Thank you Libro.fm / Macmillan Audio, for the ALC and Minotaur Books, #partner for the advanced copy of When I’m Dead in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Minotaur Books / Macmillan Audio
Published: October 31, 2023
Summary:
One girl murdered. Another one missing. And a medical examiner desperate to uncover the truth in the latest Black Harbor mystery by acclaimed author Hannah Morrissey.
On a bone-chilling October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp investigates the death of her daughter’s best friend. Hours later, the tragedy hits even closer to home when she makes a devastating discovery—her daughter, Chloe, is gone. But, not without a trace.
A morbid mosaic of clues forces Rowan and her husband to question how deeply they really knew their daughter. As they work closely to peel back the layers of this case, they begin to unearth disturbing details about Chloe and her secret transgressions…details that threaten to tear them apart.
Amidst the noise of navigating her newfound grief and reconciling the sins of her past, an undeniable fact rings true for Rowan: karma has finally come to collect.
My thoughts:
It’s no secret I am a huge Hannah Morrissey fan! I have read, and love, both Black Harbor books and am constantly recommending them. I am thrilled that she has given us another Black Harbor mystery – this fictional town is so atmospheric, it is almost as if it is another character! And let me just say, this new book is just as good as, if not better than her previous two. She is hands-down a must-read author for me!
I will say that even though this book is set in the same town as Hannah’s previous books, they are completely separate and can be read as stand-alones. If you have read either book, you might see a familiar face or two, but that is it. As for this one, it’s another dark, gripping story that grabbed me right from the get-go. This time around, we meet Rowan and Axel and I loved having the story told from their perspectives. Each offer such different insights into what is going on – one is a medical examiner and the other is a detective – which is so hard because not only has a young person been killed but their own child is missing and possibly a suspect in what is going on.
This one is so dark and so disturbing on many levels but it also is quite thought-provoking. I loved the deep dive into the complex family dynamics we get here. Secrets come unraveled, history is revisited and fear is palpable. And having the book set around Halloween just adds to the already gloomy, spooky atmosphere that the author has created.
This book really captivated me and it’s the type of book that really needs to be read in large chunks so as to not lose the momentum of the story. It’s perfectly paced and I loved every second of it. I loved being back in Black Harbor and I hope to visit again soon!
Audio thoughts:
I had the opportunity to listen this time around and I loved that there was a full cast of narrators – it made for such a great listening experience! All the narrators – Andrew Eiden, Caitlin Kelly, Gary Tiedemann and Xe Sands – did such a great job bringing this one to life. Their pacing and intonation were all spot on and I found myself listening to this one in just two sittings…it was that good!
