Harper McClain sees a crime scene that is almost exactly like her mothers crime scene when she was twelve years old. She risks everything to find out if they were done by the same person.
Goodreads

A truly diabolical premise with tension crackling off every page. A must-read for all who enjoy intelligently-written stories with great characterizations, and who enjoy surprise twists at every turn. A great addition to this genre, and highly recommended. I'll be reading more from this author!

*My sincerest thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reviewing an ARC at no charge.*

By 10% I could not connect to the writing or characters. I found the dialogue awkward and unnatural. Setting aside for now and may try again in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC.

No review posted on GR, blog or Instagram.

I like the idea of cold cases and Harper's crime reporting background makes her a very able investigator. The Southern setting is very richly described and the mystery may lead to one murderder. Good twists and turns throughout.

This was a great mystery. The main character Harper is a reporter in Savannah, Ga and she comes across a murder that looks exactly like her mother's murder years ago. Is it the same killer?
I really enjoyed this book and can only hope that the author releases another as good as this one!

Quick paced mystery . Harper McClain is a young crime reporter who came home from
school when she was twelve to find her murdered mother’s naked body. This image has never left her and years later as reporter in her town of Savannah another similar murder occurs. Her focus now is two fold as she tries to connect both murders to the same killer. She is relentless in her pursuit which results in her own life being in jeopardy. Harper does solve one of the murders. Characters in this book have real life flaws and saving attributes. The chapters are short and events move along quickly . For sure this will be a series. A good read .Thanks netgalley.

This quick-paced crime thriller is based in the beautiful city of Savannah, Georgia, a place I’ve loved all my life. As soon as I saw the book description, I had to read it. The author, Christi Daugherty, does a wonderful job referencing the town; the strict patterns of town blocks, the riverfront with its brick pavers, the trees with their veils of moss. She also brings brilliantly to light the life and high energy of Harper McClain, a crime reporter working the beat in the seedier areas of the city.
Harper hasn’t had an easy life; she lost her mother when she was 12 years old, has always been estranged from her father, and with the exception of her best friend Bonnie, trusts no one. Harper’s father figure was the entire police department, a habit that started early when the lead investigator in her mother’s death took her under his wing and oversaw her development thru school.
Harper is reporting on an hours-old murder when she’s stunned to realize many of the circumstances are exactly the same as her mother’s murder fifteen years earlier. She strays from her original purpose of reporting the facts to the public and begins her own one-man investigation team to solve who, how and why these two murders happened.
This is a fast-paced who-dun-it with colorful characters in a beautiful historic river city. It’s a very enjoyable quick read.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for making it available.)

The Echo Killing kept me turning page after page and that is the mark of a good thriller. I like Harper and am intrigued by her. I will definitely read the next in this series.

So, every once in awhile I'll request something besides fantasy or outside of YA-- shocking I know. Here is one of those times. I absolutely love mysteries. I love trying to figure out who the villain is and connecting all of the clues. It is why I like the In Death series so much and even Midsomer Murders (tv show). Unfortunately, I wasn't a huge fan of this one and I even somehow guessed the killer and some other things.

The main character, Harper, is a crime reporter. While she may write about crimes, this puts her in a difficult position for solving a crime, which really isn't her job to do. This keeps getting explained to Harper along with "you're obsessed" which she promptly denies... even though she totally is going beyond her job AND SHE IS OBSESSED. Her obsession is actually what had me tempted to put the book down at 70%. I felt she was absolutely so in the wrong and there is only so much breaking the law that I can put up with. For me, the means do not always justify the results.

Her job and her obsession with the case become most of her personality for the book, so I ended up not liking her so much. I do like some of the side characters, so they helped make the book enjoyable. Mostly, because we are taken along with Harper's tunnel vision in regards to the case, I wasn't as taken. BUT, I see how some other people might find how she investigates and gets evidence to be thrilling and exciting-- keeping them on their toes.

The romance is a fun little element which I think will be explored more in future books. Luke ws one of my favorite characters. He really cares about Harper and wants to help her, but as a cop there is only so much he can condone.

So, I think I might recommend this one to people who like thrillers more than mysteries. There might be some other qualifiers, but I'm still working this book out in my head. I think because I seem to be picky with my thrillers

Summary from Goodreads:

"A city of antebellum architecture, picturesque parks, and cobblestone streets, Savannah moves at a graceful pace. But for Harper McClain, the timeless beauty and culture that distinguishes her home’s Southern heritage vanishes during the dark and dangerous nights. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Not even finding her mother brutally murdered in their home when she was twelve has made her love Savannah any less.

Her mother’s killer was never found, and that unsolved murder left Harper with an obsession that drove her to become one of the best crime reporters in the state of Georgia. She spends her nights with the police, searching for criminals. Her latest investigation takes her to the scene of a homicide where the details are hauntingly familiar: a young girl being led from the scene by a detective, a female victim naked and stabbed multiple times in the kitchen, and no traces of any evidence pointing towards a suspect.

Harper has seen all of this before in her own life. The similarities between the murder of Marie Whitney and her own mother’s death lead her to believe they’re both victims of the same killer. At last, she has the chance to find the murderer who’s eluded justice for fifteen years and make sure another little girl isn’t forever haunted by a senseless act of violence―even if it puts Harper in the killer’s cross-hairs…"

My Thoughts:

This book was an excellent beginning to a new mystery series and I enjoyed my time reading it! I'm not going to lie - I added this one to my TBR list based off of that gorgeous cover alone. The book itself was just as good as I had hoped though and left me very excited about both this author and series! One of the things that I liked best about this book was that it wasn't your typical detective mystery. Harper is a crime reporter for a newspaper who pushes to the edge sometimes to get her story. It is only when she comes across a crime scene that eerily reminds her of her past (her mother was murdered when she was younger) that she starts investigating both the recent crime and her mother's murder. The similarities between the two crimes was intriguing but it was Harper herself that really made the story stand out for me. She just came to life between the pages even when some of the choices that she made had me cringing. In just a very short time she became obsessed with figuring out what happened to her mother so long ago (hence the reason for some of those bad choices). It added this layer of tension to the story that caused me to be unable to stop reading. I did guess the actual bad guy towards the end of the book although I couldn't figure out the whys behind it all. Even figuring that much out, I found myself very surprised by the ending of the book and very eager to get my hands on book two. It was so good but now I need more!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am now left with the long wait for book two. But this one was so good that it will be completely worth the wait! I tried not to give too much away because I didn't want to spoil anything but I obviously can't say enough good things. I feel like I've hit a streak of finding new mystery authors to be really excited about and this author is on that list. It was just such a great mystery and that ending left me wanting more. I almost forgot to mention that I really enjoyed the Georgia setting. There is just something about books set in the South that I love. If you enjoy mysteries and suspenseful reads then this is a book to check out! I'm in awe that this book is the author's debut because it is just so good! I would highly recommend (I'm sure you can tell as this feels like it has turned into a gush fest). So very good!

Bottom Line: A mystery where the characters and setting swept me away and left me wanting more!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

This one took me a bit to get into as the introduction of characters and setting felt a bit slow in the beginning. However, once the story picked up, it made for an interesting read. The book is well-written and the characters are a good mix of likable and not so likable, which is to be expected in a crime mystery. I have to say that Harper frustrated me at times in her dogged determination to find answers regardless of the cost - often jeopardizing not only her own safety and career, but that of others. Nevertheless, I couldn't help but to root for her as she worked to find answers to a brutal murder as well as answers to her own troubled past. The whodunit in this one wasn't hard to figure out, especially with a couple of red herrings being a bit on the obvious side, but the journey kept me turning pages to see if I was right and how it would all play out. The conclusion comes together quite well and there are a couple of unanswered questions that I'm assuming will be addressed in a future book. I did like that our heroine isn't perfect and her personal life isn't all sunshine and roses as so often happens in fiction today. Life is messy and the reality of those messes in Harper's life adds to the realistic emotional feel of the story. All in all, this crime mystery is worth the read and the questions raised at the end have me sufficiently intrigued to check out a future Harper McClain book.

4.5 stop the presses stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

“if it bleeds it leads...”

This was a newspaper reporter procedural, is that a thing? Well it should be....This is the first book in the Harper McClain series and let me tell you the series is off to a fantastic start....

Harper was born to be a crime reporter.... she puts her everything into her job... it’s personal... it’s her calling.... so when she starts investigating a murder that is eerily similar to the murder of her mother over 15 years ago.... she will stop at nothing to find out the truth....

Harper was such a likable and relatable character.... yes she was damaged, but that didn’t define her... she had friends, she had a love interest (yes there is Romance in this book) she was the kind of girl you would want to go out to lunch with.... this was very refreshing... so many times with female “damaged“ characters they have such an edge to them you find them a bit prickly and hard to like.... Harper was very much likable.... The secondary characters were all very likable as well.... especially her love interest Luke, he was quite the good guy....

The mystery/Investigation in this book was done very well.... i’m not always a huge fan of police procedurals, however I might be a huge fan of newspaper reporter procedurals.... I liked how Harper went about her investigation... I enjoyed all her rule breaking.... The outcome was realistic, but definitely surprise me, did not see that coming.... also really appreciated the aftermath of the investigation... it was quite interesting and gave you some closure and understanding... very much looking forward to the next book in this series....

I would absolutely recommend this to lovers of mystery/suspense... but keep in mind it leans a little towards romantic suspense... in case that is an issue... but I do want to clarify for my friends with an aversion to romance, I don’t think this is eye rolling worthy romance😉

*** thank you so much to the publisher for a copy of this book ***

This was a fast paced thriller that kept me reading long into the night. I had an idea of who was behind the murder of Marie Whitney but really hoped I was wrong. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Harper McClain is a reporter for a newspaper in Savannah, Georgia, where she chases down the 'best crimes' on a daily basis in order to make it to the front page of the paper. Harper is fascinated with crime, especially murder, and attributes this strange inclination to the traumatic event of her childhood that changed her life--the murder of her mother. The murder of her mother that she had to stumble upon when she arrived home from school, alert the police to, and that ultimately ended her childhood.

When Harper shows up to a crime scene that feels eerily familiar and watches as the police lead a young girl out of the home--a young girl that she sees so much of herself in--Harper as to get a closer look. Breaking the law and taking a major risk, Harper trespasses into the backyard in order to get a closer look through the window and comes to a stunning realization. The crime scene is identical to that of her mother's killing.

As Harper becomes heavily involved in the investigation of the murdered woman's life and the inspection of the suspects, danger begins to loom above her like a dark cloud. Not only could her job threatened by her dangerous obsession with the crime, but her life could also be at risk. How far is Harper willing to go to uncover the truth about her mother's murder?

★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

I binge read this title over the weekend in only a few sittings. I am a sucker for a good police procedural--my OG favorite genre. Now, this isn't exactly a cut-and-dry police procedural.. it's actually a quite nice hybrid of the genre in my opinion. You get all of the heavy police involvement and criminal investigation... but through the eyes of a crime reporter instead of a detective. This was a unique touch and set this novel apart from other crime thrillers.

The characters were fantastic and the author did a great job of building a meaningful background story for Harper that made me feel very invested in her character. I loved Miles, the freelance photographer that Harper worked closely with. And I also loved the was that Daugherty wove a touch of romance into the web of a criminal investigation... all these personable touches make readers invested in the characters and highly likely to pick up future installments in the Harper McClain series.

The only reason that this title did not get a full five stars from me was the sole reason that I was able to determine who the killer was. Very early on in the novel, I had two specific characters that I was suspicious of, and had already pinpointed the blatant red herring, and continued to refine my theory to the correct person. Now, this might not be the case for everyone... I had read so many police procedurals and crime thrillers that I feel like I know the ins and outs of the genre pretty well and can usually make pretty educated guesses.. but the ending of this one just felt like a bit of a cop-out to me. Nevertheless.. it did not deter me from fully enjoying this novel and I will absolutely be picking up the next installment in the Harper McClain series.

Thank you to Christi Daugherty and Minotaur books for providing me with a DRC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

OH MY FREAKING GOODNESS!

The Echo Killing was so freaking good! I couldn't put it down!! I'm kind of wanting to kick myself because I feel like I should've dived right into when I first got the book.. but then life got in the way and I finally found time to read this AMAZING book and I fell in love.

Harper McClain is probably my favorite character from any book that I've read today. TODAY people! Yes, I have lots and lots of favorite characters, books, and series. I'm a fickle person and want to love everyone in the book world! Now Harper had a terrible childhood. Everything was bright, shiny, and absolutely wonderful.. until it wasn't. She came home one day to find her mother dead. Murdered. Now I have no idea what would happen to anyone in that situation.. cry, scream, be in shock for like ever. Harper called the police and was probably in shock the entire time.

Many years later, she's an adult and works as a crime reporter. She's a bad ass that has an in with cops and her fellow reporters. She is a strong and independent woman who just wants to solve her mother's case.. or at least wants it solved. She also has a whole lot of feelings for a guy that she can't be with... for some odd reason.

Harper see's a murder scene that she wasn't supposed to. The thing is.. it looked exactly like her moms. So of course, like any normal human being, she get obsessed with this case and her moms (which still isn't solved). There are a bunch of twists and turns in this book and I had no idea who actually did it!

The romance between her and Luke was spot on. I love me some "forbidden" romance. However, I still don't trust Luke. I don't care that he goes undercover or anything.. he just seemed super sketchy at times.

My money was on someone that she didn't think who did it.. nor was it the person who actually committed the murder that she wasn't supposed to see. HOWEVER, the cliffhanger that she might actually know the one person who murdered her mom was a complete and utter mind fuck. My mind is completely blown right now. I seriously need book 2 right now!

Overall, I'm in love with this book. I want to reread it right now! Recommending this to everyone!!

The Echo Killing by Christi Daugherty is the first book in the thrilling Harper McClain series. Harper is a crime reporter that lives life on the edge following the latest story giving the series and action packed ride from start to finish. This also felt to be just on the edge of being romantic suspense with a bit of a relationship forming too.

The story begins with Harper and her photographer, Miles Jackson, following the police scanner as the call comes in for a shooting. As they are investigating what is going on at the scene the pair find themselves following as the suspects are being chased. When heading into a sketchy area with back up no where around Harper and Miles end up pinned down by gunfire by the suspects.

The explosive beginning shows readers just how involved in finding her story and finding justice that Harper is. Fifteen years before Harper had walked in on her mother’s body in their kitchen after a gruesome murder and growing up around law enforcement since that moment Harper is no stranger to crime.

But as Harper goes after the headlines for her paper she finds herself walking in on another scene that brings back the memories of her mother’s death. With the same set up as that crime fifteen years before Harper can’t help but feel the pull to find out what happened to this latest victim and maybe, just maybe, finally get justice for her mother.

This was a great beginning to what looks to be a very promising series featuring an investigative journalist. With the ties the main character has to law enforcement it makes the story even better as she will have advantages to use as she investigates. And as tough and determined as Harper was she also showed a softer, more human side in getting involved with a love interest who helps with her investigating. With such a fast paced and thrilling ride in this first book of the series I definitely will be interested in seeing where the story goes from here with a bit of a cliffhanger ending leaving room for so much more to come.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was a very well-written tale of suspense and intrigue. The characters were complex and interesting. The plot was well-paced. And, having lived just outside of Savannah, GA, many years ago, I found Daugherty's descriptions of the town and scenery lush and spot on, evoking a marked sense of nostalgia. I love how the cover of the book echoes what I remember and loved most about Savannah -- those majestic trees lavishly draped in endless ribbons of Spanish moss.

I'm really looking forward to more books in this series.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & St. Martin's Press in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

#TheEchoKilling #NetGalley

I found this book to be a bit slow and boring. I like a fast paced thriller and this book wasn't that at all. I found the story line to be to predictable. I wanted to like this book but it just didn't win me over.

When a murder in her hometown of Savannah has similar elements to that of her mother's, journalist Harper McClain is driven by personal need to investigate those similarities. Though she was only 12 when she came upon her mother's body, she is driven to find the answers drawing in her cameraman, police contacts, and dealing with a lot of backfire for her investigative techniques. The author offers the reader a great combination of police procedural and journalism. The story moves quickly, keeps your interesting, and may just have you wishing for the next story about Harper.

The Echo Killing is the first book in the Harper McClain mysteries by Christi Daugherty. The Echo Killing is a great start to a new mystery series.

The Echo Killing is set in Savannah which is a glorious and mysterious city that is always a great setting for mysteries. The author Daugherty has a good grasp of the neighbourhoods of the city. As visitors to a city we often only see what we expect to see so it is always fascinating when authors go into the grittier parts of the city.

Harper McClain is a reporter in Savannah. She is on the night beat which always is filled with excitement. And murders and shootings. Harper came home when she was 12 to find her mother dead. Now 15 years later Harper sees similarities in another killing. Another young girl is going to be haunted finding her mother dead.

Good story and great start to a new series. Be sure to read The Echo Killing.