Grave Secret (Harper Connolly #4) by Charlaine Harris
Whole Story Audiobooks (Dec 2010) | Audiobook: 9h 58m
Narrator: Alyssa Bresnahan | Paranormal Mystery
If you haven’t read of the Harper Connolly series before, it’s from the viewpoint of Harper a young woman who was struck by lightening in her teens and since then has been able to sense the dead. Not as in talk to the dead, but sense where they’re buried, how long they’ve been dead for and the cause of death. Since that fateful day she and her stepbrother Tolliver have made a living traveling the country investigating the causes of different people’s deaths.
Book four in the series is very much about Harper and Tolliver’s family life, although of course the usual murder mystery element is included as Harper unintentionally unravels some deep family secrets at her latest job. We finally meet their half sisters, Tolliver’s brother and Tolliver’s drug addict father is released from jail much to their displeasure.
The action takes no time in getting going with Tolliver getting shot in their motel room and leaving Harper on her own. I hadn’t quite realised how vulnerable Harper really was until her support was taken away, and without Tolliver she seems like a broken doll. Her actions were erratic and she seemed very lost.
This book very much felt like Charlaine Harris was drawing the series to a close, although I cannot find anything on her website that confirms that. But the great thing is we finally get some answers. Most importantly about Harper and Tolliver’s past and what happened to Harper’s sister Cameron who has been missing for years. This was the favourite part for me, it was nice to seem Harper finally find out the truth and be allowed to grieve for her sister.
What I did struggle with and didn’t actually expect to was Harper and Tolliver’s relationship. It’s strange as I wanted them to get together in the last book and was really routing for them, having no problem with them being step brother and sister. But the relationship did not seem to translate that well in this book. Harper herself describes her relationship with Tolliver has having a certain ‘ick’ factor. And that’s how it felt… Icky. I think I might have something to do with the fact that they still referred to themselves as brother and sister or perhaps this was enhanced by their family’s reaction to their news. But the sex scenes just made me squirm uncomfortably in my seat.
This is the first time I have listened to one of Charlaine Harris books as an audiobook, instead of reading it in the traditional way. I’m a big fan of hers, but couldn’t decide if the story lacked a little pace or the narrator was reading it too slow. Harris has a distinct and detailed writing style, and I wonder if it’s that when I read her books myself I skip over a lot of the erroneous I had a shower and shaved my legs detail which she is quite famous for, and which seemed a bit tedious when described in an audiobook. I found myself getting a little bored at times.
VERDICT:
This is not the best book in the series so far, but it was nice to finally get some answers about Harper’s sister. If you’re a fan of the books it is worth reading to get some closure, but I have to say I think Charlaine Harris has written a lot better.
RATING: 
CHARLAINE HARRIS ONLINE
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BOOKS IN SERIES ORDER
- Grave Sight
- Grave Surprise
- An Ice Cold Grave
- Grave Secret
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4 Comments
I'm really enjoying Harris's Sookie series at the moment, so it would be interesting to read some of her other series. Shame that this wasn't as good as the other books, but sometimes that happens in series doen't it, books go up and down – would you recommend the series overall though?
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I'm thinking of starting the Sookie Series in October, and I might try this series too. Great review and thanks for posting.
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Overall, I prefer this series to Sookie (although I enjoy Sookie as well!), but have to agree about Harper and Tolliver's relationship – it always felt ick to me. I liked that the family mystery wasn't spread out over many more books though. If this is the last of the Harper books at least we're not left wondering what happened!
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@BookChickCity I would recommend this series overall, I think the Sookie books are better. Harper and Tolliver do have an unusual relationship, which does take a bit of getting used to, but it is written with Harris's compelling writing style. But as I know you like mysteries I would actually recommend her Shakespeare books first as I think even though they have no supernatural element they're better.
@Amy thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the review
I'd say the Sookie books are better, but I hope you enjoy.
@Mel do you really prefer this to the Sookie books? I think I'm the opposite, but I still like this series. I'm with you on the family mystery and I'm glad it was resolved. I'm not sure there can be another book in the series I'm not sure where it would go, but I could be wrong!
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