Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

From Booklist
After Harper Connelly was struck by lightning as a teenager, she developed an unusual ability--she is able to locate bodies and see how the victims died, although she cannot identify the murderers. Harper and her stepbrother, Tolliver Lang, are at Bingham College doing a demonstration for a class, identifying bodies and causes of death in an old graveyard, when Harper finds the body of Tabitha Morgenstern, a kidnapped young girl she had failed to locate months ago. To clear their names--the police consider Harper and Tolliver suspects in the crime--they set out to find the real killer. Harper and Tolliver are likable, well-developed characters whose unhappy past binds them together as they care for one another and work together. Harper craves normalcy as she wonders whether her talent is a gift or a curse. The supernatural elements are integrated believably into the plot in this engrossing mystery, the second in a series. Sue O'Brien
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My Comments:

I am so glad that Harper Connelly became a series! I was engaged by the first book and the second is even more enjoyable. The characters are fully flushed out and there is no feeling of weak, immaturity that you can find sometimes with a new series.

Sookie Stackhouse still remains my favorite, but Harper is a very close second with Lily Bard taking a tight third. There is a paranormal aspect to this series, but it is more matter of fact then with Sookie and her vampires and were's. I enjoy the suspense and the book iscategorizedd as "crime" for whatever that is worth.

It's a fast read, but not asophomoricc one that lacks depth. It's fast because it's paced to be that way, but it's not rushed. Maybe because the characters Southern charm slows you down just enough to enjoy the ride your being taken on.

The only disquieting thing about Harris' books in general is they tend to make a sudden jump. Harper comes to some conclusion about something, but you're not sure of what it is and suddenly you're taken to a new place where everything has come to a head. I've found myself more then once turning back a few pages to scan what I've read to make sure I haven't missed anything. But that's one way the author keeps me on my toes. I like being kept on my toes.

I look forward to meeting Harper and her brother, Tolliver again very soon.