Title: THE UNLUCKY ONES
Author: HANNAH MORRISEY
ISBN: 9781250369741
Publisher: NO EXIT PRESS
Pages: 304
Source: Review copy from the Publisher
Blog Tour Organised by Random Things Tours
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 anybody. 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.
Official Summary
30 April 2026
Thank you to Random Things Tours for including me in this blog tour.
Once again, I find myself diving into a series at book four. Nevertheless, this proved to be an enjoyable read. While I’m eager to go back and read the earlier instalments, this novel works well as a standalone.
Black Harbour is portrayed as a dark, decaying city, consumed by gangs and drugs, with only a handful of people attempting to clean up its streets. Hannah Morrissey does a brilliant job of bringing this damaged setting to life, immersing the reader in grimy streets and a population struggling under the weight of addiction and violence.
This is a gritty, atmospheric crime novel that pulls you straight into the chaos of Black Harbour, a city simmering with heat, violence and secrets that refuse to stay buried. From the opening scene, Morrissey establishes a dark, almost suffocating tone that lingers throughout the book, making the setting feel as alive and unpredictable as the characters themselves.
The murder of Tommy Greenlee is more than just another case, and the personal connections between Sergeant Nikolao Kole and Hazel add layers of tension that elevate the story beyond a standard procedural. Their complicated past gives the investigation an emotional edge, and Morrissey does a strong job exploring trust, manipulation and unfinished business without letting it overshadow the central mystery.
Nikolai (“Nik”) Kole is deeply tied to this bleak place. Despite his love for Hazel, he cannot bring himself to leave Black Harbour—it is, after all, his home. Nik is a rule-breaker, willing to do whatever it takes to solve a case and uncover the truth behind his brother’s death. Interestingly, he never seems to answer to a superior, which reinforces the sense that he operates entirely on his own terms.
Hazel, on the other hand, fled Black Harbour to escape both the city and an abusive marriage. Now she finds herself drawn back, hoping to gain closure and finally lay her past to rest. However, it feels as though she has given the city too much power over her. Being back forces her to confront unresolved feelings—particularly her complicated connection with Nik—which leads her to reevaluate the choices she has made.
There is a slightly unrealistic quality to the novel—but in the best possible way. It enhances the story’s atmosphere and adds to its appeal. The narrative is dark, and the characters are vivid and memorable. I was especially struck by Dirty Harriet. When Nik describes seeing bedbugs falling from her hair, the image is so visceral that I could clearly picture her standing right in front of me.
The pacing is steady, with enough twists and reveals to keep the plot engaging, though at times the narrative leans more heavily into mood and introspection than action. Still, the richly drawn atmosphere and morally complex characters more than make up for any slower moments.
The Unlucky Ones is a compelling, noir-tinged thriller that will appeal to readers who enjoy character-driven crime fiction with a strong sense of place. IT’s not always an easy read, but it’s a rewarding one. I’m now on the hunt for the previous three books in the series, and as soon as I get my hands on them, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on those as well.
REMEMBER TO VISIT THE OTHER TOUR STOPS
Also by Hannah Morrissey
Hello, Transcriber – Black Harbour #01
Every night, while the street lamps shed the only light on Wisconsin’s most crime-ridden city, police transcriber Hazel Greenlee listens as detectives divulge Black Harbor’s gruesome secrets. As an aspiring writer, Hazel believes that writing a novel could be her only ticket out of this frozen hellscape. And then her neighbor confesses to hiding the body of an overdose victim in a dumpster.
The suspicious death is linked to Candy Man, a notorious drug dealer. Now, Hazel has a first-row seat to the investigation and becomes captivated by the lead detective, Nikolai Kole. Intrigued by the prospects of gathering eyewitness intel for her book, Hazel joins Kole in exploring Black Harbor’s darkest side. As the investigation unfolds, Hazel will learn just how far she’ll go for a good story―even if it means destroying her marriage and luring the killer to her as she plunges deeper into the city she’s desperate to claw her way out of.
THE WIDOWMAKER – Black Harbour #02
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?
WHEN I‘M DEAD – Black Harbour #03
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.
About The Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Hannah Morrissey is a USA Today bestselling author of the Black Harbor suspense series and other gripping works of crime fiction (coming soon!). Praised for their hauntingly atmospheric settings and gritty Midwestern realism, her novels have helped define a distinct subgenre: Midwestern Noir.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she studied English and Creative Writing, Hannah now lives near Milwaukee with her husband and their three mischievous pugs.
Thank you for visiting. Have you read all the Black Harbour books? Which is your favourite? I cannot wait to read them. I hope you enjoy The Unlucky Ones. Until next time… Happy Reading!
