The Unlucky Ones is a raw, gritty murder mystery set in Black Harbor, a city drowning in crime, corruption, and decay. With vivid, immersive descriptions, Morrissey pulls readers straight into the underbelly of a city that reeks of drugs and desperation without shying away.. But within this bleak landscape, she also weaves an electrifying police procedural and a slow-burning romance between two people with a complicated past.

Black Harbor has violent crime at an all-time high, a deadly new drug is spreading through the streets, and the murder scene Sergeant Nikolai Kole is called to is bleak. A body—wrapped in garbage bags and doused in bleach—lies in the back of a clubhouse. The body of Tommy Greenlee, the ex-husband of Kole’s former lover, Hazel. And the killer? They left behind a chilling calling card.

After eight years away, Hazel is drawn back to Black Harbor, unable to ignore the ghosts of her past. She needs answers—who killed Tommy, and why? But returning means stepping back into Kole’s orbit, and their relationship was never simple. They used each other before. Could they do it again?

As the city grows more volatile, Hazel and Kole form a fragile truce, determined to uncover Black Harbor’s deepest, darkest secrets—even if it means confronting their own.

What Worked for Me
-Dark, Gritty Atmosphere: Morrissey’s depiction of Black Harbor is disturbingly vivid. The city feels alive, pulsing with crime and corruption, making it the perfect setting for a haunting murder mystery.

-Headline-Worthy Plot: The murder at the heart of this story is gripping and layered with twists. It’s a police procedural that keeps you engaged, weaving in complex relationships, hidden motives, and shocking discoveries.

-Complex, Flawed Characters: The novel is packed with characters who are morally ambiguous and deeply human. Nikolai Kole is a standout—tough, sharp, and carrying his own burdens. Hazel’s journey is equally compelling as she navigates the wreckage of her past.

-A Touch of Romance: While the focus is on crime and mystery, the tension between Kole and Hazel adds a compelling emotional layer. Morrissey teases us with brief moments of lightness, a flicker of warmth in an otherwise grim world. I'm glad it wasn't allowed to take over the story this time.

What Could Have Been Better
-Unrelenting Darkness: While the gritty realism adds to the novel’s authenticity, the sheer bleakness of Black Harbor might not be for everyone. It’s relentless, which can make the story feel emotionally heavy at times.

-Some Characters Lacked Depth: While Kole and Hazel were well-developed, a few side characters felt more like plot devices than fully fleshed-out individuals.

The Unlucky Ones is an intense, immersive read that will suck you in and make you feel like you're walking the streets of Black Harbor, chasing down leads alongside its characters. If you love dark, vividly depicted crime fiction with a strong procedural element, this book is for you. Each installment in the Black Harbor series has been better than the last, and this one is no exception.

Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur and the author for the arc!

As with all the other Black Harbor books … this one is dark & gritty & the mystery is gripping with plenty of twists. It’s a police procedural / crime thriller that is action packed & definitely a page turner! Eight years later from book one, Hazel & Kole are once again the focus when Hazel returns to Black Harbor after her ex is brutally murdered. Although Hazel & Kole are not my favorite together … I was 100% invested in their story to see where things would go & felt very satisfied with how the author finished things up for them!

I feel like the main character in all of these books is the town itself. Bleak, hauntingly atmospheric & crime-ridden … it’s not a place you would choose willingly & yet it draws you in, holds you in its grasp & will not let go.

Although these books can be read as stand-alones without missing too much … I suggest reading them in order, especially books 1 & 4 because of Hazel’s return & prior history with Kole. It’ll just hit a little better for ya!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Hannah Morrissey, and St. Martin's Press for the ebook. This was a gripping detective mystery filled with twists and turns that kept me engaged throughout. A very enjoyable read!

I very much enjoyed returning to Black Harbor and especially the follow-up on the Hazel/Kole arc! Once again, the author tells an engaging story with a lot of dark and gritty details. I feel like I read Hello Transcriber way too fast and am definitely motivated to go back and read it again.

This book will not disappoint you. It will grab you from the first page and keep you interested and reading until the very last page and then you are needing more. You will be glued to the edge of your seat all the way through and even though you might tell yourself only one more chapter, before you know it you have finished the whole book. It moves along at a pace that makes for an easy and enjoyable read, has interesting characters that you want to know and a story that grabs you. This book is a must read that needs to be on your TBR list, no doubt about it.

This is the 4th book in the Black Harbor series and I really enjoyed it! I didn't realize how much I enjoyed Hazel and Nik's storyline until they were both at the center of this story! While this can be read as a standalone book I would strongly suggest to read the other books in the series, especially the first one since it has Hazel and Nik's initial story of how they met however this book does a great job of covering their history.
In this story, Hazel is back In Black Harbor after discovering that her ex-husband has been murdered. Black Harbor is known for not being the most safest city however Hazel feels compelled to return to find out what happened to him and why.

Nik Kole is assigned the investigation and that is how his path gets crossed with Hazel's and they reconnect.
Now they are both working together to find out what happened and during the course of the investigation it becomes clear that Hazel is in danger.

This book is really good and it keeps you wanting to read more to uncover the truth. I really enjoy this series and can't wait to see what else Black Harbor has in store for us!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books. All opinions are my own.

We're back in Black Harbor in #4 of the series by Hannah Morrissey. So is Hazel Greenlee, our titular transcriber from Hello Transcriber. And of course so is Sergeant Nikolai Kole.

The Unlucky Ones would be fine as a standalone, but we get so much more out of it knowing the back story. What's transpired over the years in Black Harbor and the history between Hazel and Kole give her return after eight years that much more weight.

What's happening now involves murder, drugs, more murder, informants, gangs, hidden cameras, stolen guns. Characters with names like Buddha, Hades, and Big House. Black Harbor hasn't lost any of its luster. It's as seedy, grisly, and sinister as ever. Morrissey seems to be channeling some of that Nordic crime noir (Kole reminds me of Harry Hole) and that Lake Michigan Wisconsin setting gives Black Harbor that chill factor.

Other characters from the series make appearances, there are blink and you'll miss it callbacks, and it seems Morrissey could keep mining the dark depths of Black Harbor to continue the saga. I'll be waiting!

My thanks to St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub date 3/25/2025)

Fast paced read, quickly and loved the twists and turns. Definitely a standalone and looking forward to reading the earlier books in the Black Harbor series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed another trip into the world of Black Harbor with its sense of danger and interesting law enforcement. This book featured the multiple POVS of Sergeant Cole and his former lover and former transcriber, Hazel. Hazel returned to town after her ex-husband's murder and found herself in danger from an unknown source as she tried to work out who the murderer was. Cole was on the case, forcing them to cross paths, and things heated up between them again as they did when they had an affair together years earlier. Both characters had a dark backstory and trauma in their pasts that made the current storyline richer as their storylines merged and the truth revealed itself. Fans of crime thrillers will love this book.

I am speechless (and emotional) after finishing! The Unlucky Ones has truly cinched my love of Hannah Morrissey's writing - which is the same thing I have now said about each of the four books in her Black Harbor series.

Where do I even start? Because there is no way I can properly convey how much I loved it!

This one is the seedy underbelly of Black Harbor.
This one is everything.

Kole is a constant throughout this series, with the other characters orbiting around him. He's been lurking in the background, and up until now, we've only ever seen him from an outside vantage point; finally, we are rewarded with a perspective all his own. Morrissey is fantastic at character development, as Kole is exactly who I anticipated him to be. His outside persona and inside monologue are simply one in the same. (Although I will say he's matured a lot since we first met.)

And Hazel? I love and adore her with all my heart. Forever.

After eight (book) years, I am so happy that Hazel and Kole have found themselves taking up the same space once again.

This is where I give a standing ovation for this audiobook! (And, I'll admit I was apprehensive about it!) My love of Angela Dawe's voice simply has no limit, but it was Robb Moreira's version of Kole that drove this one home for me! Finally, we get to hear Kole from his own perspective and in his own voice rather than hearing it through other characters (and their narrators). Although Moreira's voice isn't exactly the same as that original voice Dawe created for Kole, it is perfect! Moreira's assertive breathiness was the perfect choice, matching and complimenting Dawe's voice and narration flawlessly. Kudos to whomever selected Moreira! And even with all that being said... I'm so happy that this ending, this epilogue was from the perspective it was; it felt like a complete loop, giving a bit of solace to the wounds incurred along the way.

If this is, in fact, the end, it was one hell of a ride! And I can't wait to read whatever Morrissey comes up with next!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

Hazel’s BACK!!! After reading Hello, Transcriber I have been wanting more time with Hazel and Cole and this was such a good follow-up. Black Harbor is not a setting for the faint of heart but I gobbled this on up. If you are like me and love dark, atmospheric thrillers you won’t want to miss this one! While each book in the Black Harbor series is an interconnected standalone, I highly recommend that you read Hello, Transcriber first.

While I eyeball read most of the book, I did listen to a few chapters on audiobooks. Angela Dawe and Robb Moreira did a fantastic job with the narration and either option is a great way to digest this fantastic dark read!

****Many thanks to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies.

The Unlucky Ones is the fourth book in the series and the second one I have read. Each book contains its own story; while the characters and setting of Black Harbor remain consistent, the mystery in each book is unique. The relationships between the characters are easy to follow, even without having read the first two books in the series. The different dynamics between the characters are quickly discernible.

I did not feel an urgency to finish this book but the pace was very comfortable and the storyline was easy to follow. I enjoyed the mystery and am intrigued with Hazel and Kole’s relationship. At times, I felt the story drag on a bit and found myself skimming the paragraphs a bit.

I would recommend this book to any mystery thriller reader looking for a good police drama. I felt like I was reading an episode of a police tv show.

Hannah Morrissey is back and better than ever with her fourth installment in the Black Harbor series. I loved the previous books in this enthralling, dark, atmospheric series, and was super excited to have the opportunity to read the newest book. A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, the author and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this book.

Black Harbor is a city that has been rife with crime: gangs, drugs, and murder. The city is hot, a ticking time bomb ready to explode. Nikolai Kole responds to the scene of homicide at the back of a clubhouse. He knows that this will not be another routinely worked case. The dead body is the ex-husband of Hazel, who was once his lover.

Hazel, a former police transcriber has fled Black Harbor, but continues be haunted by the memories of her time there. She has been able to carve out a new life for herself as a writer. But when she hears the about the brutal murder of her ex-husband Tommy she feels compelled to return after being gone for eight years now.
She wants to find out what really happened to her ex. However, can she and Kole put aside what transpired between them, and work together to solve the murder? Can they unravel the dangerous secrets in this volatile city?

Hannah Morrissey once again brilliantly delivers a masterful, highly addictive police procedural. With a suspenseful, taut, twisty storyline that kept me guessing, and that I could not put down until the very end. If you are looking for dark, gritty mysteries to read then definitely add the Black Harbor series to your reading list.

First and foremost, I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Publishing/ Minotaur Books and Hannah Morrissey for opportunity to read this ARC.

Black Harbor serves as a dynamic and integral element in this narrative, more so than in previous installments, which seemed unlikely. The city's essence permeates the characters just as much as they influence it. The adage holds true: one can remove the individual from the city, but not the city from the individual. Kole and Hazel become entwined in a series of murders, and each clue they uncover leads to further questions rather than answers. A notable aspect of Hazel's journey is her preparedness for Black Harbor, with her development intricately linked to the bridge. This story serves as a poignant and fitting farewell to a city that continues to captivate. Though departing from Black Harbor might appear final, the urge to revisit Hannah's intricate world-building and the captivating characters of Black Harbor remains strong. This is book #4 in the Black Harbor series. I would highly recommend this series. I can’t wait to see what Hannah Morrissey has in store for us next time. Release date is March 25,2025.

✨Pub day must read✨
I loved being back in the atmospheric crime ridden city of Black Harbor. When Hazel’s ex-husband, Tommy turns up dead, she is drawn back to Black Harbor to find out what happened. We get to revisit the smoldering romance of Hazel and Nik and several characters from the past. The mystery behind Tommy’s death kept me intrigued and the possibility of guilty suspects piled up right until the end.

This is the fourth installment in the Black Harbor series. I did a re-read of Hello, Transcriber prior to reading this and was glad I did. It was helpful to have the background and relationship of Kole and Hazel fresh in my mind.

Being from Wisconsin, I love that this series is set in a fictional WI town along Lake Michigan. I can picture the scenes so easily in my head.

Highly recommend this book and this whole series! I can’t wait to see Hannah at @lions_mouth_bookstore this Saturday and hear her talk about the book!

Thank you @stmartinspress for the digital e-arc!

The Unlucky Ones by Hannah Morrissey
.
Nikolai Kole is called to a homocide scene. Upon arriving, he knows who the victim is, and he knows this will be a tricky case. Meanwhile, Hazel left Black Harbor eight years ago and is determined to never go back…until she hears that her ex-husband has been murdered.
.
The Unlucky Ones is book four in the Black Harbor series, and while it can be read as a stand alone, you get so much more by reading the whole series.

I was really excited to read this book after hearing that our favorite police transcriber from book one was returning. Hazel coming back to Black Harbor and having to come to terms with everything she went through while living there was really coming full circle.

I always liked Kole but I loved getting to hear his POV this time as he works the case and organizes his thoughts about Hazel.

The mystery of who killed Tommy had me guessing and stressing. I did not guess well. 🧐 But I loved how it all ended.
.
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read the whole series in order and I highly recommend it that way. I think my favorites were either The Unlucky Ones or The Widowmaker, but all four books are excellent. If you love dark mysteries then be sure to add all the Black Harbor books to your TBR.

THE UNLUCKY ONES is book four in the Black Harbor series. It also marks Hazel’s return to the place she so desperately wanted to escape.

Nobody writes a dark, gritty, atmospheric town like Hannah 🙌

I loved reading this fast-paced procedural that dredged up moments from the characters’ pasts. I had so many theories, but Hannah caught me off guard for sure!

These books can each be read as standalones, but I would definitely reading HELLO, TRANSCRIBER before picking up this one!

My book club had so much fun meeting with Hannah on Saturday to talk all things Black Harbor and THE UNLUCKY ONES 🖤

Black Harbor, Wisconsin is at a flash point. A critical juncture has been reached between gangs, drugs, guns, the heat, murders, and the police are trying to prevent a point of no return. Which way will the situation tip? The Unlucky Ones by Hannah Morrissey is the fourth book in the Black Harbor series. Sergeant Nikolai Kole responds to a homicide in the back of a criminal clubhouse. The body is that of Tommy Greenlee, the ex-husband of Kole’s former girlfriend, Hazel, who returns to the town after eight years in Brooklyn.

Kole is sharp, unrelenting, blunt, and confident. His violent crime task force has a 95 percent closure rate. He’s a little rough around the edges, but is determined to help the helpless, and he loves his golden retriever, Rocket. Hazel is a former police transcriber who is now a novelist. She’s tough to read, tends to look for the worst in things, and leaps to conclusions. The supporting characters are well-rounded and brought another layer of depth to the story. I especially enjoyed getting to know more about Axel as well as Ryan Hudson.

The story is told from the perspectives of Kole and Hazel. Except for the prologue and epilogue, this crime novel and police procedural takes place over five days. The author did a great job of setting the scene, making the scenes come alive and easy to visualize. Additionally, she did a great job of building the suspense and adding a twist or two to keep readers and the investigators on their toes.

The plot line was a little over-the-top in places and some of the actions by Hazel felt unrealistic and unnecessarily dangerous. The pacing is fast and kept me rapidly turning the pages. Readers should be aware that there are some graphic details regarding torture and murder. There are also several characters with street names that need to be kept straight. Additional themes running through the novel are confidential informants, lies, relationships, and grief, as well as emotional, physical, and verbal abuse.

Overall, this is a dark, disturbing, and gritty story, full of suspense and investigation with characters that came to life. While this book can be read as a standalone from the standpoint of the actual murder mystery, it refers to people and events in prior novels. Reading the series in order would likely enhance the experience and give background and context that would otherwise be missed. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author. Readers who like dark police procedurals with vivid descriptions and dynamic characters will likely enjoy this novel.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Hannah Morrissey provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 25, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine

Morrissey continues to be so talented and has written another excellent installment to the Black Harbor novels. Her subtle humor always makes me smile. And her storytelling is perfectly dark.

I loved being back in Black Harbor.
Another very well written and gripping novel by Hannah Morrissey.
The vivid descriptions fitted the setting perfectly.
This authors masterful writing style is perfection. I easily fell in love with her style before.... But this!
This is on a whole new level.
A fascinating and unique mystery and it was one of those "I want to savor every last word"
And one of those "damn does it have to end so soon"
Compelling, atmospheric and downright unputdownable!! I loved everything about this book
Another nail-biter, perfect for an all-nighter.