This was an interesting book. Harper has an interesting job and because of it, people are wary of her. I feel bad for her because she seems to be sweet and just wants to give people closure. The mystery itself was interesting because you learned little clues all the way to the end. However, I was able to determine why and how the killer was related but not who the actual killer was. It was definitely a well-kept secret. ( )

After being struck by lightning when she was 15, Harper Connelly can locate dead people and see the last few seconds of their life although not their killer, if it is murder. She is hired by a woman to locate a missing girl that her son is said to have killed and then committed suicide. However, when Harper locates the girl's body and visits the grave of the boy she knows they were both murdered. Normally at this point she and her step-brother who travels with her would have left town, but the sheriff and several locals become hostile and force them to stick around. Soon many secrets are coming to light and more people die. Good plot. This was an unusual set up and I was drawn to Harper and her brother, Tolliver. They had a tragic past and family life growing up. There are still unanswered questions from their past that I hope will come to light in future volumes. ( )

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 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. ( )

Murder

I'm reading this series again. It's just so good. ( )

Um, well... I liked this, but it seemed a bit... I don't know...Something just seemed off. I'll keep reading the series to see what happens, but unless the next one ends a little better, I won't continue. The story and mystery were well done, but the characters themselves just didn't do much for me. And I really didn't like abrupt ending to Harper's new romance. We just get, "I knew he wouldn't be calling." But no real explanation for that. ( )

Not bad! Grave sight is an urban fantasy, but lacks the elements that I've come to associate with urbans: sexy heroine who kicks ass, breakneck pace, many fantastical elements. That's all to the good as far as I am concerned: I find current-day traditional urbans tiresome. Grave sight is almost more a detective. I found the continuous mention of everyone having a problem with Harper wanting to get paid annoying, and the eventual story around the killer a bit shallow. It didn't seem enough for the numerous murders that were committed. But other than that, it was a good read. ( )

I really enjoyed both the Sookie Stackhouse and the Lily Bard Shakespeare series, so I was really excited to pick up another new series by this author. Unfortunately, GRAVE SIGHT was a massive disappointment. I'm not quite sure where to begin with my criticisms of this book, because there are so many.

So let's start with the main character, who waffles between being a dish-rag and a whiner. She's so overly dependent on her brother that it borders on obsessive, and if I was Tolliver, I'd be seriously worried. Which brings me to my next point: the relationship between Tolliver and Harper is seriously creepy. I was uncomfortable during most of they scenes together, when Harper hugs him a little too long, lingers with him on the bed, and pines away for him every time he leaves the room. C-R-E-E-P-Y! Harris explained this away as, "oh they're step-siblings", but that feels like a copout since Harper introduces him as her brother and thinks of him as such.

The plot was really weak, and depended on small town small-mindedness and gossip to move the story along. And I got REALLY tired of every person Harper encountered being either outright suspicious, or hostile toward her. Seriously - everyone? There isn't a single person who's willing to give her the benefit of the doubt until she proves otherwise? Ugh. Just... ugh.

So, yeah. I was super disappointed, and I definitely won't be continuing with this series. ( )

Harper is aware of dead bodies in her vicinity and when close to one knows the cause of death. She has had this ability since being struck by lightning and has made it her profession. But there are drawbacks when finding a body reveals what someone does not want known. A fast moving stranger in a hostile town story. ( )

I wouldn't call this a "cozy" mystery, but I can see this series serving the same purpose for me. I like to read short, light mysteries in-between heftier books, and when I need to break a spell of anxiety or doldrums. And sometimes I'll just burn through a series (typically when I am procrastinating or if my headspace is more challenging than 'doldrums.')

I tried reading the Sookie Stackhouse series when it was all the rage, but I didn't even make it through the first one. I thought I'd revisit Harris with this much-shorter series. I expected a bit more humor in both, given the titles and cover art, but perhaps I need to give it more time.

So far, I am not sure I even like the Harper Connelly character but I do like the premise, so I read at least one more in this series before I decide on a firm rating. ( )

I liked this OK for a while, but I was really glad to be done with it by the last disc. Harper began to wear on me, and her relationship with her brother (not by blood, but she calls him her brother) was icky. Since I've read some reviews that reveal they later become a couple, I'm definitely not reading more.
So many of the characters are stereotypical and despicable, it just wasn't a fun read. And where I was charmed by the mundane details sprinkled throughout the Sookie books, I was just bored with it in this book. I don't care what everyone is wearing and about the main character liking to paint her toenails.
The reader, Alyssa Bresnahan, did a nice job, but I was glad the audiobook was only 7 discs. ( )

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 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. ( )

The story is told from the perspective of the lead character, Harper...making it easy reading. I really liked the characters of Harper and Toliver along with the unique gift that Harper processes. it seems it came about as a result of her having been struck by lightning. Ever since then she has had the ability to locate dead bodies. An interesting "gift" but I believe being able to locate missing money, or lost socks in the laundry would have been a more useful gift...but alas, not a great storyline:) Harper's ability is unique and so is the way she received it. (I had to chuckle some at that) ... but it was one of the things that I liked. Also, that it was limited was a clever plotline as it leaves more room for the stories to grow and to be a bit more believable. Harper's relationship with her stepbrother, Toliver is also another good point. Overall, I believe this will be an interesting series for those that either love everything this author writes or wants something a bit more than cozy. ( )

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. ( )

Just as good the second time around. I listened to the audiobook a number of years ago and enjoyed its unique spin on the paranormal mystery genre. What I remembered most were the characters Harper and Toliver and the tension between them. It was still there. The mystery itself was so-so but that’s probably because the revelation, somehow, had stayed with me all this time – or maybe it was just ok to begin with. At any rate, I'm ready for more of Charlaine Harris's great storytelling but I'll probably try a different series instead of continuing with this one. ( )

I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could. It was a good story, interesting protagonists. I got the gist of the "mystery" fairly early on, but I didn't give it enough thought to figure out the full who/what/why of it. Still an entertaining read. ( )

Harper is a strong gal with a strange gift. She can tell where dead bodies are and how they died. She received this "gift" after being hit by lightning when she was a teenager. Ms. Harris obviously did a lot of research about lightning strike victims and Harper comes across very real because of that.

I listened to the second story in this series before I read this first book. Looking forward to seeing what happens between her and her step-brother.

Ms. Harris certainly is good at making occult plot twists, but I am not sure I think that Harper would be as unpopular as the plots make out. I also don't care for the most negative characterization of small town southerners. It does make for a fast and easy read, however. ( )

When there is a murder, missing person or other deadly crime, Harper Connelly is often called to find and identify victims. But, she isn't a detective or an attorney. Harper is a psychic.

And not the usual sort of psychic. There are no readings, seances, or visions. Harper finds dead bodies. The dead call to her with an ever-present hum, the energy from their life and their emotions as they lived their last few moments. For Harper, cemeteries nearly vibrate with the energy from many bodies grouped in one place.

With the help of her step-brother, Tolliver, she assists police and grieving families to find the bodies of missing persons and other victims. Unfortunately, the people she helps often treat her like a pariah, looking down on her as someone who benefits from death and grief. Or, they openly accuse her of being a charlatan. Living with a power that came from being struck by lightning, Harper tries to maintain her sanity, while being insulted and threatened by the very people she helps.

Grave Sight is the first of four books in the Harper Connelly series. Charlaine Harris is also the author of the Southern Vampire (Sookie Stackhouse) series.

I enjoyed this book. Harper Connelly is an interesting character. She is often depressed because of the way people treat her, and she is traumatized at times by the flashes of death and grief she feels when finding a body. Her step-brother travels with her to help keep her grounded. At times, her relationship with Tolliver seemed a bit too close. At first, I was a bit put off by her constant depression and emotional neediness, but as I read further, I began to feel sympathy for her. She was ridiculed, humiliated and threatened by the very people who needed her help. She gets treated like a con artist everywhere she goes, even when she proves over and over again that she isn't a fake. Her power really is a curse. In her same predicament, I would probably be neurotic and depressed too.

I will definitely be reading more books in this series. It's a bit bizarre, but an enjoyable read.

My rating 7/10
Ages: 16 ( )

This was the first Charlaine Harris book I'd read so didn't know what to expect. Story-wise it's a good mystery and I didn't guess the ending until...well, the end. I just never really felt connected to the characters though. Harper is really hard to figure out, one minute she's streetsmart and mouthy, the next she's a wreck and can't function because she's like a little-girl-lost. I'm not sure if this will be explained a little more in the next books but so far she's not that likeable. Her brother Tolliver is a bit of a mystery too and I'm still not sure what makes him tick.

It's a good book but I'm hoping it will become a bit more fleshed out in the rest of the series. I was hoping for more of her special ability of being able to 'speak' to the departed and the story did revolve around this, but there wasn't very much of that side of things this time.

It held my interest to find out where things were headed all the way through so I'd recommend it, but it's a fairly quick read and if I'm honest not a lot happened in this one. ( )

Harper finds dead people and can tell how they died. Called to Sarne, Arkansas to find a body she then goes on to find that several dead people related to the body she was called to find did not die they way their death certificates said. Now she is involved in finding out what happened to these people and she may not make it out alive.

Good world building. I read this fast. It was so intriguing. I wanted to find out what was going on and how it all fit together. I liked Harper and her brother Tolliver. They also have an interesting back story. The characters in this book were odd. None really wanted Harper around but are forced to deal with the consequences of what she tells them. Old wounds are opened and there is lots of scandal in this small town. Look forward to reading the next book. ( )

Can't put down.

Lots of "mysteries that work" (at least me) orbit the question of jurisdiction - that is, whose business is this investigation. From Sherlock Holmes, the "private" detective, to Hillerman's Navajo stories (Federal crime? Navajo? State) - stories where who "owns the problem" is muddy, make for good stories, and this is another example.

As a private, uncredentialed, body finder, Harper has to balance quite a lot of inputs - it makes for a great story - and a nice series. ( )

I didn't love the main character or her brother, but a lot of the minor characters were rich and interesting, and I enjoyed the mystery, even if its "main part" was a little obvious. I thought Harper's special skill was interesting and I'd be into reading more in this series. 3.5 stars!

Oh PS.. I unfortunately read a small portion of the graphic novel after getting about halfway through the book. I don't recommend it. I don't agree with the drawings at all and it kind of ruined my mental images after having seen them. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read. The perfect summertime book. I did figure out whodunnit long before the protagonists did it didn’t detract too much from the story.

The descriptions of how Harper finds the dead was fascinating S was the description of the lightning strike and its lingering physical problems that gave her this gift/curse.

If I didn’t already have so many books to read I’d be looking for the rest of the series. ( )

Interesting premise of a girl struck by lighting who can now locate the dead and feel their last minutes. She does not see the murderer when there is one but how can the killer be sure? Harper and her brother travel the country locating bodies of missing persons where their is some chance of finding them. They are disliked and treated badly for performing this service because they charge for it. Will continue this series next time I visit my bookshelves. ( )

After getting struck by lightening, Harper Connelly developed the ability to sense the locations of dead bodies and to experience what they felt when they died. With the help of her step-brother, she works as a consultant locating missing bodies for a living. After finding the body of a missing teenager and determining that the girl was murdered, Harper gets drawn into the case and starts to investigate who was responsible for the death of the girl and her boyfriend. I thought this book was OK, I liked the premise and how Harper's gift worked. However the story began to drag a bit in the middle. I also figured out the mystery much too early for my tastes. I thought the answer was pretty obvious early on, but it took the characters in the story much longer to put two and two together. Overall, it was a good read. If the second book in the series showed up on my bookcase, I would read it, but I probably won't go seek it out. ( )