The Echo Killing

Harper McClain has been obsessed with crime ever since her mother was killed when Harper was twelve years old. The killer was never found, and that unsolved murder haunts her as she spends her nights wandering  the dark city streets of Savannah, Georgia, searching for criminals.

Now a crime reporter for the struggling local newspaper, Harper’s life remains tangled up in crime. Most of her friends are cops. She works nights, so she has no social life. Her work consumes her. One day, she stumbles upon the scene of a homicide that looks hauntingly familiar: a young girl with bloody hands being led away by a detective, a nude, female victim stabbed multiple times, and no  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 the police for fifteen years. She can make sure another little girl isn’t haunted forever by a senseless act of violence. Finally, she will have justice.

But her investigation will put Harper herself in the killer’s crosshairs. She will have to risk everything she cares about – including her own life – to find the truth.

Listen to a sample of the Audiofile Earphones Award-winning Echo Killing Audiobook below.

 Audiobook Sample

Praise for The Echo Killing

Publishers Weekly: ‘An engrossing, multifaceted mystery with snappy dialogue, a well-drawn cast of characters, and a sizzling romantic subplot. The book ends with a clever plot twist that paves the way for a sequel. Readers will eagerly await Harper’s further adventures.’

Kirkus: ‘A pulse-pounding combination of mystery and suspense that hints at a welcome follow-up.’

The Associated Press: ‘A former crime reporter, Daugherty delivers an insider’s view of journalism, from the adrenaline rush of covering a major story to the drudgery of delving into the background behind a story. She nails the newsroom culture.’

Richmond Times-Dispatch: “Eye-poppingly tense, imbued with journalistic authenticity from former crime reporter Daugherty and focused laser-like on her vivid creation of Harper, “The Echo Killing” cries out for a sequel.”

Library Journal: ‘The author of the best-selling Night School series makes her adult fiction debut with a spine-tingling, gritty mystery. With an exact attention to detail and dialogue, Daugherty sets her sinister murder stage and introduces her complex players.’

Cleveland Plain Dealer: ‘A realistic page turner that balances urban grit and Southern Gothic.’

Washington Book Review: ‘Christi Daugherty knows the art of weaving a mystery.’

‘The Echo Killing won me over utterly, from its lush southern setting, to the determined, vulnerable Harper and her dogged search for the truth’ Ruth Ware, bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood

‘I had high hopes from the first page, which were soon met and then wildly exceeded. Simply fantastic’ Alex Lake, bestselling author of After Anna

‘Hot as a Savannah summer, The Echo Killing reels the reader in with a skilful build-up of tension until you are sent hurtling towards a nerve-shredding climax. I was turning the pages with a genuinely racing heart. I can’t wait to meet Harper McCLain again’ Cass Green, bestselling author of In a Cottage In a Wood

‘This taut, atmospheric thriller held me spellbound from the first page. I didn’t want it to end!’ Linda Castillo, bestselling author of the Kate Burkholder series

‘I don’t remember breathing the whole time I read The Echo Killing. Christi Daugherty has poured her own experience as a crime writer into a taut and authentic story of a brave but damaged woman.’ Rhys Bowen, bestselling author of The Tuscan Child

‘Wrought with wonderfully alive characters and a protagonist who is both tough-minded and tender, this is a story that will have you reading late into the night.’ Diane Les Becquets, author of Breaking Wild

‘A taut, tightly-woven mystery set in the simmering heat of Savannah. This one kept me guessing till the very end . . . and then left me hungry for more! I can’t wait for Harper McLain’s next outing’ C. J. Tudor, author of The Chalk Man

‘I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping story. A brilliant mix of crime, thriller and suspense’ Sam Carrington, author of Saving Sophie

‘A dark, brilliantly paced crime novel that draws you in from the first page. Not to be missed!’ Nuala Ellwood, author of My Sister’s Bones

‘The Echo Killing had me gripped from the start. Harper McClain ranks alongside the best investigative reporters in fiction. I loved her’ Sarah Ward, author of In Bitter Chill

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 Find The Echo Killing Where You Are

The Echo Killing is published in the US by St Martin’s Press, and in the UK by Harper Collins. This is the first book in the Harper McClain Crime series. Book two – A Beautiful Corpse – will be published in 2019.

The series will also be published in:

  • Germany, by Rowohlt

  • Italy, by Corbaccio/Garzanti

  • The Netherlands, by Meulenhoff Boekerij

  • Spain, by HarperCollins Iberica

  • Portugal, by HarperCollins Iberica

  • Poland, by Czarna Owca

  • Turkey, by Penguen Kitap