Grave Surprise

Harper Connelly Mysteries, Book 2

By: Charlaine Harris

Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan

Twenty-something Harper Connelly has a gift. After being struck by lighting as a child, she discovered an eerie ability to locate the deceased.

In Memphis, skeptical Professor Nunley wants her to demonstrate her skill at an ancient cemetery. There, Harper stands atop a grave and says there are two bodies entombed: one centuries old, but the other, a young girl named Tabitha.

Her assertion holds water. Tabitha has been missing for two years - and now the police are suspicious of Harper. So with her loyal stepbrother, Tolliver, Harper begins to amass clues that will solve the case.

©2006 Charlaine Harris Inc (P)2007 Recorded Books

Fascinated

I recently discovered the Sookie Stackhouse series and went through them so fast I was happy the author has other books. Oddly enough, I find Harper Connolly much more serious and much darker than the series where vampires are running around.
I encounter the same problem as a previous reviewer; I want to finish the entire narration at once. While I was listening to this book about 3:00 am, I hugged my dogs out of fear. I would not say the plot kept me in suspense because it is apparent, to me, whom is guilty from early in the story. It is more an ambient psychological fear that I do not have the talent to describe.
I have not been hit by lightening but I have another condition that makes me feel a connection to Harper. The example Harper Connolly provides me is a positive one - that maybe we can't all mask our oddities and blend in with the crowd but we can survive and make choices to be healthy...
I am fascinated with the author and intrigued by what background and knowledge provides the author with the talent to write such series as Sookie Stackhouse and Harper Connolly.

Another good listen from author, Charlaine Harris

This book is an easy listen. Harper Connelly our protagonist and her step-brother, Tolliver Lang work together to communicate with the dearly departed.

After being hired by a college professor, who hopes to expose her as a fraud, to read very old graves in a graveyard in Memphis, Harper finds a much newer corpse in one of the graves. The corpse is of a young girl Harper had been hired to find a year and a half before when the child went missing in Nashville.

The plot twists and turns with many likely suspects, and some not-so-likely. The characters are fleshed out and interesting,

Charlaine Harris's series keeps you tuned in and listening. The "gift" that Harper Connelly possesses is unique and opens up the imagination about what it would be like to communicate with people we have known or mysterious deaths that haven't been solved.

Sit back with a cup of coffee and enjoy.

Good Mystery Book

#2 in this series, is as good as the first one. It's one of those books that you sit in you car and listen to, even after you arrive at your destination.

meet the dead

very interesting premise for a series, being able to feel the dead and how they died.

Great murder mystery with a twist

Would you consider the audio edition of Grave Surprise to be better than the print version?

yes

Who was your favorite character and why?

Harper is a wonderful character with her special ability and uncanny sense.

What does Alyssa Bresnahan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She does a wonderful job with the voices and making the characters come to life. She also reads in a way that keeps you interested in the story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Supernatural murder mystery

Favorite series by author

This is where our guy in Texas started. I'm not a fan of Sookie. And I don't know why Hollywood jumped over this series for their next filming project by Ms. Harris, but I'm a fan of this series. It has different elements that are brought together to give interesting endings. If you're a fan of this author then give this series a try. I hope there are more books in the future. I really like the main character's adventures!

Great Series

Awesome series! I have enjoyed each book and hope that the Charlene Harris will soon be continuing the adventures of Harper and Tolliver.

Was hoping I'd like it more..

So I was really hoping I'd like this one more than I did, since I liked the first one a lot..but this one just had me annoyed through a decent amount of it.. there was stuff that just seemed all over the place and didn't make sense.. and there was stuff that was repeated so much.. and honestly the relationship between harper and her stepbrother started to become annoying and really just almost ruined the book for me and made me almost stop listening..and harpers character altogether became more annoying as well, I felt like she just went downhill, I had myself calling her the b word multiple times for how she treated people and she became so much more whiny.. and another thing that bothered me was how things just jumped to certain conclusions or assumptions I should say out of no where.. like when the uncle called her a thieving b, and then the response was oh you think I'm being sexual with your nephew.. like where the heck did that come from, you would think the normal response would be wondering what you stole.. and then there was the conversation with one of the gpas and something was said (which was not at all indicating towards anything sexual) and she asks him if the father was SA'ing his daughter.. like another where the heck did that come from.. like why would she even say that or ask... didn't make any sense.. so idk if I'll continue the series or not especially with the way the relationship is going with her and her stepbrother.. it started off with her telling everyone that's her brother, then it starts turning into they were raised in the same house and their parents were married, and then to her telling that's he's not her brother..

Amazingly different

I loved the narrator, so I disagree with the previous reviewer - but then everyone looks for something different when hearing a story.

The premise of this story was so odd - but it held me from the beginning. I liked it so much, I went back and downloaded the first one in the series - Grave Sight - and loved that one, too.

The third book, An Ice Cold Grave, is supposed to be released on September 25th- I sure hope Audible gets it right away.

Amazing Revisit

I read this series many years ago, and really enjoyed it. The Audible experience of these books is amazing. I love the narrator and I have been listening constantly.
The best part of Harper Connelly books are that they are so different and the characters have a wonderful complexity. I have to go because I have two more books to devour.