Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

Age Level: Adult
Format: Book

Thanks to being struck by lightning, Harper Connelly has the ability to find dead people and to discover what actually killed them. Along with her manager/bodyguard stepbrother Tolliver Lang, Harper travels the United States locating the dead. Hired to find the body of a missing teenage girl in Sarne, Arkansas, Harper and Tolliver discover a lot more than the body of the dead girl. Conspiracies and murders are uncovered in the small town, and Harper and Tolliver find themselves the targets of enraged and disgusted townspeople. However, getting out of Sarne is not as easy as it seems...This is the first of the Harper Connelly series.

Many readers may remember Charlaine Harris from another series she writes, the Southern Vampire series. Grave Sight is actually the first book I have read by Harris. It makes me wonder how exactly Harris came up with the concept of a main character who makes a living by finding dead people. Harper's profession itself really made me interested in reading the book, and I am glad I did.

The reader discovers during the story that Harper and Tolliver's family life is horrible. They were raised by negligent parents, who once had great professions until they threw it all away for alcohol and drugs. Harper's and Tolliver's lives up to this point certainly help to explain the closeness they feel for each other. Harper's injuries from the lightning strike (feeling weak, pounding headaches, and a right leg that does not always support her weight) make her feel vulnerable; she relies heavily on Tolliver, and Tolliver is always there for her. I thought at first that their close relationship was a little unhealthy until Harris began describing their teenage years and the stuff they faced growing up in an unsupportive household. It is great to have someone to lean onto even in the worst times of your life.

The mystery storyline is fantastic. It kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end, when everything fell into place perfectly. And yes, there is at least one unpredictable twist at the end.

Reviewed by Jessica