Grave Secret

Harper Connelly Mysteries, Book 4

By: Charlaine Harris

Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan

Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris pens darkly inventive paranormal tales, including the immensely popular Sookie Stackhouse novels.

With Grave Secret, Harris returns to her beloved Harper Connelly series to deliver a thrilling mystery.

Ever since Harper was struck by lightning, she’s been able to see and hear the last memories of the dead. Going on the road with her stepbrother Tolliver, she uses this unwanted gift to solve crimes and bring clients closure. Now, besides handling a budding romance with Tolliver, Harper is on the trail of a particularly gruesome killer in rural Texas, and she must act quickly before more lives are lost.

A tale of dark desires and even darker intentions, Harris’ fourth book in the series shows why she’s become a household name in fiction.

Crack another case with Harper Connelly

©2009 Charlaine Harris, Inc. (P)2009 Recorded Books

Satisfactory final conclusion

This is the 4th (and last, [sigh]) Harper Connelly book. Harper is able to find dead bodies as a result of a lightning strike when she was a teenager. She and her "brother" travel from place to place selling their services to people who want more information about their deceased loved ones.

The best part of this series is the developing relationship between Harper and Tolliver. In this book, more family members become involved and the two of them try to figure out what happened to her sister years before. The characters are wonderful, and Bresnahan does a masterful job creating the character of Harper (the book is written in first person).

I'm glad that Harris brought the series to a logical conclusion. She had stated a few months ago that the series was finished after this book, and it leaves the reader satisfied that the lives of the characters have stabilized with the discovery of those "grave secret"s in the title.

It wasn't a typical Harris book, and I'm sure it will be criticized for that, but I enjoyed it very much. It was necessary to bring closure to the series to focus on Harper's personal tragedies, and that made the plot structure slightly more predictable than that of the previous books in the series. However, I REALLY didn't see the climax coming. Harris did a fantastic job of tying loose ends together and having a true conclusion to the series.

Too Bad it is Ending

This is evidently the last book in this series. Too bad, I really enjoyed the series and this book. I think that Ms. Harris actually surpasses the Sookie Stackhouse series with her Harper Connelly series.

This book tied up several loose ends - most importantly relaying what happened to Harper's sister. The sister is not an active character in any of the books, but her disappearance was a contributing factor in how Harper turned out as an adult.

It also brought the budding romance between Harper and Tolliver, which I thought was probably too long in coming. I realize this romance upset a lot of readers, because of their relationship. But there really was no blood "relationship" between the two, they acted like very close friends and I had no problem with the relationships progress.

Again, sorry to see this series end. I really enjoyed it.

Surprisingly good!

This novel about a young woman who gained some extraordinarily abilities after being struck by lightening is not of my genre of choice. But it is an outstanding story with superb narration.

Hoping for more

I know this is supposed to be the final book in the series, but I can't help hoping for more. I've really enjoyed this series, and I think this book is the best of the lot.

When I started the series, I promised myself that I wouldn't expect a Sookie-esque series. While some people really just want more Sookie, I enjoyed this series even more than the Sookie books. It's different. It's meant to be different, and I'm glad for it.

More Harper, please!

Good & Depressing

This series is difficult to like because the main character's childhood was tragic and it is the center of this fourth book. The first three books provide background but this story solves one tragic mystery of her childhood. I still have to say that I enjoy this series because the main character is so interesting and different. I look forward to the next story and seeing what will happen to her now that her tragic past is set to rest.

Really liked it!

I have enjoyed all the Harper Connolly books from Charlaine Harris and this one was no exception. Alyssa Bresnahan did her usual stellar job in bringing Harper to life. Many loose ends from earlier books were tied up and Harper really grew as a character, since Tolliver was somewhat sidelined. I understand that there will be more books in the series, so this one is really an ending and a beginning for Harper and Tolliver. Not to mention that I was completely gobsmacked by the revelations at the end of the book!

Bravo! Best in series!

If this is indeed the end to the Harper and Toliver series, I am sad but I say BRAVO! The missing pieces of their life are interwoven gracefully in this story. This is a serious and at times woefully sad story but CH weaves hope at every page. The dialogue between characters is great and the relationship between Toliver and Harper has grown. It seemed more fast paced than the other books. Issues and items you wondered about in the previous three books are answered, especially about Harper's sister Cameron. My favorite in the series. The narrator did a great job and gave a wonderful voice to the characters.

So depressing

I've read several of the Harper Connelly series and I like the characters and the stories.
However they are soooo depressing. The main characters, though in love and building a life together, dwell on their very troubled pasts without relief. The narrator may contribute to this due to her somewhat narrow emotional range. My conclusion is that I love the author and like the story but now I need to get up and do something more cheerful.

Slow Start

I am an avid Harper Connely fan. This book started a bit slow, not to slow that I wasn't able to get into the book, but it didn't quit grab me like the others in the series. As the story progresses it does snowball into Charlaine Harris's normal crescendo of an ending. The ending was great! My expectations for this book were fulfilled, and I am curious as to how the characters are going to evolve in the next book.

A depressing listen

I liked the first three books in this series and was waiting for this book. Trouble is, the entire book is about awful family (if that is the right word) matters. I was disappointed with the books drawn out subject and ending. I'll look for the next book anyway.