Hannah does it again! As an always read author, it’s always a joy to go back into black harbor for another story. Set in the blazing heat of summer we get to go back into the start of one of the characters storylines from another book. I don’t want to spoil anything but 10/10 great book.

The Unlucky Ones is the 4th book in the Black Harbor Series. Although each book is a standalone in this series, this story relates back to the 1st in the series, The Transcriber. Hazel Greenlee worked as a police transcriber and had an affair with Sergeant Nikolai Kole. After the case they were working on was solved, Hazel left Black Harbor and wrote a book about the case. She and her husband, Tommy Greenlee, divorced. Tommy is now dead, shot and left in a bathroom and Hazel has returned after eight years, to find out what happened to him. Kole is investigating the case, so they come into contact with one another. With Black Harbor being victim to a new drug, there are many deaths, many addicted and the police are working overtime to find the suppliers to stamp out the flow. Was Tommy involved in the trafficking of this new drug? Will feelings between Hazel and Kole resurface? Who killed Tommy and why?

I was pleased to see this book bring back Hazel and Kole. They had unfinished business from the previous book, so I was looking forward to seeing what would happen when they got together again. This was a dark story. The town of Black Harbor, Wisconsin is desolate, gloomy, ravaged with crime and drugs and anyone with any brains moves away. The crimes are hard to prove, even though the police are pretty sure they know some of what is happening. At one point, Kole is told by an addict and former informant for his brother, that everyone has a boss, so they know they are looking for more than one person. Kole is a career cop. He loves his town and wants to make it a better place. He doesn't always play by the rules, but his violent crime task force has a 95% close rating. He is a bit rough, but he loves Hazel, even if he doesn't tell her that he does. He is also smart and able to follow the clues and evidence to figure things out. Hazel is also a tough cookie. She is smart, but sometimes makes the wrong decision. She is also in love with Nik Kole, but doesn't want to admit it. This story is full of tension, twists and danger. As the story comes to a close, I was a bit worried for our two main characters, and was on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed this final chapter in the Black Harbor series and recommend it if you like a dark, gritty, crime thriller/police procedural. I did a read/listen to this story and enjoyed both formats. The audiobook was narrated by Angela Dawe and Robb Moreira. I really enjoyed their voices and tone. I am always happy when a book that has dual POVs, uses two narrators to tell the story.

This audiobook is a must for fans of dark, character-driven procedurals. The narrators elevate the tension, the setting feels brutal and real, and the central mystery is compelling. Just be aware—it’s a richly layered finale that rewards familiarity with the series and patience in the beginning.

Another absolute banger from the queen of Black Harbor! I was not at all surprised to love this book - it's a darkly beautiful story of redemption, forward progress, closure, self discovery, and ultimately, love. Hannah is such a wonderful author; I would truly read anything she writes! I loved the Black Harbor series and I am so in love with the way this series came to a close.

The audio was PHENOMENAL, there is NO audio narrator better than Angela Dawe in my opinion and Robb Moreira's Cole held his own amongst Dawe's absolutely perfect Hazel.

Have enjoyed this series and this one was good. Hazel’s ex is murdered and it brings her back where she does not want to be.

Audio was well done and narrators protrayed the characters well.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press for an ARC and Macmillan Audio for an ALC.

I loved seeing Hazel and Nikolai reunited in this one, even if they don’t want to be. Hazel’s ex is murdered and it brings her back to a place she was so determined to escape.

I listened to the audio of this one and the narration was great. Angela and Robb did a wonderful job portraying Hazel and Nikolai.

I like that this book has both murder/mystery and a little romance. I flew through it.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for my copies of this book.

This is the first book in the Black Harbor series, and it focuses on the characters from the first book in the series, Hello, Transcriber - which is the only book in this series that I haven't (yet) read. I considered going back and reading that first book, but instead just dove in here. And for the most part, I was fine. But I will absolutely go back and read that first book soon.
If Black Harbor, Wisconsin exists (as far as I can tell it's fictional), it isn't a place I'd want to visit - this series is hardly a glowing review of the town - more of a cautionary tale to convince the reader to steer clear. These have been dark, gritty mysteries about a town that's seen better days, and this newest one is no exception. Some of the characters are familiar from previous books. In this one, the transcriber from the original book has returned to Black Harbor after the murder of her ex-husband, and ends up working with her former lover, a police detective, to try to figure how who murdered him and why. Lots of seedy characters, lots of gritty life on the streets scenes, lots of angst. And I thoroughly enjoyed it all. It's told from the points of view of both main characters, and since the audiobook is narrated by Angela Dawe & Robb Moreira, it made it simple to know whose point of view we were seeing with each chapter. And both of them provided excellent narrations.
My thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing copies for an unbiased review.

Alert to all noir crime fiction fans!!! If you haven’t yet read one of my favorite authors of all times @hannahmorrisseywriter who is author of the Black Harbor series what are you doing!

Here is where to start with the Black Harbor Series:
1. Hello, Transcriber
2. The Widowmaker
3. When I’m Dead
4. The Unlucky Ones

I’m a sucker for a good police procedural and Black Harbor never disappoints!!!

Read (but plz read hello transcriber first♥️🫶🏼) if you like:
💀Police procedurals
💀Gritty noirs
💀Themes of grief and redemption
💀Non-linear timelines
💀Strong character development
💀Set against the backdrop of a corrupt and decaying city

Here’s the synopsis for her newest:

‘Black Harbor is a tinderbox. Temperatures and violent crime have both risen to all-time highs, a new drug razes the city, and the scene to which Sergeant Nikolai Kole responds is anything but a rote homicide. In the back of a clubhouse lies a body wrapped in garbage bags and doused in bleach.

It isn’t just any body. Tommy Greenlee, the ex-husband of Kole’s former lover, Hazel, has been shot several times and left for dead. What’s more…the killer left what appears to be a calling card.

Elsewhere, Hazel is haunted by her memories of Black Harbor. Lured there after eight years, she returns to find out who killed Tommy and why. Now back in Kole’s orbit, their love affair can hardly pick up where it left off. They both used each other to their own ends before, which begs the question: would they do it again?

With the atmosphere growing more volatile by the second, Hazel and Kole call a truce, and as they work together to solve this murder, they will not only unearth Black Harbor’s deepest, darkest secrets―they’ll each have to face their own.’

Loved it and love this series so much!!

Have you read this one yet?! Ps. The audiobooks are also 🔥🔥🔥🔥

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 fourth novel of the series but if you haven't read the others its not a big deal. You aren't missing too much which I liked. The ending left a lot of room for more to uncover. I really enjoyed the narration in this one.

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.

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.

This was just ok for me. I enjoyed her last book
But was left underwhelmed by this one.
Audiobook narrators were great.

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.

Audiobook was well done.

I have already shared my five star review for this book and was so happy to receive the audiobook early as well. Hannah Morrissey is the queen of dark and twisted thrillers and if you’ve known me for any amount of time, chances are I’ve done my best to persuade you to read her Black Harbor novels.
Angela Dawe is back to reprise her role as Black Harbor’s favorite transcriber, Hazel Greenlee and I couldn’t imagine any other voice for her. And bonus! Sergeant Kole gets his own POV narrated by Robb Moreira! Both narrators did such a fantastic job bringing this book to life and I thoroughly enjoyed my reread of this book. All of Hannah’s books can be read as stand-alones but I highly suggest reading them in order because she has put a ton of Easter eggs in this one for her BH faithful.
I can seriously read this series over and over so having physical copies and audio versions are necessary for my addiction.

We’re back in Black Harbor Baby! And I’m SO SO SO Happy that HAZEL is back! AND the original narrator from Hello, Transcriber is back to narrate as well! And I’m so happy that I did the audio once again for this series, because this series just sounds better via audio than eyeball reading. ESPECIALLY when the narrator is amazing!

The Unlucky Ones is just as dark and gritty as the previous 3 books, but following the death of Hazels ex-husband Tommy, which brings Hazel back to Black Harbor and reuniting with Cole - ugh that man and the things he could do to me. Anyways, out of my fantasy headspace… This book was amazing, from the cast of characters, returning characters, the twists and the roller coaster of emotions that Hannah put me through, had my head spinning, and wanting more. I binged this book within 2 days -it would have been one day but I started in the morning and then life happened and it didn’t get completed till the next day. This was supposed to be a structured buddy read, but as @thrillerschillersandkillers will tell you, that once i get hooked, i kinda black out and ignore the rules. And also thank you Jess for getting me into this series! I was lost, and now I’m found. And this will forever be one of my favorite series.

I do suggest if you read this book, you read the other 3 first. While it could be a standalone, there is connections from the other 3 in this one.

My only concern, is that the cover doesn’t match the blues of the other 3. So my recommendation is to have the next 2 books in the series (if there are 2 more- looking at you Hannah) are red 😂.

And a big thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ALC and @stmartinspress and @minotaur_books for the eARC

This is the 4th book in the Black Harbor series and the second book from Morrissey that I have read. I read Hello, Transcriber and it was just okay for me. This book was better, but I could take it or leave it.

Black Harbor is this dark town full of violent crime and drug addiction. A new drug makes it's way onto the scene and Sergeant Nikolai Kole is on the case to find out what this drug is and who is giving it to people and killing them. When a body is found in the back of a clubhouse wrapped in a garbage bag and doused in bleach. Kole knows that something suspicious is going on. The thing is, it is not just any body. The body belongs to Tommy Greenlee, the ex-husband of Hazel, Kole's former lover. Did Hazel have something to do with Tommy's death. It did something even darker occur.

I listened to this book on audio and I felt that the narrator's did a great job. This book is a dark and gritty murder mystery. Morrissey does not shy away from the darkness that comes with a city like Black Harbor and she really makes you feel like you are in this crime-ridden world. I rated this book 3.5 stars out of 5, round up to 4 for this review because I felt like the plot was a little over the top.

Read if you like:
-Police procedurals
-Murder mysteries
-Crime fiction

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the #gifted ALC.

I have read other books in this series that I really enjoyed, but this one felt like it leaned more on the police procedural side than the others and it wasn't entirely for me.

The story itself was intriguing, and I really liked the narration.

The Unlucky One by Hannah Morrissey - I LOVE a Black Harbor novel! This one was no exception. I like how all of the stories are standalone but set in the same town. Hannah Morrissey has easily become one of my FAVORITE authors! Her books always keep me turning pages from the first page to the last page! Her character descriptions, plots and twists - She is an automatic read for me anytime she releases a book!

I really wanted to enjoy The Unlucky Ones, but I struggled to connect with the theme and found the plot difficult to follow. The story had potential, but it never quite pulled me in. The characters felt distant, and the narrative jumped around in a way that made it hard to stay engaged. I appreciate the effort and ideas behind the book, but unfortunately, it just didn’t resonate with me.