Omg so glad I found I had this book having read book 2 first, Loving the characters especially Luke ❤️ Got to love a’good looking’ cop. Loving harper and her determination. Can’t wait to read book 3

Harper is a crime reporter with a dark past, and you will grow to love her throughout this book. This book has wonderful characters that you meet, from the world of crime - lawyers, writers, reporters.

I was drawn to Harper - her investigative side is probably because her mother was murdered when she was a little girl and every time she can solve something, it's like helping herself all over again.

The book was a slow burner for me, and left me with unanswered questions but I did enjoy it. A great first novel!

Really like this debut!

It had a slow start but enough to keep me reading... glad I did as it was a good ending.

This is the first from Christi Daugherty and Im looking forward to reading more.

Thanks to NetGaller for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This is the first book of what is probably going to be a series of books about Harper McClean an up and coming crime reporter at a Savannah, Georgia daily newspaper. She becomes personally embroiled in a murder that has memory jolting deja vu experiences for her over her own mother’s murder over a decade earlier.

There are superb characterisations of friends and lovers in this book that keeps the reader on their toes.

Truly recommended: I am now going to start reading the follow up book - A Beautiful Corpse - as soon as I can download it! Isn’t that recommendation enough!

An unsolved murder, a new killer on the loose as past and present collide in this nail bitting killer thriller!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The book was a thrilling read, and I hope that this kick-arse reporter will really be seen in more novels by a talented author. Recommended.

<i>The Echo Killing</i>, Daugherty's first crime novel, is the story of crime reporter Harper McClain who arrives at the scene of a murder that feels all too familiar: could it possibly be that her mother's murderer, silent for fifteen years, has struck again?! The synopsis immediately intrigued me although I realised once I got a few pages in that I'd initially thought Harper would be a detective rather than a reporter, and was a little disappointed at first. I also wondered how Daugherty might work that angle, with reporter access to criminal information being restricted, but she circumvented it nicely. I was ultimately thankful for the extra dimension of Harper <i>not</i> being a detective actually.

There's been a bit of a gap between me reading the book and writing this review, having read a couple of books in between, and I've realised I enjoyed it more than I initially thought. It's somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4, rather than a 3. The twists and turns were suspenseful and I was constantly thinking 'Is it you?!' with each character. The backdrop of Savannah, Georgia is a good one and Harper is a likeable character, who you feel a little protective of because she grew up without her mother and not much of a relationship with her father. Speaking of which, there were some parts of the story that frustrated me, namely her interaction with her father and the investigative lengths she will go to but perhaps that was deliberate to illustrate her desperation.

I hadn't fully expected the ending and whilst I cannot say the <i>entire</i> story gripped me, it definitely became a bit of a pageturner towards the end. It left me curious about what will happen to Harper next, and some of the other characters, so I would read the next book.

Despite the fact that I guessed very early on whodunnit (it wasn’t hard to guess), I found this book compelling, notwithstanding the irritation of the author’s (and, I guess, her editor’s) ignorance of how to say, ‘I better *do something*' (The phrase has a verb, dear both; it’s: 'I had better *do something*'). At the back of my mind, I kept thinking, yep, this is going to get a good review from me. But then it all went to pot at the end. One fairly major thread was left hanging, along with one minor one. One of my pet hates. Our heroine, Harper McClain, has a lot more story in her, without doubt…and I do like characters with mileage: I can quite happily read half a dozen plus in a series. But: the stories must stand alone. I consider the ‘to be continued’ ending a tad arrogant of an author, who obviously assumes you will have enjoyed his/her book so much, you will undoubtedly pick up the sequel. That very attitude will probably make me jump off the wagon trail.

Harper is a difficult character to like. Finding the body of her viciously murdered mother when she was only twelve has, naturally, had a profound effect on her. She’s very guarded, insular almost and stubborn. But she has grit, determination, stamina and does her job as a crime reporter very well…even if she does blur the lines a little. However, when, fifteen years later, a twelve-year-old is walked out of the house after finding her brutally murdered mother, Harper is on a mission. This has to be the same killer. Her conviction of this threatens her entire future. And her discovery is almost sure to make her question everything she’s trusted.

Despite the aforementioned editorial faux pas, this really was very well written and riveting. Even realising at an early stage who the perpetrator was, I was totally committed and gripped to find out how it all panned out.

Will I read the next book? Probably…I think I’ll have forgotten my annoyance of the untidy ending by the time I get round it.

I really enjoyed this 5 star modern thriller. Harper is a crime reporter for a Savannah newspaper. She loves her job. 15 years ago Savannah's mother, Bonnie, was brutally murdered and the killer never found. Savannah was the one to find her mothers body. Another woman has been murdered in the same way. Harper begins to investigate the new killing but becomes to close to finding out the truth. Her life is now in danger! Read on!

The Echo Killing is the first book in the Harper McClain series. It begins with Harper, a journalist reporting on a murder scene that looks identical to her mother’s murder 15 years earlier. The premise is great and I really enjoyed the twists and turns in the story. However, the book falls a little short with its one-dimensional character portrayals.

All in all, a good read but I won’t be following the rest of the series.

What a brilliant read. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. Loved the character of Harper she has so many layers that have to be uncovered and she was so likeable. I hope we get more Luke! Bonnie was a great character as well. I will definetly be reading more by this author and counting down the days until the next book is released.

I love when I start a new series and I know right away that I want to follow the main character forever… The Echo Killing by Christi Daugherty gave me all the right feelings, and I know Harper McClain and I will go on many adventures together.

This is a rather classic mystery, but instead of being a police detective or a private investigator, the main character is actually a crime reporter. I loved the premise right from the start: Harper discovers that a recent crime she’s supposed to write about is rather similar to her mother’s murder fifteen years ago. Harper can’t let it go, and she will put everything and everyone she loves at risk… As you could expect from a crime thriller, of course 🧐

This is the kind of novel that always keeps me on the edge of my seat and The Echo Killing was no different. I watched Harper make questionable decisions while rooting for her to find out what had really happened. I grew to love some of her partners and friends, and while I was sure of who the killer was from the very start, that didn’t prevent me from enjoying the story.

My only complaint is, precisely, that I wasn’t wrong in my suspicions and the reveal didn’t come as a surprise, but rather a confirmation. However, I did appreciate how the author didn’t tie everything up with a neat little bow, as she actually left me with more questions than answers.

One of the reasons why I want to keep reading this series is that The Echo Killing was a truly atmospheric book: I felt like I was in Savannah with Harper, looking into old cases and questioning suspects with her. Christi Daugherty made me feel like I was part of the story, and I always admire that. The other reason, well… how can you not want to keep reading after such a cliffhanger?

Are two Murders 15 years apart connected?

Crime reporter Harper McClain has convinced the murder of a woman was committed by the same person who killed her mother 15 years previously. She puts her career and life on the line to prove she is right and will do anything to achieve this even if it means alienating her lifelong friends.

There is not a lot I can say about this book. It is a run-of-the-mill reporter cum investigator story where the said reporter gets away with all sorts of mischief and manages to solve the crime single-handedly while the cops chase their own tails. I guessed the murderer by the 4th chapter.

However, I cannot fault the way the book is written; the grammar is good; chapters not too long but it just didn’t have any pizazz!

I recommend you make up your own mind. It is worth reading, just not original.

Shesat.

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Be prepared to meet your new favourite heroine. Harper McClain is a loveable, fearless journalist determined to find out who killed a mother in very similar circumstances to her own mother 15 years before.
It took me all of three pages to realise that Harper is my new girl-crush. She is the perfect lead character: dark back story, intriguing friends, a sexy love interest. The mystery element of the story made it so appealing to me, and I flew through the pages of this book. I can't wait to be reading the tenth instalment of this series in ten years time! (Please, say there will be a second at least?!) Five well-earned stars for my new best book friend, Harper McClain.

I really enjoyed this book. A brilliant crime mystery with a gripping plot and fantastic characters. Highly recommended.

I liked everything about this book. It is well thought out and well put together. The plot is really good and full of surprises. There are a lot of twists and a feeling of wondering who you can trust. There are a lot of strong characters in this book. I am looking forward to reading the next instalment in this series. I want to read more about Harper and the other characters in her world.

I enjoyed this book the more I got into it. It merged the past and the present very well and left us with a view about what the next one would be about. I look forward to reading this author again. I would recommend this book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review this book.

I loved this - was not sure at first as the 'heroine' was just a tad too gung ho to be immediately realistic, but she and the other characters grew on me and the story raised suspicions a-plenty and the conclusion was sad but also set the scene well for the planned sequel. Good stuff.

I thoroughly enjoyed this exciting debut crime novel.
Harper is a crime journalist who gets in over her head whilst investigating a murder that has similarities to that of her mother's.
The book is really well written, with short, gripping chapters and in a style that really hooks you.
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I did guess the murderer early on, however this didn't negatively affect my enjoyment. I questioned myself throughout the book and it has some great twists and turns. It's one of those books that you wake up in the night wanting to pick up and keep reading!
Many thanks to HarperCollins publishing, NetGalley and Christi Daugherty for the opportunity to preview this book and I look forward to your next!

Hold The Front Page! There's a new crime series in town, and this is one you will not want to miss! 

When Crime reporter,  Harper McClain, takes a sneaky look at a murder scene, she's suddenly hurtled back fifteen years to her own mother's murder. Everything about it tells Harper that the similarities between the two murders, over a decade apart, are far from coincidental. But the police disagree, dismissing her suspicions outright. Taking it upon herself to prove them wrong, Harper begins her own investigation. But what connects the two murder victims and why has the killer struck again after fifteen years? In a desperate bid to get to the truth, Harper must cross professional boundaries, test friendships to the limit and reconsider everything and everyone she's close to.  And with someone desperate to stop Harper revealing the truth, put her own safety in jeopardy too.  

Wow! what an absolute gripper of a book this was! Right from the first page I was hooked by the snappy, clean writing and the twisty, fast paced plot. It's an intriguing premise - a murder which appears to be identical to one committed years ago, giving two mysteries for the price of one as past and present collide and overlap, and we join Harper as she aims to solve the complex case. Add in the personal and emotional involvement of the crime reporter turned sleuth, and The Echo Killing becomes an even more intense and fascinating roller-coaster of a read.   



The plotting and pace of this book is immaculate. At just over 440 pages, it's not short and I wondered if Daugherty could maintain the momentum set in the early chapters. I needn't have worried though, there's no dips or fillers - the plot is constantly moving forward, with many twists and turns. As Harper digs deeper, more and more unanswered questions are thrown up and I was desperate to know the answers. I was compelled to keep on reading as "one more chapter" quickly turned into me devouring the entire book in a few hours.  

But what really made this book for me was the character of Harper herself. Fresh, feisty, smart, impulsive, brave, flawed and determined, I absolutely loved her. Part of me was in awe, while the other part wanted to put my arms around her as both her ferocity and vulnerability shines from the page. Giving Harper a deeply emotional involvement in the case worked so well, allowing extra layers of her personality to show and develope and ensuring I was right on side with her throughout the book. There's also a nice dose of romance too in the form of Detective Luke Walker, which is both passionate and captivatingly tender - the chemistry between them is sparking! yet it never becomes slushy or out of place in the story, adding to rather than detracting from the atmosphere of this suspenseful book.

So, as you can tell, I pretty much loved this book. There's one aspect that remained unsolved, and I'd have loved to have had that wrapped up, but as The Echo Killing is book one in a series, I'm assuming it's still to come. One thing's for certain, I'll be looking forward to more from Harper McClain in the future.  A brilliant start to a fresh new crime series which I'm happy to recommend!