Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

Lightning-struck sleuth Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver take a break from looking for the dead to visit the two little girls they both think of as sisters. But, as always happens when they travel to Texas, memories of their horrible childhood resurface.

To make matters worse, Tolliver learns from his older brother that their father is out of jail and trying to reestablish contact with other family members. Tolliver wants no part of the man- but he may not have a choice in the matter.

Soon, family secrets ensnare them both, as Harper finally discovers what happened to her missing sister, Cameron, so many years before.

And what she finds out will change her world forever.

Ok I'm going to try to write this review without any spoilers - because that's not fair to anyone and I like being fair. This latest novel was really interesting for the series mainly due to all the real life applications of many different individuals' decisions. Harper, Tolliver, her step-father Matthew, step-brother Mark, and more - so many people making world altering decisions that affect everyone around them. In the last book Harper and Tolliver finally find each other in a romantic sense, moving beyond the more 'brother-sister' type relationship they had before. Yes, I know that sounds weird; read the books and it'll all make sense and with, in my opinion, no implications of inappropriateness. I've always thought that Harris writes a terrific mystery book, and this is no different, though perhaps for me the overlapping nature of crimes in the past and present sometimes became a little confusing. Definitely pick it up if you have the chance, it's a book where the paranormal is just another facet to a mystery more intrinsically based in the darkness and confusion of people's minds. That sounds a bit heavy because this book is - good people die and though the bad guys get it in the end I was still left with a mix of melancholy and hope.

Overall Feeling - Thumbs Up. A great page turner with an intricate mystery that makes you excited about the answer while dreading what that answer will do.

Series - 1) Grave Sight 2) Grave Surprise 3) An Ice Cold Grave 4) Grave Secret