Revolver Road is the third installment in Christi Daugherty’s Harper McClain series. It picks up six months after the events in book two, and I would definitely advise readers to start at the beginning of the series rather than trying to dive directly into this one. This way, you’ll have a much better understanding of the events that shaped Harper into the tenacious reporter she is today.

Harper has lived all of her life in Savannah, but now, danger seems to be stalking the streets of the city and she no longer feels safe there. It seems that the man responsible for the long ago murder of Harper’s mother is out of prison and he has his sights set on Harper. As a result, she’s taken up residence on Tybee Island which is located several miles away, and she’s been advised to keep a low profile, but that’s not easy for her to do. After all, her life is wrapped up in her career as a newspaper reporter, so she drives into Savannah almost every day. I have to say that I found her inability to stay out of the city pretty much negated the idea that she was hiding, but that’s a small quibble in the overall scheme of things.

Harper would like nothing better than to devote herself completely to learning everything she can about the man who is after her, but of course, she has other stories to cover, chief among them the disappearance of popular singer Xavier Rayne, who has just released a hit album and is preparing to go on tour with his band. As far as those closest to him can tell, nothing has been troubling him, so why did he simply walk out his front door one night and not return? True, he’s disappeared for a few days at a time before, but something about this most recent disappearance feels different to Harper, and it doesn’t take long for her to become totally immersed in the story.

When Xavier’s body washes up on the beach a couple of days later, it’s obvious to local police that he met with foul play, but they’re finding it all but impossible to uncover the identity of the murderer. Harper, of course, has her own ideas about what happened, ideas that could possibly put her directly in the path of yet another killer. It’s safe to say she has a lot on her plate, but our intrepid heroine doesn’t shy away from danger.

Harper has experienced quite a bit of growth over the course of the series. She still acts rashly on occasion, but she’s definitely learned from her previous mistakes. I dislike characters who make the same bad decisions again and again, so I appreciated Harper’s new-found ability to look critically at herself both personally and professionally. I admire her tenacity and her commitment to right the world’s wrongs whenever possible, but she does have a bit of a savior complex that could be off-putting to some readers.

As always, Christi Daugherty has imbued the novel with a fantastic sense of place. I love her ability to bring Savannah to life on the page so that in many ways, the city feels like a character in and of itself. Not all authors can pull this off, but Ms. Daugherty does it masterfully.

I’ve heard this might be the final book in the Harper McClain series, and while I’ll be sad to say goodbye, I do think this is a fitting place for the author to stop. Things are wrapped up nicely without feeling too contrived, and while I do have a few questions about Harper’s future, they’re the kinds of questions I often have when I reach the end of a beloved series.

Revolver Road is exactly the kind of tightly-plotted mystery I love, and I’m eager to see what the author has in store for us in the years to come. Her gift for creating complex and relatable characters is sure to stand her in good stead, and Harper will always have a special place in my heart as I’m sure she will for many other readers. Her journey is a tough one for sure, but she managed to come out on top, giving me a bit of hope that sometimes, the good guys really do win out over the bad.

Buy it at: Amazon or shop at your local independent bookstore

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