Title: A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Harper McClain Series Book Two
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 323 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
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…
Review:
A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty is a riveting mystery with a strong woman lead. Although this second installment in the Harper McClain series can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading Echo Killing for important details about an ongoing story arc.
One year after solving a copy cat homicide, Harper McClain’s once strong relationship with the police is incredibly strained. With tension between them at an all time high, Harper is blindsided when her former love interest, Homicide Detective Luke Walker, is assigned to the murder of student and bartender Naomi Scott. He is paired with Detective Julie Daltrey who was at one time a valuable source for Harper. When Daltrey narrows the suspect list to Naomi’s boyfriend Wilson Shepherd, bar owner Fitz and ex-boyfriend Peyton Anderson, Naomi’s father Jerrod Scott, goes to Harper for help. He is certain that Wilson is innocent and he is hoping Harper can find the information that will prove someone else killed his daughter. Harper tries to keep an open mind but she has her own suspicions about who murdered Naomi. Will Harper find the evidence she needs to convince Daltrey that Wilson is innocent?
With her own mother’s murder still unsolved, Harper wants to help find Naomi’s killer. She tries to keep an open mind about Detective Daltrey’s reasons for considering Wilson the prime suspect. Statistically, most women are murdered by someone they know and husbands/boyfriends are most often where investigations begin. However, Harper’s instincts are telling her that Wilson is innocent and she is equally certain Fitz has no reason to kill Naomi. That leaves Peyton as her strongest contender but Daltrey insists he has an ironclad alibi. The more information she learns about Peyton, the more certain she is of his guilt. But his family connection to both the police and the newspaper makes it difficult to convince the detective to give him a second look. With or without police assistance, Harper continues to search for the evidence she needs to prove Peyton’s guilt.
In addition to the investigation in Naomi’s murder, Harper is dealing with serious problems in her personal and professional lives. The newspaper has undergone a series of layoffs over the years and there are rumors swirling that more are on the way. In her personal life, Harper is trying to ignore her lingering feelings for Luke whom she has not seen nor talked to during the past year. She is confused by the conflicted signals she is getting from him and Harper is not sure she wants to risk getting hurt by him again. Harper is also incredibly unnerved by the feeling that someone has been in her apartment and that she is being followed. Do these disturbing events have anything to do with the still unsolved break in at her apartment a year ago? If so, what does this person want from her?
A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty is a well-written mystery with a compelling storyline and engaging characters. Harper is a likable protagonist whose concern for the families of murder victims is admirable. She has become a little more cautious over the past year but she is not easily intimidated nor does she give up when obstacles are thrown in her path. The storyline with Luke is a bit heartbreaking and will leave readers wondering what the future might hold for them. Harper’s tenacity to identify Naomi’s killer pays off in the end and Christi Daugherty brings the novel to an action-filled and somewhat poignant conclusion. An enigmatic stranger brings news to Harper that will leave fans of the Harper McClain series impatiently awaiting the next release.
