Oh my word!!
I wait with bated breath for the next installment. Christi Daugherty, you have a gem of a series on your hands.
Great characters, great story and I am still in love with Luke.

Harper McClain is a Crime Reporter for the local newspaper in Savanna Georgia.A young girl is found shot dead ,Harper knows her and is determined to find the killer when the local Police seem to have given up .I loved Harper ,she is so feisty .I haven't read the first book in the series but this book is a good standalone .The description of Savannah is so good I could almost feel the heat. There are old Families in Savannah who have a lot of influence and power both with the Police and the Newspaper .The story was full of twists and turns with a really good ending that left me hanging and ready to read the next Harper book .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

I nearly gave up on this book, as it doesn't have a brilliant start. It began with some very cliched writing, and nearly lost me completely when a character appeared with a 'chiselled' jaw. However, I was very glad that I persevered with it. The plot was good, and the pacing tight throughout. Some of the characters remained a bit predictable, but the overall story carried it through. A few great twists near the end.

Hurrah, Harper McClain is back! Last year I read and raved about The Echo Killing, the first book in the feisty crime reporter's series (you can read that review right HERE) and I was very excited to catch up with her again. Boy, I was NOT disappointed.  

Harper McClain is a crime journalist for her local Savannah rag, investigating and exposing murderers and villains in the name of public interest. This time, the city is shocked when a pretty law student is shot. With her boyfriend appearing as the obvious culprit, surely this is an open and shut case? But he claims he's innocent, and the victim's father believes him. With the police keen to shut the case down, convinced they have their man, it's down to Harper to investigate and search out the truth. 

Once again, Christi Daugherty had me gripped from the very first page and I sped through this book in a couple of huge, breathless sittings. This is super fast paced reading, with one more chapter quickly leading to half a book and a complete inability to look away. There's action, twists, suspicion and doubt which, along with the heat of the Savannah setting and yes, a bit of will they/won't they love interest in the form of dashing Detective Luke Walker, makes for an tense and exciting edge-of-your-seat ride. 

I particularly loved how this book flowed on so easily from the first in the series, despite it being a year since I'd read it. It felt like I was just picking up where I'd left off and straight away I was familiar and comfy with it. While it probably could be read as a standalone, I think you'd probably benefit most if you read The Echo Killing, in particular for a lot of background on Harper (who has an intriguing backstory).  She's a fascinating character, firmly cemented now as a personal favourite. I love her strength, sense of justice, empathy and feisty-ness, splashed with a raw vulnerability which makes her both likable and relatable. I want her as a pal!   

A Beautiful Corpse is a compelling, unputdownable read, which manages to maintain the  high standard set in the first book more than matching my high expectations. This is a series which mixes a sublime blend of brilliant characterization and pitch perfect pacing - I really can't recommend it enough. With the book ending on a bit of a cliff hanger, I'm now waiting eagerly for the next in the series and hoping it isn't long before once again I'm engrossed in Harper McClain's world.

Authentic, fast-paced, with an absorbing plot and a likeable protagonist, A Beautiful Corpse’ is the second book in the Harper McClain series, the crime reporter investigates the murder of someone she knows and uncovers a web of fear, lies and privilege.

This story works as a standalone read and there is enough backstory on the main characters and previous events for this to be enjoyable. However, it’s so good, you’ll want to read the first book too.

The setting is atmospheric and bought to life by the details of the buildings, people and the social ethos. The characters are vividly portrayed and their motivations and interactions with each other believable. The life of a crime reporter is intrinsic to the story and is expertly written.

I like Harper she is driven and skilled at her job and hides her vulnerability well. Her relationship with the police officers, whose cooperation she needs to succeed, is explored and provides some important conflict in the story.

There is an overriding theme to this story, the search for Harper’s mother’s murderer, more clues are discovered in this book but it ends with new questions that may lead the crime reporter into personal danger if she pursues the truth.

The exciting ending is ultimately satisfying, tieing up the plot, but posing further questions for Harper, presumably to be resolved in the next book.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins UK - Harper Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is a gripping novel. Harper McClean may be a crime reporter but she is more successful in detecting crime than the police. She brings to the story events from earlier books and leaves us with unresolved issues which will no doubt be picked up next time! Many of her police contacts will not speak to her because of her role in bringing down one of their superior officers for murder in a previous book. That gets in the way of this investigation. The murder of her mother many years ago still haunts her as does a broken love affair. Or is it broken? There are many story lines in this,all superbly pursued,and there is enough solved to leave the reader content. This is a very powerful novel.

A very personal case again for Harper, crime reporter in Savannah. Running alongside her investigation into the death of a law student is a mysterious situation which began in the previous book and that seems to relate to her mother, murdered 16 yrs before. The book is set up well for a sequel.

Shots ring out on one of Savannah's most famous streets. A beautiful law student lies dead.
Three men close to the victim are questioned. All of them claim to love her. All of them say they are innocent of her murder. As crime reporter Harper McClain unravels a tangled story of obsession and jealousy, the killer focuses on her.
This is the second book in the series, it could be read on its own but it does give spoilers for the first book so I’d recommend reading in order. Once again a well written book with very good characters & a well paced plot. It drew me in from the start & held my attention all the way through & I look forward to more in the series

Harper McCain #2

Harper McClain is a crime reporter. A woman is killed in the heart of the affluent district, Savannah. But this story is personal. The corpse is familiar. Naomi Scott was only twenty four years old, a law student wh was working in a bar to make ends meet. She had been gunned down, but no one had witnessed the shooting. There are three suspects: her boyfriend, who has a criminal past, her boss, who had stalked another bartender two years ago, and the district attorney's son, who Naomi had dated until their relationship ended in acrimony. All three men claimed to have loved her. The pressure is on Harper to go beyond the murder. With more layoffs at the newspaper her boos fears both their jobs are on the line. Someone familiar and dangerous is watching Harper's every move.

Harper is still getting a frosty reception from Savannah's police department after trying to solve her mother's murder. Savannah is filled with influential families and lots of tourists. The characters in this novel are believable and I did like a Harper for several reasons: she's tough, determined and let's nothing get in her way whilst investigating. I did not realise that this was the second book in the Harper McClain series when I requested this book. Although it can be read as a standalone, I really do think you need to read the first book to get some of the backstory. A thoroughly good police procedural.

I would like to thank HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author Christi Daugherty for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The second in the series for crime reporter Harper McClain, but the first for me, and I don’t feel like I’ve missed out by not reading the first in the series.
I absolutely loved this book and will be looking out for the first book.

When 24 yr old law student Naomi Scott is shot and killed, there are 3 suspects, Harper McClain uses her instincts and own experiences to set about investigating the crime in the hope of catching the real suspect.

A fast paced, exciting thriller which kept me guessing throughout.

Thank you, first and foremost to the publisher and author for the chance to discover this series. I shall have to read book 1 though. Book 2, "A Beautiful Corpse" was brilliant. I really enjoyed it. A different angle for me on a murder. Crime reporting. Not read this genre before and really liked it. I loved the dogged determination to see the case through and find ways of catching someone who thought they were untouchable. I shall keep an eye out for this series in the future.

Wow, what a fantastic book. I only just read the Echo Killing which is the first book in this series earlier this week and I wish I had gotten into this series sooner. A Beautiful Corpse I felt was even better. I started this on Saturday night and couldn't wait to finish it this morning. And now that I have finished it I am already desperate for book 3! The way this book ended left it wide open with questions... questions that I am dying to learn the answers to.

It is a year since the events of The Echo Killing and Harper McClain is back doing what she does best at the newspaper. As the crime writer she is kept busy in this Savannah town, but after her actions she is on the outer with the local police. One night she is drinking and playing pool with her best friend Bonnie when a call comes in of a shooting in the tourist district. The 2 head over to the crime scene but soon realise that the victim is Bonnies co-worker Naomi Scott. Naomi's boyfriend is immediately under suspicion and arrested. Harper gets into the investigation and learns that there is another suspect, who has strong connections in town. The harder she looks the more danger she is in.

I love the character of Harper. She had a rough start to life - that you learn all about in The Echo Killing. Events in that book also devastated her. Her love life is also a mess but she gets on everyday, without a lot of sleep. She is stubborn and refuses to back down, even when her life is being threatened. But she is loyal to those that she loves, she would do anything to protect them. I look forward to learning more about her as the series continues.

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

This was an absolutely fantastic follow up to The Echo Killing, the first in a series. I love the main protagonist Harper McClain, a crime reporter from Savannah Georgia. The writing flowed beautifully from page to page and I really enjoyed the mystery and Whodunnit. I loved Harper’s own story and her relationships. A fantastic story. And a great follow up. Highly recommended.

I didn't realise that this is the second book of a series, but it didn't matter. An excellent thriller and one that kept me turning the pages from start to finish. I hope to read the first book shortly (The Echo Killing). I am not going to write what the story is about as i prefer one to read the book for themselves, but i do recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

A Beautiful Corpse is the second novel in Harper McClain crime reporter series set in hot and humid Savannah, Georgia, and I already have a feeling that this is going to be added to my list of most engaging, exciting series of which I should never miss an instalment. This is crime fiction at its most entertaining, and Daugherty's characters are easy to support and invest in, especially feisty Harper. After flying through the first couple of pages I knew it was going to be a night of no sleep as I wanted to find out what happened to the victim; I was more than happy to dedicate those hours to reading rather than sleeping. The writing flows beautifully from page to page making devouring it in a single sitting the only viable option.

This fast, pacy crime tale can be read as a standalone without any problem, but I advise not missing out on the first novel even if you decide to pick it up after this. Cleverly written with a well thought out plot, this is a damn good read. It is a little predictable in places, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. The descriptions of the simmering Georgian heat were enough to make me fall in love back here in the chilly United Kingdom. If you prefer your crime to be credible and believable then this is a good choice; the author packs the book with authenticity and you can tell that her previous job as a crime reporter has informed her work. I look forward to getting my mitts on the third instalment.

Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

Harper ! What a girl, excellent thriller about this firebrand of a journalist in Savannah,GA. the city itself plays an important part of the story and those who know the city at all will be delighted by the landmarks in the story. Harper and Luke is a good ongoing story as is the niggle of self doubt that a young woman developing a career in a cut throat industry. The story itself is intelligent and gives just enough for you to doubt the obvious. Even when it is very clear who “done” it, how on earth can we prove it ?

Next book is intertwined and I look forward to reading it

I really enjoyed the first Harper McClain book and this one is even better!
Harper is a crime reporter and up until recently had a great working relationship with the Police.
Due to a conviction that happened in the first book, most of the Police have turned against her.
Someone she knows from the local bar is murdered and Harper is determined to find the killer. However, with the Police not being on her side, it proves tougher than she thought.
As well as hunting a murderer Harper has to deal with her own problems and starts to get worried when someone breaks into her home.
It’s worth reading the first book to get the background story for this book but there are some explanations to help if this is the only book you’ve read.
This is a great read that will have you on the edge of your seat.
I love Harper’s character and can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Not sure at all about this book, maybe would have related to the character if I had read the first book. Shall revisit at a later stage

Crime reporter Harper McClain is enjoying a late night of pool with her best friend, Bonnie, at the Library, where Bonnie tends bar, when Harper gets called to a murder scene downtown. As Harper is well over the limit, Bonnie gives her a lift. Both women are shocked to recognise the victim as the other Library bartender, Naomi, who had only left work an hour or so before being shot.
The police suspect her boyfriend, Wilson, (because it is usually the boyfriend/husband), but Naomi’s father is convinced that Wilson is innocent. Harper, needing a good story, promises to look into Naomi’s death, and the possibility that someone other than Wilson is guilty – although she does no hold out much hope. Wilson’s alibi cannot be verified, and his actions following the murder raise a lot of questions. There are two other potential suspects, both of whom have a history of stalking: one who is drinking himself into oblivion; the other who has a completely watertight alibi, AND whose father is the district attorney, with strong links to the police and to the owner of the newspaper, for which Harper works. Harper is told to back off the rich kid, Peyton, but she, and I, and everyone else wants so much for it to be him, as he is such a nasty person. If he cannot be charged with Naomi’s murder, then you really want him to be thrown in jail for something (not fussy what).
While Harper is trying to solve the murder, she is fighting a vindictive police force, who have never forgiven her for causing the arrest of one of their officers. Her ex is back in the picture; an unknown someone is stalking her – breaking into her home and car; and the newspaper is gearing up for massive redundancies. This story might save her job – but it could also be the one that sees her and her boss sued by the district attorney, and both fired by the paper’s owner.
Harper is a fully developed and sympathetic character, whom you really want to succeed. But sometimes I felt, she had too much baggage / backstory. The ending was clearly setting up for the next book, which might involve her finally finding her mother’s murderer. I would very much like to read another book similar to this one, but I am not sure I am interested in the mother’s story. The other characters are also very believable. I particularly liked Naomi’s father, the newspaper editor, Baxter, and Detective Daltrey.
The book started reasonably slowly (after the initial murder scene), but bit by bit cranked up the pace, until it was impossible to put it down. The main story is very well thought out, with sufficient twists and turns to stop it becoming predictable. One thing I particularly liked about this book, was the focus on the devastating impact on an innocent persons life, when they become a suspect in a police investigation.
I would recommend this book to anyone, who wants a slight twist on a police procedural.

Harper McClain is a reporter and one that seems to have antagonised the police force and when one of the bartenders at a bar she goes to is found dead and lying in a pool of blood the cops are freezing her out of the crime scene. However Harper will not give up without a fight and when she thinks the case is going in a wrong direction she cant help but try and 'solve' the murder herself, she is a fiesty character and yet she is also quite loveable too and I totally enjoyed the book.
I hadn't read the first in the series and that didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book but I will go back and read it to see more about her background and just what caused the rift with the cops. I will definitely be on the lookout for the next in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of the book.