This book was everything I hoped for and more. I was not sure what to expect going into this read, because I really haven’t seen any reviews for this one before. What a twisted and eerie thriller. The beginning of the book is a bit of a slow burn, but once the story picks up I couldn’t put it down! I couldn’t recommend this one more, and hope that more people will read this soon! I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 3 ⭐️
WHEN I’M DEAD
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: thriller
📖 320 pages
𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 🔪🩸💀🚔🎃🦷

🩵𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲🩵

Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress @minotaurbooks for the #gifted copy!

WHEN I’M DEAD had potential that I wanted to fully embrace, but it left me wanting more. The narrative, told from 3 POVs, felt prolonged, & even though it wasn't lengthy, the pacing seemed off & it felt long to me 🫠. The detailed gore added intensity, capturing my interest initially, but the story slowed down afterward. It held my attention for the first 1/3 or so but felt slow otherwise.

The unpredictable ending was a plus, & I enjoyed the eye-catching cover 😍😍. Unfortunately, the book won't linger in my memory—it was just an okay experience 🤷🏼‍♀️

⚠️ bullying

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ taxidermy
◽️ playing Never Have I Ever
◽️ Beetlejuice
◽️ multiple POV’s
◽️ dead bodies 👀

4/5 stars. I really enjoyed this dark crime thriller. The characters were well developed, and I always enjoy a book told from multiple perspectives. There were really dark and creepy aspects to this one which I always love in a thriller. I didn’t guess the killer right away, I felt compelled to keep reading to find out what was going to happen and who was responsible. This was my first time reading this author and a few thing about her writing stopped this from being a 5 star read for me such as some of her vocabulary choice and repetition but I will definitely read this author’s work again.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC. We thoroughly enjoyed this twisted psychological thriller.! The daughter of the local medical examiner and homicide investigator goes missing after her friend is murdered. Everyone is suspect, including the missing. Lots of twist and turns as this fast paced, dark mystery unfolds.

A Perfectly Eerie October Read

As this book begins, the reader is engulfed in a sense of foreboding and dread. Black Harbor is a city where no one seems to be happy to live. . . and where so many people die.

Medical Examiner Rowan Winthrop and her homicide detective husband Axel are over-worked and stressed. Black Harbor's city police is experiencing a shortage of personnel which impacts the already crime-ridden city. Rowan and Axel have no balance with their work/family life. And as is always the case, this is felt by their 15-year-old daughter Chloe. Lately Chloe has been distant and secretive with her parents. Like many parents, they lean on their daughter's school to help fill in the gaps. On the night of Chloe's school play, the Winthrops are called out to investigate the death of one of Chloe's classmates. They tell her to get a ride home with a friend as they rush off to the crime scene. This is the beginning of a parent's nightmare. Later they find out that not only is her best friend dead, but Chloe is missing.

This book is a dark twisted tale with a multiple POV. Just when it seems that the murderer has been found, something happens to change that idea. I see that this book is the third installment in the Black Harbor Series, but it is definitely able to be a stand-alone book.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martins Press & the author Hannah Morrissey for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was so good!! It was the perfect Halloween read. I loved the suspense and how fast-paced it was. The multiple POVs also made this read more exciting. This one is dark and gruesome.

A wonderfully twisty psychological thriller that really makes you question what you really know. The town of Black Harbor has its share of crime. But things change when the towns children begin to show up dead. Who is killing all of the girls? Is it a serial killer? Is it the local taxidermist? And will anyone figure it out before they lose another child? It’s dark and twisty, and Black Harbor is not a place I want to live. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one.

A dark twisted psychological mystery! The suspense, creepy atmospheric setting and lies were an absolute wild ride. When I'm Dead was hard to put down, as I had to know the "who" was committing the crimes.

Black Harbor, Wisconsin has a nefarious criminal on lose targeting young girls from the local high school. A local cop and his wife, the town coroner, iare racing against the clock to save their daughter after her friend is found murdered. This town is small yet menacing as the parents take the investigation into their own hands.

A heart-pounding thriller!

Thank you St. Martins Press for the complimentary copy.

I read widowmaker and I have been dying to get my hands on the next installment. All it did was deliver.

I am going to first point out that it is not necessary to read the other books first. They all work as excellent standalones.

I loved the characters and the dark undertones that came off the pages in waves. The pace was decent and it was mty favorite read of oct!

4.5 stars thank you for my gifted copy @minotaur_books and netgalley

This is book three in the Black Harbor series, but each can be read as a stand-alone. I've enjoyed all of them, and this one was my favorite. It was dark and disturbing in the best way possible.
When I'm Dead, it is filled with twists and turns that kept me riveted all the way through. It was a perfect psychological thriller with great characters. I was deeply invested in all of their outcomes.
I seriously hope there's more coming in this series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review.

When I'm Dead is book three in the Black Harbor series by Hannah Morrissey. I read this one not knowing it was part of a series and I think it read just fine as a standalone. There might have been some references to the previous books that I just didn't pick up on. Main character Rowan Winthrop is a medical examiner investigating the death of her teen daughter's best friend. Shortly after this death, Rowan's daughter goes missing. From there the story delves into the secret lives of residents of the town that Rowan is desperate to leave. Plenty of mystery and secrets keep this plot moving right along. Read and enjoy!

What a suspenseful and creepy story that takes us on an unforgettable exploration of human psyche.
The story revolves around 2 parents, one a medical examiner and another a police detective and their teenage daughter.
If you read the synopsis of the story, you pretty much know what the story is about. Lots of mystery, intrigue, suspense and twists and turns.
I have not read the previous books in the series and had no issue reading this as a standalone.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Reading Between the Wines book review #129/115(met goal in Sept!) for 2023:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: When I’m Dead
Author: Hannah Morrissey
Available Now!!

Sipping thoughts: I enjoyed this book and really liked the different narrators and point of views. The major downfall was Rowan’s chapters. I really like audiobook but did not like Rowan’s chapters only because the narrator was VERY hard to understand. The voice was low, mumbly and just hard to really listen to. Most times I listen to an audiobook I can do something else like get dressed. These chapters were so hard to understand that I had to sit still and barely breath just to hear it. I had the ebook as an ARC so I just started pausing it and reading the Rowan chapters. Once I got passed that, the storyline was so good-dark, twisty, and unexpected.

Cheers and thank you to @StMartinsPress, @MacmillanAudio and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @WhenImDead.

#WhenImDead #HannahMorrissey #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

Short synopsis: When Rowen and Axel are called out to investigate a murder, their daughter Chloe goes missing.

My thoughts: This is the third book in the Black Harbor series, but can totally stand on its own. In fact, I haven’t read the other two, and while I’m sure there’s stuff in the other books that overlap I didn’t feel lost at all. I breezed through this one on audio in less than 24 hours and the multiple narrators made the story so great.

This one definitely got dark and gruesome, and the twists and turns just kept coming. The ending wasn’t completely unexpected but I didn’t see it coming.

I can’t wait to pick up the previous books in this series because I’m sure the other stories are just as good as this one.

Read if you love:
- Police procedural
- Multiple perspectives
- Thrillers with missing or dead teens
- Thriller series
- Taxidermy (iykyk 😬)

One of my favorite books of 2023 for sure! This kept my attention which has been difficult for me lately. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey is an entertaining thriller, with several interesting twists. Someone is killing teenage girls in the run down town of Black Harbor, Wisconsin. Rowan and Axel are married and both work in law enforcement. Their daughter Chloe goes missing at the same time a friend of Chloe's is murdered. The plot is narrated by several different characters and it is these viewpoints that keep the reader guessing. Some of the story is a bit predictable, but it is still an enjoyable and interesting read.

This one was…odd. In some ways it was your typical thriller, but these characters are a little more out there. For example, one of the characters whose POV we get is a teenager who is learning to do taxidermy. That’s right, TAXIDERMY. It was a bit of a slow start, and I feel like I occasionally got a bit confused as to who was speaking, but this was also a part of a series, so it may be easier to people who are more familiar with the characters. It is not the best thriller I’ve ever read, the killer was fairly obvious, but it was still a good read.

This book was dark, twisted, and definitely not what I was expecting. This was my first trip to Black Harbor, and I’ve already purchased two more trips.

Rowan is the Black Harbor medical examiner, and her husband Axel is a member of Black Harbor’s Police Force. They are called away from their daughter’s high school play to the scene of a crime. This begins a story that is scary, haunting, and twisted. And along with a horrific crime to start this story, their daughter Chloe goes missing.

Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character in the story. The reader really gets the opportunity to go inside the heads of all of the major players. This character-driven tale leaves no stone unturned, and all of the major players scarred. It was difficult to read at times, but that was the point. I was so invested in getting to the end that I couldn’t catch my breath at times. I also really appreciated that the town/city of Black Harbor was a character of its own.

This story was brutal at times. It is a true thriller and police procedural with a bit of horror. It reads like a movie in your mind. Hannah Morrissey is a new author to me, and I already have the other two Black Harbor novels on my shelf. I can’t wait to dive back in!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy of this story. I love the opportunity to read a new author, and I’m very appreciative! I highly recommend this book - it’s perfect for a cold, chilly night!

When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey

Living in Black Harbor, Wisconsin’s most dangerous city, would be challenging enough for any family. But when you’re a medical examiner like Rowan Winthorp, and your husband Axel is a police detective, danger and death are a constant, no matter how hard you try to balance family life against them.

So neither Rowan nor Axel is entirely surprised to get a call that takes them out of their only daughter Chloe’s opening night high school performance of Beetlejuice: The Musical. When Rowan metaphorically draws the short straw and has to break the news to Chloe during intermission, the fifteen year-old is understandably crushed by this latest in a long line of disappointments:

QUOTE
Rowan suddenly remembered the roses. The cellophane crinkled as she handed them to Chloe. They seemed a cheap consolation now. “These are for you. We love you so much, Chloe. You’re killing it, you really are. But work–”

“Do you?”

Rowan paused. She felt her brows knit. “What?”

Chloe sighed. Her pointed bangs made everything about her look barbed, scary. And then she uttered seven little words that cut Rowan to the bone. <i>You’ll love me more when I’m dead</i>.
END QUOTE

As a professional, Rowan tries to set her guilt aside, even as she’s examining the brutal murder scene she’s been called away to. It’s an awful surprise to learn that the victim is her daughter’s best friend Madison Caldwell, who was likely attacked and strangled while walking to school to watch the evening’s production. Even worse, someone has knocked out her teeth, scattering them on the ground around her corpse.

Rowan has no idea how to break the news to her daughter, but a different sort of emotion soon overtakes her when she gets home and realizes that Chloe isn’t there. A series of miscommunications meant that Chloe did not have an adult chaperone home. Rowan’s worst fears are soon realized when no one can say where Chloe might have disappeared to. When another of Chloe’s classmates is found dead, Rowan has to confront the terrible likelihood that her daughter might have been killed, too.

Axel, on the other hand, has a worse fear. Is it just his desire for Chloe to still be alive that convinces him that she is not a victim, but might actually be a willing participant in all this? Regardless, the Winthorps will do everything possible to bring their daughter home, even if their marriage itself shatters in the process.

When I’m Dead is a book that isn’t afraid to tackle human weaknesses. So many children of couples who both work in law enforcement are portrayed as chipper and resilient, usually because it’s easier to not introduce that complicating sort of parent-child conflict when trying to wrap up fictional plotlines. Chloe, however, is understandably messed up by her parents’ devotion to their work, especially when she finds herself at an emotionally vulnerable phase of her own life.

The brooding backdrop of Black Harbor is as compelling as any of the characters in this novel’s pages, too. The polluted, crime-infested city has beaten down both Axel and Rowan, as well as other law enforcement officers like Axel’s chief, Niko Kole:

QUOTE
“Ah, fuck, Rowan, why do we live here?”

“No better place to be if you’re a cop, right?” Rowan repeated a line she used to hear from Axel, whenever he’d come home all electrified after making an arrest or testifying on the stand. Those days are long over. Now, he’s utterly defeated. A husk of the man she married.

“I used to think like that, but now I don’t know,” admitted Kole. “Dead kids everywhere you turn.[“]
END QUOTE

I appreciate how each installment of the Black Harbor series concentrates on a different inhabitant of the city, usually one with ties to its beleaguered police force. Each book contributes to a greater picture of a dark place being slowly overwhelmed by conflict and crime, despite the best efforts of the people within it. For all that, this novel is not without hope, as Rowan and Axel’s ordeal serves to focus their priorities on the one person who should have had their attention all along. Enjoying the twists and turns along the way is only icing on the reader’s metaphorical cake.

This was such a wild ride! It made me wish I could just read “in one sitting”, but that’s not happening anytime soon, as there is way too much adulting that keeps getting in the way. But this book definitely made me think how I’d prefer to just keep reading it.
There is so much suspense, there are twists, and it is just surprisingly good.