3.25 stars

While I really enjoyed the audiobook narrators for this story, the story overall was lackluster. Even listening on 2x speed, this story was long and uneventful for the most part. It was extremely drawn out and pretty repetitive in parts. I lost interest halfway through and had to force myself to finish. With a little extra editing this would have been a 4 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

I received an audioARC of this novel.

I loved the synopsis, wondering how these two stories connected - and lo and behold, it ended up being stories within stories, which was great!

My only complaint is that the stories were SO in depth, that it kind of took away from the twists at the end. It seemed a bit long, especially as it was detailing things like Morgan's family, her past, etc. i really liked Hudson's storyline, and I was definitely not expecting the twist in his story.

This book covers quite difficult subjects, like child pedophilia, abuse, murder, etc. A trigger warning for all before reading.

Interesting start, but that’s it for me.

Very slow paced read for me. Felt too drawn out and did not keep my interest.

The Widowmaker is not for those that are faint at heart – it covers some heavy subjects (graphic murder scenes and childhood abuse). The story has so many lies and dark secrets. It is a good crime/thriller edge of your seat kind of book. If you enjoy a not so predictable story, this one is for you.
Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

Good flow. Good mystery and suspense. Would give this a 3.5 or even 3.75 stars if I could. I thought the main characters and their stories were intriguing and they were brought together in a good way. I thought the author did a great job at leading the reader in different directions of what actually happened and who the "bad guy" is/was. I also liked the switch of point of views between Morgan and Ryan. I would take off a star because I thought there was a huge build-up to the ending, and it was a good ending/resolution, but there was something abrupt about it that left me wondering if I missed something. Overall great book, would recommend and great narrators.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC! This story was an interesting one and I enjoyed a few of the twists. Some parts were very hard to listen to and I would have preferred reading it instead, but I think both narrators did a great job with this one. I found the ending to be a bit unbelievable, but overall I’d say this was a good thriller.

This story took me by surprise. I really liked each individual character, even the villainous ones. The writing itself was fast paced and kept me listening.

"A wealthy family shrouded in scandal; a detective tasked with solving an impossible cold case; and a woman with a dark past collide in Hannah Morrissey's stunning Black Harbor mystery, The Widowmaker."

An intriguing mix of police procedural and psychological thriller that will keep you on your toes. It was a twisty, complicated, puzzle that constantly kept me guessing. A little slow at times but a satisfying read. I love all the dark secrets with each character and how it intertwined.

Thank You, Hannah Morrissey, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for my honest review! This book is due to be released on December 6, 2022.

Morrissey paints an atmospheric picture in this deep dive into a the well-developed mystery of a damaged young woman's past and present at the hands of an unlikely and equally damaged detective. Highly recommended.

Morgan is a young woman that has been emotionally scarred by her past . She has been hired by an elite , influential, wealthy family as a professional photographer to photograph their Christmas celebration . Immediately the family appears to be smitten by her and take an unexplainable interest in her . Along with Morgan’s story we are also presented with the story of an unconventional police detective who is attempting to solve a cold case involving the family that has just hired Morgan and his former partner’s murder.

Narration: I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Adam Verner and XeSands. I am not familiar with either of these two narrators. I enjoyed the female voice more as it was calming and soothing. The males voice had an annoying pitch that was not pleasant to hear. I struggled with the narration at times because although it is only two characters that are being narrated there are so many characters involved within the story line .

Story: I'm actually not quite not sure how I feel about this book. It was engrossing at times and average paced. The plot is complex as well as too contrived for my liking . However, this would be a great read for fans of gritty thrillers.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to NetGalley, ST.Martinspress, & Minotaur Books for the ARC.

Morgan is working on her photography business and making a name for herself. She is excited to be photographing the Christmas party of the well connected Reynolds family. The Reynolds family has mystery and scandal after the patriarch, Clive Reynolds went missing twenty years ago.

A stop at a convenience store for gas after the party makes Morgan a key witness to the murder of a police officer.

A clue reopens the case of Clive Reynolds, and Ryan Hudson is assigned this cold case. But wants to find who killed his former partner. Could they be connected/

There are many secrets in this book. Morgan has a secret of her own. As does Ryan. Things escalate as they both try to work on their own demons, in addition to the case at hand, and their worlds continue to collide.

This book is dark and I suggest checking trigger warnings.

A great mystery with interesting side plots.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Audiobook is impossible to listen to at higher speeds and I cannot focus at lower speeds. I will listen/read this once it is released. Thank you for approving me.

Hannah Morrissey is the real deal!! Her debut novel Hello, Transcriber was a great introduction to the dark and gritty city of Black Harbor. The Widowmaker takes us back to Black Harbor and introduces us to an intricate cast of characters that are full of dark secrets. The story alternates between Morgan Mori and Ryan Hudson. Morgan has returned to Black Harbor after she receives a mysterious key and a message to go home. Ryan is an investigator with the local police department and is trying to cope with the loss of his best friend and fellow officer while investigating an important cold case. Both are trying to find answers and both are harboring secrets.

I read A LOT of psychological thrillers, they are my favorite genre. The darker the better!! This one delivers on every level. A disturbed and twisted plot, great character development and a well formulated mystery all told with a raw, hauntingly lyrical prose. Hannah knows how to draw you in and make you feel what the characters are feeling. You don’t just read her book you experience it. The narrators for the audiobook were great, especially Xe Sands. Her performance as Morgan was perfect. Chef’s kiss 💋

5 ⭐️

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

#NetGalley #HannahMorrisseywriter #TheWidowmaker

First....the narration of this book brough it to life. The main characters became real people as I listened and finally had to give my total concentration to the story, no multitasking on this one.

Second....maybe first too.....Hannah Morrisey has written a very compelling mystery/ thriller. I did not read the first book, but I am most definitely going to. It did not detract anything from the thriller story in THE WIDOWMAKER but I've got to check it out for myself.

A cold case surrounding a mysterious death, then disappearance and a current case of a policeman's death will ultimately join to surprise readers. But, the journey to that point weaves together the many different characters to bring their investigations to a sharp point....and solve what so many before them could not. All I can say is......this book lost nothing by being on audiobook, try it for yourself.

Audiobook Review

The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey
@HannahMorrisseyWriter
Pub date: December 6, 2022
Narrated by: Xe Sands and Adam Verner
Duration: 10H 40M

Thank you to @MacMillan.Audio for this gifted ALC!

I loved Morrissey’s first book, HELLO, TRANSCRIBER, and I was really excited to revisit Black Harbor again in THE WIDOWMAKER.

Morgan Mori, a photographer, is back in Black Harbor, and photographing a Christmas gathering for the wealthy Reynolds family. The patriarch of the family, Clive Reynolds went missing almost 20 years prior under a shroud of suspicion, leaving behind a grieving wife and 4 children. The same night that Morgan photographs the Reynolds, she witnesses a brutal killing of a police officer, putting her on the radar of investigator Ryan Hudson, the officer’s best friend and former partner.

The Widowmaker is a tangled web of deceit and lies but every chapter dangles a little more information for the reader to chew on - a little more deception here, another suspicious character there and a whole lot of secrets - some going back decades. I ended every chapter sure that I had it figured out – spoiler alert, I didn’t – but that ending! Mindblower!

The atmosphere of Black Harbor is tangible – dark, dreary, and crime ridden - it’s set mostly in the winter and winter in Wisconsin mirrors winter here in Michigan so the cold snowy bleakness was way too easy to visualize! I love that the author incorporated snowmobiles into the story! But aside from that, Black Harbor is like Gotham City, it’s a character in it’s own right.

The characters, old and new, are emotive and flawed, each bringing their own focus to the story. There are some trigger warnings to be aware of that I’ll list below.

I was fortunate enough to both listen and read this and the narrators are fantastic. Xe Sands is a favorite as is Adam Verner, both moving the story along. I enjoyed their performance!

Highly recommend this one and I can’t wait to see what comes next for Hannah Morrissey!

TW: Pedophilia (implied), Torture

Absolutely loved this one! So dark and atmospheric. A great mystery that also broke my heart. I loved Hello, Transcriber and now after The Widomaker, Hannah Morrissey has become an auto-buy author for me!

Song: Fast Lane - Bad Meets Evil

Okay I did not care about the outcome or this book nor the character. They could have all died and it woulda been fine. @ pointed this out so well when she said the male narrator’s voice did NOT match the character. I was like what is not working and it was 100% that.

I am laughing because this is one of those times where I completely misjudged the title and cover….I thought it was about a female dr or medical professional who created a type of heart attack called a Widowmaker to kill men who have wronged women in some sort of vigilante badassery. I did not think a Widowmaker was a Damn car….😂🤦🏼‍♀️

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one at 47%. I dont think this was the right book for me at this time. I struggled to follow it on audio. I think I would have enjoyed it better reading it. I was not a fan of the female narrator and I was losing my focus a lot with this one.

The narrators of this audiobook were wonderful. I was quickly and easily captured by their intonation and clear voices.

There are so many things going on in this book. From the very beginning, I was trying to figure out how everything would come together. It was fascinating to see all of the people and events come together, in a surprise manner, at the end.

Good story.

Wow, this book had so many twists and turns, and I thought the ending was so good! I listened the audiobook and there were points that I wasn't sure I was following. But in the end, it all ties together. I would highly recommend this book!