Atmospheric police procedural is a stunning debut.

An aspiring writer takes a job at the Black Harbor police station to work as a transcriber. Hazel Greenlee is a troubled and introverted woman who is desperate to escape her life. When she becomes part of a murder inquiry and involved with Nik Kole, a detective assigned to the case, she feels that her real story is about to begin. As she writes details of the investigation into the novel she feels might just be her ticket out of Black Harbor, Hazel finds that she will do almost anything to make it real. Unfortunately, everyone lies.

The first thing that I must say about this book is that the writer is incredible. Her command of words makes the prose read like poetry. There are so many good lines within, I marked up the pages like a college student preparing for an exam. Although I didn't care much for the Hazel character, I did find her narrative quite compelling. The whole atmosphere of the town of Black Harbor was a great setting for this type of novel. I did learn a new word that I am dying to use -- hiraeth -- which is a Welsh term for describing a certain type of nostalgia: "longing for somewhere or someone who no longer exists as they were."

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I am going to read any future books by this author. ( )

Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey is a mystery suspense debut and the first book in the Black Harbor series.

Hazel Greenlee is in an unhappy marriage, living in a town she doesn't want to be in, going from one job to another. She has just started a new job as a transcriber for the Black Harbor Police Department on the night shift. Hours of listening to police reports about burglaries, drugs, and murder, without knowing who any of the voices belong to. There's one voice she doesn't expect to hear though...Nikolai Kole. He's been on suspension and is being removed from the personnel list.

Enter Nikolai Kole. He's commanding and attractive, and just so happens to be investigating a murder that she's interested in. Her neighbor claims to have hid the body of a murdered 9-year-old boy, and Kole is looking into it. Hazel and Kole get close while investigating the murder, leading to some questionable activity.

The writing was at times, for me, a little too descriptive and was a little disjointed at points. It took a little bit to get into, so it's a slow burn for sure. None of the characters are necessarily great people, and you don't really feel for any of them. Hazel inserts herself into an investigation she has no business looking into. Her husband is borderline abuse, there are red flags everywhere. Nik doesn't always play by the rules. The mystery, however, was well-conceived and surprising. I did read this rather quickly, so it was interesting enough to keep me reading.

All in all, a decent murder mystery revolving around crime in a small town and two people determined to find justice for the victims. If you enjoy a female protagonist who doesn't always make the right decisions, police novels, and putting the puzzle pieces together, you may like this series starter. ( )

2.5 rounded up, this is misleadingly summarized. Largely a dreary romantic suspense with very little mystery. I picked this up because I found a book I have is from this series, and figured I should read the first book. I'm hoping this is not the tone of the rest of the series ( )

3.5⭐️

Intense and Dark -this is how I would describe Hannah Morrissey's Hello, Transcriber.

The scene is set in Black Harbor, a crime infested small town, where "nothing good happens anywhere". The central character Hazel is a newly recruited transcriber in BHPD . Her marriage to a gun crazy husband, an aquatic ecologist, with a penchant for hunting and his own set of 'rules' that govern their marriage is not a happy one .

A transcriber by night and aspiring writer by day, Hazel's life is complicated further when her next door neighbor confesses to hiding the body of a child who died from a drug overdose. She is drawn into a web of murder, lies and deceipt and with her growing involvement with a colleague in the PD, the line between professional and personal seems to fade.

I loved how the author describes the role of a trancriber in the PD. It makes for really interesting reading. Each of the main characters of this book are flawed individuals and the author explores these flaws with great ease.

"Because life isn't like it's portrayed in books. Most of us aren't heroes of our own story. not villains, either .Worse, we're ancillary characters of our own lives, who stand by and watch it crumble with with zero power to change what happens on the next page."

Violent and vicious at times, yet gripping and intense, this is an impressive debut novel with suspense that keeps you hooked till the very end. At times the writing seems choppy but that only heightens the overall tense tone of the novel. I look forward to reading more of Hannah Morrissey's work in the future.

I won an advance review copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks to Goodreads, the author and the publisher Minotaur Books for the ARC of this book. This review reflects my unbiased and honest opinion. ( )

Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey wasn’t a terrible book, but it wasn’t a great read either. The book began very slow and it was difficult to keep reading without being tempted to DNF it.

The story follows Hazel, a newly hired transcriber for the local police department, as she works the night shift. Her husband, Tommy, works days, so they do not see a lot of each other. The love has died in their marriage and when they do have sex, Hazel hates it and says it is painful. At work, Hazel falls in love with an officer, Kole, and they begin an affair. Due to carelessness, Tommy discovers Hazel’s phone, with sexy text messages between Hazel and Kole. This is the beginning of the end of their relationship. Hazel also feels that Kole is being less than honest with her and that relationship ends as well.

None of the characters are likeable. Hazel is an unfaithful wife. Kole is a crooked cop who was suspended previously for planting evidence on a suspect. He once told Hazel that everyone lies, and that applies to him as well and the relationship he is in with another woman besides Hazel.

It was difficult to relate to or root for any of the characters as they were all flawed in a major way. It’s worth the read. There is a twist at the end, but it was obvious early on, so no surprise there. I give it 3 out of 5 stars. I’ve read worse books. ( )