Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Revolver Road

Revolver Road by Christi Daugherty
Macmillian: 3/10/20
review copy; 304 pages
Harper McClain Mystery #3


Revolver Road by Christi Daugherty is a highly recommended mystery and the third book in the Harper McClain series.

Crime reporter Harper McClain is investigating the disappearance of a musician Xavier Rayne from Tybee Island. Harper happens to be living on the island after receiving a credible warning that she needed to move out of Savannah because someone wanted her dead. She never thought that the quiet island where she has been living for months would be the scene of a major story.

Apparently Rayne went out to the beach late at night to write music and never returned. He had just released an album and was about to go on tour. His bandmates and girlfriend are living in his house on the island and seem to be grief stricken, but something doesn't quite feel right to Harper. She manages to befriend Rayne's friends for a source of inside information into his disappearance.

To make matters worse, Harper has uncovered more information that might lead her to the identity of her mother's killer. The killer has ties to Harper's family from years ago but he is about to be released from prison and is coming for Harper. Now Harper is investigating a death while looking out for a killer who is coming for her. Her on-again, off-again love interest, homicide detective Luke Walker, is back helping her.

Harper is an interesting, complex, well-developed character and readers new to the series will like her. In fact all the characters are well-developed, even the minor ones, which makes this even more interesting. It was a bit surprising that Rayne's housemates accepted Harper's overtures for friendship so easily. Under the circumstances, I would expect a whole lot more skepticism and some solid standoffish behavior from them toward any reporter.

The well-written novel features an intricate plot in both of the duel storylines. The investigations into Rayne's death and into her mother's killer are equally compelling plots and will hold your attention. I haven't read the first two Harper McClain novels and had no problem following the plot, so can be read as a stand-alone novel and doesn't require reading the first two to understand the backstory. It is a good enough novel that you will seriously want to read the first two in the series.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Macmillian.

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