Saturday, June 15, 2019

Review - A Beautiful Corpse

Title:   A Beautiful Corpse
Author:  Christi Daugherty
Series:  Harper McClain #2
Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers
Publisher:   Minotaur Books
Format:  Print ARC
No. of Pages:  320
Date of Publication:  March 12, 2019
My Rating:  5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:
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…


MY THOUGHTS:

Harper McClain is a very busy crime reporter. When she discovers that Naomi Scott, a law student, was killed, Harper took it quite personally. Harper had known Naomi, so she will do whatever she can as a reporter, and as one quite familiar with the police, to find Naomi's killer.

With the police having a few suspects, who happen to be three men who claimed to love her, Harper realizes that she must dig deep. What she discovers, however, is that nothing was as it seemed in Naomi's life. While one man has been fairly well accused, there is an affluent district attorney's son whom Harper is fairly certain was guilty of the brutal murder.

Things get too close to Harper, and to others at the newspaper. Things get so hairy, in fact, that their very livelihood is threatened. Will Harper back off to protect her job? While Harper stays resolute in her desire to discover what happened to Naomi, danger lands right at her door. Will she survive this time? What of Luke, a cop who demands Harper stay away from the case, and the fact that he is now her ex?

A Beautiful Corpse was a compelling read. I was drawn in right from the start as I found it to be very engaging. This is the second book in the Harper McClain series. It was a fantastic read. I read the first book in this series, The Echo Killing, just a a few days before reading this book and thus became completely invested in Harper and this new series by Christi Daugherty. As Harper is begun a new case, this book does well as a standalone. However, why not go and grab the first book and devour both just as I have? I definitely look forward to continuing this series.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books for this ARC for review in exchange for my honest opinion.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As a newspaper reporter, Christi Daugherty ​began covering murders at the age of 22. She worked as a journalist for years in cities including Savannah, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. Her work eventually took her to England, where she wrote the international bestselling Night School series under the name CJ Daugherty. The Echo Killing is the first novel in the Harper McClain Mysteries series. A Beautiful Corpse, book 2 in the series, is out now. Book 3 will be released in 2020.



7 comments:

  1. Sounds like a good one, thanks for sharing.
    Gemma @ Gemma's Book Nook

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  2. Great review. Something I would read. The title is very eye-catching too.

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  3. This one looks really good. I think I'll put it on my TBR!

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  4. This sounds really good! I love a good crime thriller. Great review!

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  5. Looks like a book I would really like.

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