Harper is one hell of a woman and I loved her balls! She is the centre of this novel and she was perfect for it. It's a shame I did not realise when I picked it up that it was a sequel to another novel and now I'm too spoilt to read it because I adored Harper as a character, she was strong and fierce and vulnerable. Although the novel was a sequel, I didn't realise it until there was mention of previous events which did not deter from my understanding of this novel at all - I really appreciated that, and there was enough information there to understand what had happened in the past. The scenes with the hot detective were all that I lived for: angsty as hell. There was a lot of emotional baggage and mystery in that relationship alone so I am subscribed to this series because I need to know what happens on this hot front. 

This is a mystery/crime/thriller so there is enough murder to satisfy me, with plenty of suspects to choose from and added plot twists. I did feel like I was ahead a lot of the time and could see these twists just before they came into view so they weren't really a shock to me and I kinda knew at some point kinda who it was and how it could've been done. Maybe I am just that good, or maybe that was the weak point of the novel. However, the writing was beautiful and the pacing was good, keeping me glued to the screen.

I will have to keep my eyes peeled for whatever Christi Daugherty will do next and this is one of those series that I need to follow. I am definitely hooked. Maybe I will even go and read the first book later this year once I will forget details of this one.

Star 3.5

Reporter Harper gets a call from the photographer that a crime has been committed which he heard over the scanner, so Harper goes to write up a story, with her best friend Bonnie in tow as Harper is over the limit to drive. Once there, Bonnie recognises the victim as her work colleague Naomi. Who could have murdered her?

This is second story of the series, which I hadn't read the first (yet), but whilst there are references to the events of the previous story, it can be read as a stand alone if you want.

Quite a good story seen through the eyes of the reporter rather than the cops for a change as she tries to create the story for the paper, carrying out her own investigation into the perpetrator.

My only criticisms are the author does love to describe in detail the people Harper meets, with what they are wearing, height, age, etc - too much tell not enough show. Only one place is that useful and thats to indicate that a suspect has a type of girl he likes. And use of brackets, I dont like them in a story it bugs me! A couple of consistency errors spotted in timings and an empty lobby that then had people in it.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

My Review:
This is the 2nd book in the Harper McClain series, though it could be read as a stand-alone. Harper is a crime reporter for a newspaper and has a background with the police department. We are told that something that happens in book 1 leads to many in the PD keeping their distance from her.

In the 2nd book, there is a new murder mystery and Harper is determined to find justice for the victim. I found I was was trying to figure out who the killer was alongside Harper. I really enjoyed her strong, character. Her past is blended into the story and brings some tension as things from her past still haunt her.

A steady paced police procedural with a strong female lead that is easy to root for as she brings justice to the victims. I look forward to more.

This is a book about a crime reporter, Harper McClain, who works the late shift picking up police reports on crimes and goes to the scenes to get her stories for her reports. She then gets a crime close to her when the colleague of her friend in a bar she goes to is found murdered in the street.
Harper decides that she must help by finding out who did commit the crime and when the dead girls boyfriend appears to be the main suspect but the girls dead father says he wouldn't do it, she is more set than ever to find the truth.
It soon becomes clear that there are other suspect and one clearly stands on but has a rock solid alibi. Worse for Harper is the new suspects father is a big noise in the town and on her paper which makes it harder for her to bring to light a possible injustice or even another more likely suspect.

The book then follows Harper in her job and trying to find the truth of the murder. It paints a good picture of life on a small paper struggling to stay afloat. The characters are believable and the plot is ok. Harper also does set her sights on one person as the culprit and maybe more could have been done on looking at others as well which for me was skimmed and due to that it clearly showed who had done it. The question then was could it be proved. So you then go from a murder mystery to a lets prove how a murder was committed book.

On the whole it is an easy read and if the author hadn't been so insistent on forcing the issue of one character it would have been a better book. I was let down a little, as it's billed as a tense new thriller. It is tense at times but the thrill goes when it is obvious who they want as the murderer.

I started this a few times without getting any further than the first few pages, only because I wanted something less tense to read, eventually I was in the right frame of mind and found it to be well written and believable. The story line races along and I never felt that I could put the book down. I often find that journalists make the best thriller and crime writers as the genre is helped by tight, to the point, plot lines and writing style. I am looking forward to reading more by Christi.

This is the first book I have read by Christi Daugherty and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you ar a fan of Jeffery Deaver, Robert Bryndza or a lover of thrillers then this book won’t disappoint. Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC.

I loved this book so much that I immediately downloaded everything else Christi Daugherty has written. It has all the ingredients for a great crime novel. I would suggest reading the first of the series before reading this. You won't regret it!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

wow where to start...without giving any clues away...

we have harper a journalist who investigates crime, who is also recovering from her gun shot wound given to her by her mentor smith...who happened to be a police officer and is now in prison...

harper is chilling with her mate at a bar when she is called away to a murder scene, whilst at that scene she happens to see the victim and can identify her

the police are interested in the victims boyfriend for this murder...

what follows next is an amazing story written so well that you are drawn into the characters and you can feel their pain and anguish... loved how all the characters worked and how the story was drawn together

a brilliantly written murder mystery by a new author for me but one i am going to be following in the future...cant wait for the next book in this series

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy of what is the second in a series, featuring crime writer Harper McClain and set in Savannah, but it reads just as well as a standalone novel and will draw you in and have you desperate for the third.

A well written plot, not 'too American', as some can be, but realistic all the same. A twisting tale incorporating murder and violent threats which will reel you in from the beginning. If you enjoy murder thrillers then you will find this story more than satisfying. A great, compelling read with three dimensional characters.

The first book that I have read by Christi and certainly won't be the last. Gripped from start to end. Highly recommended

I really enjoyed this crime novel set in Savannah, USA. It was a different perspective with the main character being a journalist rather than a police officer, although Savannah Police Department is very involved. Harper McClain is determined to solve the crime, especially as she knows the victim, and her journalistic senses tell her the boyfriend is not the killer. There are so many undercurrents, with Harper being out of favour with the police, following a huge case which was the focus of the first book in the series. She battles on regardless. I was left wanting more and to see how / if the story of Harper and Luke works out, so will be looking for the next release by Christi Daugherty. I didn't realise at first that this was the second Harper McClain book, and I read the Echo Killing and now I'm right up to date. #netgalley #abeautifulcorpse

It’s the first in a while that I’ve considered cancelling a diary appointment to finish a book. I was loving this one from the start but from about 70% in I really didn’t want to put it down. Harper McClain is a great character and as someone who reads a lot of crime fiction it’s a welcome change to have a crime reporter as lead character. Of course I should have started with book 1 but this worked fine as a standalone and this was so good that I’ll be reading The Echo Killing as soon as I can. This is a series that I’m keen to follow and highly recommend it.

Second book featuring crime reporter Harper McClain, this time she is investigating the murder of a law student and the events that unfold afterwards, including plenty of references to the first novel.

Different view as it is not a standard police procedural novel, instead it focues on a murder from the press viewpoint and Harper McClain soon becomes entangled in the case in a dangerous way. Fast paced, with minimal description, Christi Daugherty has written an enjoyable thriller. Good enough to have the reader looking forward to the next McClain novel.

Once again I've read the second book in a crime series without reading the first one. What can I say, I think it's a good test of a crime series actually - they're the kind of book that people (not just me) pick up at a whim in a shop or online without checking where they're up to.

Anyway, Harper McClain is a crime reporter with a boss who needs stories NOW and a bartender for a best friend. Perhaps not the most original character ever, but hey she's fun and has a dark and twisty past (murdered mother in unsolved crime) so that works for me.

A young woman is found murdered in the city - and she worked in the same bar as the aforementioned bestie. Harper is immediately right in the middle of the case, much to the pleasure of her boss who then expects a front page story on it practically every day.

Harper doesn't have a great relationship with most of the cops (thanks to shenanigans in book one) so is left having to track down suspects herself. It isn't long until she's in danger herself...

This is a fun engaging read. Yes it's relatively lightweight and yes, I did wonder if it was really a good idea for a reporter to get quite so heavily involved in the actual detective work, but yes it also kept me turning the pages.

A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty was a brilliant read and enjoyed every page. This is the Second book of the Harper McClain series and it could easily be read as a stand alone book. Her first book was The Echo Killing and that was a brilliant read as well. It was fast paced throughout and the characters were brilliant they all worked well together. Looking forward to the next book of this series.

Big Thank you to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this brilliant book to read.
All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

What a great read. I loved the character of Harper McClain, a feisty crime reporter who stops at nothing to get a great story and to uncover the truth. When a colleague of her best friend is shot dead late one night, she is determined to find the killer. The crime is not as straightforward as first appears and the search for answers leaves Harper vulnerable to those wishing her harm and without great headlines her job is also on the line. To make matters worse someone appears to be stalking her and possibly breaking into her home. The fear and stress leaves her exhausted but she continues to focus on getting justice. A well written story with strong characters, darkness and fear. I am only sorry I hadn’t read The Echo Killing, the first in this series before this. While knowing Harper’s previous history would have been an advantage, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this book and I look forward to reading the third. Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

Love love love Harper. Was so excited to read this book. Loved the first one and loved the second one. Characters are all so vivid, we all know or would like to know a Luke, want a bestie like Bonnie and a boss like Dells. Storyline was brilliant, proper is he going to get away with it or not. Really love these books and cannot wait for the third book to see if we uncover the truth about Harper's mum or will it leave more questions than answers. High five to the author for such a fab read.

Harper McClain is a crime reporter on the local paper when Naomi Scott is shot. While trying to find out who killed her she is being stalked by someone who has broken into her apartment and moves things around. While at work office politics and imminent redundancies are not making her life any easier. When Naomi's boyfriend is arrested for her murder Harper is determined to help him.
This is a fast moving page turner which is easy to read and hard to put down.

Although this is the second book in The Harper McClain series but my first I didn’t have any problem settling into the story. Harper is a newspaper reporter that has that gut feeling when something just doesn’t sit right with a story. Within an hour of leaving a bar, that Harper and her bestie Bonnie were drinking in, a young law student Naomi Scott is shot down in the streets of Savannah and there isn’t any witnesses around. Harper, a woman who has always one eye on everyone else and an ear to the ground had sensed that Naomi, sat at the far end of the bar earlier in the evening, wasn’t happy about something as she text.
When she hears about the murder she is straight out to find out more and with a non too happy relationship with the local police soon finds that she is treading on toes without even putting a foot wrong! As bits of info filter through she discovers that Naomi’s phone is missing. Why would anyone want to murder a bright, beautiful, kind young woman? Harper is one hell of a reporter that just doesn’t ask if any progress has been made, she digs and pokes until she makes progress herself.
This is a brilliant story from a new prospective as Harper can push the law to the ultimate and a little further, the only problem is she hasn’t got anyone to watch her back all the time. I took to Harper straight away with her sassy ways that won’t let her back down. The story is constantly busy with her personal life being as scary as her time reporting. There has been history between Luke one of the detectives working the murder case and her in the past, so can she trust him? Strange things are happening in her life.
The author had herself been a journalist for a number of years, reporting on murder cases from a pretty young age. This shows in the credible story line and total captivation of any reader that will begin this book. The story has plenty to carry on with already for the next gem to be written. Very much on my list of one to watch out for.

4 stars from me

Harper McClain is a fab character who has turned my viewpoint of reporters on its head. Usually the 'hacks' are blood thirsty vultures portrayed as despicable figures feasting on the raw misery of others, whereas Harper brings a whole new take to the role.She is a great character anyway, and highly likeable, but her reason for chasing the story comes across as helpful, caring and to the benefit of the victim, their family and the investigative team - it's made me think again about journalists.Great story, I loved how and where it was set and I will certainly look out for more by this author.

Synopsis: From Christi Daugherty, author of The Echo Killing, comes another pulse-pounding suspenseful thriller featuring crime reporter Harper McClain.For a woman, being killed by someone who claims to love her is the most ordinary murder of all.With its antebellum houses and ancient oak trees draped in a veil of Spanish moss, Savannah’s graceful downtown is famous around the world. When a woman is killed in the heart of that affluent district, the shock is felt throughout the city. But for crime reporter Harper McClain, this story is personal. The corpse has a familiar face.Only twenty-four years old, Naomi Scott was just getting started. A law student, tending bar to make ends meet, she wanted to change the world. Instead, her life ended in the dead of night at the hands of an unseen gunman. There are no witnesses to the crime. The police have three suspects: Scott’s boyfriend, who has a criminal past he claims he’s put behind him, her boss, who stalked another young bartender two years ago, and the district attorney’s son, who Naomi dated until their relationship ended in acrimony. All three men claim to love her. Could one of them be her killer?With the whole city demanding answers, Harper unravels a tangled story of obsession and jealousy. But the pressures on her go beyond the murder. The newspaper is facing more layoffs. Her boss fears both their jobs are on the line. And Harper begins to realize that someone is watching her every move. Someone familiar and very dangerous.Someone who told her to run before it’s too late…