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.

I thoroughly enjoy reading Harper and her cases. This was as good as any other I have read. What appears to be a run of the mill event turns into something entirely different. Must 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.

This is the first book I’ve had the pleasure of reading from this author and I’m over the moon that I’ve once again taken a chance on a new author (to me!) and for it paying off immensely. Was a very intense read!

The characters were well thought out and brilliantly portrayed. I loved Harper and her stubbornness (it wasn’t OTT stubborn like a lot of authors write). Her personality, her persistence, is admirable. She doesn’t stop until she gets what she wants, until she can tell the whole story. And boy, did she uncover a ton of dirt!? I thought Luke was a bit of a douche-canoe but I’m going to go back and read the previous books so I can get a better idea of their previous relationship.

I’m devastated that this ended with a cliffhanger, even though it was a beautiful ending, it wasn’t an ending at all but - a BIG ‘but’ - it was done tastefully; it leaves the reader hanging but also makes us think and ask/answer our own questions until the next book hits the shops.

The storyline was absolutely incredible! The twists, the turns, were perfectly put together and executed, the investigation by Harper was so easy to follow that it made for an entertaining and joyous, though tense, read. I loved that is NEW readers get an insight into the previous books and that this one itself can be read as a standalone.

This authors penmanship was beautiful and definitely draws the readers in from the first word and right to the final one too. This author KNOWS how to hook a reader then spit them out to wait for the next one. Not many Crime authors can pull it off anymore but this one most definitely does.

Incredible, edge-of-your-dear worthy ready. Highly recommended to crime investigation readers. For fans of Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs and Karin Slaughter.

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…

Enjoyed reading this book, it was fast paced and kept me thinking about what would happen next. The characters are well thought out and relatable. I did guess the killer very quickly and worked out how it happened, but that didn’t detract from the reading in any way, and if anything encouraged me to finish this faster to see if I was right. I would recommend this as a good read to anyone looking for a good thriller.

A great crime novel which keeps you interested and the story leaves you wanting more.... A must read and roll on the next one!

Harper McClain is a crime reported for a Savannah newspaper and in this novel pursues justice in a murder case where the police are struggling to find a perpetrator.

This is the second book featuring Harper. I haven't read the first but this one worked well as a standalone novel Echos to what must have been the content of the first novel are sufficiently explained that it doesn't matter when one has not read it.

There are sufficient twists and turns in the story and the back story of Harper which runs through this book, and I assume the previous, do not interfere with the main tale. The cast of characters is varied and enjoyable to read.

Recommended reading.

I really enjoyed this book. Haven’t read the first Harper McClain book, but I didn’t feel this distracted from my enjoyment of the book. Excellent plot and pacing, and well drawn characters. Highly recommended

An alibi set in gold. Or is it?

Harper McClain, a journalist, working for the Savannah Daily News, had been at playing pool at The Library, a pub where her best friend Bonnie works, when Miles Jackson, the photographer she works with calls her to say that a young woman has been shot in the upmarket part of the city. Bonnie decides to go with her and is shocked when she realises that the girl is Naomi Scott. She worked with Bonnie in the pub and had left before her shift had ended.

The police immediately suspect that her boyfriend, Wilson Shepherd is the killer, but after talking to Jerrod Scott, Harper becomes convinced that it can’t be him. She starts digging into Naomi’s past and discovers that Naomi had taken out a restraining order against Peyton Anderson, but he has a solid alibi.

A fast-moving storyline following Harper McClain as she tries to solve this senseless murder. What I enjoyed most was being inside the heart of the newspaper and being part of the complexities of its operation. Christi Daugherty's prose flows, and with strong characters throughout, this book was a pleasure to read.

Dietes

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

While I thought this was a very thrilling, chilling read, which was easy to get into and riveting, I wish I had known prior it was a series. More because I’m ocd, than the fact that it doesn’t do well as a stand-alone. I think it was a great book and easy to get through, because the author made sure to give intriguing plots and characters which draw you in. I will eventually read book one and hopefully get another by this author.
Will use in a challenge and recommend to the members of Chapter Chatter Pub!

A solid 4 stars.
This is book 2 in the series, but There was enough information about the events in book 1 that it worked fine for me. Harper McClain is the crime reporter for the Savannah Daily News. She goes the scene of a murder with her friend Bonnie, a bartender at the Library Bar. The murdered woman is the other afternoon shift bartender, Naomi Scott. Harper wants to solve the case, because she feels the police are pursuing the wrong man. She identifies another suspect Peyton Anderson, son of the local District Attorney. The police tell her that Peyton has a rock solid alibi, but won't reveal the details. How she solves the murder of Naomi makes for an exciting mystery/thriller
One quote:
Heat--"When she stepped out of the newspaper office, the sun was fierce. Humidity hung so thick it left a white haze in the air, giving the gold;d dome of the City an oddly electric shimmer in the distance.
August was always brutal, but this year it seemed even worse than usual. It had been over 100 degrees for two weeks ."
Thanks to Harper Collins UK for sending me this eARC through NetGalley

I enjoyed this book which was no2 in the series. Would definitely recommend this novel and look forward to her next offering. Great characters and premise. Fast paced and exciting thriller. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

A great read. Told from the perspective of a crime reporter for the local newspaper.
I haven’t read the first book in this series but it was easy to pick up on what has happened previously. Harper McLain had a great working relationship with the police, but after she gave evidence against one of their senior officers, they are now reluctant to work with her, or give any information.
Harper attends a suspcious death, to find that its a waitress from the bar which she often vists as her best friend also works there.
The police quickly find a suspect and are content they’ve solved the crime. Harper however, isn’t convinced - so she puts herself on the line to prove her point. A great mix of police drama and life inside a newspaper office.
I’ll definitely be buying the first book in the series to fill in the gaps!

This is a really good read. The characters and their back stories are really interesting and I am looking forward to finding out more about them. The plot was really good and gripping. I really liked the writing style and I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Having not read The Echo Killing before, I went into this book blind with no preconcpetions. As a standalone, we meet Harper McClain a tough, hard edged reporter, whose passion for justice is a fundamental part of her persona. She works for a struggling newspaper, of which she is quite clearly their star reporter. Parts of Harper's history make her strong, fierce, independent, but also volunerable. She's an interesting and very three dimensional character which I liked. The description of the Savannah heat and the settings were great, I felt like I could see the steam rising off of the pavements.

Did I like all of the characters? No, I felt some needed a bit more work. Saying that, I liked them enough that I didn't actively dislike them. And the writing style was easy to read and follow. There was nothing in this book that blew me away, but having said that would I read the next one? Absolutely. The are clear cliffhangers for the next book that have got me hooked.

I will add a warning that if you read this book, it's hard to go back to read book 1, so for anyone who thinks they can flit between the two, I wouldn't attempt it. This series needs to be read sequentially.

"A Beautiful Corpse" by Christi Daugherty.

The first book I read by that author.

4.5 stars. I loved it!
Really good thriller, captivating, well written story.

Naomi is a young law student who gets shot and killed. Harper and her friend Bonnie arrive at the scene to find out that the victim is someone they knew, she worked with Bonnie. Soon a suspect is arrested. Harper is a journalist with ideas. Though she only briefly saw the victim that night at the bar she knows the suspect in custody is innocent... But nobody wants to listen to her! She investigates. The more answers she finds the more questions follow...

I really liked Harper, her devotion, her thinking, I felt a connection. Really well written and developed character.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own!

I have loved every single page of this book, what a page turner, it had me enthralled, excited and jumping of my seat at times
The story revolves around a newspaper, the police, rich boys and a murdered woman. The murder of Naomi Scott seemed cut and dried her boyfriend was good for it, except Naomi's dad didn't believe that and the police didn't entirely believe they had arrested the right man. So Harper McCain reporter for local newspaper decided she would solve it, unfortunately the police wanted nothing to do with her as she had been responsible for sending the chief of police to jail the previous year, what no one knew was she visited Smith in prison she still valued his advice especially on cases like this one. Harper was convinced as was Jerod Scott that rich boy Peyton Anderson had killed her he had restraining orders filed by Naomi and 2 other women at law school
The only problem was he had rock solid alibi he had been stabbed and was in hospital that night or was he?
Harper sets out to find the truth almost getting herself killed in process. And who has broken into her flat and left helpful paperwork in her car?? Someone was watching her but who?

Christi I am assuming is writing a follow on book she can't leave this at this point it would be very frustrating!!