Random Things Tours: Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey

Hazel, the main character of Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey, is working with the police as a transcriber, helping to document the crimes mostly taking place in the small locality of Black Harbor. As the name of the place suggests, there is a lot of darkness in this place, and this reflects not only in the ambiance of the book but also in the mood and features of the characters.

Hazel is herself haunted by dark fantasies and aspires to be a ´traditionally published writer´. Hence, her curiosity who goes beyond her job description, as she is getting involved in an investigation together with her colleague, Nikolai, aimed at catching a dangerous drug dealer selling drugs to children. She is lured by the idea, and also curious about it, but is she really ready to take the personal risks involved in this very dangerous mission?

While reading this book I needed some breaks in between as the general mood is as dark as the Black in the name of the place. The psychological changes Hazel is going through from the beginning of the story onwards, as well as her overwhelming interest to trace down, even with the price of her own honour, the dangerous dealer are sometimes hard to explain, but do resonate in many respects with this forgotten place they are all calling home.

Morrissey is a seasoned crime writer, with deep knowledge of psychological depths, as deep as the darkest corners of the subconscious. I may be interested in reading more of her books, but maybe a bit later on. 

Hello, Transcriber left a strong impact on my mood and this is an enormous achievement for a writer. It is not an easy job to take a reader from their comfort zone and confront with feelings and realities no one acknowledged before. An author to add to my list of writers to follow.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own