I love Hannah Morrissey's writing. Hello, Transcriber hooked me from the first couple of sentences. I don't care if I was reading a recipe by her, she would find a way to make it interesting. Her books are like American Nordic Noir. Excellent character developments and well-paced plots. As with all series books, I find them to get a bit repetitive, but Morrissey manages to inject new and interesting elements into her books that make them unique and not feel so serial. The Unlucky Ones is dark and gritty, and does not disappoint, I always find myself rooting for Hazel.

Every book in this series has been an atmospheric, edge of your seat read.

This is an auto-buy author for me, her books read like I am on the set of an action packed TV Crime Drama. From start to finish she pulls me into the story and I feel like I am working right alongside the lead characters to solve the Mystery. Her writing style is really immersive and engaging.

As long as this series continues I'll definitely be reading and recommending it!

Thank you Hannah Morrissey, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book!

"The Unlucky Ones" by Hannah Morrissey is a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The plot is intriguing, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The characters are well-developed and relatable, making it easy to get invested in their stories. However, I found the pacing to be a bit uneven at times, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. Additionally, the ending, while surprising, felt a bit abrupt and left some loose ends. Overall, it's a solid read for fans of the genre, but it could have been more polished in its execution.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. This was my first experience with Hannah’s work, and even though I haven't explored any of the previous books in the series, I didn't feel like I was missing anything. For me, it stood out as a strong standalone novel. The murder mystery was well-crafted, and I appreciated the multiple connections leading to the conclusion, which made the story more engaging and captivating. It kept me curious about the final outcome. My only minor issue was that it felt a bit repetitive at times, often reiterating details from earlier chapters. However, given that it was framed as an ongoing investigation, it still made sense within the narrative.

I look forward to reading more from this author!

💥 Pub Date: 3/25/2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

• thriller x police procedural
• moody atmosphere
• gritty, rough characters

The common thread throughout this series is raw characters in gruesome storylines. I did like how we are typically in Black Harbor in the dead of winter, but The Unlucky Ones takes us to a sweltering 4th of July. These books are well-written and captivating. This is book four in the series, so be sure to start with Hello, Transcriber!

🗣 Thank you to netgalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

Overall I enjoyed this read. This was my first read of Hannah and even though I havent read any of the prior books in this series, I did not feel like I was missing out on anything. For me, this read was a great stand-alone. I thought the murder mystery aspect was well done and I liked that there were multiple connections to the final end. it made the story more interesting and captivating for me as a reader, it kept me engaged and wondering what the final result would be. I liked the characters and the midwest background, as a WI resident myself, reading a book by a local author was great. I think my only qualm with this was that it felt repetitive at times, often recapping the same things from a prior chapter. However, because it was served as an ongoing investigation in the story, it did work.

I look forward to reading other books from this author!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Reluctant Detective
Romantic Subplot
Kingpin Drug Operation

Hannah Morrissey's "The Unlucky Ones" is a really good crime thriller, all about family drama and drug dealing, and my rating is more based on my preference than the book itself. It drags a bit sometimes, but the characters and story are pretty great. The ending left me wanting more, but it's a solid read for anyone who likes crime thrillers!!

3.5 stars, rounded down
The Unlucky Ones is the fourth in the Black Harbor series and the two main characters from the first book (Hello, Transcriber) return front and center. Tommy Greenlee is found dead from multiple gunshots in an after hours club. The murder investigation falls to Nik Kole. Nik has the distinction of having had an affair with Greenlee’s now ex-wife. Hazel, who moved away, returns to Black Harbor, determined to find out what happened to her ex. Kole and Hazel are again drawn to each other, but there’s a big lack of trust on both sides.
Morrissey has once again crafted a dark, enigmatic story. There are multiple horrific scenes. Her writing is atmospheric and paints a complete picture of this town on the verge of igniting. “This is Black Harbor. Things only trend one way. Down. Unless you’re talking about violent crime, then that’s definitely up.” The characters are fully drawn and contrasting POVs keep the storyline moving forward at a brisk pace. Towards the end, there is one totally improbable plot device which soured me somewhat on the story. There is also the obligatory main character doing a really stupid thing.
I think this would work best if you’ve read Hello, Transcriber but you don’t need to have read books two and three.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

Hello Transcriber was my least favorite of the Black Harbor books, it was fine but Books 2 and 3 were excellent. This one is pretty good too -- it T takes you back to Hazel and Kole from the first book, pulls in some of the threads from books 2 and 3 and really continues to build up the character of Black Harbor as well. Definitely not a place I'd like to live!

Black Harbor. Where murder and mayhem lurk around every corner. Everything is amplified here. The frozen winters and dilapidated buildings hardly compare to any other city. The bleak atmosphere is nothing compared to the crime. It’s as if Crime is its own being. The true king of Black Harbor. Feeding on anyone in its path and leaving a rippling wake of destruction everywhere it roams.

The Unlucky Ones takes us on our fourth journey to this dark and gritty town but this time, it’s during the extreme heat of July. If you thought Black Harbor’s winters were unbearable, I can’t wait for you to see how torturous it can be in the summer! I have been waiting a long time to say this and I finally can…HAZEL IS BACK! Hazel is the main character in Hello, Transcriber and one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. What brings her back is the murder of her ex-husband, Tommy. Because this is Black Harbor, this isn’t just any old murder. His body was found tied up in garbage bags and covered in bleach. Detective Kole and his team are on the case but things get complicated quickly when they realize Hazel is back in town. The temperatures are already high but they skyrocket as Hazel and Nik work through their past to determine whether or not they can have, or even want, a future.

I HIGHLY suggest reading the Black Harbor novels in order. Hannah is a master at her craft and there are Easter eggs from all three previous books throughout this one. You technically can read this one as a standalone because she provides background information on all the important plot points. But…with so much time until pub day in March, why not treat yourself to everything Black Harbor has to offer?

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the copy of The Unlucky Ones by Hannah Morrissey. I loved the moodiness of Black Harbor and I know it isn’t somewhere I would want to live because the descriptions were so vivid. I loved the fast pace of the book and that there was so much happening which really drew me right in. The story was complex, and I needed to concentrate to keep track of everything. You can read this as a standalone but it is even more satisfying if you have read the previous books! 4 stars.

It was so fantastic to get Hazel and Kole back together again! They are great together and I had fun reading about them again. The pacing of this book is very fast and that helped propel me through the pages. I couldn’t get enough of this one and finished it way to quick. I just couldn’t put it down it was so much fun. I needed to find out what was going to happen next, there were so many twists and turns, it was great. This is one of those series that has great continuity between the books. Sure, you could read them as stand alones, but in the case of these I don’t’ think you should. There is just too much good stuff happening in each one that you need to know. I’m so glad that I don’t live in a place like Black Harbor. It just has never seemed like a good place, and so many bad things happen there. The author does such a fantastic job bringing it to life as she does with the characters. They are relatable and feel like real people which I enjoy.

If you’re looking for a fun addition to this series, then check this one out.

Black Harbor, a gritty city where the criminals work hard and the cops work harder. When police respond to a homicide at the local criminal hangout, Sergeant Nik Kole immediately recognizes the deceased, Tommy Greenlee. Kole and Tommy were steadfast enemies, all because of Hazel, Tommy’s ex-wife and Kole’s ex girlfriend. Hazel, now living in NYC, returns to Black Harbor, a town she swore never to return to find out more about who killed Tommy. Questions that need answers – why was Tommy killed? Why did Tommy have a scratch off ticket with a particular set of numbers on it? What is going on in Black Harbor and who is behind it?

This is a fast pace, good cop/bad guy story filled with murder, drugs, a possible serial killer and tensions, both physical and psychological between Kole and Hazel. This is the first time reviewing a book by Hannah Morrissey but I enjoy her writing style, the pace of the book, the development of the characters. I read this book quickly as I wanted to find out who did what to whom, and what was going to happen next. Don’t miss this one.

Thank you so, so much to Hannah Morrissey and Minotaur Books for the e-ARC! This is one of my favorite book series. Book is impossible to put down. Loved it.

Thank you so, so much to Hannah Morrissey and Minotaur Books for the e-ARC! Being approved for one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 was so surreal, and Morrissey’s fourth installment in the Midwest Noir world of Black Harbor was everything I wanted it to be and more.

Set ten years after the events of Hello, Transcriber, we return to Black Harbor through Hazel and Nik’s eyes when Hazel’s ex-husband turns up murdered in a notorious hangout for dealers and crime lords. Nikolai Kole is the lead investigator who finds his body - and a flood of memories of the woman he still carries a torch for come rushing back.

In tandem, Hazel has finally found success as an author, escaping the darkness of Black Harbor to Brooklyn. But when news of her husband’s murder reaches her, she feels a pull back to where it all started that might not be exclusively related to the feeling of a new case.

Morrissey truly outdid herself with this one. I’ve been hooked on the way she incorporates her intricate criminology knowledge via her own experiences as a former police transcriber since book one, and it was a delight to see my two favorite characters in her universe grow. I loved that this incorporated reflections on trauma and the urge to run, addiction in all its forms, and who the real criminals behind drug proliferation are vs the victims who get stuck as pawns in their machinations.

I noticed a few minor quirks where aphorisms were slightly off: “I could give a fuck” instead of “I couldn’t give a fuck,” “That’s no tall task” instead of “That’s no small task,” and one miss on a “three word” vs a “three letter answer at the very end. Just pointing these out if they’re helpful because I adore these books and happened to notice a few tiny details :)

I also loved how this incorporated storylines, characters and details from Morrissey’s previous Black Harbor books, uniting all of them into one high-stakes level up with what felt like effortlessness and sly winks from Morrissey into the camera (without giving too much away, those Widowmaker references *chef’s kiss*)

This feels like the Armand Gamache series for a new generation, with more grit and a mean right hook. Morrissey may be at the top of her game with this one, but I have a hunch she’s going to continue to get even better. I’m so grateful I got to read this!

Every time I am able to dive back into the dark and wild work of Dark Harbor, I get so excited! Hannah Morrissey has such a way of writing intricate stories that feel like watching some kind of Law and Order episode. I can’t wait for the next one!

Wait. Just wait. Tell me this isn’t going to be the final book of the Black Harbor series. I may actually cry.

I decided to read all of the BH books over the last 2 weeks, and damn are they good! Morrissey is now an auto-buy, absolute favorite author. I don’t often find myself highlighting passages to go back to later, but she has such a way with words that I want to absorb and remember all of them. With each book, you become so attached to the characters (Even the ones that we should absolutely hate. Yes, once you read this you’ll know who I’m talking about).

This one brings us back to Nikolai Kole - one of BHPD’s finest, and Hazel, the transcriber from the first book. You don’t need to read the series to pick this one up, but you will NOT regret it if you do. As soon as Hello, Transcriber ended, I knew I needed more of Hazel and Nick, and I am SO happy that Morrissey delivered here so we would know how their story continues.

Hazel is back in Black Harbor to solve the case of a murder of someone close to her in her past life (Not going to ruin this one for those who will star the series!) Black Harbor hasn’t slowed down in the underworld of drugs and crime. Violence has reached an all-time high, and a new drug, Xombie, is taking over. I honestly can’t say too much about this without giving things away from the earlier books - But Morrissey has reached Karin Slaughter level in my book and this series will go down as an all time favorite in my book. 1o/10 recommend.

Hannah Morrissey does it again ! What a great crime thriller ! Loved being back in the town of Black Harbor. I really enjoyed this one. I liked Hazel and Kole's characters and their relationship. Give this one a read if you like thrillers, suspense and crime stories. You do not need to read the other books in the Black Harbour Series to understand the story but It is does help if you do. Plus, they are all great books !

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

I always love revisiting Black Harbor but I was especially excited about this book in the series because we finally got to see Kol and Hazel again and let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Hazel comes back to Black Harbor after her (awful) ex-husband is murdered. I loved reading about the undeniable connection between Kol and Hazel and learning more about Kol’s back story. Of course this is Black Harbor so there was murder, drugs, robberies and a couple of crimes to solve. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I always love my visits to Black Harbor! Hazel and Nik have some interesting chemistry, and it was great to seem them back at it again (even if it is complicated). I will continue to rave about this authors writing! Her writing is so immersive and I love how all the pieces come together in the end.