Grave Sight

Well, I'll say this for Charlaine Harris... she certainly has a very readable style. As one who has kept on reading all the Sookie Stackhouse novels, no matter what weird fairy things happen, I know that Harris has a style that flows very easily and she can usually come up with characters in complicated situations... who aren't all that complicated themselves (or at least not overly so). Here with Grave Sight and the launch of the Harper Connelly Mysteries series, we have another southern female narrator with a weird gift and without much education (though she's got plenty of street-smarts and likes to read) who manages to stir up trouble wherever she goes.

Harper Connelly can find dead people. After surviving a lightning strike as a show more teenager, Harper found herself able to "feel" dead bodies, the sense manifesting as a kind of buzzing in her mind. Every corpse gives off a tingle, even if it's centuries old, though the feeling grows more intense if the person died more recently. Her way of explaining this is that everyone, particularly those who did not die of natural causes, wants to be found. She can also tell exactly how the person died, often catching a glimpse of their final moments (though this almost never reveals who a killer could be, just the cause of death). She now makes a living off of this ability -- contacted mostly by the families of missing persons who have come to grips with the likely conclusion that their loved one is dead and the remains simply need to be found. Given a bead on where the body could be, Harper can locate it and explain the cause of death. She can't find missing persons (particularly if they're still alive), she can only find death... but she hopes this gives the families of the deceased some closure.

She works with her step-brother Tolliver Lang, who's a few years older than Harper and runs the business end of things -- the schedule, the payments, all of that. While not actually siblings, the two rely pretty heavily on each other (though sometimes Harper wonders what keeps Tolliver around, as she needs him a bit more). They didn't have a terribly easy childhood. Harper at least remembers a time when her family was well-off and whole, when she and her older sister Cameron were like any other middle-class kids without issues. Before their parents divorced. Before her mother married Tolliver's dad (when Tolliver and Harper were teens). Before their parents dissolved their lives in drugs and alcohol, plunging the kids into a life of hiding their home situation from authorities and raising two new half-sisters almost entirely on their own. Tolliver and his brother Mark didn't fall as far as the girls did in terms of social standing, but no one came out well. Mark, as the oldest, escaped the trailer and brought food when he could. Mark and Harper raised the little girls. And then Cameron was taken -- snatched off the road, leaving only her backpack behind and never found. The authorities swooped in and the little girls were given to a strict aunt for adoption. Mark assumed guardianship of Tolliver; Harper was put in foster care. Harper knows that one day, she'll find her sister's body and then they'll finally know at least a part of what happened, but for now, she and Tolliver drive across the country, working as "consultants" and finding the dead loved ones of others.

The particular case that Grave Sight focuses on involves a pair of teenagers -- a boy named Dell who was shot and whose body was located, and his girlfriend named Teenie, who disappeared. Harper has been brought in to find Teenie and perhaps qwell rumors that he killed her before committing suicide (or that she killed him and ran), but even when Harper manages this with relative speed, the case is far from over as she and her brother find themselves stuck in a town that does not want them there... in danger from a killer that has a secret s/he wants no one else to know.

In the end, the killer is obvious, but the road to get there is a perfectly acceptable crime/mystery novel, and the supernatural element of Harper's powers keeps the reader pretty aware of just who's telling the story. Harper seems like a slightly harder version of Sookie. People are frightened of her because of a weird gift; she's been knocked about a bit and so she's more likely to be blunt; and she has her very own indulgent activity (Sookie was suntans, Harper is manicures). AND Harper has dark hair. Clearly it's night and day here, folks. Despite these obviously overwhelming differences, it does take a while to shake the initial image of Miss Stackhouse for a reader who's used to Bon Temps, but eventually one sees enough of a difference in the storylines to pull away from Fangtasia. Tolliver is not as well-drawn as his sister, but he didn't immediately call to mind a counterpart from the other series (he's certainly no Bill or Eric). Their dynamic will clearly be the oddity at the heart of the series -- a brother-and-sister pair that aren't really brother-and-sister and so things could get weird. They both seem to think the other might be better off without this lifestyle so that they could settle down to do the marriage-and-kids thing, but neither is making that move (though Harper does dream of them buying a house together eventually). Perhaps one thing that was missing from this that I thought rather typified a fun Harris novel was a sex scene with odd descriptions or moments. Not that the sex is odd, it's just that sometimes there's a weird moment that makes one pause or even laugh out loud. I still recall Sookie's breasts quivering like puppies wanting to be petted. There is some sex here, but it's not described in any detail. It seemed oddly modest for the woman who once wrote about breasts as small animals.

With Grave Sight, Charlaine Harris has created another interesting character, but I'm not entirely sure if she's up to the task of the usual crime/mystery novelist where plotlines can get repetitive and the characters don't always progress much in their own lives. I think Harris is too interested in her characters to hold to the standard format for long, but I suppose we'll see. She does maintain her very Charlaine Harris sense of humor, which is part of what makes her style so identifiable. A particularly favorite moment of mine occurred during a fight where narrator-Harper said something like "the gun fell from his hand--yay!" before the struggle continued. It lets you know that even if she's creating a crime novel, Harris knows the reader is there for enjoyment and she's enjoying the ride, too.

It's a very fast read and for those Harris fans looking to tide themselves over to the next Sookie book, this first Harper mystery is perfectly satisfying for what it is. If I sound overly critical, let me emphasize again that I thought it was fun and I'll definitely be reading the next one... I'm just not sure if this series will have the same staying power as the Sookie books. If anyone could make a go of it as far as paranormal mystery is concerned, though, it's going to be Ms. Charlaine Harris. show less

Arkansas socialite Sybil Teague and her lawyer, Paul Edwards, have hired Harper Connolly because of her unique talent for finding dead bodies. This is a skill that might make you want to avoid thunderstorms since it's something that Harper’s had since she was struck by lightning when she was 15. Once she serves the purpose she was hired for and locates Teenie Hopkins, who vanished with Sybil’s son, Dell, and confirms that both teenagers had been murdered, her employers join the rest of the folks in this Arkansas town, in regarding her "gift" with revulsion, ranging from mild to hostile. Harper wants nothing more than to get into her stepbrother, Tolliver Lang’s Subaru and drive far away from it all. Even the budding romance with show more deputy Hollis Boxleitner, who once used Harper’s "powers" to confirm that his wife Sally's death by drowning, was in no way an accident... can’t convince her to stay around. After the beating death of Helen Hopkins, Sally and Teenie’s recovering-alcoholic mom, Sheriff Harvey Branscom demands that the siblings stay in town, despite minor harassment by Vernon McCluskey, the owner of the motel where they’re stuck for however long the duration may be. Then there is more serious persecution from Scot Briscoe who is a high school student who is "irked", (his word not mine), by the crush that Dell’s sister Mary Nell has developed on Tolliver. Branscom’s so busy getting on Tolliver's case for a broken taillight that solving the murder cases themselves might be only way that the pair can get out of this town. Not a bad start for this short series... (There's only 4 books). You get a really good sense of what Harper is facing with the people who are afraid of her, those that are bigots and think her power is evil and her relationship with her brother/manager is REALLY suspicious. I didn't think the characters were as engaging as the ones in her "Sookie" series, but I liked Harper well enough as a character to give it a 4.5-star rating. If mysteries and the paranormal are your "thing"... then you'll probably like this story. show less

I devoured Charlaine Harris’ entire five-book Lily Bard series, set in Shakespeare, Arkansas, so reading Grave Sight, the first in a series about a 24-year-old woman with an odd form of second sight was an easy sell.

Ever since she was struck by lightning at 15, Harper Connelly has been able to sense the dead. She can’t communicate with them — nothing like that. But she can find corpses and sense how they died and see the last few minutes before death. That’s how she and her stepbrother, Tolliver Lang, make their livings: traveling across the country, selling Harper’s services. Some people appreciate the closure and the help; most look at them as distasteful at best and demonic at worst. Especially in their latest gig in Sarne, show more Ark.

Dell Teague and Teenie Hopkins — both 17, he a rich boy and she, the wild daughter of a drunk — disappeared. His body was found, shot to death, but hers was not. That’s what Harper’s been hired to find. But she finds out a whole lot more, and someone fears she’s getting too close to discovering a secret that was worth murdering to conceal.

Harris has worked her magic over this novel, as well, with wonderful characters and surprises and twists aplenty. And that ending? OMG! I already realize that I will be devouring the Harper Connelly novels as fast as I can, as well. Highly, highly recommended. show less

Ugh. Just... Ugh. I am beginning to think that the more I read of Charlaine Harris, the less I like her. This was just... bad. And creepy. Poorly written, weak plot, cardboard cut-out characters, creepy relationships and creepy romance, and trademark Charlaine Harris character name and detail errors all in one book.

I don't even know where to begin... I guess I could just write a list, like our heroine, who Charlaine describes as a list-maker with little opportunity, first does 26 pages from the end of the book. You'd think, in a mystery, that a list writer would probably, maybe, keep a list while she's running around tracking down all those clues. Guess not. More likely, Charlaine (hereafter known as "CH") just wanted to rehash show more everything and wrote in a "personality trait" to do so.

Speaking of personality, oh lordy me. Were there any personalities in this book? From ANYONE? Harper was just about as boring and cold and unlikeable a character as I've ever read. Why anyone would want to read an entire series about her is beyond me. Tolliver, her brother, is essentially an assistant/care-giver/babysitter/bodyguard to Harper, and besides being a womanizer, he's boring and uninteresting. Hollis is the Haunted Small-Town Cop™. Sybil is the Cold Rich Widow™. Mary Nell is the Teen Cheerleader (With Jealous Teen Admirer) Who Is Lovestruck for Mysterious Older Man™. There is nobody, at all, in this book that was even remotely interesting or unique.

Harper's relationship with her 'brother' is super creepy. SUPER. CREEPY. Even if Harper and Tolliver aren't blood related, their relationship is just... disturbing. Harper is almost totally and completely dependent on Tolliver. She's jealous of his conquests, and he of hers, although neither come right out and say so, but their ONLY disagreements with each other were over the other half making the beast with two backs with some "outsider". They talk about buying a house together, and Harper talks about the possibility of Tolliver marrying, and fleetingly thinks of that for herself, but she seems very reluctant to think about that, and the thought of Tolliver committing himself to someone besides her seems to give her anxiety.

Harper's parents were well-to-do who didn't do too well, and became alcohol and drug dependent and neglected the kids, but that's OK because the kids had each other... mostly. Apparently, this, along with Harper's injury, the one which caused her ability to sense the dead, are where her co-dependence on her brother stems from, but I don't get it. OK, right, you're struck by lightning. Sure, you'd be afraid of storms afterward. Logical. What is not logical is sheer panic when your "lifeline" brother is out of your line of sight for any length of time without a suitable male stand-in. OMG noes! HOW will you copez?!1? Harper and Tolliver seem more like exes who realized that they love each other but are better as friends but who don't really want to let go either. He called her "baby" and "honey", and, sorry, but if my brother ever called me that I'd be really, really grossed out. Harper is even described as having her stomach clench when Tolliver "sweet talks" someone else. CREEPY.

Then, there's the "back story" that CH probably should start hinting at if she wants to drag this out into another too-long series... This includes Harper Family Mystery and Drama. There's the Parental Situation I mentioned above, for starters. Then there's one missing and presumed dead sister that Harper is very clinically detached and cold (aka "avoiding false hope") about, but determined to find, at least her body, and two other sisters raised by Tolliver's religious and manipulative aunt to despise Tolliver and Harper both for reasons unknown. I'm sure that will come out somewhere in book 8 or 9. Stick with it. All in all, there was just no... substance there. It was like the details were thrown in because they had to be, not because they were the characters' actual histories. Sorry Charlaine, you need to know your characters before any reader can. Giving her a gimp leg and some superficial insecurities along with saying that her hobbies include reading and nail-painting isn't characterization. Nor is giving someone acne scars and then saying that he likes really smooth skinned women probably because of that.

Harper's thing with Hollis is another kind of creepy in itself. I really have to wonder what kind of publisher would read this and say, "Yes! This is what we've been waiting to publish!!". We have either a way, way too close brother and sister relationship or a way dysfunctional couple-night stand relationship with extremely-recently-widowed young cop. Hmm... Neither one is exactly steaming up THESE windows.

The story takes place in very late October/early November. Hollis's wife Sally died sometime after February. That's eight months. He gets all almost choked up when he talks about her, and he says he loved her, and even hired Harper to tell him some info about how she died. OK... not creepy so far. Then Hollis and Harper do the nasty. Strange, but not unheard of. Then, during the course of the "investigation", this appears: (There are Sally death spoilers!)

"I'm sorry," I said, making a great effort. "I know this is dredging up stuff for you that you're trying to put behind you."

"No, I'm not trying to put Sally behind me," he said. "But I am trying to think about the rest of my life. And the ideas of the last few days, the idea that Sally was murdered, that the son of a bitch who did it has been walking around this town, talking to me, free, has been curdling my gut. And the fact that every time I see you, I want to screw you so bad it hurts. You practically break into my house, my damn house, and I want to fuck you right here on the floor."

Then they did.

WHAT?!? You go from talking about your DEAD LESS THAN 8 MONTHS WIFE to screwing some new girl in TWO SENTENCES?? It was described as "short and violent and the most exciting encounter Harper had ever experienced." CREEPY.

I almost closed the book right there. That was just... too much. But I was curious about the mystery. I wanted to know. I finished it. I want my two days back. There's absolutely, positively no way that I will be reading any more of this series. It's also unlikely that I'll be reading anything else CH's written. It's sad, because I quite liked the first few books of the Sookie Stackhouse series, but now I'm even doubting myself on that.

Don't read this. It's BAD. Did I mention it was creepy too? show less

The first good thing about the book is the protagonist has a decidedly different feel to that of Charlaine Harris’s most famous leading lady. There’s no confusing Harper Connolly with Sookie Stackhouse. I immediately liked many of the characters, and Harper comes across as strong but vulnerable, an intriguing combination. The series appears to be very much mystery thriller and has a more focused and mature quality to the work. I enjoyed trying to figure out the culprit. The end is logical and entertaining, but the twists to get there more so. One of four. I’m reading on.

Grave Sight
4 Stars

Harper Connelly has the unique ability to sense not only the whereabout of human remains, but also the cause of death. Together with her stepbrother/business manager, Tolliver Lang, Harper travels to Sarne Alabama at the request of a grieving mother desperate to locate the body of the young woman her deceased son is accused of killing in a murder/suicide. However, this seemingly simple case takes a dangerous turn when Harper becomes the target of someone determined to keep the truth buried...

Charlaine Harris’s cozy mysteries are rapidly becoming addictive. Harris is a master at characterization and is exceptionally skilled at capturing the essence of small town life (although not everyone is Sarne is as open and show more accepting of Harper’s differences).

Harper's dry, matter of fact personality and intriguing abilities make her a very appealing heroine. She and Tolliver have an interesting dynamic as they share a closeness not usually found in non-biological siblings, and there is a certain amount of subtle sexual tension between the two that they are apparently not yet ready to confront.

The who-done-it is well written with a number of plausible suspects and sufficient clues to figure out the twist before the end. The incorporation of paranormal elements feels natural and adds another layer to the suspense.

Alyssa Bresnahan's narration is well-executed and she relays the dry wit and stoicism inherent to Harper's character very well. Looking forward to Harper and Tolliver's further adventures. show less

I started Grave Sight not expecting much. I abhor the trend cozy mysteries have taken - If the detective is female she has to have a gimmick (like recipes included YUCK! I love recipe books, I love mysteries. I do not love them combined. Nor do I want my mysteries combined with quilting, sewing, animals etc), and she has to have a love interest with whom she fights attraction but ends up in bed. (I do not like romances in any form; I find them far less believable than mysteries even). So having ranted about what I don't like, I reckon I should mention that I liked Grave Sight very much.

It's not really a cozy, and the female detective does have a 'thing', but it's a paranormal thing, and intrinsically attached to her detecting. The plot show more was very good, the clues were well laid out, and the characters fully formed. There was a smidge of sex but no goofy romance, thank goodness. Harper Connelly is very complicated in a way that made me want to read more. My only - not really a complaint, because it's entirely personal to me - but I was uncomfortable with the violence against her, and I have a feeling it wasn't a one time thing. I shan't say too much as it could be a spoiler, but it was the absolute hatred behind the violence that made me wonder if I will be able to read many of these if it continues. show less