When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey

When I'm Dead (Black Harbor Novels)

by 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.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

3.5 of 5 stars

Share

Book Summary:

Black Harbor is no stranger when it comes to death, violence, and loss. The area is actually rather well-known for the horrors that happen within its borders. Yet everyone takes note when a teenage girl turns up dead.

Worse, her death seems to be kicking off a series of events, as later that very evening, another girl goes missing. Now, two parents are desperately doing everything in their power to bring their girl home, and given their professions, they know how little time they have to work with.

My Review:

Before I dive into my review, I want to point out that When I'm Dead is the third book in the Black Harbor series. It's not clearly marketed as such, so it's worth noting. That said, the story does read as more of a standalone. For example, I haven't read the first two books in the series (though I will now), and other than not knowing the other "bad events" of the area, I was able to follow along without issue.

When I'm Dead is split into two primary perspectives, Rowan and Axel. Through their eyes, we see two very different reactions to the same circumstance: a missing girl (their daughter). It was heartbreaking and fascinating. But there's so much more than that, as once is a medical examiner and the other is a police officer. You can see how much nuance that adds to the story.

Okay, the fact that the city let these two parents work on their own daughter's missing person case is...unrealistic. Then again, apparently, the situation in Black Harbor was so bad that they couldn't afford to tell them no? That would be the missing backstory I mentioned earlier.

Overall, I must say that When I'm Dead is a tense read. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat, even while you stop and question the actions of these parents. Personally, it was enough to make me want to go back and read the other two books.

Highlights:
Mystery/Thriller
Husband & Wife Duo
Multiple Perspectives
Running from the Past

Trigger Warnings:
Dead/Missing Teens

You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 2 November, 2023: Finished reading
  • 2 November, 2023: Reviewed