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Harper Connelly #2
Grave Surprise
When I was fifteen, I was struck by a bolt of lightning through an open window of the trailer where we lived...I recovered, mostly. I have a strange spiderweb pattern of red on my torso and right leg, which has episodes of weakness. Sometimes my right hand shakes. I have headaches. I have many fears. And I can find dead people. That was the part that interested the professor...
At the request of anthropology professor Dr. Clyde Nunley, Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver come to Memphis to give a demonstration of Harper's unique talent. And what better place to have that demonstration than in a very old cemetery?
Dr. Nunley doesn't bother to hide his skepticism, especially when Harper stands atop a grave and senses two bodies beneath her - one of a centuries-dead man and the other of a young girl, recently deceased. When the grave is opened, Harper's claim is proven true. The dead girl is Tabitha Morgenstern, an eleven-year-old abducted from Nashville two years previously - a child whom Harper had tried, and failed, to find. The coincidence raises suspicions about her among the police - so she and Tolliver undertake their own hunt to find the killer. They make a nocturnal visit to the cemetery, hoping that Harper can sense something further about the murder.
And then, the next morning, a third dead body is found in the grave...
295 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2006
536 people are currently reading
8155 people want to read
About the author
Charlaine Harris
333 books36.7k followersCharlaine Harris has been a published writer for over forty years. Her first two books were standalones, followed by a long sabbatical when she was having children. Then she began the Aurora Teagarden book, mysteries featuring a short librarian (eventually adapted for Hallmark movies). The darker Lily Bard books came next, about a house cleaner with a dark past and considerable fighting skills.
Tired of abiding by the mystery rules, Harris wrote a novel about a telepathic barmaid that took at least two years to sell. When the book was published, it turned into a best seller, and DEAD UNTIL DARK and the subsequent Sookie books were adapted in Alan Ball's "True Blood" series. At the same time, Harris began the Harper Connelly books. Harper can find the bones of the dead and see their last minute.
When those two series wound to a close, the next three books were about a mysterious town in Texas, called Midnight.
A change in publisher and editor led to Harris's novels about a female gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth Rose. The Gunnie Rose books concluded with the sixth novel.
She's thinking about what to write next.
Tired of abiding by the mystery rules, Harris wrote a novel about a telepathic barmaid that took at least two years to sell. When the book was published, it turned into a best seller, and DEAD UNTIL DARK and the subsequent Sookie books were adapted in Alan Ball's "True Blood" series. At the same time, Harris began the Harper Connelly books. Harper can find the bones of the dead and see their last minute.
When those two series wound to a close, the next three books were about a mysterious town in Texas, called Midnight.
A change in publisher and editor led to Harris's novels about a female gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth Rose. The Gunnie Rose books concluded with the sixth novel.
She's thinking about what to write next.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,513 reviews
July 26, 2015
3.5 stars!
“I love the South, don’t get me wrong; but it does lag behind the times in social developments.”
The second book in a series of four, you must read Grave Sight before reading this book. Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver travel the US, using Harper's ability to find dead bodies and to know how they died as a means of employment. This came about when Harper was struck by lightning when she was a teenager. Harper and Tolliver are called to Memphis for a grave reading in an old cemetery. While there Harper discovers the body of an eleven year old girl that she had searched for before.
Now the mystery begins as it was obvious someone put the body there for her to find, and instead of a random stranger having taken the girl, it's someone close to home. Tied up in the case, Harper and Tolliver are stuck in Memphis and are further entwined in the case when another body shows up in the same grave, someone they know.
I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible, while I like these books and they're a wonderful urban fantasy guilty pleasure, I think that Charlaine Harris isn't a very good writer. I'm sorry! But the way she writes almost excludes feelings, skipping around settings in a sentence where I have to go back and reread them because I missed it it was so quick. In fact, a ghost showed up and I had no clue he was a ghost until she explicitly said so four pages later! I guess what I'm trying to say is she isn't always very clear with her writing.
“Nothing could stop tragedy from visiting your home. The angel of death would not pass over, leaving you unscathed, no matter how large your house was."
Now here's a small spoiler I'm not tagging: I went into this series knowing that a romantic relationship developed between Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver. And while it doesn't bother me I could see how people would be a little creeped out by it, especially since they refer to each other as brother and sister in the books. But since I knew going in I felt it was fairly obvious what was developing since the beginning, and I'm not really creeped out by it because they aren't blood related. It was interesting to see Harper's revelation of her feelings in this book and I really want to see how she'll handle it in the next book.
As for the mystery, it was slow and came together all too quickly at the end. As all of Ms. Harris's books do. At this point I'm not reading for the mystery, I'm reading for the character development and the use of Harper's abilities and how they affect her life. That's the part I enjoy about these books.
So remember everyone, 3 stars means I liked it! Don't pity the 3 star rating, I still very much enjoyed! I'll continue the series as I am intrigued by these characters.
“I love the South, don’t get me wrong; but it does lag behind the times in social developments.”
The second book in a series of four, you must read Grave Sight before reading this book. Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver travel the US, using Harper's ability to find dead bodies and to know how they died as a means of employment. This came about when Harper was struck by lightning when she was a teenager. Harper and Tolliver are called to Memphis for a grave reading in an old cemetery. While there Harper discovers the body of an eleven year old girl that she had searched for before.
Now the mystery begins as it was obvious someone put the body there for her to find, and instead of a random stranger having taken the girl, it's someone close to home. Tied up in the case, Harper and Tolliver are stuck in Memphis and are further entwined in the case when another body shows up in the same grave, someone they know.
I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible, while I like these books and they're a wonderful urban fantasy guilty pleasure, I think that Charlaine Harris isn't a very good writer. I'm sorry! But the way she writes almost excludes feelings, skipping around settings in a sentence where I have to go back and reread them because I missed it it was so quick. In fact, a ghost showed up and I had no clue he was a ghost until she explicitly said so four pages later! I guess what I'm trying to say is she isn't always very clear with her writing.
“Nothing could stop tragedy from visiting your home. The angel of death would not pass over, leaving you unscathed, no matter how large your house was."
Now here's a small spoiler I'm not tagging: I went into this series knowing that a romantic relationship developed between Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver. And while it doesn't bother me I could see how people would be a little creeped out by it, especially since they refer to each other as brother and sister in the books. But since I knew going in I felt it was fairly obvious what was developing since the beginning, and I'm not really creeped out by it because they aren't blood related. It was interesting to see Harper's revelation of her feelings in this book and I really want to see how she'll handle it in the next book.
As for the mystery, it was slow and came together all too quickly at the end. As all of Ms. Harris's books do. At this point I'm not reading for the mystery, I'm reading for the character development and the use of Harper's abilities and how they affect her life. That's the part I enjoy about these books.
So remember everyone, 3 stars means I liked it! Don't pity the 3 star rating, I still very much enjoyed! I'll continue the series as I am intrigued by these characters.
April 29, 2017
I don't know why some readers are freaked out about the relationship between Harper and Tolliver, her "brother". The way I see it, these two are completely in love with each other, but are too afraid to tell the other so they pretend that they accept this sibling role when they are in no way related. They live as if they are a married couple, but go out and have sex occasionally with other people to take the edge off. Maybe if they had grown up together since childhood, I could see their relationship as teetering to incestuous, but when you read their back story, you realize that they met as teenagers and only lived in the same house for a few years. It would actually be very understandable for them to have a romantic relationship.
You can call what you want, but we all see the truth as plain as day
In this book, the wonder-twins are in town to walk through a graveyard and call out the dead peoples' names and cause of death. It is for a college class and the professor is out to "debunk" Harper. Well, too bad for him that she can really do it! And, while there, she finds a body that was a recent murder victim. It ends up being the body of a young girl that Harper had previously look for and couldn't find. Coincidence? No such thing. Now, they are stuck in town until the case is solved.
I knew it!!
The mystery in this book is decent, but I did tag the killer right away. That's okay because there were plenty of other things going on to make it an interesting read. One of those things being that Manfred shows up, and he's a teenager, and his grandma is still alive. That was really cool. Plus, he has a crush on Harper.
This is how they are depicting Manfred for the Midnight, Texas tv show: (he's the main character)
But, I'm a little disappointed because book-Manfred has bleached blonde hair, is covered in tattoos, and has multiple piercings. I think that would be much more interesting to see. Why do I have a feeling that NBC will ruin that book series for me?
Anyway, this series is shaping up to be pretty fun. I like Harper and Tolliver, and I do hope they get their crap together and stop living in denial soon.
You can call what you want, but we all see the truth as plain as day
In this book, the wonder-twins are in town to walk through a graveyard and call out the dead peoples' names and cause of death. It is for a college class and the professor is out to "debunk" Harper. Well, too bad for him that she can really do it! And, while there, she finds a body that was a recent murder victim. It ends up being the body of a young girl that Harper had previously look for and couldn't find. Coincidence? No such thing. Now, they are stuck in town until the case is solved.
I knew it!!
The mystery in this book is decent, but I did tag the killer right away. That's okay because there were plenty of other things going on to make it an interesting read. One of those things being that Manfred shows up, and he's a teenager, and his grandma is still alive. That was really cool. Plus, he has a crush on Harper.
This is how they are depicting Manfred for the Midnight, Texas tv show: (he's the main character)
But, I'm a little disappointed because book-Manfred has bleached blonde hair, is covered in tattoos, and has multiple piercings. I think that would be much more interesting to see. Why do I have a feeling that NBC will ruin that book series for me?
Anyway, this series is shaping up to be pretty fun. I like Harper and Tolliver, and I do hope they get their crap together and stop living in denial soon.
May 28, 2019
Great series. I tried the Sookie series as well as Aurora Teagarden and they just didn’t do anything for me. Charlaine Harris’ Harper Connelly series is an edgier read. Harper was hit by lightning as a teen and can now identify the dead. Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver now travel the United States as she tries to find bodies for families that are grieving. She can also identify how the person died. On top of the baggage of being the survivor of lightning strike and associated with the dead she also has to deal with suspicion and outright hostility from people that think she and her brother are scam artists and charlatans.
I’m not going to review each book, but with just four books in the series the overall arc is the changing relationship of Harper and Tolliver and their search for their dead body. Harper’s sister went missing years ago, and part of their journey is to one day find out what happened.
Each individual book deals with specific murder mystery which can run the gamut of creepy to sad to downright gruesome. No gross violence, but some of the murders are pretty intense. If you like a well done mystery with a smart heroine, then take a chance.
I’m not going to review each book, but with just four books in the series the overall arc is the changing relationship of Harper and Tolliver and their search for their dead body. Harper’s sister went missing years ago, and part of their journey is to one day find out what happened.
Each individual book deals with specific murder mystery which can run the gamut of creepy to sad to downright gruesome. No gross violence, but some of the murders are pretty intense. If you like a well done mystery with a smart heroine, then take a chance.
February 20, 2024
This was an impulse read, because I enjoyed reacquainting myself with Charlaine Harris’ version of the South. I really like Harper Connelly as a main character with her ability to sense the dead and her pragmatic approach to life. Harris is also very good at thinking up complex problems for Harper to solve. An unexpected body in an old cemetery plot puts the cat among the pigeons. Then a third body gets deposited there, stirring the pot even further.
Harris also likes to have characters from other series make appearances in her fiction, so I was only mildly surprised when Manfred Bernardo and Xylda wandered into this one. There seem to be cross-links between all of her various series. (This also makes me want to go back and reread her Midnight, Texas series).
The next two books in this series are available as ebooks and it is going to take all of my rotten will power not to binge them immediately.
Harris also likes to have characters from other series make appearances in her fiction, so I was only mildly surprised when Manfred Bernardo and Xylda wandered into this one. There seem to be cross-links between all of her various series. (This also makes me want to go back and reread her Midnight, Texas series).
The next two books in this series are available as ebooks and it is going to take all of my rotten will power not to binge them immediately.
June 30, 2010
Okay, I tried. I really tried. I got another book from this series, just to see if it left me feeling icky. And it did. Oh, it did.
Once again, the creepy relationship between Harper and Tolliver was there for all to see. Every time she mentioned him "holding" her or kissing her, I just wanted to pull my eyeballs out and scrub them. Once again, Harper had to talk about how Tolliver was all about having sex with waitresses. Why waitresses? I mean...why would the author include that? Why not just "random women"?
Something else got under my skin too...the flippant way in which Harper says she doesn't work for free and she's gotta earn a living. Many folks express disgust at how Harper makes money off of her unique talent. I wouldn't have even thought of it, but the author hammered it over my head time after time. And then I realized, yeah, it is kinda gruesome. Harper was so blaze about it that I wanted to smack her. I understand that yeah, girls gotta eat, but at least show some humility.
One character went so far as to call Tolliver her "pimp" and I could almost agree. I mean, what does he do besides make comments against any male who shows any interest in Harper, set up appointments and collect the money. All we need is a scene where he tells Harper to get out there and make daddy more money and we are all set.
I really love the basic idea of this book, as I said in my other review. If Harper was a little more humble and grown up and if Tolliver had gotten himself a stable somewhere out west instead of being her, um, "manager", I know I would love this series. But as it is.....
Once again, the creepy relationship between Harper and Tolliver was there for all to see. Every time she mentioned him "holding" her or kissing her, I just wanted to pull my eyeballs out and scrub them. Once again, Harper had to talk about how Tolliver was all about having sex with waitresses. Why waitresses? I mean...why would the author include that? Why not just "random women"?
Something else got under my skin too...the flippant way in which Harper says she doesn't work for free and she's gotta earn a living. Many folks express disgust at how Harper makes money off of her unique talent. I wouldn't have even thought of it, but the author hammered it over my head time after time. And then I realized, yeah, it is kinda gruesome. Harper was so blaze about it that I wanted to smack her. I understand that yeah, girls gotta eat, but at least show some humility.
One character went so far as to call Tolliver her "pimp" and I could almost agree. I mean, what does he do besides make comments against any male who shows any interest in Harper, set up appointments and collect the money. All we need is a scene where he tells Harper to get out there and make daddy more money and we are all set.
I really love the basic idea of this book, as I said in my other review. If Harper was a little more humble and grown up and if Tolliver had gotten himself a stable somewhere out west instead of being her, um, "manager", I know I would love this series. But as it is.....
April 18, 2022
After being struck by lightning when she was fifteen, Harper Connelly gained the ability to find dead people and perceive just how they died. Now Harper and her manager/stepbrother/best friend Tolliver use her talent to make a living. At the request of Professor Clyde Nunley, Harper and Tolliver travel to Memphis to St. Margaret's Cemetery where Harper begins to tell his class how each person died. But when she steps onto one of the graves, she realizes there are two bodies inside. One is the original inhabitant from 150 years ago. The second is a murder victim who was buried on top of him. Eleven-year-old Tabith Morganstern disappeared from Nashville almost two years ago. Harper was hired to find her, but was unsuccessful. Now Tabitha has been discovered buried in an old cemetery miles away from her home. It's up to Harper and Tolliver to figure out who put her there.
This paranormal mystery is the second book in the series. The mystery was well done with several suspects to pick from. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. My rating: 4 Stars.
This paranormal mystery is the second book in the series. The mystery was well done with several suspects to pick from. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. My rating: 4 Stars.
September 8, 2020
Grave Surprise is the second book in the Harper Connelly series by American author, Charlaine Harris. The audio version is narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan. Harper has been invited by a sceptical anthropology professor at Bingham College in Memphis to demonstrate her talent for determining cause of death at an old cemetery. She does well until the last grave, where she finds two bodies, the most recent burial being Tabitha Morgenstern, an eleven-year-old whom Harper had tried unsuccessfully to find in Nashville almost two years ago. Harper and Tolliver realise immediately this cannot be a coincidence. Soon they are embroiled in an investigation that attracts media attention (of the wrong sort) and have to face the distraught family. Throw into the mix a nosy PI, a single-minded FBI agent, a psychic ex-prostitute and her pierced and tattooed grandson, disbelieving police and family members with their own agendas, followed by yet another corpse in the same grave, and you have a first-rate mystery with plenty of twists and turns, a couple of red herrings and plenty of suspects. The reader learns a little more of Harper’s own history, Harper makes a startling discovery about herself and the psychic makes some personal predictions for her that the reader will do well to remember for the next instalment, An Ice Cold Grave.
May 8, 2025
Entertaining mystery listening 👒🤗
This kindle ebook novel is from my local library book two of four
Harper and Tolliver are asked to a cemetery where a professor wants to discrete Harper. But she uncovers a body that should not be there. It is full of twist and turns that finally lead to the truth and arrest of the killer. 🙃😏
I would recommend this series and author to readers of family and friends relationships adventures mystery novels 🏡😮 2025 🌜👀
This kindle ebook novel is from my local library book two of four
Harper and Tolliver are asked to a cemetery where a professor wants to discrete Harper. But she uncovers a body that should not be there. It is full of twist and turns that finally lead to the truth and arrest of the killer. 🙃😏
I would recommend this series and author to readers of family and friends relationships adventures mystery novels 🏡😮 2025 🌜👀
September 7, 2007
Definitely need to read "Grave Sight" first; this one doesn't stand on its own. Story developed nicely ... until the end. Read as though the author had stopped short, put away the manuscript, and returned close to the contract deadline to tack on a thrown-together ending.
June 8, 2023
Oye, pues me gustó más que el anterior en el que los protagonistas me habían parecido particularmente poco carismáticos. No sé si porque los voy conociendo más, ya no pienso lo mismo. Con un arranque sorprendente y una entrada en materia muy buena. Los personajes implicados también son más interesantes aquí.
Se lee muy rápido, eso sí. Tiendo a preferir lecturas más largas. 카지노싸이트 lectores (Libre. Especial)
Se lee muy rápido, eso sí. Tiendo a preferir lecturas más largas. 카지노싸이트 lectores (Libre. Especial)
February 9, 2017
A thoroughly enjoyable book in the Harper Connelly series. Harper is no ordinary young woman, when she was a teenager she was struck by lightning and was left with both physical scars and a new mental ability, she can find missing dead people and also sense how they died. Harper and Tolliver had been employed over a year ago to find the body of a little girl called Tabitha Morgenstern aged eleven. Sadly at the time Harper was unsuccessful but when she is invited by anthropology professor Dr. Clyde Nunley to go to Memphis and give a demonstration of her abilities to his students Harper is shocked to find herself standing on the grave where Tabitha is buried. Why is she here so far away from where she was abducted in Nashville? Harper gets another surprise when she finds out that Tabitha's family are now living in Memphis and it is in fact the home town of the Morgenstern family. The police are called in and Harper and Tolliver are bombarded with questions and even treated as suspects and frauds.
This is a really good detective story, supernatural and ghost story all rolled into one.
This is a really good detective story, supernatural and ghost story all rolled into one.
April 4, 2021
The twist in this book seemed pretty obvious to me. However, I love the development of H&T’s relationship and how we get a glimpse at how they are both fighting the OTP.
I LOVE Xlyda and Manfred. Excellent additions, in my humble opinion.
The next book is my favorite—at least from what I remember so I hope it holds up.
I LOVE Xlyda and Manfred. Excellent additions, in my humble opinion.
The next book is my favorite—at least from what I remember so I hope it holds up.
October 23, 2014
Not a bad book, but not quite as good as the first due to redundancy. Very similar to the first in the plot & all. Again, the heroine isn't very upbeat nor is the story line. Same issues with folks accepting her for what she is/does.
The biggest drawback was background of the heroine. We're treated to several pages where she crams in all the background info we learned through the first book & then she dishes it out again through out the book. OK, she & her step-brother had a rough time as kids, but I had that drilled into me in the first book. It was shoved in my face over & over again until I was skimming at times.
There is one 'shocking revelation' on her part. I don't like spoiler reviews, so I won't say what it is. It didn't strike me too well, though. It was understandable in many ways, but her reaction seemed over dramatic. Maybe it's a female/moral thing. Very possible. I'm a guy & my morals tend toward practicality, so others could think this was OK. I think I'll go looking for a topic that discusses this & see what others think.
The biggest drawback was background of the heroine. We're treated to several pages where she crams in all the background info we learned through the first book & then she dishes it out again through out the book. OK, she & her step-brother had a rough time as kids, but I had that drilled into me in the first book. It was shoved in my face over & over again until I was skimming at times.
There is one 'shocking revelation' on her part. I don't like spoiler reviews, so I won't say what it is. It didn't strike me too well, though. It was understandable in many ways, but her reaction seemed over dramatic. Maybe it's a female/moral thing. Very possible. I'm a guy & my morals tend toward practicality, so others could think this was OK. I think I'll go looking for a topic that discusses this & see what others think.
May 8, 2013
Quick review:
Cover: Interesting
Rating: R
Thumbs Up: 4
Overall: I enjoyed it
Characters: Well Done
Plot: giving the finger to the doubters
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Yes
Book Boyfriend: Tolliver
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
The lightning strikes again. I really like this series. I think I like Harper much more than Sookie. I like that this book seems to have a lot more going on than the mystery set in front of us. This one kept me guessing longer than the last book.
For a full review and yummy pic, see my blog post at:
Audio Review
Alyssa Bresnahan did a really good job with this series. She really brought this series to life for me.
Cover: Interesting
Rating: R
Thumbs Up: 4
Overall: I enjoyed it
Characters: Well Done
Plot: giving the finger to the doubters
Page Turner: Yes
Series Cont.? Yes
Recommend: Yes
Book Boyfriend: Tolliver
SUMMARY (50 words or less)
The lightning strikes again. I really like this series. I think I like Harper much more than Sookie. I like that this book seems to have a lot more going on than the mystery set in front of us. This one kept me guessing longer than the last book.
For a full review and yummy pic, see my blog post at:
Audio Review
Alyssa Bresnahan did a really good job with this series. She really brought this series to life for me.
June 15, 2024
3.5 rounded down
I like the mystery but I'm still not sure how I feel about Harper and Tolliver. I will continue the series as I like the premise and there are only 2 more books left to read.
I like the mystery but I'm still not sure how I feel about Harper and Tolliver. I will continue the series as I like the premise and there are only 2 more books left to read.
October 8, 2017
4 Stars rounded up from 3.5 stars for audiobook.
I am re-reading this series, but this time the audiobooks. Same reader as the first book - actually they keep the same narrator throughout the 4 book series (Alyssa Bresnahan). I like her. Does she have it easier, because it is written in the first person (Harper)? She doesn't really have to do voices? No matter, she does a good job.
In this second book, Harper is hired by a college professor, Professor Nunley to read the dead people in the graves in an older cemetery on his college campus in Memphis. He wants to debunk her abilities using a log of the graves contents that were recently discovered. Not only is Harper correct for all of the graves she reads, but she finds a new body that has been buried on top of an older grave. She determines that it is a young girl, Tabitha who had gone missing 2 years earlier in Nashville. Harper and her step-brother, Tolliver are very familiar with Tabitha. They were hired by the family to try to find Tabitha, however Harper was unable to find her, until now.
This is paranormal, because of Harper's abilities, but not scary, monster paranormal (vampires, werewolves, etc.). Nor is it psychic or at least Harper does not label herself as a psychic. She describes it like this - "Psychics—honest psychics—do receive a lot of information when they touch something a crime victim owned. The bad part is, quite often they receive information so vague it’s almost useless (“The body’s buried in the middle of an empty field”), unless you have a good idea what you’re looking for to begin with." She just finds dead bodies or as she stated once - “The closer I get, the more intense the buzz, the vibration, is. When I’m on top of them, I can reach down and tell how they died. I’m not a psychic. I’m not a precognate, or a telepath. I don’t see who killed them. I only see the death when I’m near the bones.”
So this mystery - who put Tabitha's body in a grave in Memphis? Was it Harper? Why? Was she set up if so, by whom? I can't really comment on the mystery, since I read it before and I don't know if I guessed it correctly because it was obvious or was it obvious because I vaguely remembered?
Harper and Tolliver have an interesting relationship. They are step-siblings but not blood related. Harper's mother married Tolliver's father. They met when they were young teens. Because their parents were drug addicts, they raised their younger sisters while in their teens. That is until the authorities discovered their living situations when Harper's sister, Cameron went missing walking home from High School. Cameron was never found by authorities or Harper. Their two youngest sisters, were taken by their Aunt and Uncle, Harper going into the Foster system, Tolliver was already 19 or 20. Harper and Tolliver are best friends, business partners and support system. But in this book, Harper realizes after all these years that Tolliver is more than just a BFF to her... though she never states it out loud - to herself or to him.
On to book 3, An Ice Cold Grave.
I am re-reading this series, but this time the audiobooks. Same reader as the first book - actually they keep the same narrator throughout the 4 book series (Alyssa Bresnahan). I like her. Does she have it easier, because it is written in the first person (Harper)? She doesn't really have to do voices? No matter, she does a good job.
In this second book, Harper is hired by a college professor, Professor Nunley to read the dead people in the graves in an older cemetery on his college campus in Memphis. He wants to debunk her abilities using a log of the graves contents that were recently discovered. Not only is Harper correct for all of the graves she reads, but she finds a new body that has been buried on top of an older grave. She determines that it is a young girl, Tabitha who had gone missing 2 years earlier in Nashville. Harper and her step-brother, Tolliver are very familiar with Tabitha. They were hired by the family to try to find Tabitha, however Harper was unable to find her, until now.
This is paranormal, because of Harper's abilities, but not scary, monster paranormal (vampires, werewolves, etc.). Nor is it psychic or at least Harper does not label herself as a psychic. She describes it like this - "Psychics—honest psychics—do receive a lot of information when they touch something a crime victim owned. The bad part is, quite often they receive information so vague it’s almost useless (“The body’s buried in the middle of an empty field”), unless you have a good idea what you’re looking for to begin with." She just finds dead bodies or as she stated once - “The closer I get, the more intense the buzz, the vibration, is. When I’m on top of them, I can reach down and tell how they died. I’m not a psychic. I’m not a precognate, or a telepath. I don’t see who killed them. I only see the death when I’m near the bones.”
So this mystery - who put Tabitha's body in a grave in Memphis? Was it Harper? Why? Was she set up if so, by whom? I can't really comment on the mystery, since I read it before and I don't know if I guessed it correctly because it was obvious or was it obvious because I vaguely remembered?
Harper and Tolliver have an interesting relationship. They are step-siblings but not blood related. Harper's mother married Tolliver's father. They met when they were young teens. Because their parents were drug addicts, they raised their younger sisters while in their teens. That is until the authorities discovered their living situations when Harper's sister, Cameron went missing walking home from High School. Cameron was never found by authorities or Harper. Their two youngest sisters, were taken by their Aunt and Uncle, Harper going into the Foster system, Tolliver was already 19 or 20. Harper and Tolliver are best friends, business partners and support system. But in this book, Harper realizes after all these years that Tolliver is more than just a BFF to her... though she never states it out loud - to herself or to him.
On to book 3, An Ice Cold Grave.
December 1, 2015
Generally, these books are not the fillet mignon of books. They're the carnival corn dogs. This book, like a corn dog, is bad for you, but yet somehow you eat it anyway.
I've often said that Charlaine Harris's books are like the trash tv equivalent of the book world, and even though the characters are awful, disgusting people, I can't help but read this crap.
Harper and her step brother Tolliver still have this weird, co-dependent relationship with each other. And at least on Harper's part, she comes to the revelation that she "trusts" him so much, he's the only person she could ever consider having a baby with!!
Technically since they aren't blood related, they could have a relationship with no issue. BUT they call each other brother and sister which just makes the whole thing really disgusting to even think about. The story really hangs on their unhealthy relationship too. So many times in this book and the last, people make the mistake of thinking they're husband and wife, and then get really uncomfortable when Harper says they're siblings.
The ending in this one was pretty damn weak, too. Harris wrapped everything up that needed to be said in about two pages or so, which was very rushed and also just bad writing.
Ultimately, I'd say that the Harper Connelly books aren't my favorites by any means, but I'm curious about how everything ends. I think with a better writer, this series could actually be quite good.
I've often said that Charlaine Harris's books are like the trash tv equivalent of the book world, and even though the characters are awful, disgusting people, I can't help but read this crap.
Harper and her step brother Tolliver still have this weird, co-dependent relationship with each other. And at least on Harper's part, she comes to the revelation that she "trusts" him so much, he's the only person she could ever consider having a baby with!!
Technically since they aren't blood related, they could have a relationship with no issue. BUT they call each other brother and sister which just makes the whole thing really disgusting to even think about. The story really hangs on their unhealthy relationship too. So many times in this book and the last, people make the mistake of thinking they're husband and wife, and then get really uncomfortable when Harper says they're siblings.
The ending in this one was pretty damn weak, too. Harris wrapped everything up that needed to be said in about two pages or so, which was very rushed and also just bad writing.
Ultimately, I'd say that the Harper Connelly books aren't my favorites by any means, but I'm curious about how everything ends. I think with a better writer, this series could actually be quite good.
February 6, 2017
Charlaine Harris does it again. I really enjoyed this one. In the 2nd installment of this series Harper comes face to face with a case she couldn't solve. She has to try to figure it all out before she gets herself in trouble or killed. Looking forward to next book.
August 14, 2020
I'm glad I finally had the chance to jump back into the Harper Connelly series. It was so cool to see Manfred of Midnight, Texas's cameo with Xylda and everything. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
July 16, 2025
Ms. Harris always adds a touch of the paranormal making her books a mystery genre all of their own.
In this tale, Harper, a young woman has a very special talent/gift. After being struck by lightning and being brought back to life via CPR she can now detect dead bodies under her feet and communicate with the dead to get information regarding their reason for dying and some basic personal information like name, sex, etc. Harper travels around the country with her stepbrother and makes a living finding bodies and cause of death.
While on her latest job Harper discovers not one, but two bodies buried in a grave, one that she has a connection with several months before. And so, the tale begins.
This turned into a real page turner for me, and I really enjoyed it.
50 State Challenge-#30- Tennessee- check
In this tale, Harper, a young woman has a very special talent/gift. After being struck by lightning and being brought back to life via CPR she can now detect dead bodies under her feet and communicate with the dead to get information regarding their reason for dying and some basic personal information like name, sex, etc. Harper travels around the country with her stepbrother and makes a living finding bodies and cause of death.
While on her latest job Harper discovers not one, but two bodies buried in a grave, one that she has a connection with several months before. And so, the tale begins.
This turned into a real page turner for me, and I really enjoyed it.
50 State Challenge-#30- Tennessee- check
December 19, 2021
First time with this author and throughly enjoyed the characters. Always love the supernatural clairvoyant stories. Didn’t read the true blood or midnight Texas series but loved the show. I think I may continue to add this series TBR pile. Overall good read!
October 7, 2007
GRAVE SURPRISE (Paranormal Suspense-Memphis-Cont) – VG
Harris, Charlaine – 2nd in series
Berkeley Prime Crime, 2006- Hardcover
*** Harper Collins and her stepbrother Tolliver have come to Memphis at the request of Professor Clyde Nunley. He has asked Harper to demonstrate her unique ability to find the dead and know how they died. When she comes the grave of a centuries-old man she not only identifies him, but a second corpse buried on top—the body of a girl Harper had been hired, but failed, to find previously. Now that they’ve found the body, the question is who killed her?
*** I’ll admit I like books involving the paranormal when it’s well done, and this is. This series is more serious than Ms. Harris Sookie Stackhouse series, which I like. The main character and her step-brother are interesting, well-developed characters whose pasts tie them together in a unique way which will certainly influence their future. Harper struggles with the aftereffects, both physically and emotionally, of the event which triggered her abilities and with the lack of understanding from others. To me, this gives her an vulnerability and sense of frustration which seem very human. The story is well-plotted and interesting with some fascinating secondary characters. They story being set in Memphis added an interesting side element about which one wouldn’t normally think. I very much enjoyed this book and recommend it to those who enjoy the paranormal.
Harris, Charlaine – 2nd in series
Berkeley Prime Crime, 2006- Hardcover
*** Harper Collins and her stepbrother Tolliver have come to Memphis at the request of Professor Clyde Nunley. He has asked Harper to demonstrate her unique ability to find the dead and know how they died. When she comes the grave of a centuries-old man she not only identifies him, but a second corpse buried on top—the body of a girl Harper had been hired, but failed, to find previously. Now that they’ve found the body, the question is who killed her?
*** I’ll admit I like books involving the paranormal when it’s well done, and this is. This series is more serious than Ms. Harris Sookie Stackhouse series, which I like. The main character and her step-brother are interesting, well-developed characters whose pasts tie them together in a unique way which will certainly influence their future. Harper struggles with the aftereffects, both physically and emotionally, of the event which triggered her abilities and with the lack of understanding from others. To me, this gives her an vulnerability and sense of frustration which seem very human. The story is well-plotted and interesting with some fascinating secondary characters. They story being set in Memphis added an interesting side element about which one wouldn’t normally think. I very much enjoyed this book and recommend it to those who enjoy the paranormal.
September 5, 2014
Harper's second adventure (at least our second adventure with her) was just as fun as the first. Not too predictable, always interesting, and with great characters. The only issue I had was that we didn't get as much action as the first. Yeah, there were a few murders and twists, but I felt like a lot of time was spent at the hotel discussing who could possibly have done it, as opposed to the first where they were out there getting their hands dirty. I still enjoyed it, and know that cases have to be different, and can't wait to read book three. :)
September 13, 2017
Okay this is another one I finished ages ago, and I'm going to try to remember it for the purposes of cleaning off my goodreads shelves and getting a review on here. This review will be short and sweet, with just a few impressions so I don't spoil anything.
First, just like in the first book, the villain was laughably obvious (actually even more so this time). Harris is taking a premise and making it paper thin with each book. Harper's job as a corpse finder should be done once the body was found but because that would have meant no story, she and/or Tolliver had to be suspected in some way and told not to leave town long enough to get 200 pages in.
Second and more important, I am not a fan of the way Harris decided to go re: Harper and Tolliver. Gross. If she wanted to go toward Harper falling in love with her stepbrother, she shouldn't have had them calling each other "brother" and "sister" over the last two books. Ick. I can live with a step-siblings in love schtick (although the older I get, the more that squicks me out), but not after getting used to thinking of them as siblings thanks to Harris's own writings. I wish Harris had done what I initially thought she'd do and hooked Harper up with the cute, goth grandson of her psychic friend (Zelda? It's been a month, so I'm blanking on names) -- only in a few years. The development of Harper's crush on her "brother" in this book was just... blech!
Oh, this was an audio read for me and I remember I wasn't a huge fan of the narrator, but I honestly can't remember why... Sorry, that's not very helpful.
Overall I liked the story, but I hope the next book is a little harder to figure out. And if we're going to deal with the stepsibling thing, I'm hoping they'll stop referring to each other as brother and sister when introducing themselves without specifying the "step" part.
See? Short and sweet... or not sweet, but short.
First, just like in the first book, the villain was laughably obvious (actually even more so this time). Harris is taking a premise and making it paper thin with each book. Harper's job as a corpse finder should be done once the body was found but because that would have meant no story, she and/or Tolliver had to be suspected in some way and told not to leave town long enough to get 200 pages in.
Second and more important, I am not a fan of the way Harris decided to go re: Harper and Tolliver. Gross. If she wanted to go toward Harper falling in love with her stepbrother, she shouldn't have had them calling each other "brother" and "sister" over the last two books. Ick. I can live with a step-siblings in love schtick (although the older I get, the more that squicks me out), but not after getting used to thinking of them as siblings thanks to Harris's own writings. I wish Harris had done what I initially thought she'd do and hooked Harper up with the cute, goth grandson of her psychic friend (Zelda? It's been a month, so I'm blanking on names) -- only in a few years. The development of Harper's crush on her "brother" in this book was just... blech!
Oh, this was an audio read for me and I remember I wasn't a huge fan of the narrator, but I honestly can't remember why... Sorry, that's not very helpful.
Overall I liked the story, but I hope the next book is a little harder to figure out. And if we're going to deal with the stepsibling thing, I'm hoping they'll stop referring to each other as brother and sister when introducing themselves without specifying the "step" part.
See? Short and sweet... or not sweet, but short.
October 25, 2020
Another good mystery that didn’t drag or stall out. I, of course, guessed wrong on who the killer turned out to be and isn’t that what you’re looking for? Not an easily guessed whodunnit. This is another series I’m interested in continuing.
July 21, 2024
Entertaining second entry in an excellent, paranormal, murder-mystery series
This story picks up immediately after the events at the end of Grave Sight, which is Book 1 of this series. For information about the setting and backstory of this series, see my review of that book. It is important to read all of the books in this series and read them in order, because they build on each other in terms of the relationship between Harper and her step-brother and business partner, Tolliver, and because there is an overarching mystery plot, the solution of the murder of Harper's older sister, which is not resolved until the end of Book 4.
I am not describing in this review the setup for the murder mystery in this novel, because it is very well done in the blurb provided by the publisher, and also because, to me personally, what is much more interesting is the evolution of the relationship between Harper and Tolliver. The two of them have known each other since Harper was 15 and Tolliver was 18, when their addict parents legalized their shacking-up arrangement and got married. That tragically troubled union produced two little girls. When Harper was 17 and her older sister vanished, and was presumed murdered, the spotlight put on their dysfunctional family by the resulting police investigation revealed how badly their children were being neglected. When the parents were sent to jail for multiple drug-related offenses, Harper was put into foster care, Tolliver went to live with his older brother, and their toddler half-sisters were sent to live with, and were later adopted by, Harper's conservative-Christian maternal aunt and her husband. After Harper graduated from high school, for the next six years, up until the present time, she and Tolliver have been traveling all over the USA, so that Harper can fulfill commissions arranged by Tolliver for her to find the missing bodies of murdered individuals. When Harper finds their bodies, she experiences their last few moments before death and knows exactly how they died, but unfortunately, she never sees their killer. Utilizing her paranormal ability is physically exhausting for Harper, but it is also exhilarating for her to be able to to be of service to others by giving them peace about the fate of their lost loved ones.
In this novel, Harper has finally realized that her feelings toward Tolliver have changed from that of a platonic step-sibling to that of a potential mate. CH employs the expected, obvious romantic conflict that is in every single "friends become lovers" romance plot: Harper is afraid to let Tolliver know how she feels for fear that she will lose him. But attempting to hide her feelings makes her so stiff and anxious, Tolliver assumes she is angry at him. And that drastic change in attitude, from a previously deeply emotionally close BFF connection to a prickly, evasive coolness, in and of itself, is in danger of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, and driving Tolliver away.
When I first read this novel 10 years ago, I considered it to be a 5-star read, but I did not write a review stating how and why I reached that conclusion. This time around, I still consider it a 5-star read, and this is why: The mystery is compelling, the advancement of the budding romance between Harper and Tolliver is quite enjoyable, and a significant subcharacter, Manfred Bernardo, is introduced, who later received his own series, Midnight, Texas. (That series has recently been produced in its entirety in the format of multicast, dramatic productions by GraphicAudio, and they are all available through Hoopla. This is also a paranormal mystery series, which is quite entertaining. Manfred is an adorable protagonist.)
The same talented voice artist, Alyssa Bresnahan, narrates the entire Harper Connelly series. She does such an excellent job, it greatly enhanced my enjoyment of each of the novels in the series.
I obtained free access to the audiobooks in this series through my Audible membership.
This story picks up immediately after the events at the end of Grave Sight, which is Book 1 of this series. For information about the setting and backstory of this series, see my review of that book. It is important to read all of the books in this series and read them in order, because they build on each other in terms of the relationship between Harper and her step-brother and business partner, Tolliver, and because there is an overarching mystery plot, the solution of the murder of Harper's older sister, which is not resolved until the end of Book 4.
I am not describing in this review the setup for the murder mystery in this novel, because it is very well done in the blurb provided by the publisher, and also because, to me personally, what is much more interesting is the evolution of the relationship between Harper and Tolliver. The two of them have known each other since Harper was 15 and Tolliver was 18, when their addict parents legalized their shacking-up arrangement and got married. That tragically troubled union produced two little girls. When Harper was 17 and her older sister vanished, and was presumed murdered, the spotlight put on their dysfunctional family by the resulting police investigation revealed how badly their children were being neglected. When the parents were sent to jail for multiple drug-related offenses, Harper was put into foster care, Tolliver went to live with his older brother, and their toddler half-sisters were sent to live with, and were later adopted by, Harper's conservative-Christian maternal aunt and her husband. After Harper graduated from high school, for the next six years, up until the present time, she and Tolliver have been traveling all over the USA, so that Harper can fulfill commissions arranged by Tolliver for her to find the missing bodies of murdered individuals. When Harper finds their bodies, she experiences their last few moments before death and knows exactly how they died, but unfortunately, she never sees their killer. Utilizing her paranormal ability is physically exhausting for Harper, but it is also exhilarating for her to be able to to be of service to others by giving them peace about the fate of their lost loved ones.
In this novel, Harper has finally realized that her feelings toward Tolliver have changed from that of a platonic step-sibling to that of a potential mate. CH employs the expected, obvious romantic conflict that is in every single "friends become lovers" romance plot: Harper is afraid to let Tolliver know how she feels for fear that she will lose him. But attempting to hide her feelings makes her so stiff and anxious, Tolliver assumes she is angry at him. And that drastic change in attitude, from a previously deeply emotionally close BFF connection to a prickly, evasive coolness, in and of itself, is in danger of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, and driving Tolliver away.
When I first read this novel 10 years ago, I considered it to be a 5-star read, but I did not write a review stating how and why I reached that conclusion. This time around, I still consider it a 5-star read, and this is why: The mystery is compelling, the advancement of the budding romance between Harper and Tolliver is quite enjoyable, and a significant subcharacter, Manfred Bernardo, is introduced, who later received his own series, Midnight, Texas. (That series has recently been produced in its entirety in the format of multicast, dramatic productions by GraphicAudio, and they are all available through Hoopla. This is also a paranormal mystery series, which is quite entertaining. Manfred is an adorable protagonist.)
The same talented voice artist, Alyssa Bresnahan, narrates the entire Harper Connelly series. She does such an excellent job, it greatly enhanced my enjoyment of each of the novels in the series.
I obtained free access to the audiobooks in this series through my Audible membership.
November 14, 2023
Grave Surprise is the second in a series and I always think it is a bit hard reviewing 'series' books. On one hand, I try hard to be objective about the individual book I am reviewing, but, on the other hand you can't really review a 'series' book without talking about the previous ones. Another thing is that if you describe the premise you are doing exposition, which is something we criticize in the books we read, so. Tough call.
Here goes; Harper was hit by lightning when she was 15, revived by her half brother Tolliver, she took years to come to terms with the after effects, but now an adult, she and Tolliver make their living from the strange side effect of Harper's being hit by lightning: Harper can now find dead people. Their bodies call to her like a strange buzzing in her head and she gets to see the last minutes of their life, not through their eyes, but through their memories.
This is the second book and I read it after the third (this happened by accident), so it was interesting and quite fun for me to go back and read the case that was referred to in the past tense in the next book "An Ice Cold Grave". Harris' writing is easy,polished and undemanding so that there was no real issue with reading out of order and the plot of this novel was good.
A central theme of these books is Harris/Harper expounding on how many people think her powers are a con, that she is a charlatan ect ect ect. It gets pretty irritating after a while. Surely there is SOME person in the entire USA who would actually believe in the abilities of the person they hired. Where are the Fox Mulders in this world Harris has written?
Anyway, in this one Harper is hired by an anthropology professor who is teaching his students about debunking the supernatural. He has a prime setup, an old graveyard with records that have only recently come to light and which Harper can not have seen. So in she goes. I really do like the description of how she identifies people's cause of death in graves, it is fascinating, well written and rather charming. Of course, in this graveyard is a much more recent corpse, one of a young girl who was killed much more recently, and thus Harper and Tolliver are plunged into another investigation.
This one can be a bit exposition-y. I do realise the irony of that statement after what I wrote at the start, but these are small books and easy to follow, they do not need as much repetition of the backstory as they get. Even a new reader would be able to follow where this was coming from. Still, I read fast and skim reading is always possible with repetition, so it did not bother me too much.
I liked the large cast of characters, I liked the unfolding of the plot and the development of the characters. The crime was fun, though the ending was unsurprising, I defy anyone to have failed to see it coming, but the course of reading it was very satisfying.
Would recommend to anyone who likes Harris' writing style and a fun little crime novel with just a dash of supernatural.
Here goes; Harper was hit by lightning when she was 15, revived by her half brother Tolliver, she took years to come to terms with the after effects, but now an adult, she and Tolliver make their living from the strange side effect of Harper's being hit by lightning: Harper can now find dead people. Their bodies call to her like a strange buzzing in her head and she gets to see the last minutes of their life, not through their eyes, but through their memories.
This is the second book and I read it after the third (this happened by accident), so it was interesting and quite fun for me to go back and read the case that was referred to in the past tense in the next book "An Ice Cold Grave". Harris' writing is easy,polished and undemanding so that there was no real issue with reading out of order and the plot of this novel was good.
A central theme of these books is Harris/Harper expounding on how many people think her powers are a con, that she is a charlatan ect ect ect. It gets pretty irritating after a while. Surely there is SOME person in the entire USA who would actually believe in the abilities of the person they hired. Where are the Fox Mulders in this world Harris has written?
Anyway, in this one Harper is hired by an anthropology professor who is teaching his students about debunking the supernatural. He has a prime setup, an old graveyard with records that have only recently come to light and which Harper can not have seen. So in she goes. I really do like the description of how she identifies people's cause of death in graves, it is fascinating, well written and rather charming. Of course, in this graveyard is a much more recent corpse, one of a young girl who was killed much more recently, and thus Harper and Tolliver are plunged into another investigation.
This one can be a bit exposition-y. I do realise the irony of that statement after what I wrote at the start, but these are small books and easy to follow, they do not need as much repetition of the backstory as they get. Even a new reader would be able to follow where this was coming from. Still, I read fast and skim reading is always possible with repetition, so it did not bother me too much.
I liked the large cast of characters, I liked the unfolding of the plot and the development of the characters. The crime was fun, though the ending was unsurprising, I defy anyone to have failed to see it coming, but the course of reading it was very satisfying.
Would recommend to anyone who likes Harris' writing style and a fun little crime novel with just a dash of supernatural.
February 16, 2017
Grave Surprise
4 Stars
Harper and her stepbrother, Tolliver, arrive in Memphis at the behest of an anthropology professor determined to debunk Harper's abilities and expose her as a charlatan. Imagine his surprise when Harper senses two corpses in a centuries old grave - one the body of Tabitha Morgenstern, a young girl who Harper was hired to find two year prior. Once again, Harper is the prime suspect and must undertake her own investigation to clear her name.
A charming cozy mystery with a touch of the paranormal.
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first. In this installment, Personally, I don’t see it that way as
Back to the plot - the mystery is good albeit rather predictable as the identity of the killer and the motivation become obvious once the clues begin accumulating. Nevertheless, the climax is tense and the resolution satisfying.
Harper is a difficult heroine to categorize as her brusqueness could be interpreted as callous disregard and coldness. However, her tough veneer conceals a soft hearted woman who truly cares about both the living and the dead. She feels that it is her responsibility to provide them with the closure they are entitled to.
In terms of the audiobook narration, Alyssa Bresnahan does an excellent job. She manages to capture the nuances of Harper’s personality and those of the other characters very well.
In sum, Grave Surprise is an entertaining listen and I look forward to finding out what is in store next for Harper and Tolliver.
4 Stars
Harper and her stepbrother, Tolliver, arrive in Memphis at the behest of an anthropology professor determined to debunk Harper's abilities and expose her as a charlatan. Imagine his surprise when Harper senses two corpses in a centuries old grave - one the body of Tabitha Morgenstern, a young girl who Harper was hired to find two year prior. Once again, Harper is the prime suspect and must undertake her own investigation to clear her name.
A charming cozy mystery with a touch of the paranormal.
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first. In this installment, Personally, I don’t see it that way as
Back to the plot - the mystery is good albeit rather predictable as the identity of the killer and the motivation become obvious once the clues begin accumulating. Nevertheless, the climax is tense and the resolution satisfying.
Harper is a difficult heroine to categorize as her brusqueness could be interpreted as callous disregard and coldness. However, her tough veneer conceals a soft hearted woman who truly cares about both the living and the dead. She feels that it is her responsibility to provide them with the closure they are entitled to.
In terms of the audiobook narration, Alyssa Bresnahan does an excellent job. She manages to capture the nuances of Harper’s personality and those of the other characters very well.
In sum, Grave Surprise is an entertaining listen and I look forward to finding out what is in store next for Harper and Tolliver.
January 17, 2019
Grave Surprise was the installment that change the way I viewed the series. There were plenty of words eaten from my first review. And Grave Surprise certainly dispelled the notion of this being a cozy mystery series. The tone shifted to something much more intense and unsettling, more reminiscent of horror.
Grave Surprise was also where romantic shenanigans of a Greg and Marcia Brady variety began to appear. In my review of the first installment, I expressed delight and relief that Harris seems content to have the two main characters remain in a step-sibling role. It was indeed refreshing, until it wasn’t. Ick factor aside, the romance was developed quite nicely. There was plenty of internal struggle, which seemed realistic, given the situation. Once I (and the main character) got past the not-quite-incest aspect of it, it actually turned out to be a quality romance, as one would expect from Harris.
I liked that the mystery in this installment wasn’t built upon something that had happened in the past, before the series began. It wasn’t as if these two characters suddenly sprang to life at the beginning of series. They have a personal and professional lives before it and both were impacting the current events in the book. Just any author couldn’t pull this off, though. If it were executed incorrectly, the reader would be left feeling like they had missed something in a previous installment. But Harris is a master of world building and character development, so she was able to fill in the gaps in a natural and subtle way.
However, the “whodunit” was just too obvious. Before the halfway mark, I had already decided not only the “who” but also the “why”, therefore I quickly became bored with the plot of this installment. Grave Surprise was easily my least favorite book in the series.
Grave Surprise was also where romantic shenanigans of a Greg and Marcia Brady variety began to appear. In my review of the first installment, I expressed delight and relief that Harris seems content to have the two main characters remain in a step-sibling role. It was indeed refreshing, until it wasn’t. Ick factor aside, the romance was developed quite nicely. There was plenty of internal struggle, which seemed realistic, given the situation. Once I (and the main character) got past the not-quite-incest aspect of it, it actually turned out to be a quality romance, as one would expect from Harris.
I liked that the mystery in this installment wasn’t built upon something that had happened in the past, before the series began. It wasn’t as if these two characters suddenly sprang to life at the beginning of series. They have a personal and professional lives before it and both were impacting the current events in the book. Just any author couldn’t pull this off, though. If it were executed incorrectly, the reader would be left feeling like they had missed something in a previous installment. But Harris is a master of world building and character development, so she was able to fill in the gaps in a natural and subtle way.
However, the “whodunit” was just too obvious. Before the halfway mark, I had already decided not only the “who” but also the “why”, therefore I quickly became bored with the plot of this installment. Grave Surprise was easily my least favorite book in the series.
February 28, 2013
I liked this book a lot more than I liked the first; the story is more engaging and the mystery more complex. There's the college professor who invites Harper to demonstrate her talents so he can debunk her, and then there's the mystery that arises when in the course of this demonstration Harper finds an extra body in a grave. And when the extra body happens to be that of a girl Harper had been hired to find, and failed, several months back, the mystery deepens. Harris continues to think through the details of what Harper's occupation would mean--in this case, she falls under suspicion of having staged the discovery. I also thought it was a nice touch to have the girl's family be re-implicated in her death.
It was another interesting twist that Harper discovers her feelings for her stepbrother Tolliver aren't exactly sisterly. It's a good twist because it's both logical and something others would be creeped out by. However, I don't think there's any hint of this in the previous book, so that was what I found unnatural. Even so, it's played out well, and I thought it was a good complication to be explored in future books.
It was another interesting twist that Harper discovers her feelings for her stepbrother Tolliver aren't exactly sisterly. It's a good twist because it's both logical and something others would be creeped out by. However, I don't think there's any hint of this in the previous book, so that was what I found unnatural. Even so, it's played out well, and I thought it was a good complication to be explored in future books.
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