What a SHOWSTOPPING next installment to the Black Harbor series!! Being back with Hazel and Kole is all at once joyous and terrifying, knowing what Black Harbor is capable of having in store for them. We are once again in the throes of mystery and intrigue with the residents of this forsaken town, and Tommy is creeping back in to drag Hazel down with him. I will never get over how Hannah Morrisey can make my skin crawl and hair stand on end, while I'm simultaneously falling in love with Hazel and Kole all over again. This series is one of my most recent comfort series that I enjoy coming back to time after time. Another 5 star experience from Hannah Morrissey, and such a satisfying one at that!

I love the town of Black Harbor and in The Unlucky Ones Hazel is back! The Unlucky Ones is the fourth book in the Black Harbor Series and while you can read the first three as stand alones, I would definitely recommend reading Hello, Transcriber before diving into this book! Hazel's ex-husband, Tommy is found dead and Hazel heads back to Black Harbor eight years after she left to see why and what happened. Hazel is thrown back into this small town and meets up again with Detective Nikolai Kole.

I love Black Harbor and Hannah's writing is mysterious and she is so good at planting her easter eggs throughout the series! Hannah is also one of the nicest humans ever as she joined Thrillers By The Book Club - Milwaukee to talk about The Unlucky Ones and all of Black Harbor's secrets.

Thank you Hannah Morrissey and Minotaur Books for an eARC and Advanced Paperback Copy of the Unlucky Ones! I cannot wait to dive into Hannah's next book.

Summary
Hazel returns to Black Harbor after learning that her abusive ex-husband was killed and wanting to know what happened, why it happened, and how the killer is. Hazel’s ex-lover Detective Kole is investigating the murder, and paths are bound to cross.

General Thoughts
This is my first Hannah Morrissey book, and it certainly won’t be my last. I loved how the book was a little slower paced but also a quick read. Morrissey provided excellent imagery through detailed descriptions and excellent character development. I know if I had read the first three books, there would be even more character development; however, it was written in a way that I understood who the characters were, there connections to one another, and how all the pieces fit together while reading it as a standalone.

Positives
The Unlucky Ones is very suspenseful. The twists were great and kept me on my toes throughout the entire read. I also enjoyed how much research had been done to write the story accurately – the crime/police procedural was very detailed and helped to me in understanding what was happening. Lastly, I really liked the dual POVs. Written in third person, I felt like I was watching this on TV instead of reading it on my Kindle.

Frustrations
I struggled getting into the story at first because I felt it was a very slow pace. Once the story was set up (around 30%), I was hooked to see how the story unfolded and who committed the crime as all of the characters seemed guilty. There were also moments where Hazel’s actions seemed over the top and unrealistic.

Rating and Why
I rated The Unlucky Ones 4 out of 5 stars. It had a slower pace but was a quick page turner at the same time. I really enjoyed the strong development. While I haven’t read the first three books in the series, I really got to know the main characters as I was reading. I also loved Morrissey’s use of super vivid descriptions. I could picture Black Harbor, the infamous bridge, the lighthouse, and all of the characters as if I was watching the story on a screen. I will definitely be reading the first 3 books and hope there is another book in the series coming soon.

Recommend?
Would I recommend this? The Unlucky Ones is book 4 of a series; while I read it as a standalone, I highly recommend reading them in order. I suggest reading it if you like:
- Crime Thrillers
- Whodunit
- July 4th Setting
- Two Past Lovers
- Police Procedurals
- Dynamic Characters
I’m looking forward to going back and reading the first three books to understand the past events that led to the events in book 4.

I really liked this; I thought it was interesting and compelling. It took me forever to read, which could have been a personal problem.

The Unlucky Ones is a gritty return to the dark, moody world of Black Harbor—a city where crime festers in every alley, and trauma hangs heavy in the air. This installment brings back Hazel, a former police transcriber-turned-writer, who returns to town to investigate the murder of her ex-husband. The plot kicks off fast with a brutal, symbolic crime scene and never really lets up.

I found this book to be an easy read—definitely engaging, but it didn’t totally blow me away. I liked the atmospheric writing and how the city itself felt like a character. Hazel and Sergeant Kole had an interesting dynamic, though I wasn’t super invested in their romance. It felt more functional than emotional, which I think fit their history, but it didn’t really tug at me.

The mystery itself was solid and kept me curious, and I appreciated how past and present were tangled together. There were some twists I didn’t see coming, and the whole vibe of Black Harbor—a mix of desperation, violence, and longing—was well done.

If you like crime fiction with a dark edge and complicated relationships, this one is worth a read.

Have you heard of or read this series? It’s a little bit of a loose series since the books have a common setting and some overlapping characters but it isn’t necessary to read in order. But I would read Hello, Transcriber first since this book revisits those characters.

It definitely has a mystery but is also strong in characters dealing with loss. It’s a dark story with drugs, death, and the bad side of life. It’s honest and brutal.

Balancing that out is a second chance romance trying to bloom. The yin and the yang.

I was gripped by the police investigation and the complex plot that is oozing its gritty atmosphere.

I liked getting more of Hazel and Nikolai’s life.
They are tenacious in their investigation and worked well both together and to spur each other on.

Angela Dawe and Robb Moreira were a great choice of narrators. They represented Hazel and Nikolai well and the urgency of the investigation.

The Unlucky Ones
Pub Date: 3/25/25

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the 4th book in the black harbor series. Hazel returns to Black Harbor after 8 years to find out who killed her ex-husband. Of course, her ex-lover Nicolai Cole is working on the case. I love how Hannah writes such a dark, gruesome, and atmospheric setting. I love that the characters from the previous books are back. If you have not read any of the other books in this series, you definitely need to read Hello Transcriber prior to reading this one to better understand Nicolai and Hazel’s complicated past history. This was excellent on audio!!
Hannah is amazing!! I can’t wait to read what she writes next!!

Thank you @netgalley and @minotaur_books

I love a book with twists and turns and there was no lack of them in this book. I kept trying to put the pieces together, but kept getting stumped each time.

This book was well written, but found at times that there were too many characters to keep track of.

3.5⭐️

I really enjoyed this dark, gritty return to Black Harbor. Hannah Morrissey delivers another moody, atmospheric thriller that had me hooked from the first page.

Hazel is a former police transcriber turned novelist who’s pulled back to the city she tried to leave behind. When her ex-husband is found murdered, she’s thrown back into the orbit of Sergeant Nikolai Kole, her complicated former lover. Their chemistry simmers under the surface while they unravel the twisted threads of a case that’s anything but straightforward.

The writing is sharp, the city itself feels like a living, breathing character, and the mystery unfolds in unexpected, haunting ways. I loved seeing familiar faces from Hello, Transcriber and watching Hazel confront both her past and the darkness that still lingers in Black Harbor.

If you like crime fiction that’s character-driven, emotionally layered, and beautifully written, When I’m Dead is a must-read.

really good mystery. Kept me on my toes and loved all of the characters and what they went through on this journey. Loved that they a happy ending happened.

Police procedurals are very hit or miss for me. This one was a hit. The author is great at showing the raw and dark side of a crime laden world. This was a very interesting murder mystery that had me quickly flipping the pages to see what came next.

The Unlucky Ones is a dark, atmospheric thriller set in the gritty town of Black Harbor. Hazel, transcriber turned novelist returns to Black Harbor to try to find out who murdered her ex-husband. Hannah Morrissey crafts a story that follows desperate lives entangled in crime, loss, and secrets. The book explores trauma and human vulnerability through interwoven perspectives, creating a sense of unease that lingers long after the final page. There is a haunting tone making it a compelling and thought-provoking read for fans of noir and psychological suspense.
I’ve enjoyed reading the other Black Harbor stories, but easily could be read as a standalone.

This is a great ending to the series, there is something about the writing that just draws me in, which is surprising because it can be dark sometimes. Hazel returns to Black Harbor when her ex-husband is murdered and reunites with Sergeant Nikolai Kole, who doesn't want to suspect Hazel of killing her husband, but questions the timing of her return.

While the pacing is fast and kept me rapidly turning the pages, there were times when Hazel's actions seem unnecessarily/unrealistically dangerous.

The author brings the characters to life in this is a dark, disturbing, and gritty story. If you like police procedurals with vivid descriptions and dynamic characters I think you'll enjoy this novel.

The main thing about this series is that it is dark and gritty! I love that this really felt like a series with this one. Really tied all the books together. It wasnt my favorite of the series but it was good in its own right.

While the plot occasionally veers into the implausible—particularly in some of Hazel’s more reckless decisions—the novel’s relentless pacing ensures a compulsively readable experience. From the first page, the story drives forward with intensity, pulling the reader into a dark and unsettling world.

It’s worth noting that this book contains graphic depictions of torture and murder, and features a cast of characters that includes multiple individuals known by street names, which may require careful attention. Underpinning the central mystery are layered themes of deception, grief, betrayal, and abuse—emotional, physical, and verbal—all of which lend the narrative an additional psychological weight.

Despite its more sensational elements, the novel succeeds in crafting a gritty, immersive atmosphere filled with suspense and investigative intrigue. The characters are vividly drawn, and their emotional depth makes the stakes feel personal and urgent. While the murder mystery at the heart of the story can stand alone, the narrative frequently references characters and events from earlier installments. As such, reading the series in sequence would undoubtedly offer a richer understanding of character dynamics and overarching plotlines.

In sum, this is a dark, disturbing, and compelling entry in the crime fiction genre, one that will appeal to readers who enjoy gritty police procedurals with emotionally complex characters and unflinching depictions of violence. I look forward to exploring more of this author’s work.

Thank you for the ARC copy! I have not read the first 3 books of the “black harbor” series but that did not affect my ability to read, understand, and enjoy this book! Overall this mystery book kept me engaged and entertained. I did not love it, but it was enjoyable.

This was really good.
I love the main characters from her first book so when I heard she was writing them again, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Hazel returns to the gritty town of Black Harbor when she learns of her ex-husband’s murder, Her former love interest, Kole, is investigating the murder and lends a hand in the case. The mystery surrounding the murder is riddled with intrigue and skepticism as to how and why he was killed causing a large suspect pool. The story bounced around quite a bit between the case and the romance aspect so I felt a bit lost at times. I’ll read future books in the series despite this one not being as good as the others. Maybe it would have helped to have re-read the first book in the series. 3.5 ⭐️

The Unlucky Ones by Hannah Morrissey is the fourth installment in the Broken Harbor series. I've read three of the four books, and have found them all to be good mysteries, although not great.

Hazel is back in Black Harbor after eight years to figure out who killed her ex-husband, Tommy Greenlee. With Hazel back in town, Nikolai Kole is hoping that she isn't a suspect because he still has feelings for her. When they reluctantly team up to put all the pieces together, everyone can tell they have unfinished business. They'll have to put everything aside though, because they aren't the only ones looking for answers.

These are all definite slow burns for me, with little to no suspense. This centers more around the characters than on the murder, and I personally like a more plot driven novel than a character driven one. That's not to say that these are bad, they're well written, I just don't think I'm the target audience. If you love a character driven mystery with a little bit of a romance, or crime fiction that's a little less police procedural, then these might be your cup of tea.

All in all, this was a nice addition to the series. If you've enjoyed the earlier books, then definitely give this one a go! With some twists you won't see coming, The Unlucky Ones will keep you guessing.

Thank you to @Minotaur_Books and @NetGalley for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

Hannah morrissey weaves such a realistic tale. You really feel like you’re part of the story and not just reading fiction. I love her writing and the gritty dark atmosphere she creates. This one was the best black harbor series book yet!