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alibi313's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.0
Really wanted to like this book by a Wisconsin writer, set in our state. But its sour tone is so off-putting, with every character a misanthrope! They (and the author?) seem to hold everyone in contempt and have nothing but disdain for the fictional town they live in. The two married protagonists are completely unprofessional in their respective careers and seem to hate each other. And to top it all off, the story employs the hackneyed trope of the serial killer who appears completely normal until the point where they are suddenly batshit crazy. This novel is a complete train wreck and an unpleasant read.
mnboyer's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Book of the Month: October 2023
I will never understand why Book of the Month decided to include a book that was the third in a series as one of their selections -- while you likely can read this as a standalone (as I did), it does seem like it would be better to have started getting to understand Black Harbor and its residents in the first book (I did not read the first two so again, maybe not!). But coming into the third book blind, I kind of felt like there were subtleties I wasn't picking up on. Let's ignore this though and just talk about When I'm Dead as its own book.
The writing was dull and I easily found myself wanting to wander over to other books in progress. That's not a great sign because a book like this (genre, cops, murder, teens, the cover!) should really be one that holds my interest. I just never really got sucked into the world or the story. In fact, the more that I start thinking about the world, nothing makes any sense and it becomes pretty unbelievable (even for fiction!).
Let's talk about some of these issues:
1) A male teacher is accused of grooming a senior in high school; they later marry, but the accusations are there and are known. And you want me to believe ANOTHER SCHOOL hired this man? I doubt it. Very much doubt it.
2) Taxidermy classes? At a high school? Where they also get to bring in the DEAD FAMILY PET?! I'm sorry. We can barely get schools to cover the basic courses, can barely get them to keep the fine arts going, but this school has a taxidermy course? That more than one person is taking? I'm all for hobbies. I even know a taxidermist! But the more I think about this one the more I just cannot believe it to save the novel's life here.
3) A cop's daughter goes missing. Terrible. Tragic. They leave him working the case (against any and all logical judgement). I mean, small town or not, everyone knows they're not going to leave this guy on the investigation. A better plot would have him doing all of the work without authorization and going against everyone but... this was just so blatantly never going to be allowed in the real world that I'm surprised an editor didn't mention it to the author.
4) Since when did medical examiners get to perform autopsies on people they knew? Most would say, similar to issue #3, this isn't happening in the real world a lot. But even if I get over this part... oh yeah, the dead body is part of a larger murder investigation where your missing/could be a killer even daughter is involved. They're not going to let her perform the autopsy on this teen! No way.
5) The redundancies are eye-rollingly bad. The autopsies are almost identical (if not entirely identical) which one could perhaps explain as: duh, same serial killer. But at the same time the writing is just so bland and droll that I don't even think that was what the author was thinking. Just, they described the autopsies similarly.
6) The writing is overdone -- and not in a good way. Using a thesaurus doesn't make a town or its vibe creepier. You don't have to use $5 words to give ambience when you can do the same with great description and $2 words. There are so many passages where the writing was bringing the pacing and the story down that, combined, the entire story lagged.
Lastly, and I hate to say this, (7) the story is pretty obvious, contrived, and seems less entertaining the further you read. I just doesn't grab you. They are very, very obviously pointing to one person as the potential killer. I mean, I certainly had an idea long before others did.
I think the only redeeming thing about this book is Libby, as a character. She's odd, a little creepy, and even though it wasn't her job to hold the story together, I liked her more than I did any of the 'main' characters!!
I will never understand why Book of the Month decided to include a book that was the third in a series as one of their selections -- while you likely can read this as a standalone (as I did), it does seem like it would be better to have started getting to understand Black Harbor and its residents in the first book (I did not read the first two so again, maybe not!). But coming into the third book blind, I kind of felt like there were subtleties I wasn't picking up on. Let's ignore this though and just talk about When I'm Dead as its own book.
The writing was dull and I easily found myself wanting to wander over to other books in progress. That's not a great sign because a book like this (genre, cops, murder, teens, the cover!) should really be one that holds my interest. I just never really got sucked into the world or the story. In fact, the more that I start thinking about the world, nothing makes any sense and it becomes pretty unbelievable (even for fiction!).
Let's talk about some of these issues:
1) A male teacher is accused of grooming a senior in high school; they later marry, but the accusations are there and are known. And you want me to believe ANOTHER SCHOOL hired this man? I doubt it. Very much doubt it.
2) Taxidermy classes? At a high school? Where they also get to bring in the DEAD FAMILY PET?! I'm sorry. We can barely get schools to cover the basic courses, can barely get them to keep the fine arts going, but this school has a taxidermy course? That more than one person is taking? I'm all for hobbies. I even know a taxidermist! But the more I think about this one the more I just cannot believe it to save the novel's life here.
3) A cop's daughter goes missing. Terrible. Tragic. They leave him working the case (against any and all logical judgement). I mean, small town or not, everyone knows they're not going to leave this guy on the investigation. A better plot would have him doing all of the work without authorization and going against everyone but... this was just so blatantly never going to be allowed in the real world that I'm surprised an editor didn't mention it to the author.
4) Since when did medical examiners get to perform autopsies on people they knew? Most would say, similar to issue #3, this isn't happening in the real world a lot. But even if I get over this part... oh yeah, the dead body is part of a larger murder investigation where your missing/could be a killer even daughter is involved. They're not going to let her perform the autopsy on this teen! No way.
5) The redundancies are eye-rollingly bad. The autopsies are almost identical (if not entirely identical) which one could perhaps explain as: duh, same serial killer. But at the same time the writing is just so bland and droll that I don't even think that was what the author was thinking. Just, they described the autopsies similarly.
6) The writing is overdone -- and not in a good way. Using a thesaurus doesn't make a town or its vibe creepier. You don't have to use $5 words to give ambience when you can do the same with great description and $2 words. There are so many passages where the writing was bringing the pacing and the story down that, combined, the entire story lagged.
Lastly, and I hate to say this, (7) the story is pretty obvious, contrived, and seems less entertaining the further you read. I just doesn't grab you. They are very, very obviously pointing to one person as the potential killer. I mean, I certainly had an idea long before others did.
I think the only redeeming thing about this book is Libby, as a character. She's odd, a little creepy, and even though it wasn't her job to hold the story together, I liked her more than I did any of the 'main' characters!!
msperception's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ms_laurie_anne's review
4.0
There were parts of this book which were riveting and others that drug out. I enjoyed it but it was not my favorite.
cyndist's review
4.0
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the ARC. Decent thriller by the author. There were some parts I had to skip over but otherwise a decent nail biter!
haleyrowe's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
gammys_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a gripping and darkly twisted psychological 'mystery' thriller that will keep you guessing to the very end!! When I'm Dead is the third installment in the Black Harbor series but definitely can be read as a standalone, which is what I did. The suspense, drama, tension, pacing, secrets, lies, multiple perspectives, unique plot, creepy atmospheric setting and an unexpected twist at the end makes this an amazing wild ride!! I was completely immersed from the beginning and could not stop reading. This is my first read by Hannah Morrissey and it will not be my last! The perfect book for the spooky season 👻👻🎃🎃!!!!
On a cold October night in Black Harbor, Wisconsin, Medical Examiner Rowan and Police Detective Axel investigate the death of their teen daughter's best friend. Subsequently, they discover that Chloe, their daughter, is missing!! The last thing Chloe told her mother was "You will love me more when I'm dead." As the investigation unfolds, another girl is found murdered and it is a race against the clock to figure out who is responsible for killing young girls. Are the connected? Is Chloe still alive? Can they save her in time? How well do they know their daughter and neighborhood friends? Will their marriage survive this trauma? Black Harbor is a dark and menacing small town and the police force is short staffed due to cutbacks. This leaves the parents with no other choice but to work the case and do their best to stay within protocol. How to even do that is unimaginable to me. 🥺😭😮
Overall, I enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading the next book in the series. I do recommend this book if your looking for a good crime mystery thriller!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🖤🖤🖤🖤!!!!
What a gripping and darkly twisted psychological 'mystery' thriller that will keep you guessing to the very end!! When I'm Dead is the third installment in the Black Harbor series but definitely can be read as a standalone, which is what I did. The suspense, drama, tension, pacing, secrets, lies, multiple perspectives, unique plot, creepy atmospheric setting and an unexpected twist at the end makes this an amazing wild ride!! I was completely immersed from the beginning and could not stop reading. This is my first read by Hannah Morrissey and it will not be my last! The perfect book for the spooky season 👻👻🎃🎃!!!!
On a cold October night in Black Harbor, Wisconsin, Medical Examiner Rowan and Police Detective Axel investigate the death of their teen daughter's best friend. Subsequently, they discover that Chloe, their daughter, is missing!! The last thing Chloe told her mother was "You will love me more when I'm dead." As the investigation unfolds, another girl is found murdered and it is a race against the clock to figure out who is responsible for killing young girls. Are the connected? Is Chloe still alive? Can they save her in time? How well do they know their daughter and neighborhood friends? Will their marriage survive this trauma? Black Harbor is a dark and menacing small town and the police force is short staffed due to cutbacks. This leaves the parents with no other choice but to work the case and do their best to stay within protocol. How to even do that is unimaginable to me. 🥺😭😮
Overall, I enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading the next book in the series. I do recommend this book if your looking for a good crime mystery thriller!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🖤🖤🖤🖤!!!!
whatsbethanyreading's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
kylapatt's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Already another interesting perspective from the narrators with wife and husband in law enforcement. Daughter's friend is dead and there daughter is missing and is being suspected of killing her. Other perspective is friend of daughter Chloe named Libby which is a creepy girl. Cool twist with the criminal being the teacher and having some mental break with Chloe reminding him of his sister and I felt he was suspicious when he showed up earlier. Nice connection to earlier with the eagle eyes and Libby was a great diversion. Loved the twists and turns and the introduction of having three POV to switch between.