Review: The Widowmaker (Black Harbor #2) by Hannah Morrissey

  

Print Length: 304 pages

Publisher:  Minotaur Books (December 6 2022)

From Goodreads.com: Ever since business mogul Clive Reynolds disappeared twenty years ago, the name "Reynolds" has become synonymous with "murder" and "mystery." And now, lured by a cryptic note, down-on-her-luck photographer Morgan Mori returns home to Black Harbor and into the web of their family secrets and double lives. The same night she photographs the Reynolds holiday get-together, Morgan becomes witness to a homicide of a cop that triggers the discovery of a long-buried clue.

This could finally be the thing to crack open the chilling cold case, and Investigator Ryan Hudson has a chance to prove himself as lead detective. If only he could stop letting his need to solve his partner's recent murder distract him. But as Morgan exposes her own dark demons, could her sordid history be the key to unlocking more than one mystery?

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My Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

To start, I think it is worth mentioning that while the details aren't gratitious, there are mentions of child abuse (both physical and sexual). This abuse is what makes Morgan the way she is, and has caused her to do some of the things that she has prior to the events of this story taking place.

I enjoyed her character, the way she sees the world, and her uncanny ability to unnerve the people around her. It made her stand out from a lot of the other characters that I have read recently. I also enjoyed Ryan's character. He was flawed in a way that made sense. When his best friend is guned down in an apparent robbery, he is unable to just walk away from the case even though he's not investigating it. I feel like his reactions and reasonings made sense, and I found that he and Morgan had an interesting dynamic when they were on the page together. 

I was also intrigued by the Renyold's family dynamic. Their affection for each other came across clearly, as did their many eccentricities. In fact, I would have been curious to get more of the family's reaction once the truth came out. How would Elenor especially react to learning the truth of what happened to her husband all those years ago?

So what may you ask kept this from being a 4 star (or higher) review? Sadly, it was the final showdown of all things. Yes, you read that right. That moment that the entire book was leading up to is what ruined it. And no, it wasn't ruined because of WHO was behind it, although that in itself was a bit weird. 

No, it lost me with the sheer improbability of things. Despite all of the times I had already suspended disbelief in order to overlook some things (I mean, what kind of cop hears the things that happened at "The Ruins" and overlooks it, justified as it may have been)? But the detail the author went into describing how Morgan was shot in the chest, (feeling her ribs explode), there would have been no way she could have gotten up and run away from her attacker, nor do any of the other things she did that lead up the killer ending up where they did. Which was a darn shame because the buildup of who was behind things had kept me glued to the pages. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                                         The Widowmaker is available on Amazon.com

                                          

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