Book 1), Grave Sight (Harper Connelly Mysteries

I read all the Sookie Stackhouse novels, and adored them. After I rapidly read through all of those books, I decided I'd go in a different direction for a while. you know, try not being hooked on Charlaine Harris or even a series in general. It didn't last long. After Sookie, there was a serious void. Nothing I read could compare to Harris-nothing! Maybe because I'm a Southern female, maybe because I enjoy paranormal novels, maybe because I just like the way she creates characters...whatever the case, this book was just great. really. I love them. And I've already read the next in the series and I've just started An Ice Cold Grave. I love these books! If you're into mystery, sci fi, or just a good Southern series with a lot of laughs, these books are for you!

I enjoy reading Charlaine Harris at different times in my life. Her books are good light entertaining fare but she missed the mark on her new series featuring Harper Connelly. As stated in the synopsis she was hit by lightning which gave her the ability to locate corpses and know their last moments on earth. The idea of the book is brilliant but Harper and her step-brother Tolliver just don't pull the reader into their world. Harper is semi-likeable whereas Tolliver is likeable but he's not the main character here. Of course, by reading the book we all understand Harper has had a tough life. By choosing to get paid for what she does (find corpses), her life has only become tougher. Still there is something about her that put me off. It's not her abilities so much as her attitude. She has a lot of neurosis and she is always on guard and unfriendly. She doesn't seem to enjoy her work all that much.

In this book they go to a small town in Arkansas named Sarne. This town has the nastiest people in the world living in it. Very few, if any, in this town have any redeeming qualities. If it were not a fictional place I would advise getting rid of it and its inhabitants.

I still think Charlaine Harris is a talented writer but she can do much better than this book. It lacks humor, which I usually love in Harris's works, and it is especially dark. The mystery part of the story is intriguing and Harris does a good job not giving it away before the end. In fact the mystery aspect of the book is the reason I gave this a 3; however, I would not recommend that anyone who has not previously read Harris start with this book. Her other series are by far superior.

"Grave Sight" is an interesting tale where we meet Harper Connelly, a woman who can find dead bodies thanks to a lightning strike in her youth. She travels with her brother Tolliver and helps solve mysteries and find missing persons.

There are a lot of nuances in this book, and I love Harper quite a bit. She's fragile and yet incredibly strong at the same time, making her a very real person in spite of her special abilities.

This is a great story and a good start to a short series.

I thoroughly enjoy the Sookie Stackhouse novels, and I was curious to see the difference between Ms. Harris' two heroines--I was not disappointed. Where Sookie is warm, friendly, and disguises most of her most painful neuroses with a tight smile, Harper Connelly has had a rough enough life to not feel obliged to smile unless she truly feels it. I enjoyed Harper's 'brittle' toughness, and truly felt for the incredible vulnerability she tries so hard to ignore in herself. Her talent is original, and nicely defined, and her emotional fragility is entirely believable. I also liked the easy banter between Harper and Tolliver--and I can see why neither of these characters will yield to the bond and attraction that is so obviously intense that in excludes a possibility of a normal relationship outside the two of them. I gave this novel five stars because I felt that as the first novel of the series, it was laying the (excellent!) foundation for what is going to be some awesome character development in the future--another reason to rank Ms. Harris in my top ten reasons to love reading modern femme centered sci-fi:-)

An interesting story. I'm not sure if it was the mystery surrounding the town or the drama that seems to follow Harper and her brother. Very amazing how everything tied together in the end. I feel sorry for Harper always being afraid, I need more!

There have been some very negetive reviews about this book and because of them I waited until the local library had this in. I'm glad I did because while it wasn't terrible, it certainly wasn't as colorful as the Southern Vampire novels or as deep.

SPOILERS: Harper is a girl who can find spirits and she has her step-brother Tolliver manage her bookings. While some people found their relationship totally creepy, I actually understood why Harper was so dependant on him (the girl had been zapped by lightening and he saved her life with CPR). I personally didn't read any hint of sexuality between them, but some people said the subtext and dependancy bothered them.

Because the two move around so much, the supporting characters introduced didn't have flavor. In the back of my mind was the idea that we'll never hear from them again in the next book. That's not to say the story wasn't interesting...it was a good read (especially since I got it from the library). But it definitely lacked the richness from her previous novels and I really hope she gets back to Sookie and the "job in March" Eric wants her for.

Charlaine Harris has such a fun, light style of writing. If you like her Sookie Stackhouse novels because of their wit and sarcasm as well as their creatures, then you can read the Harper Connelly books for dessert. So, grab a couple scoops of frozen Cool Whip, and settle down in your favorite chair, and prepare to enjoy a slightly altered reality for a couple hours.
FYI, for such a quick read, Charlaine provides superior character development and sound geographical references. And if you read with an open mind, she finds a way to poke fun at all the bigots in the world, without offending anyone in particular.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I will certainly be reading the follow-up books.

I'm not happy about it, but I have just completed a Charlaine Harris book and what makes this book special is that I didn't like it. The start of this series has us meet up with Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver, on a "job assignment" to find a dead teenage girl in the Ozarks. Harper was left an exceptional talent as the result of being struck by lightning as a teenager in that she is able to locate dead people and "see" the last few minutes of their life. The mystery Ms. Harris wrote is pretty good and I give points for that but I just didn't enjoy Harper. Aurora Teagarden and Sookie Stackhouse are characters that you'd feel priviledged in sitting in their backseat while they picked up milk and bread in a convenience store. Sadly, I didn't get that feeling with Harper or Tolliver. So my review is, good story but characters I didn't care for. Maybe I should try the the next one in the series but right now can't figure out why.

Dark? The Shakespeare series (which I love!)is one of the darkest series I have read. The Vampire series is not that dark to me, even though there are vampires, werewolves, etc., in the stories. I guess that is because the humor in those books makes them lighter.

Grave Sight was a good book, not great, but entertaining to read. I knew the answer to the mystery early, but I still kept reading, because Ms. Harris writes well and her characters feel real to me. The main character tries hard not to let her affliction depress her; she wants to believe it helps the dead and their families find closure. She and her brother are treated as they would be in any small town in America where people don't like or accept strangers, especially strangers with special powers.

I'm excited about Ms. Harris new series. As always, her characters are well written. Harper and Tolliver are only trying to make a living from Harper's handicap (finding dead people). They are asked to come to a small town to see if they can find a missing girl. Harper does find the girl, but doesn't provide the answer the town is looking for. A murder occurs after they leave the town and when asked, they return. Ms. Harris has crafted a great story, there is tension between Harper and Tolliver (brother/sister tension IMO) and it seems everyone in town is kin in some manner. A GOOD read, can't wait for the next one.

I read all of the Sookie Stackhouse books in about a week. I thought they were the most original and entertaining work I have read in quite a while. When I ran out of them, I moved on to this series thinking it would be just as good. I am sorry to say I was disappointed. While the characters are more realistic, the plot made no sense. I don't want to give it away, but I feel like Harris built up a good mystery only to provide a conclusion that had no thought. I'll probably read the next one just to see if it gets any better just because I liked the vampires so much.

I liked this book because I had read all of Charlaine's Sookie stuff, even the Sookie-verse short stories. I wanted to keep reading her stuff, so I gave this one a chance first because it had a supernatural twist. I found it to be a good read, but it was a little simple in a childlike way and way too predictable at times. However, this is her first book in the series, so I knew it would take a while for Charlaine to get into her characters and flow. The books get better as they go, so give this one a chance so you can start the series.

Charlaine Harris is a very good writer. I love almost all her series, including this one. Grave Sight is the first in the series about a woman who can see the dead. Unfortunately, only four books exist in this series...

I love the premise of this book -- the fact that our heroine can see the dead -- all because she was struck by lightning when she was a teenager. As the character is developed, you can see that she is as mentally scarred by her special gift as she is about her life growing up. It will be interesting to see how the character develops as the series goes on and if she is able to conquer her past and have a "normal" life. All of this is woven into a whodunit of who killed Teeny, a local teenager, and the people of the town who have hired her to find out.

"Grave Sight" is a murder mystery novel, with one small fantasy twist -- the main character has a psychic ability that tells her the cause of death when near any corpse. The setting is modern day, the victims a teenage couple, and the "detectives" the psychic and her step brother, who are investigate reluctantly.

Overall, this novel is nicely written, enjoyable, entertaining, and closes nicely. On the other hand . . . the mood is pessimistic and glum; the pshychic and her brother actively seek one night stands with complete strangers (which grosses me out); the psychic spends way too much time feeling sorry for herself; and the third quarter drags on a bit. Still, I enjoyed it and I'll read the sequel.

I'm going to give this one 3.5. This book didn't knock my socks off. I felt a lack of attachment to the characters which made me not care a whole lot about what happened in the story. Aside from that, the story was intriguing and the premise is very interesting. In the end I'm glad I read this book because I ended up loving the characters and story later in the series and I wish there were more books!

I am an avid reader and enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse series. Anxious to find another book or book series to read, I decided to give the Harper Connelly series a go.

Wow.

I will say that I read all three books with hopes that maybe it was a fluke that the first book was God awful. It was not a fluke. In all three books, the "bad guy" is so ridiculously obvious, I had the entire plot line figured out the first page said evil doer was introduced. I kept reading hoping that I was wrong, that it would have some sort of twist,some sort of anything....It didn't. By book 3, as painful as it was to keep reading, it was also amusing to see just how quicly and accurately I could sum up the plot line...since the only plot "twist" that we all saw coming from book one.

If you want to repeatedly read about the effects of being struck by lightning, criticisms of her "brothers" bad complexion (perhaps related to the copious amounts of fast food and coke they indulge on?), the same traumatic childhood story over and over, and not have one surprise in an entire 3 book series, then this is for you!

If you like your books to have a little meat, or if you don't want to basically read a trashy romance novel with a "bad guy, I see dead people" flair to it, then I would skip it!

This is a good story, not a great one. I have to agree with the person that found the editing bad--it really was. There were some monster errors that should have been caught by the copy-editor.

The concept is very good--I love the idea of someone sensing dead bodies. The mix of a "brother" helping her is kind of unique, but it is a bit awkward at times. I think in a future book she probably has some plans to solve that.

This book is still a nice read, has some sassy parts and is a good mystery. It's just not a polished as some of her other work--in editing for certain and a tad bit in the development.

The first thing I will say is that the premise is really very interesting. The main character, Harper Connelly, was struck by lightning when she was a teenager and now has the ability to sense where corpses are and, upon getting close enough, witness their final moments. A horrid poverty-stricken past and lack of marketable skills leads Harper to turn this strange ability into a job, with her stepbrother Tolliver coming along to act as bodyguard, support, companionship, and someone to run the check to the bank to keep the person who hired Harper from changing his or her mind about paying. (Apparently many people don't like being told how their loved ones died, despite hiring Harper to find out; the book includes a scene with an old woman who is firmly convinced her husband was killed by his ex-wife and nearly becomes hysterical when Harper informs her that the cat did it.)

This lifestyle requires Harper and Tolliver to be almost constantly on the move, especially since Harper has a "get in, find body, get out" mentality. However, when they are called to the town of Sarne to find the body of a teenaged girl, Teenie, things are a bit more difficult than usual. Teenie's been missing for over six months, and many assume her body is somewhere in the woods near where her boyfriend was found shot. The boyfriend's mother wants to clear up the town rumor that the boy killed his Teenie and then shot himself. But when Harper finds the body and tells everyone that Teenie was definitely murdered, and almost certainly not by her boyfriend, she and her brother find themselves in danger.

I did a bit of searching before starting to write this, and I was quite surprised to find out that, while this is the first book of the Harper Connelly mysteries, Charlaine Harris was already a well-established author when it was published. The plot line is rather a good one, but the writing seems rather amateur to me. For example, this paragraph: "Tolliver tossed down the aged magazine he'd been riffling through. He pushed himself up from the fake-leather chair. Tolliver's twenty-seven. His mustache has a reddish cast; otherwise, his hair is as black as mine" (Grave Sight pg. 5). First of all, that description of Tolliver's hair color comes out of nowhere, even when read with the rest of the page, and it goes nowhere. We get two sentences about hair color and then back to the plot. It's sudden and unnecessary. Secondly, this paragraph has is but one example of the flow problems that pop up here and there throughout the whole book. Notice that the first three sentences have no pauses and are all rather short. This similarity between them disrupts flow and can knock a reader out of the book, which is what happened to me several times. Very few things annoy me as much as being distracted while trying to read a good book, especially when the distraction is a problem with the book itself.

Even with that, however, this is definitely on my Recommended list. The plot is engaging, the characters are interesting (though a couple of the minor ones are a bit flat), and I love the talent that Harper has.

Does include profanity and one slightly descriptive sex scene.

(this review can also be seen at [...]

I was pleasantly surprised by this new series by Charlaine Harris. My friends and I have loved the Sookie Stackhouse books, and when I saw Grave Secret at the library (gasp!), I was intrigued.
And pleasantly surprised! Not the same genre, but a well told story, a mystery whose ending I was unable to guess by page 30 (yay!), and characters who I like. Now I'm going to have to retrace my steps and read the first three novels! Thanks Charlaine for another winning series.....

I quite liked this book, not least because the main characters and the secondary figures have some substance to them. Like almost every one of these "first in a series" books, the main characters don't develop much over the course of the plot. But some of the minor characters do, and--more interestingly--nobody in the book is just blandly nice, stunningly gorgeous, or gifted with amazing and ever-growing super-powers. Neither the main character, Harper, nor her brother has great people skills--a huge handicap when your business is based on working with the bereaved. In fact, Tolliver is kind of a jerk, even toward his sister, and Harper blames all the problems she has with clients on the clients themselves, saying that nothing she does will affect the outcome because they all resent her for not working for free. On the other hand, just because they're flawed doesn't mean Harper and Tolliver are unlikeable. I would recommend this book to people who like their mysteries laced with a little fantasy and want to be exposed to characters with believeable personal problems.

Charlaine Harris has made me a fan. Not just a fan of her popular Southern Vampire Mysteries (Sookie Stackhouse novels), but a fan of her writing in general. She has a way of writing about very serious topics that concern death, lies, betrayal and suspicion and wrapping it all in a very funny and entertaining package. The first book in her Harper Connelly series is a wonderful example of that. Harper Connelly is the main character is this book/series and she finds dead people. After being struck by lightening when she was younger, she now has the ability to find dead bodies and know the cause of death. So, with this ability she and her step brother, Tolliver, make a living going where ever they are hired to go and find the body they've been hired to find. So starts Grave Sight. However, things start to look a little sour when not only does Harper find the bodies in question and how they died, but newly dead bodies start popping up all over town. Who is doing this? Why are they out to get Harper? What is going on? Harper and Tolliver are desperate to get out of town, but all these murders keep them stranded in town until the sheriff is satisfied that they aren't involved. Twists and turns abound as Charlaine Harris takes you on a ride through the Ozarks in search for the murderer and the "who, what, when, where, and whys" of this mystery. Great fun for those who have read other series by Charlaine Harris or for anyone who likes a good mystery.

This is a darker series than Ms. Harris' others, and I really enjoyed it. The characters are fascinating; Harper is vulnerable, Tolliver, protective and, although some of their history is given, you know there's more to come. The characters in Sarne may not be likable, but they are realistic. Even though I figured out where the story was going; I enjoyed the journey and the suspense. I applaud Ms. Harris for creating a different, very interesting character, and look forward to seeing where the road takes them next.

I don't like to give away plot details in my reviews as they may take away some of the enjoyment for the reader so I'll stick to generalities.

I've read several of Charlaine Harris's books from her Sookie Stackhouse series and enjoyed them all. However, this newest series resonates so much more with me. Harper Connelly, her newest protagonist, is a young woman who can sense where a person has died and feel their last few moments on earth. There are similarities between Sookie and Harper Connelly: they are both young women, blessed - or cursed, depending on how you look at it - with rare gifts, and are loners for the most part.

Harper's life has not been a very happy one, but she does share a close and supportive relationship with her protective older step-brother Tolliver. They are both survivors of a brutal upbringing. Their insular relationship is the key to this series - they're people you want to know more about and care about from the first page of the story. Everything about them and their lives is tinged with a sadness that goes bone deep.

The one problem I had with the mystery itself was there were a few too many twists and turns at the conclusion - both a little confusing and difficult to believe. But I wouldn't let that detract you from giving this exceptional new series a try. I only hope we don't have to wait long for the next Harper & Tolliver installment.

I read a LOT of books, and this is only the fourth book that has impressed me so strongly that I wanted to shout from the rooftops how much I loved it!

I like good character development in my novels, and Charlaine's characters are always fully developed and likable people. I strongly reacted to the character of Harper---I felt like I had always known her and loved her. Sure, she has her flaws (who doesn't?) but she is honest, and has integrity, and cares about others. Some may find her weak, but with her history, I can understand her dependence on her brother. However, I sense that she has a strength within, she just hasn't come to realize it yet. She was able to do what she needed to do when she was without her brother. If she was truly weak-willed and fragile, she would just crawl into bed and pull the covers over her head!

I highly recommend this book! I was so glad to see when I went to the author's website that this is only the first we hear from Harper, but not the last.

Do yourself a favor: buy this book (or borrow it from a friend or the library)! You will not regret it.

OK, OK, I recognize futility when I see it and 80 plus reviews are a substantial number for this book. But I could not let the injustice go of less than 4 stars! Come on, what are you all reading? This novel excellently blends the top three genres in mass market writing today (paranormal, romance, and mystery) with a plot rich in both brains and heart. The mystery is well written with enough clues to keep you intrigued right to the end. And the romance!!!--it was light on sensuality but very touching and poignant bringing together the best of two people who found each other and then....As soon as I finished this one I went out and got the second one and it promises to be a goodie too. Take a risk and you will be rewarded.

I was ran out of Sookie books to read and was so sad, I just had to try another Charlaine Harris series. I LOVE Harper Connelly! Charlaine Harris has an amazing ability to create characters who are both way out-there and 100% believable. Ok, so Harper has the ability to find dead people, kind of out-there; but I still feel like she is the neighbor I would love to sit on the porch and drink tea with... Oh, and I love the story, too.

I am a fan of the Skokie Stackhouse character and mostly disappointed in Harper and her grave reading ability.The two books I've read show a weak person who is scared of many things. The romance is weak,, the story has too much unrelated filler. I won't be reading any more of the series.

I've read all of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books and although the first book was a little hard to get through, they continued to get much better and I loved the series as a whole. So I was excited to start on this series even after reading some not-so-great reviews. I was not impressed...at all. It started out good. I had high hopes. But the bad guy was soooooooooooo obvious right from the beginning. The jail time story line was a page filler at best. This book is not terribly long to begin with and it could have been cut in half without losing any important information. I enjoyed the two main characters, Harper and her brother. I plan to read the next book in this series hoping that they will improve like the sookie stackhouse series did. But this book was a disappointment.

Given Harris' tremendously popular and enjoyable Sookie Stackhouse series, perhaps my expectations were too high when I picked up Grave Sight. This book is completely forgettable, unimaginative, and just one of the many hundreds of mediocre paranormal novels that have been published recently. Definitely not worth purchasing. Grave Sight was impossible to really "get into"; whereas a reader could lose him/herself in the Sookie Stackhouse series, this book was stilted and predictable with stereotypical characters. Three of the main characters (Tolliver, Harper, and Hollis) were just plain unlikable. The plot moved at a snail's pace and involved lots of extraneous and unnecessary scenes. While Ms. Harris had a difficult job trying to create a lead female character distinguishable from Sookie Stackhouse, her efforts fell flat. It is hard to identify with Harper Connelly, much less want to hear more about her. This is one series I won't be following.

Bottom line: Grave Sight is an embarrassing flop for a writer with such raw talent- let's hope Ms. Harris will sweep this book under the rug and focus on her stellar Sookie Stackhouse series.

I can understand both points of view which I have to date read in reviews here.

Grave Sight is very well written book, also with a new twist on the familiar "small town murder"-esque mystery plots.

No, it is not the best book I have ever read, but it is intruiging, and it is a book which you want to keep on turning the pages. So it certainly is NOT one of the worst books I have recently read either.

The interaction between Tolliver and Harper is very interesting, and I do look forwards to reading more about their "relationship"...(in a number of senses of the word)

I suppose this boils down to no, Grave Sight is not worth 5 stars. Yet I am comfortable giving it 4, simply because the book is indeed well written, the main characters keep your attention (ie, you don't want to drop the book and wash the cat instead of continuing to read...) and their "voices" are beilevable and comfortable.

Add on to that this is the first book in the "series" and Charlaine Harris is obviously settling in to the flair of this particular series, and I am more than interested in the sequal, and will wait another book or two before making a more firm opinion.

Like many other reviewers, I'm a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse series. You get sexy vampires, violent murders, comedy, and Sookie. Sookie is the main reason to enjoy the series; she's just such a likable gal, despite everything.

Not so Harper, the protagonist of this series. She's depressed (or seems to be), deeply cynical, and just plain negative. In real life I find these sorts of people draining. OK, so maybe it makes for a well-rounded character of depth, but really, is such a person enjoyable to be around?

I think I'm going to skip the rest of the series and try one of Harris' other books.

Ms. Harris has a knack for writing these very interesting characters. This new series is no exception.

In this series we once again have a heroine with some emotional baggage, but persevers with internal strength. Similiar to her Sookie Stackhouse series, our heroine does have an extra-sensory ability, but it is firmly placed in the real world which makes this book different again from her other successful series.

Enjoy!

I am a huge fan of Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series and her Shakespere series. I bought this book expecting to be equally thrilled. I am pretty dissapointed in it.

The book is good-it just isn't great, which is what I have come to expect from Mrs. Harris. The who-done-it is fairly easy to figure out early on and there really isn't much suspense in the book. I picked up on some possible sexual tension between the two main characters. Honestly they ARE step brother and sister...but it is still kind of creepy.

All in all I was dissappointed with this book and don't reccommend it as a hardback buy.

What a great new series from Charlaine Harris! I can barely wait until the next installment.

Heroine Harper Connelly can find dead people. She's kind of an energy sensing cadaver dog of a medium: able to feel the vibrations of the dead and discern how they died. In some ways Harper is reminiscent of Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake: she uses her paranormal skills in both private enterprise, and as part of police forensic investigations. And,like Anita, most of the time the people doing the hiring don't really like to hear what Harper has to tell them.

Harper is assisted and protected by her stepbrother Tolliver. The relationship between these two is complex, to say the least, and it will be wonderful to watch them develop in coming volumes. Harris writes skillfully yet playfully, and develops her characters in a strong, appealing fashion. All of the groundwork for a fantastic series is beautifully established here in Grave Sight.

In this first installment, Harper and Tolliver travel to the Ozarks to find a missing teenaged girl, presumed dead. They find her body deep in a wood, and plunge even deeper into small town intrigue, deception, secrecy, and murder. With conservative bigotry welling up around them, can Harper and Tolliver get away with their lives? Well, of course they can: there are many more books ahead, and I suspect we shall all of us buy them up like hotcakes. This new character is a winner.

Charlaine Harris' resilient new character, Harper Connelly, is a clairvoyant. Struck by lightning at an early age, Harper can now sense the whereabouts of dead people and once she finds the body, she "sees" how the person died. One would think that consulting with law enforcement to solve missing person cases and bring closure to families would be considered an honorable thing to do, but Harper's job tends to be a pretty thankless one. In this first installment, someone in a small town in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas doesn't want Harper to get too close to solving a mystery.

On a personal note, I don't read many mysteries but I do read a lot of "otherworldly" fiction like Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series. In Grave Sight, I enjoyed the character of the clairvoyant, but the "mystery" and "villain" elements were pretty obvious to me from about a third of the way into the story.

Harper and the other characters definitely made this a fun and fast read, so five stars for Harper Connelly and three stars for the mystery plot = 4 stars.

Witty Humor mixed with hints of melodrama, all this with the spiritual world doing its bits in the background. Grave Sight Can be a page turner for some, and a bit predictable for others; some how the story still keeps you engaged to the end and you cant help but to feel connect to Harper. A Must READ ! for any southern mystery fans!

Unlike the lead characters in Ms. Harris' other books, Harper is somewhat passive. I found the characters believable and interesting, but I can understand how others who have read the book found them annoying or a bit dull.

The story is quite dark, like the later Sookie Stackhouse plots.

Maybe not for everyone, but I am glad I jumped into this paranormal series.

At the beginning of the book, when Harper is describing how she and her stepbrother get in to town, find a corpse, cash their check, and get out, I wondered how Harris would get her characters to stick around long enough to get involved in a murder mystery. Not to worry, Harris has some plausible plot ideas up her sleeve. Before you know it, Harper is up to her elbows in trouble. While I was pretty sure, halfway through the book, that I'd guessed the bad guy's identity, Harris tossed in a few more plot twists that caught me by surprise. It was a fun read all the way. I'm assuming this is the start of a new series; if it isn't, I'll be disappointed!

While lacking in the humor and warmth that the Southern Vampire series has, this first entry in Harris' potential new series was still a page-turner. At least after the first two chapters were over, that is. The heroine of the story has the power to 'listen to the dead' and finds bodies of deceased people by following their call. An interesting idea, and one that I wasn't sure could hold up over an entire novel. To Harris' credit, she pulled off the mystery, and was wise enough to keep it under 300 pages. I was intrigued enough to read the whole book, but found plenty of material skippable, especially near the end, which seemed padded with extra details.

I will try another book in the series if one comes out, but won't be disappointed if it doesn't.

As a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, I am a big fan of Charlaine Harris. Though I'm not really a mystery book fan, I really enjoyed this book. Charlaine has a way to draw you into her books so that you can't put them down. She is a fantastic writer and I am so glad that I found her. It is because of writers like her that I got into reading in the first place.

Having read the Stackhouse series, which by the way are nothing like the Tv series they were made into, I was aware that Harris writes in a unique style. It is very calm and comfortable and she takes her time with the story and plot. This series focuses on Harper Connelly, who was struck by lightning as a teenager and since then she has an inner GPS for dead people and can see how they spent their last miniutes alive. It is a slow burner this one, but a good one. Charlaine Harris writes solid plots and I always enjoy her books.

Even though this is the first in the series, I read this after book two and three. I really enjoy Harper and Tolliver's characters and the odd way they make their living. Very different. Would make a great HBO series like True Blood. I hope Ms Harris continues with this one, I'd like to think that I have years of reading pleasure ahead of me with this series.

I have never found Ms. Harris' books particularly riveting, although typically well-written with an interesting story line. My problem was that I wasn't really able to relate to the main character, this is not true for this book.

Ms. Harris does something that most authors have trouble by making a different character who does not strike you as exactly the same as every other book she has written. I actually like the main character of this book much better than Sookie, thus finding the entire book much more riveting. Also, the main man (romance?) in this one is much more likable than those in the Sookie Stackhouse series.

If you maybe have read one of Ms. Harris' books already and found that they were interesting, but not one of your favorites. Try this one it really is a different and enjoyable change of pace.

This book lacks the supernatural element in the Sookie books, but it was still a very driven mystery. I enjoyed it, but I felt the ending was too predictable. I didn't feel any real buildup in suspense. I enjoyed learning about Harper and Tolliver more than the acutual mystery. I would definitely recommend this book to any fan of Charlaine Harris.

The first in the Harper Connelly series, this is a quick, intelligent, fun read. Harper has been struck by lightning and because of it, she can find dead bodies. An interesting line of work leads her into a mess in the small town of Sarne where she's been hired. Along with her step brother Tolliver, Harper sets out to find a body and ends up nearly getting herself killed.

Like many of Charlaine Harris' stories, this one is packed with funny characters, an interesting story plot and it's fair share of dry humor. Makes me want to read more in the series.

Charlaine Harris has found creative Texas T bubbling in her brain yet again with her new heroine, Harper Connelly. Harper was struck by lightning as a teenager, and with the support of her pseudo-brother Tolliver, she finds dead bodies through a psychic-like sense. Fans of her darker Lily Bard series will enjoy the touch of dry wit and fans of the slightly lighter Sookie Stackhouse novels will appreciate Harper's unique supernatural situation. With her hint of romance, thick mystery, and sense of humor, I personally will be enjoying this series for as long as Harris chooses to write it.

This was a very different story from an author that has always stood out. Best known for her Sookie Stackhouse series, Harris gives us a new tale about a woman who was struck by lightning and given the gift of sensing the dead. She uses this creepy power as her livelyhood, finding lost bodies, clarifying the last moments of the deceased and how they actually died.

Harper, our main character, has travelled to Sarne, Missouri with her stepbrother, Tolliver, whom she seems to have a somewhat creepy attachment to. She does her job and tries to leave only to find herself drawn into Sarne's dramas. Tolliver is imprisoned on trumped up charges, her flings wifes death isn't solved, and some one keeps trying to kill her. Not you average work week but one that Harper will have to work through to solve the mystery of what's going on in small town Sarne and get on with her life with the afterlife.

Okay I was fooled into getting this book by a person I know and it wasnt what I expected. For people who have read her other series please do not think that this book follows the sames lines or even the humor in this series. If you like mystery with a touch of suspense than this for you. Harper has powers that allows her to see death seeing as she was hit by lightening when she was younger. All in all it has good characters and a solid plot but for those as I said looking for another Sookie go elsewhere this series is for the mystery at heart readers.

For anyone who has read as many books of this genre as I have, they may find this book a bit predictable, cliche, and boring. There are a lot of moments where I couldn't help but roll my eyes as I'm sure a lot of other readers will do the same as the author's only purpose of writing this book was to somehow start a romance between a step-brother and step-sister. She might as well have made it more interesting and made it about a full brother and sister just so the book could be a bit more entertaining. The way the author makes the character feel and for what reason, and how she acts is inconsistent. Harper has a tough as nails exterior and a "been there/done" that attitude but she faints at the first murder she finds. She talks about how the way the person dies doesn't usually bother her and how she's seen so many murders, hardly anything surprises her anymore but she faints because she found a body that had been running from a murderer who shot her twice? Stupid. Wow...how exciting. And she wakes up to her step brother holding her close to his chest saying, "oh baby wake up!" whatever...charlaine harris tried way too hard in this book. i was about to keel over with boredom...i will not pick up another charlaine harris book. And I agree with another reviewer when they said her writing seemed amateur-ish. It's like she wrote it all in one day and didn't proof-read anything. Bland as white toast. I've heard a lot of good things about this author, and I've heard her Sookie Stackhouse books are great. If that's true, she got lazy on this book.

I got this book because my store did not have any "Sookie" books. I was not disappointed! Harris is so creative that she keeps coming up with strange, but believable scenarios with great characters! Recommend.

This is a very dark book-even darker than the Lily Bard series. I have always enjoyed Ms. Harris' books-especially the humor and characterizations of the characters. None of that was present in this book-it was populated with deeply negative characters and the storyline itself was negative and depressing.

I found the intense-and borderline psychotic-neediness and dependency of Harper to be very unattractive and unsettling. I, like previous reviewers, just don't like weak, needy women.

I didn't completely dislike it but I didn't find it entertaining. I've read other books from this author so I thought I'd enjoy this one too. I found the protagonist difficult to relate to and the mystery boring. It was written well enough just didn't interest me. I'm sure it's great for others just not me.

i loved this book. I don't think I ever read any other book as fast as I read this one. I just couldn't put it down. The story and characters were very interesting and so different than anything else I've read. Great job. I've already started reading the 2nd book Grave Surprise. I just can't get enough of Harper.

A fan of Charlaine Harris' early Southern Vampire mysteries, I thought I would begin another of her series, but by page 2, I realized I shouldn't have wasted my time. The characters in Grave Sight are unlikable, unmemorable and unbelievable - particularly the townspeople of Sarne, who are annoyingly one-sided in their negative reactions toward Harper and her brother. I did not engage with Harper, the narrator, because she lacked personality and willpower. Spunky Sookie Stackhouse, in contrast, was honest, ingratiating, charmingly stubborn and the perfect combination of innocence and sensuality.
While the general idea - that the protagonist has a special insight into people's deaths - was intriguing, the plot quickly fizzled into a predictable and anticlimactic finish. The forced relationship between Harper and young cop Hollis had none of the appeal for me that Bill and Sookie's did - Harris seems to have included it only for convenience's sake, and as a welcome distraction from the strange (and at times, uncomfortably touchy-feely) relationship between Harper and her brother.
Harris was obviously in a hurry to introduce a new series with a female protagonist, but Harper Connelly's first mystery wasn't worth the read. Stick with Sookie.

I am such a fan of Harris' Southern Vampire series that I hesitated to read a book outside it. However, I think Harper and her special talents are right up there with Sookie and hers. This book is darker and more thoughtful, but Harris has another winner as far as I'm concerned. I just wish her books took longer to read!

i pre-ordered this title because it was by charlaine harris. i expected a new volume in her roe teagarden series.

i'm definitely not disappointed that it's the start of a new series. i enjoy her southern vampire series also. this book, however, is darker in tone and outlook than the others i've enjoyed(haven't read the shakespeare series yet).

the main characters, harper and her brother, are interesting and well-drawn. the results of the family background are realistic. i can't agree with the comment that there is any sexual tension between the two.

the experienced mystery reader will probably figure out who-dun-it fairly easily, but that doesn't detract all that much from the book.

the least appealing part of the story was the townspeople. those involved with the mystery were almost completely unsympathetic. realistic, yes. but i can encounter enough unpleasant, selfish and repellent people going to the grocery store to want to spend my reading time with so many of them--not to mention that i try to control my impulse to complete cynicism when possible.

i will definitely read the next book in this series. i have faith in harris. i just hope her next book is another sukey stackhouse.

Because I'm having a hard time waiting for the next Sookie Stackhouse book I gave 'Grave Sight' a go. Unfortunately, its just okay. The first thing one notices is the type is set in such away to strech a short story into a full book. It should have been left a short story. Everything is there to make a fun read - the slow development of main characters, the slight amount of background that you know will be uncovered in another book, the oddity of her gift. But its just not enough. More Sookie please.

This was a nice, easy light read. I tried to read Harris's other series with Sookie, where the HBO series True Bllod is based off of, but it was too strange. The character in this series, Harper Connolly, has the ability to find dead bodies and identify how they died. Harris's writing flows well and she can tell a great story. The ability this character has is almost believable and not as strange as her other books. I recommend this to other mystery readers.

Harper is a very interesting heroine. I really enjoyed this book. It is by far not on the level with some of her other works, because I have found a lot of inconsistencies in this series. I have to say though it is a great quick read and interesting.

Charlaine Harris is such a wonderful story teller but I was spoiled by Sookie and the gang. Harper Connelly is rich and well drawn but there are no other characters to really grab on to. By the third Sookie book I was involved with a dozen characters that were interesting, not so with Harper Connelly. Still a good, fun summer read.

I too read this b/c of vampire series. I expected this to be different, and it is. I liked the grimmer heroine but found the plot predictable. I figured out who the killer was by page 5, but I kept reading anyway b/c the book was enjoyable. I also found the romance lackluster, but that too was okay b/c Harris' eye for atmosphere kept me reading.

I enjoyed the dark tone of this book. I feel like the subtle affection between Harper and Tolliver is something that could really happen to two people in their positions. I like the way they take up for each other and lean on each other so much. Charlaine Harris does a great job keeping you guessing about the murderer until the very end.

I have been a fan of Harris since her first Sookie Stackhouse book. In Grave Sight she, Harris, does not disappoint. The mystery is solid, the new characters and their problems are well drawn and believable, and the writing is thoroughly enjoyable. I recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries with a twist.

Harris goes in a new direction, but does not stray from familiar territory with this new series. My biggest problem with the book is how obvious it is as the beginning of a new series. There is more background on the main characters than there is actual story. A nice quick read.

Hopefully I won't offend the author when I say I had never heard of her before about a week ago, but now I'm very glad I have. I really found this first novel in the series a good read, it piqued my interest so much so that I had a hard time stopping reading. I purchased it for my Kindle and as soon as I finished it, went back and got book #2 and I haven't regretted either one.

As a avid fan of Charlaine Harris, I grabbed this book and looked forward to being entertained. Well, yes I enjoyed the book; however, the story wasn't as adhesive as her novels usually are. This is understandable as she is beginning a new series, but I hope the sequel has more substance to it. Her characters are well shaped; but repeating the same ground very times was irrating. While I was disappointed by several parts of the story, I eagerly look forward to the sequel and hope Ms Harris is back to her old self next time.

this is the first in the new series from C Harris. I have to say I didn't really like this one. I had it figured out half way through the book. But I did order all 3 in the series and enjoyed the second one very much. I fell that the characters and premise for this series is brilliant, just needs to keep within the Harris style of wit and sexual innuendo. I just started the third - Ice Cold Grave- and I'm moving right along with it. I believe I will like this one also.
Keep um coming, Charlene!

This was a very good book. I got pulled in right from the start, as I would expect from Charlaine Harris. If you like her southern vampire novels, you'll probably like this book. Harper connelly sees the last moments of someone's life, and has used this gift to her advantage, though not everyone likes the things she finds. It's definately worth a read. Or two!

Another weird and great series for Charlaine harris whom is fast becomming my fave. author.

Harper and Tolliver are believable characters although i am puzzled as to Harper relations ship with her step brother. She is so weirdly dependant on him.

Looking foward to the second installment into this new series.

I usually enjoy Charlaine Harris so much, and was excited to read a new series. I did finish this book, but I never connected with the characters. The story wasn't edgy enough. The characters weren't charming or funny. I had a difficult time making myself finish, secretly hoping something wonderfully exciting would happen and save the story. This one is definately not my favorite Harris book. Don't waste the time, just re-read one of the Sookie Stackhouse books, it's much more fun!

I enjoy the Southern Vampire series and in fact am rereading them right now. These new characters are ok but not really that interesting. The "brother"/"sister" thing is a bit offsetting as well as the over-dependancy for Tolliver. This book has a good premise but needs work to make it on par with the SV series. Hopefully, with a little tweaking it can be improved. The basic story line is great, needs something more.

I love a good mystery and this is even more enjoyable because of the supernatural element. I've been working my way through all of Charlaine Harris's books and this series may be my favorite right now.

Coming with great enthusiasm from the sookie books, I was hoping to find an equally as good series to start reading. Although the book is well-written and interesting to those who enjoy this stuff,this genre just doesn't do it for me. It's more detective story than I expected, and it was slow-goin' for me. This Sookie fan was disappointed. P.S.- there is nothing romantic about this book. At all. And no sexual tension between the two main characters.

After reading the Southern Vampire Novels, I was eager to try Ms. Harris' new series. I agree with another reviewer who felt the premise of the book was interesting, but the execution was lacking. Yes, Harper Connelly has the ability to find dead bodies since being struck by lightning at the age of 15. Yes, she makes her living with that talent and travels the country with her stepbrother Tolliver. However, this book didn't deliver the entertainment value I expected.

The plot is dull - a mystery anyone could figure out half way through the book. This leaves the reader to slog through the rest of a story that lacks any entertaining characters or action.

All we know about Harper Connelly by the end of this book is that she's sad, lonely, has an unusual talent and a rather creepy, co-dependent relationship with her stepbrother. Unlike Sookie Stackhouse, Ms. Harris gives us nothing about Harper to make her sympathetic or likeable. Harper and her brother spend too much time interacting with each other in the story and there are too few other characters to add much interest.

I get the impression that Ms. Harris, like many popular writers, is under pressure to crank out books as fast as possible. It's a pity because she's capable of much better than the effort reflected in this story. She simply didn't do Harper Connelly justice.

I was borrowing a coworkers Kindle and this was on her list so i decided to give it a go. I love it so much i had to read the other 2 and am now about to read the final (4th) book soon. I really don't want this to end, would love to read more!

After reading Charlaine Harris' Sookie series, I wasn't sure she could keep me interested in another heroine. Harper is interestingly portrayed and I was anxious to get back to my book. Since I love to read about vampires,paranormal activity, and any super powers on the common person, this book fit the bill. I think Charlaine is an exceptional writer. I like how her mind works.

One thing that I have to say is that it is a fast read. Besides that the book is a total letdown. First off, I kept reading it thinking it is going to get more interesting but sadly it did not. The characters are extremely uninteresting and undeveloped. The main character was hit by lightening at a young age and now can sense the dead. Besides that, that is truly all we learn about her. Oh and she has a strange fascination with her brother. Then the book takes place in the most boring town that sets the backdrop for the whole book. And lastly, you know who did it from the very beginning but you keep reading in order to find out why he did it. And the reason on why he did it is not even that plausible. I am truly sad to say that I read this book.

When I read that Harris had a new novel/new character I hoped she wasn't as sadly narrow as Sookie.....so this character was very disappointing. While I like her general style,I think Charlaine needs a kick-start for her endorphins. A sense of humor would be a welcome infusion.

As a fan of her southern vampire series, I was eager to read another book by this author. Grave Sight is a murder mystery with a twist of the weird. I enjoyed the book very much, but I was not expecting the more serious tone. The S.V. series is more light hearted, whereas there is a somewhat meloncoly tone here. It is still well written and enjoyable however, and I recommend it to fans of Charlaine Harris.

I have read all the Southern Vampire novels and find them quite enjoyable, but I had a hard time with this new book. The character of Harper seems weak-willed and too dependent upon her "brother" for everything. She has some moments of standing up for herself, but immediately goes looking for her brother to save the day and make her life all right again.

It's the desperateness of needing her brother that doesn't sit well with me. I guess I just have a hard time with needy, weak women characters. Her Sookie books are much better (Sookie can take care of herself)

The story line is pretty good, if a bit slow at times, I just wish the characters were stronger.

Interesting characters & a good story, well-told, I recommend this book. Harper and her brother are very sympathetic, and their adventures engage the readers attention. Charmaine Harris is a master storyteller!

I really LOVED the Sookie books, but this series was horrible! Boring was the plot, boring were the characters. And the inconsistencies about drove me nuts! First Nell was "under age" but she was in her last year of highschool. Then the book said she was 16 and a few chapters later, she was 17 (but no birthday had taken place). I love Charlaine Harris but I am very detail oriented and her inconsistencies when she writes drive me crazy! Then, apparently, a man kills half the town because he finds out that his two kids were having a child together. Come on! When the book FINALLY ended and I found out the reason for the killings I could not believe how stupid this book was. Very disappointed.

I didn't care much for the book at all. Infact, I can't really think of anything I did like about it. I didn't care much for Harper's character. I found her annoying and her reaction towards her brother's one night stands are somewhat creepy. Tolliver wasn't much better. He travels all over with his sister and picks up waitresses. I got bored with Harper's story of being struck by lightening repeated again and again and again. I had a difficult time getting into it since I disliked the two main characters and found their overly close relationship rather creepy.

What a bunch of drivel...the main character couldn't have a drier, more uninteresting personality if she were a soda cracker! Beyond being totally predictable as a mystery, the rude, dismissive, and completely cold and colorless attitudes of the two "siblings" made this book almost unreadable. Why should the reader care about anything in this book when the humorless main character barely can bring herself to care acout anything but herself? The characters in this book, with the possible exception of the policeman, are ridiculously flat and self absorbed. I've never felt the need to write a review before, but I couldn't let go of the irritation that felt reading this. The most irritating thing about it is that it could have been executed so much better by an author who even pretended to appreciate her readers by inserting even an ounce of personality into her characters. I felt like I needed to wash the dust off my hands after reading this formulaic and shallow piece of...work.

I love every book I've read by Charlaine Harris and this one is no exception. The only reason I rated it 4 stars instead of 5 is that it was too short. The book wrapped up everything completely... it's just it took me about 4 hrs to read and I wanted more!

i love Harris's Sookie Stackhouse seris so i gave this a try and i loved it. it was fast paced and full of mystery. i love Harris's writing stlye and her chracters. she tied things up real nice at the end. i recomend for a good weekend read.

I realize that America in general is not becoming a country of wisdom and intellect--our schools are a prime example of that as we focus more on being able to fill out a bubble sheet correctly than on actual learning. However, to assume that everyone in the country is ignorant really gets my blood boiling. One of the most recent examples of that is the lackadaisical editing found in most of today's modern novels. Do they really think we're not going to notice all the errors in the books we read?

Case in point: I picked up Charlaine Harris's new book Grave Sight because I enjoy her Southern Vampire Series--they're a lot of fun if you're looking for a bit of light reading--lots of sass, attitude, interesting situations, and sexy vampires--what more could you ask for?

This new series also contains paranormal aspects and the reviews I'd read seemed encouraging.

That is, until I actually started reading the book.

I was ready to put it down within the first dozen pages--not because of the story, but because of the seriously horrific editing. The choppy, detail by detail sentences are worthy of a high school freshman copying a bad crime novel. If the author was trying a new style, she failed, and seemed to realize this as the book moved along and the sentences began to flow more smoothly.

However, it's not just the amateurish style that got to me, but the little details that any decent editor should have caught. A character's name, for example, that changes ON THE SAME PAGE ('Dale' and 'Dell' on page 117). Or this, on page 10, one of my favorite examples of bad writing, "The waitress had filled my coffee cup and taken my first swallow before the sheriff spoke." What is the waitress doing drinking from the protagonist's coffee cup?

I just want to know, how difficult is it to get someone to read a book before it is sent to the publisher? If they're having that much trouble finding people with a basic knowledge of the English language, I will gladly offer my services. As for now, I am thoroughly discouraged with this increasing trend in bad editing and I will not buy a hardback copy of a book again. I'm not going to waste that much money on a book I can get used for three bucks a couple of months later. That way, I won't feel bad for throwing it away in anger when reading another page becomes too painful to bear.

This book did not live up to my expectations of the author. I really enjoy the Southern Vampire books, and this was no where near as entertaining. The story is plodding,even the action is monotone, the characters have lots of potential, but are dimly painted and i just couldn't care for them, the plot is predictable, the motives obvious but unrealistic, a blatant knockoff of Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake...all in all this was a sad attempt at mystery writing. This book gave me so little, i can't even give more of a review. If you must read it, please borrow from the library.

I love Harris's book but I have to sya that I was very disappointed with this one. I thought it had a very interesting premis but it just didn't pan out. Also the editor did a terrible job going over this book. There were typos in the dialogue, parts of conversations just made no sense.

I was fairly disappointed in this book. It was definitely darker in tone than the Southern Vampire Series and lacked its humor and charm. I really had to work at reading the whole book. I prefer her Sookie Stackhouse books and hope that her next effort for this series is better.

I am book worm in a readers block. I loved the Sookie Stackhouse Series and enjoyed Twilight. I am an avid reader and have been downloading sample of some books for the last 2 weeks. I decided to give a try to Charline Harries first book of the series Grave Sight. I must say that at the point I reached 50% exactly on my Kindle I started screaming in frustration. I figured out the answer to the obvious mystery. I would not recommend this book, if you are looking to continue after Sookie or Bella, it's a very fast pace book with a bunch of filling in between pages. Charlaine is a great writer it's a fast read and its not a heavy book, but honestly it's a very weak mystery.

I think Vicki nailed it in her 'great premise, bad execution' review. After I saw the story was spinning it's wheels I skipped to the end and did not miss much. What I did miss was rehashed and the ending was just to obvious.

Hated it! Harper is no Sookie and no fun. What a dark dreary, almost uninteresting read. There were no characters you could like. Harper and Tolliver were uncaring and clueless about their true feelings. Will not read any more of this series. Bring back Sookie!

OK - You have read the reviews and know what this book is about. However, I found it rather disturbing, and then when I read something (you will read below) I just put it down and I was done. I read ALOT and love mysteries. I kept hearing about this author and requested this book at the library and began to read immediately. As I kept reading, I got more and more disturbed with this character, Harper. Here are some examples.
First of all, the relationship she has with her stepbrother is CREEPY! My husband has a twin sister and I kept reading excerpts from the book to him regarding this relationship. His response was laughter and a WOW. Just one example is- and remember this is her stepbrother! - "I loved hugging Tolliver, who was bony and hard and warm. I loved to listen to the air going in and out of his lungs, the swoosh of his heart." They call each other honey and really have a creepy relationship in my book.
Another thing that bothers me is her nonchalant attitude about the dead. This bothered me - she was talking about her worst dead find, which was a baby. then she said, "But mostly it's not so bad, Mostly it's girls who don't come home, or older people who run away. Sometimes abducted kids - " REALLY! That's not so bad !!!! She is a freak!!!
And here was the part of the book that made me stop reading this garbage.
She was jogging and 3 guys in a truck pull up, block her way and get out of the truck. She asks them if they are going to rape her - they say No and this is what she thinks in her head. 'Of course real men should be ready to have any sort of sex, any time. So if they didn't want to rape me, I must not be desirable'. (p. 113) SERIOUSLY !!!!!!!!!! ????? !!!
I won't be reading any more of her trash !!