A beautiful corpse

Christi Daugherty

Book - 2019

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 i...n 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...

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Subjects
Genres
Suspense fiction
Mystery fiction
Thrillers (Fiction)
Detective and mystery fiction
Published
New York : Minotaur Books 2019.
Language
English
Main Author
Christi Daugherty (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
320 pages ; 25 cm
ISBN
9781250148872
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

The Savannah, Georgia, police are motivated to solve the murder of law student Naomi Scott as soon as possible: the crime occurred in an area heavily populated by tourists, and tourism is the lifeblood of the city. There are three suspects: Naomi's boyfriend, her boss at the bar where she worked, and the man who had harassed and stalked her. The stalker is the favorite of police beat reporter Harper McClain, who's covering the case for the Savannah News, but the stalker is the son of the district attorney and has what seems an airtight alibi. With layoffs at the struggling newspaper in the offing, Harper knows her reports on the murder could be crucial in protecting her job. She has other worries, too: there's the very skilled person who's breaking into her house and car, and there's the disquieting fact that ex-lover Detective Luke Walker has reappeared in her life. Harper was introduced in The Echo Killing (2018), and, while there's enough backstory here to give new readers their sea legs, a better plan would be to start this increasingly captivating series at the beginning.--Michele Leber Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In Daugherty's gripping sequel to 2018's The Echo Killing, Savannah Daily News reporter Harper McClain investigates the murder of law student and bartender Naomi Scott. The police focus on her boyfriend, but thanks to a tip from Naomi's father, Harper learns the victim had a troubling relationship with the scion of a powerful local family-a young man with a history of stalking women but an alibi for the killing. As the newsroom buzzes with rumors of layoffs, Harper finds herself with a politically explosive story that could define or destroy her career. Meanwhile, she receives communications from a mysterious figure who seems to possess information about the unsolved murder of her mother 16 years earlier-and who can break into her house and car without a trace. A rushed climax mars the carefully built suspense, but Harper is an appealing character readers will want to see more of. The ongoing mystery about Harper's mother provides ample fodder for future entries. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Literary (U.K.). (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review

A crime reporter who's still obsessed with the long-ago murder of her mother faces more present-day murder.One reason Harper McClain became a crime reporter for a Savannah newspaper was her excellent relationship with the police. That ended when she took down the man who was like a father to her, the former homicide chief who's now doing time for murder (The Echo Killing, 2018). As a result, most of the cops shun her and make her life miserable, and her romantic relationship with homicide detective Luke Walker has been shattered. A new murder case plunges Harper back into all the bad memories. Harper's bestie, Bonnie Larson, works at the Library bar along with beautiful law student Naomi Scott, who leaves early on a quiet night. A call from Harper's photographer, Miles Jackson, sends her racing to River Street, the heart of the tourist area, which has become a murder scene. She's devastated to see that the body is Naomi's. The police fasten on her boyfriend, Wilson Shepherd, but Naomi's father insists on Wilson's innocence. Detective Julie Daltrey, who's caught the case, grudgingly gives Harper enough information to get her started on a story that could turn into a blockbuster. Meantime, Harper has other problems to spare. Someone's gotten into her apartment despite all her security measures, and she constantly feels that she's being followed. The case does get her back in touch with Luke, and the passion they shared flares again. The police, unable to develop enough evidence to hold Wilson, begin looking at Naomi's boss and a fellow law student she dated and then began to fear. Although Harper worries about her stalker, she doesn't see the danger coming from both past and present.This first-rate adventure for Daugherty's heroine is fast-paced, intriguing, and romantic. A message from her stalker intimates her next adventure will be just as exciting. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.