The Unlucky Ones

Black Harbor, Wisconsin is at a flash point. A critical juncture has been reached between gangs, drugs, guns, the heat, murders, and the police trying to prevent a point of no return. Which way will the situation tip? The Unlucky Ones by Hannah Morrissey is the fourth book in the Black Harbor series.

Sergeant Nikolai Kole responds to a homicide in the back of a criminal clubhouse. The body is that of Tommy Greenlee, the ex-husband of Kole’s former lover, Hazel, who returns to the town after eight years in Brooklyn.

Kole is sharp, unrelenting, blunt, and confident. His violent crime task force has a 95 percent closure rate. He’s a little rough around the edges, but is determined to help the helpless, and he loves his golden retriever, Rocket. Hazel is a former police transcriber who is now a novelist. She’s tough to read, tends to look for the worst in things, and leaps to conclusions. The supporting characters are well-rounded and brought another layer of depth to the story. I especially enjoyed getting to know more about Axel as well as Ryan Hudson.

The story is told from the perspectives of Kole and Hazel. Except for the prologue and epilogue, this crime novel and police procedural takes place over five days. The author did a great job of setting the scene, making the scenes come alive and easy to visualize. Additionally, she did a great job of building the suspense and adding a twist or two to keep readers and the investigators on their toes. The plot line was a little over-the-top in places and some of the actions by Hazel felt unrealistic and unnecessarily dangerous. The pacing is fast and kept me rapidly turning the pages. Readers should be aware that there are some graphic details regarding torture and murder. There are also several characters with street names that need to be kept straight. Additional themes running through the novel are confidential informants, lies, relationships, and grief, as well as emotional, physical, and verbal abuse.

Overall, this is a dark, disturbing, and gritty story, full of suspense and investigation with characters that came to life. While this book can be read as a standalone from the standpoint of the actual murder mystery, it refers to people and events in prior novels. Reading the series in order would likely enhance the experience and give background and context that would otherwise be missed. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author. Readers who like dark police procedurals with vivid descriptions and dynamic characters will likely enjoy this novel.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Hannah Morrissey provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for March 25, 2025.