieces that need to be put together you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and The Publishers for allowing me the Audio ARC of the Widowmaker. This was my first novel by Morrissey and even though it is in a series, I was able to read it as a standalone. I think after this book though, I will have to go back and read more about that that town, and the characters. They all had such great storylines, that I would like to have more back story. The cold case and the new cases intertwined amazingly, and I will definitely be looking for more by this author and with the Narrator. I enjoyed both!!