In her third adventure (after
A Beautiful Corpse), crime reporter Harper McClain goes into hiding on Tybee Island, off the coast of Savannah, GA, after she’s warned that the man who murdered her mother 16 years ago is coming after her. Several months later, she wonders if she overreacted and welcomes the distraction of a breaking story—musician Xavier Rayne has disappeared on the eve of his debut album tour. She interviews the three people closest to him, but Harper’s instincts tell her something is wrong. Then two fishermen discover Rayne’s body in the ocean with two bullet holes in his chest. As she tries to get a lead on the murderer, Harper gets another anonymous message urging her to look more closely at her estranged father’s career as a criminal attorney. Harper’s search for the truth in both cases might cost her her life.
VERDICT Daugherty has created a complex, likable heroine whom readers will root for, fully fleshed-out secondary characters, and a compelling plot. Fans of fictional newshounds created by Laura Lippman, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and Edna Buchanan will enjoy this series. [See Prepub Alert, 8/19/19.]
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