This book went along smoothly - built the characters, relationships. Starts with a viscous killing and reopening of a cold case - husband of a wealthy matriarch rumored to be a black widow.
Then BOOM! I had quite a few out loud "Oh Crap" moments.
Told via dual narratives - Hudson, Lead Detective; Morgan, called home with a mysterious key.
Lots of suspense. Trigger - childhood abuse. I loved how these characters were woven together.
Highly recommend.
Great narrators - did a great job teasing out the plot and holding my obsession.

I just couldn't really get into this book, but it was far from awful so I was able to finish it. The characters were all unlikeable and I couldn't relate to them. Sometimes I couldn't tell if this was supposed to be a back and forth look at the present and the past crimes. I don't know if I was distracted at some point, but I kind of got lost in which crimes happened when and which characters were involved. The whole wrap-up just wasn't satisfying for me.

I was listening to the audiobook and one problem I had was the male narrator, Adam Verner. Don't get me wrong, I've heard Mr. Varner on audiobooks before and he's a good narrator, but I don't think his voice fits with this story. The novel is a very dark throughout. But his voice sounds too smarmy and slick.

On top of this convoluted story problem, it also included one big turnoff for me - <spoiler>abuse of little kids</spoiler>. If the description of the story had mentioned this at all, I would not have listened to this book. It's one of those triggers for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review. I wish it had been more positive. Thank you!

I gave up on this one -- I don't see the need for such extreme situations and graphic depictions.
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Not even sure where to start with this one. There was one plot twist that I could definitely see coming. However, there were many more that came in and slapped me across the face. I mean like, head spinning kind of twists.

I was very pleased with the ending as well. At first disappointment set in but then a glimmer of hope revealed itself. Wonderfully done.

🌀Synopsis
After the murder of one of his fellow cops, a detective, Ryan Morrison, is trying to solve a cold case that was assigned to his late friend. He’s also still trying to figure out who murdered him too. Is it possible they both go hand in hand?

Morgan Mori witnessed the murder but is afraid to tell the cops everything she knows. She has a long, dark past that she fears will come back to her.

Morgan begins to open up to Ryan, even spilling the depths of her past. There’s a key, but it’s not the one that Morgan is holding on to- it’s her.

3.5 stars

Photographer Morgan Mori - who grew up in a rough area of Black Harbor, Michigan - had a hard life before she was adopted at the age of ten. Thus Morgan is reluctant to return to Black Harbor, but is drawn back when she's sent a mysterious key with a note reading MR. Morgan is determined to discover what the key opens, and tries it on various locks around Black Harbor.

Meanwhile, Morgan accepts a job taking pictures of the Christmas gala thrown by the wealthy Reynolds' family of Black Harbor. The Reynolds' have been notorious for decades, ever since patriarch Clive Reynolds disappeared twenty years ago. Clive's wife Eleanor, who collected on an eleven-million-dollar life insurance policy, was suspected of murdering her husband, but Clive's body was never found and no one was ever arrested.

While Morgan is snapping photos at the Christmas bash she makes a connection with the Reynolds' son, Bennett, and they go for a drink after the party. Later, when Morgan stops for gas and a candy bar at a convenience store, she witnesses an attempted robbery and the shooting of a cop named Brix Garrison.

Garrison's police partner and best friend, Investigator Ryan Hudson, is devastated by his pal's death. However, since Hudson is too close to the victim, he's ordered to stay out of the investigation. Instead, Hudson is assigned to the cold case of Clive Reynolds. It seems Clive's car, a 1978 Porsche called 'The Widowmaker', was just recovered from a lake....with a body inside. Clive had reported the car stolen, and collected insurance money.

Hudson digs into the Clive Reynolds files, but can't stop himself from poking into Garrison's murder as well. Thus Hudson interviews Morgan Mori again and again, trying to glean information about the robbery and shooting. Eventually, Hudson concludes that Garrison's death is connected with Clive Reynolds' disappearance, and he tries to connect the dots.

While the police investigations are proceeding, Morgan is drawn into the lives of the Reynolds clan, who have taken a shine to her. The Reynolds' even give Morgan an expensive Christmas gift and invite her to join them for a few days at their vacation cabin.

The story is told from the alternating points of view of Morgan Mori and Ryan Hudson, and some shocking secrets are revealed.

I enjoyed the book but found the finale to be a little over-complicated and hard to believe. Still, this is a compelling thriller, recommended to fans of the genre.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by by Adam Verner and Xe Sands, who did a good job.

Thanks to Netgalley, Hannah Morrissey and Macmillan Audio for copy of the book.

Morgan Mori, a photographer, receives a key that offers information about her past. She is determined to find out the mystery. Meanwhile, Ryan Hudson, a detective, lost a good friend while on duty and Morgan saw it happen! This story is told in alternating points of view between Morgan and Ryan. Will these two figure out the connection?

This was my first by Hannah Morrissey and it didn't disappoint. It was a very interesting audiobook and some parts were a little harder to listen to based on the topic. I think the author knows how to tell a great story! If you like a good mystery/thriller, pick this one. I'll be looking forward to more books by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ARC in exchange for my honest review

This review will shared on my Instagram ( @coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

TW: Child Abuse

This one missed the mark for me. It was depressing and left me feeling more disconnected than anything. The premise itself is grim and I don’t shy away from that, however I never connected to the story or the characters. This did have some twists that I thoroughly enjoyed but it left me feeling flat overall. Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It was gripping, chilling, and a little bit terrifying and I was here for it.

Are you looking for a book that is deep, dark, and full of secrets, then this book is definitely it! This was a wild ride with plenty of hints to Morrissey’s debut, Hello, Transcriber. So many mysteries, lies, dark secrets, that will leave you unraveling. Portions of the book made me cringe as the topics were difficult to listen to. If you like police procedural or thriller genre this book needs to be added to your TBR.

I listened to this as a audiobook and the narrators, Xe Sands and Adam Verner, both did an amazing job and their voices created an atmospheric environment! Xe Sands is one of my all time favorite narrators!

***** Many thanks to St Martins Press, Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and Hannah Morrissey for the #gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion.

My review will be posted on Instagram (thriller_book_sister) prior to the pub date.

I was so excited to read “the widow maker,“ by Hannah Morrissey, but sadly I was disappointed. Morgan Murray is force to move back in with her adoptive parents after the art studio she started that she made quite successful head burn down. Despite the fact her adoptive mom hit her own bakery and the grandpa at one point head his own business there now pour and living off of what Morgan makes as a freelance photographer. When she gets called to do a Christmas party for some very rich influential people I wouldn’t say she’s excited because they don’t seem Morgan can feel that emotion but she hasn’t said about it it is at the Christmas party that she meets Bennett wanna the sons of the influential party throwers. His mom was made locally famous when her rich husband went missing and she was blame because she got the life insurance. After the party in her end of the night drink with Bennett she stops at a store and winds up being the eyewitness to a local heroes murder and this is Win the heroes partner Hudson comes into the story. While Hudson is waiting for the local corner to come and pick up his best friends body he finds a red ticket stub with the saying “welcome to your ruin. “ this was not only Morgan‘s nickname by her aunt who used to pimp her out the pedophiles but it was also the name of her art house. Well she also use the word pedophiles and brand them so they could be recognized as the uncivilized animals they were. Somehow the missing millionaire and the death of Garrison and Hudsons big secret are all connected. I’m not gonna go on and on with the summary because there is a lot but what I will say is this Hudson‘s brother is a drug dealer, as a matter of a fact he is the head drug dealer in Black Harbour and he’s known by the name Hades. Now don’t get him confused with other drug dealers because throughout the book we are told the One thing he would never do is lie. Despite the fact his whole Business model is built on lying and hiding because there are no public drug dealers. I thought that was ridiculous that he supposed to be so honest Mr. upstanding and honest. Also, is it legal for Laclede detectives to sleep with the star witness because I thought that was ridiculous to especially when she was a victim of sex crimes… Hello! Was this book written in 1920 or 2020. I mean come on there were other things that bothered me like Morgan seem like such a boring person and so many things in the book didn’t gel like when she supposedly lost her cell phone and then she got the text… Really on watt? Not only that but these random stops at the burn down art studio she just stop there randomly yet as a present with a balloon attached that’s for her and it happens again when on Christmas day she randomly stops at her childhood home where she was abused and there’s another gift with another balloon. I was blown away to come to post my review and see so many five and four star reviews and it makes me think are you supposed to stop being logical because anyone who has common sense in can add two and two and four would read this book and see so many holes in it but yet people love it! Well it’s not the first time on the odd man out but I’m not going to give five stars to a book that makes no sense. The plot seemed like a good one but I thought Morgan was boring and then the whole sleeping with the lead detective and flirting with a possible brother in the lead the tactics brother is the head drug dealer and the mom is on the drug dealer side? In the book they said poor Hudson used to get broken pop tarts while his brother Theo The whole pop tart is that where we draw the line a good parenting whether your pop tart is broken in half or you got the whole thing in tact? They have many other things in the book that are just ridiculous but I’m going to stop here.I received this book from NetGalley and publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Book Title: The Widowmaker
Series: Black Harbor
Author: Hannah Morrissey
Audiobook Narrators: Adam Verner and Xe Sands
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: December 6, 2022
My Rating: 3.5

I read [book: Hello, Transcriber], my comment was it had me at ‘Hello” Although it was darker than I expected.
And here I am again back at Black Harbor!

“The Widowmaker”’ starts when freelance photographer Morgan Mori returns home to Black Harbor.
Black Harbor is a typical small town but Black Harbor is a town most cannot wait to leave, however, Morgan is returning.

Note: Morgan has inherited a skeleton key (such as the one on the cover). This key reveals secrets of the past. ~ (You need to read the story to find out what secrets the key holds!)

It is just before the holidays and Morgan is hired to do a family photo shoot at a Christmas party in the Reynolds mansion.
At the end of the night after completing her job, she stops for gas and goes inside to buy candy (a Butterfinger- my favorite!). She finds she is in the middle of a robbery and Officer Garrison is killed. However, before Garrison dies he looks at her and states, “I found you”.

Garrison was the partner of Investigator Ryan Hudson. They are best friends and procedure dictates that Hudson is not to get involved in the investigation; which is not easy for Hudson so yes he gets involved.

As the investigation continues and the police dive team searching for the weapon; they find human remains in a 1978 Classic black 930 Turbo Porsche. This once beautiful car was known as ‘The Widowmaker’ as there were so many accidents from driving too fast. This car belonged to Clive Reynolds a wealthy man who disappeared twenty years ago!
Yes the patriarch of the same Reynolds family that Morgan did the Christmas photo shoot.)

Story alternates between the POV of Morgan and Hudson.
Audiobook Narrators - Adam Verner and Xe Sands both did a great job in performing these characters. (Xe Sands is one of my fav audiobook performers.

I went into this story without knowing anything about it. Hmmm I soon found it disturbing and the foul mouth characters unlikeable.
There was more nasty language than I like. Early in the book Morgan states she is going to try to smile more and swear less. However it appears she really isn’t trying. I know she had an abusive childhood and I guess is entitled to use profanity..

I wasn’t sure I was going to finish this. I hung in there as I was curious ~ true the language did NOT get better but the story did! As the secrets emerged – and although there were very disturbing situations I was hooked!

The story was not enjoyable but I could not put it down.
Ms. Morrissey is a unique and cleaver writer, she is working on Black Harbor #3 and I have to admit I am looking forward to it!

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 6, 2022

The Widowmaker is the type of book that all books should aspire to be. It's that book where it doesn’t take more than a few words to transport you into the pages and get sucked in. I knew I was going to like this one based on the plot but I didn’t just like it, I loved it.

Cold Cases are something that both fascinate me and terrify me at the same time. The idea that some cases just never get solved is hard to wrap my head around. A 20-year-old cold case is one of the main plot points in The Widowmaker.

Twenty years ago a wealthy business and family man, Clive Reynolds disappeared. He was presumed dead but a body was never found. Now in the present day, a cop is killed and his murder opens up some new clues to the cold case surrounding Clive Reynolds.

The two main characters are well developed and likable. Ryan Hudson is the partner of the cop who was just killed and Morgan Mori is a photographer who gets caught in the middle of all the drama. In my opinion, Morgan was the stronger of the two and I did enjoy the chapters from her point of little more but it was close.

The discoveries made and all the twists and turns made The Widowmaker a book I couldn’t put down. I just had to get some answers. I did get all the answers I wanted and I loved how it all came together in the end. I definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Final Score: 5/5

I love a good suspense, mystery, thriller kind of book, and The Widowmaker: A Novel by Hannah Morrissey is just that. Honestly, I would probably call it a phenomenal book. It grabbed me from the beginning, kept my attention throughout; and every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. This one is dark and it deals with some very difficult topics like child molestation and exploitation, but not as the focus of the book. This one, at its heart, is a crime with a number of different mysteries and crimes to be solved that somehow are all interconnected. You have Hannah who is drawn back to the one place she never wanted to see again, home. In coming home, she finds herself entangled with the town's wealthiest family who despite their status, is hiding a whole host of deadly secrets of their own. We meet Hudson, who is trying to solve the mystery surrounding the death of his best friend, all the while keeping his own secrets that could impact his career.

One of the most difficult aspects of The Widowmaker: A Novel is the blending of police investigative procedures and interpersonal secrets of the large cast of characters. As the story unfolds you get to see just how everything is connected. There are absolutely zero supernatural aspects to this story, which I love. I kind of get annoyed when everything that is bad or good in a book is explained away by a supernatural element. That doesn't happen in this book. This book is about humanity, in all its flaws, with all of its darkness, and it shows just how the experiences of the characters shape them. While I wasn't in love with any of the characters, I didn't end up hating any of them, even the bad ones. They were all just so human, and so relatable in their experiences and actions that while you don't agree with what they've done, you can understand why they did it. I think Hannah just did a fantastic job of weaving this complicated detective mystery, thriller-type story, while also managing to expose the worst parts of humanity. but without making it so gore filled and graphic that it turns your stomach.

The Widowmaker: A Novel by Hannah Morrissey is just such a well-crafted, well-thought-out story that will hook you from the beginning and have you thinking about it long after it's done. I listened to the audiobook at 1.75 speed and I was able to not miss any details and get through this book in one work day. The audiobook version was narrated beautifully, and I really appreciated that it was narrated by both a male and female voice actor. It really helped to switch the viewpoint and have a new voice come in and break up what was happening.

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!

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the advanced copy of The Widowmaker. It was a gripping thriller that j couldn’t put down. I liked the dual narrators and their voices of Morgan and Ryan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for letting me listen to the audiobook for “The Widowmaker” by Hannah Morrissey. This is the story of a female photographer, Morgan who has been called back to home town with a mysterious letter and a key. It is also the story of a male police detective, Hudson, who loses his mentor to murder and is consumed with finding out who did it. The author tells the story in a back-and-forth manner from Morgan’s and Hudson’s perspective. [For the audiobook Adam Verner performs Hudson’s chapters and Xe Sands performs Morgan’s chapters, which is a nice touch, rather than having one narrator for both characters.] The author had great character development. You felt what Morgan and Hudson were feeling throughout the book. She also did not spend too much time repeating the characters stories, which is a pet peeve of mine. The story moved at decent pace and crossover of Morgan and Hudson’s lives plays out nicely. The ending was well done. This is a good mystery, with twists and turns, trauma, revenge, emotional conflict, the works.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will just say there is a sensitive topic addressed in the book, but the author is sensitive with topic and is not explicit with her descriptions, which many readers will appreciate. However, some readers might get to that point in the book and want to put it down, which I understand, but I have to emphasize that the author was respective with a very difficult/sensitive topic, so give her a chance.

Spoilers ahead:
This is the first book I’ve read by Hannah Morrissey. I listen to the audiobook and the female narrator was spot on. Her voice matched her character so well! I really enjoyed the first 49 percent of the book. I didn’t know what was going to happen and I love that. But around that mark, is when the brutality comes in. A little before that maybe, but I glanced to see because I thought oh there needs to be a trigger warning here. After that the book fell apart for me. I found that storyline uncomfortable and the second half of the book dragged for me. I would definitely listen to Xe Sands again though. 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this book for review consideration!

In this slow burn, creepy mystery, Morgan Mori returns to her hometown of Black Harbour, where she experienced a dark and traumatic childhood, and witnesses the shooting of a cop at a gas station. Afterward, the cop’s former partner is assigned to a decades old cold case. It appears they may all be connected! But how?

First off, the audiobook recording of this book is quite good and I did think both the male and female readers did an excellent job. I enjoyed the shifting perspectives between characters and, beyond the issues I will describe below, the book is well-written. I would definitely read the author's other title.

Unfortunately, the other reviews for this book are so raving that I feel like I've done something wrong. Is my problem that I was multitasking too much while listening and missed too much, or is the book actually sort of confusing? I felt really scrambled for most of it. Things came together during the last 20% and the action ramped up, but by that point it was sort of too little too late. It's hard to explain this, but it's as if I had already figured out the important things and the unimportant things should have been clear earlier.

All of this made me feel less invested in the characters, as I felt like I just didn’t know any of them enough to care what happened to them. Morgan was such an odd character and I just wasn't sure how I felt about her. One moment she was a powerful siren luring pedophiles to their doom, and the next she was a teary waif wrapped in a blanket. It was hard to determine which parts of her were genuine. I was almost annoyed when Hudson got sucked in by it.

Maybe I need a second read of this one. Maybe I need to read it instead of listening to the audiobook so I don’t get distracted. There were some parts that were very good, but the lack of development in the beginning meant that there wasn’t enough of a payoff for me by the end. I had a hard time finishing this one, but I definitely wanted to give it a fair shake!

Overall, this deserves credit for being clever and clearly captivating many folks, but it unfortunately only inspired a lukewarm reaction from me.

I couldn't stop listening to this book! So many twists and turns and surprises! It was a great listen, right up to the very end!

Thank you for the ARC.

I loved Morgan's portions of this story. She was badass and also relatable. She was fun. I was worried for her.

I did not love the cop portions. I am just not into the police side of things and the cop sex was a bit much. They get it on? (Actually other people would probably love it. That part was well written and interesting.)
The narration was perfect! They could not have picked better narrators.