A taut American thriller from the perspective of a journalist. Her friend is murdered and the police seem inclined to suspect the fiancé who has no alibi. Two other prospective candidates are in the offing though and the journalist takes on the case for her newspaper. and herself as the police are definitely reluctant to do so. There are clear links to a previous book, namely the problems she has with nearly all of the police officers involved, but there is sufficient back story to understand these problems. Although a journalist she has strong ethics as well as determination. Context is well described and the story moves along rapidly. The old story of 'money talks' gets a thorough re-working along with police and newspaper politics and these add something to the complexity of the story. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins publishers for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

An exciting thriller that is hard to put down. The first Christi Daugherty novel I've read but definitely not the last.

Thanks NetGalley for my copy.

An excellent read. The story line was credible although I've not checked but I presume there was at least 1 book before this and there will definitely be another book after it. I always wanted to keep reading and my interest never dropped. My only criticism (also applied to some other books) is that the heroine seems full of confidence about work and life but still acts like a 14 year old over an ex-boyfriend. Still apart from this a definite recommendation from me not to miss it

The mysterious, intriguing story Of A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty, is of a crime reporter named Harper, who’s life becomes a crime novel itself.
This kept my interest all the way through!
Strong female lead.
Strong Four stars.

At the end of 2017, I randomly happened on The Echo Killing on Netgalley and, after reading the blurb which I found really intriguing, I requested it. Then I read it and became obsessed with the novel and since then I have been waiting for its sequel, A BEAUTIFUL CORPSE, which I read in one day and which left me excited and impatient to read the next one.

It’s set in Savannah, Georgia, where the summers are hot and dry and where there are enough crimes to keep our protagonist busy. Who is the protagonist? Meet Harper McClain, a young reporter who covers the crime beat which means that she usually works at night and sleeps during the day (although, I have to say she doesn’t do much sleep during the day). When she was twelve years old, Harper’s mother was killed and she was the one who found the body, but the killer was never found. Now, someone is clearly after her, breaking into her house and leaving notes into her car, but she also has other things that keep her quite busy. First, there is her job. Naomi, a young woman who worked in the same bar with her friend Bonnie, has been killed. The police suspect her boyfriend, but Harper has her own theories and she becomes quite involved in the case. Also, the Savannah Police, who she once considered her family, is now shutting her out following the events in The Echo Killing, making it very difficult for her to do her job.

Now, let’s talk about her love life. In The Echo Killing, Harper had a brief but intense fling with Luke, a detective, but things didn’t end well. However, a year later it seems that it’s not over between the two of them and I have to say I am becoming quite invested in their love story so I am really looking forward to see what happens in the next book.

I really like the character of Harper, a strong-willed, independent, and clever young woman. Her life gets more and more complicated, both personally and professionally, and she is an excellent journalist who doesn’t stop until she finds out the truth, even if that means that often she finds herself in danger and the target of a killer.

A BEAUTIFUL CORPSE is fast-paced, suspenseful, and intriguing. The author knows how to captivate the attention of the reader with a clear and simple prose, beautiful descriptions of Savannah, engaging characters, and a riveting and gripping plot. If you are looking for something addictive and thrilling, then I highly recommend A BEAUTIFUL CORPSE (and The Echo Killing), while I will be waiting for book number 3!

Let’s get this out of the way first; I’m not oversold on the title of this novel. Whether a corpse is beautiful or not is pretty irrelevant and the title bears very little relevance to the actual story.

This is fast paced thriller, set in Savannah, Georgia, featuring crime journalist, Harper McClain. It is the second book to feature this character. I haven’t read this first but I don’t think that detracts from the enjoyment of this one. A young woman, known to Harper and her friend Bonnie, has been shot dead. The police immediately assume that her boyfriend is the perpetrator but the victim’s father is convinced of his innocence. He knows his daughter was very afraid of someone and this turns out to be the son of a very wealthy and powerful member of the Savannah community. The son, however, has a very solid alibi. The police also turn their attention to the dead woman’s boss, at the bar where she worked. Harper is convinced that she knows who committed the crime and the book follows her investigations and the danger she puts herself in.

This is a cleverly written novel with an entertaining set of characters. It ends with a bit of a cliffhanger which I assume will be followed up in another novel.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

I was sucked straight into this, but then realised that it's the second book in a series. I immediately stopped reading, bought the first book, tore through that and re-started the second! The Savannah setting was gorgeously written, and such an elegant city is a great contrast to the crime depicted. There were enough secondary characters to round out the story without overwhelming it, and the press-police relationship was really insightful - you can tell the author is writing from experience. The only negative is how long I'll have to wait for the next in the series!

This is the second book in a series featuring a crime reporter called Harper working for a local newspaper in Savannah. A young law student who worked part time as a barmaid in a local bar frequented by Harper is found murdered in the tourist district. When she feels an innocent man is in danger of being charged with the murder, Harper feels compelled to undertake her own investigation. She has a complicated history with the local police force which has yet to solve her own mother’s death several years earlier.
This is a well written book, but I found the plot quite predictable.
I would like to thank the author and publishers and NetGalley for a free advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I so enjoyed the first in the series, 'The Echo Killing' and this is a good follow up, just, in my opinion not quite as good. It seemed to be missing something.

It's a good story about our lead journalist, Harper McClain, who is being ostracised by the police, due to her previously exposing corruption and how she becomes embroiled in a murder, the victim, slightly known to her. This and her ongoing difficult relationship, make for a good read. I just felt it lacked something. So, for me, it was a good, easy, holiday 3* read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview in exchange for this honest review.

Although this is the second book in the Harper McClain series, this is my first read and to say I thoroughly enjoyed it is an understatement. Harper McClain, crime reporter is a force to be reckoned with, wont' stop until justice has been served even when all the cards are stacked against her! When Naomi Scott is shot on one of the busiest streets, the police are clueless and do what they always do, turn to the boyfriend, yes his alibi is somewhat shaky given he was alone but with Naomi's father standing by him, he believes there is no way on earth he did it, he loved his daughter.

Harper hands them a new suspect, only this suspect is from a very wealthy powerful family with their hands in many pies in the town, he has a rock solid alibi but with injunctions taken out by three girls, including Naomi against him for stalking, surely it has to be him right??

A very cleverly written crime mystery, a well thought out plot and engaging characters, what's not to like about this book. I'll be looking forward to the next instalment, I feel invested in Harper and what happens next, will the past catch up with her?

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book, Harper is a great character feisty, strong yet shows her vulnerable side too. She's up against the police who think she betrayed them, someone stalking her breaking into her house, an ex who she's not over all while she is trying to solve a murder, the main suspect being someone with a dad in power who no one wants to upset, but Harper will stop at nothing to get justice.

Read this book in 2 days. Couldn't put it down. Really enjoyed the storyline. Looking forward to the next installment

Having missed the first book (The Echo Killing) in the Harper McClain series I was slightly concerned that this would spoil my enjoyment of ‘A Beautiful Corpse’. Not so. It was clear that Harper had history but this was dealt with efficiently and left me free to concentrate on what was happening now.

Harper in an investigative journalist on the late shift in Savannah and the text captured the heat and excitement of the time and place. Armed with her police scanner Harper is ready, willing and able to rush to the scene of the incident, meeting up with her photographer, to get the story onto the page - front, in possible. The time, 2.00 a.m. and she learns of a murder in the wealthy tourist district but there are no witnesses. She discovers that the victim is known to her – a beautiful, vibrant law student who works as a bartender, Naomi Scott. The suspect? Naomi’s boyfriend, a black man, who was seen brandishing a gun.

Harper has other problems to deal with: she still needs to discover who murdered her mother. Due to events in the first book, she is suffering from a freeze from her usual contacts in the police department, including her former boyfriend. To add to this, not only does Harper need to investigate this crime, she is subject to internal politics at the newspaper with the fear of redundancies. And, is she being stalked or is she paranoid? A lot to deal with!

Clearly it would have helped to have read the first in the series. Equally clearly, the story is not over as we are left with a cliff hanger. Episode 3.

You have one question? Did I like it? Indeed I did and I would certainly recommend it. It was a well constructed plot and great characters, particularly Harper.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I had been dying to read this since I finished The Echo Killing and I was not disappointed. I love Harper McClain and A Beautiful Corpse is a great follow up. I raced through it in 24 hours, I couldn’t put it down. Great story, engaging characters and just a brilliant read! Bring on the next!

A well developed story with good characters, cleverly written and a good paced thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins Fiction for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

A very enjoyable read! I was very interested in getting my hands on this one after I read the blurb and I am pleased to say that I was not let down.

The story is written very well and the characters are interesting and jump off the page. I would recommend this read!

This is the 2nd in the crime reporter, Harper McClain series set in the small town of Savannah, Louisiana. This worked fine as a standalone but I should warn there are major spoilers here about events that occurred in the first book. A 24 year old woman, Naomi Scott, is shot twice in the tourist district of town. Harper and her best friend, Bonnie, arrive on the scene only to discover to their horror that they knew the victim, and had seen her earlier in the night. Naomi had worked part time as a bartender with Bonnie at The Library Bar. She was beautiful, ambitious and compassionate, a promising law student, with a boyfriend, Wilson Shepherd. The prime suspect for the police is Wilson, after all, most women are murdered by someone close, who claim to love them, the most ordinary murder of all. This is a big story and Harper investigates, only this turns out to be a thorny and complex dangerous investigation.

Harper carries the scars and nightmares of previous events that ended in her being shot, and led to her being considered a pariah by Savannah PD, as she nailed a highly respected killer from their own ranks. The police are an unforgiving bunch as they refuse to share information and harrass her, preventing her from doing her job. Harper is forced to deal with this issue head on, but she has other problems, further job cuts at Savannah News threatens her job, and someone is breaking into her apartment on an ongoing basis. Then there is the murder of Harper's mother when she was a child, and Harper is desperate to find her murderer, and she is willing to whatever it takes. Harper's personal relationship with Detective Luke Walker was a casualty of previous events, but he now enters her life again, will it all end in tears again? Wilson Shepherd turns out to be not the only suspect in Naomi's killing, there is the son of the DA, and looking into him carries the inherent dangers of taking on the most powerful of forces in town. Then there is the owner of The Library Bar, Fitz, spending most of his town inebriated. Will Harper be able to find the killer whilst the police struggle?

Christi Daugherty writes highly entertaining crime fiction and her protagonist, Harper, proves to be feisty and determined character, vulnerable with a traumatic history, which really makes you root for her. She has a solid cast of characters and friends that are there for her and help in getting to the truth of what happened to Naomi. Her workplace has its own dramas, with her boss, Emma Baxter, doing her best to shield Harper from the intrigues within the higher echelons of management. This is wonderfully engaging crime fiction that never failed to hold my interest, and I am certainly planning to read the next in the series. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.