Caragh Reviews - Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

Published - 27th October 2009
Publisher - Berkley
Format - Kindle
Synopsis - 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 matter 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 nothing to do with the man - but he may not have a say in the matter. Soon, family secrets ensnare them both, as Harper finally discovers what happened to her missing sister, Cameron, so may years before. And what she finds out will change her world forever...

The final book in Charlaine Harris' 'Harper Connelly' series ties the whole thing up nicely, but not in the pretty ribbon I was hoping for. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series (much more than Southern Vampires, actually) and have been sitting on the edge of my seat to find out what happened to Cameron!

Harper and Tolliver are trying to reconnect with their sisters back home in Texas and naturally that stirs up some old memories about how their sister Cameron mysteriously disappeared. But it would be too easy to have the answers fall at their feet. During the plot of Grave Secret, more than one secret is uncovered as Tolliver's father reappears, trying to fit himself into their family and hearts again. The bodies that Harper has to lay to rest are a little closer to home this time around and I felt like the whole book was quite emotional. Naturally these books a quite dark but it reaches it's height in Grave Secret, as it should.

Although I was hopeful for a different outcome, I wasn't disappointed at all, other than the fact that it was the last book. Harper's gift is unique and I would love to know more, and see how far she could go when she pushes herself. It's a great concept and i've always loved reading about the paranormal. As the final book focuses more on Harper's family, it was a little slow in places as I missed the intrigue of the murders but there are other surprises in store that make up for it once revealed. It was great, quick read and i'm happy to have ticked off another series on my list.

Caragh Reviews - Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

Published - 1st May 2012
Publisher - Gollancz
Format - Hardback
Synopsis - Sookie has a murder investigation on her hands. A young girl has died at a vampire party - and it looks as though her lover, Eric, might be responsible. Eric swears he didn't do it, the police don't believe him, and even Sookie isn't so sure. Nor is she inclined to take his word for it, not having caught him enjoying the victim's blood minutes before she was killed. But something strange is going on. Why had Sookie been asked to come to the fateful party a few minutes early - just to catch Eric in the act? And why had the victim spiked her own blood before approaching Eric? Was it simply because she wanted to be irresistable, or was it something more sinister? Sookie will have to find out ... but it's the worst moment to investigate, as her Fae family are having troubles of their own and Sookie is, inevitably, drawn in. And there is one last complication. The cluviel dor her grandmother left her. It will grant her one wish, which could fulfil Sookie's heart's desire. The only problem is, she still doesn't know what - or who - her heart truly desires ...

Dead Reckoning review is here

Deadlocked is the penultimate book in the Southern Vampires series by Charlaine Harris ... and things are hotting up!

I enjoyed Deadlocked at least 3 times more than the previous book and I can only assume that's because there wasn't a 2-3 year gap between reading them ;) There is only one book left in the series now and it definitely feels like everything is coming to a close.

Deadlocked centres around a plot to take Eric down, but nobody seems to know who is at the heart of it and there are an awful lot of coincidences. Deadlocked definitely felt like more of a mystery book than a vampire book that features a mystery, if that makes sense. Sookie's suspicions start to close in on people who are closest to her and as always, it's difficult to know who to trust. Especially as it seems Eric is keeping his distance and secrets far from Sookie, too.

As in the last book, Sookie is fraught over the cluviel dor and what she is supposed to with it. With the Queen closing in on Eric and the likelihood of him staying with Sookie getting slimmer and slimmer, Sookie has the chance to use it to save her relationship...but does she? I will say that the cluviel dor is finally used but on who? It definitely leaves a lot of questions unanswered about who Sookie's true love really is.

I've started putting together some theories for what will happen and where Sookie will end up (and who with!) in the final book but i'm not to sure where the story is really going now. I'm looking forward to finishing the series finally.

Caragh Reviews - Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Published - 2011
Publisher - Gollanncz
Format - Hardback
Synopsis - Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana. It's a job which has its own challenges, but now the vampires and the shapeshifters are finally 'out', you'd think the supernaturals would get on with each other. But nothing is that simple in Bon Temps!... and Sookie has a knack for being in trouble's way; not least when she witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but before she can investigate something else - something even more dangerous - comes up. Sookie's lover Eric Northman, and his 'child' Pam are plotting something in secret. Whatever it is, they seem determined to keep Sookie out of it; almost as determined as Sookie is to find out what's going on. She can't sit on the sidelines when both her work and her love life are under threat - but as their plans gradually become clear Sookie finds the situation is deadlier than she could ever have imagined.

It's not the world's best kept secret that i'm a bit of a Truebie! I love the TV show passionately and I read the first 10 Sookie Stackhouse books a few years ago (thanks, Amber!). Once I could no longer just borrow the books from my friend I genuinely forgot they were even still a thing! I saw this in the library last week and knew I had to finish off the series.

The Sookie Stackhouse books are, brace yourself, even crazier than the TV show. In a good way! With each installment, Sookie's life and that of those around her gets more insane and there are an increasing amount of Supes to contend with. Though my knowledge of the previous books is more than a little shaky due to it being at least 2 years since I read them, I think it's safe to say that it follows on quite nicely and Bon Temps is the same as always.

I rated Dead Reckoning with 3 stars but I can't honestly say that I enjoyed it as such. I love the characters, which in this case was great, because nothing really seemed to happen for two thirds of the book. In some ways I rated this book higher because it felt more like a 'set the scene' book and I needed that after being away from the series for so long but the truth is, I probably rated it for Eric Northman, *swoon*. Dead Reckoning felt more like the TV show than the previous books too. The locations used were familiar, there weren't *too* many book-only characters and the inevitable showdown takes place at Fangtasia.

I think I probably should have re-read the books before trying to get into the series again as I felt that I was missing something. I didn't have the advantage of the build up from the previous books and that hindered my reading a little as I was exclaiming at things I should have already known. All in all it was a pretty quick and simple read and I liked it for what it was. I'll be keeping an eye out for the next ones in the library anyway!

Review // Grave Surprise (Harper Connelly #2) - Charlaine Harris

Published - 26th September 2006

Format - Kindle
Goodreads Synopsis - Charlaine Harris is already a star and a New York Times bestseller with her vampire mysteries starring Sookie Stackhouse and her Lily Bard mysteries. This second installment to her new supernatural mystery series might just be her biggest hit yet. Grave Sight's Harper Connelly is back, and her ability to find the dead and see their last moments is in higher demand than ever... A college class gets more than it bargained for when Harper gives a demonstration of her uncanny talent. Instead of just finding one body in an old grave, she finds two: the original occupant and a recently deceased girl whom Harper had tried, and failed, to find two years previously. To dispel suspicions about her own innocence, Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver undertake their own hunt to find the killer--only to find yet another body in the same grave.

The second book in Harris' Harper Connelly series, Grave Surprise, was actually a...surprise. I read the first a few months ago and although it was a decent story, it didn't seem to be anything special. The only reason I picked this up again is because my mother randomly picked it off the Kindle for me to read whilst visiting recently but it turned out to be more than I expected.

Now that I knew the characters, as well as Harris lets us know them anyway, I dove straight into the story and wanted to know all of the W's when reading or writing a book. I did guess the outcome early on, but the adventure to get there really interested me. The intertwining details of different character stories was great (and i've become a fan of 'detective' stories lately!). I still have a lot of questions regarding Harper & her brother Tolliver and i'm almost certain I know where this series is heading but I actually want to find out now, rather than just being dimly curious.

One thing that I didn't like about this book is attitudes towards sex. At one point, Harper and Tolliver are heatedly discussing their sexlives and the differences between a man's and a woman's views on this. Harper states that Tolliver want sex whenever, wherever with no commitment or cares and then goes on to say, "Maybe these were typical male-versus-female attitudes about sex". I don't agree with this at all and i'm not entirely sure why it's there, or why it's even relevant. Overall I enjoyed Grave Surprise though and will continue reading the series.

Review // Grave Sight - Charlaine Harris

Published - 26th September 2006
Published By - Berkley
Format - Kindle
Goodreads Synopsis - Harper Connelly has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who's passed, and share their very last moment. The way Harper sees it, she's providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living - but she's used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech. Travelling with her step-brother Tolliver as manager and sometime-bodyguard, she's become an expert at getting in, getting paid, and getting out fast. Because for the living it's always urgent - even if the dead can wait forever.

As a fan of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books, I decided to give the Harper Connelly books a try. To cut to the chase - i'm not sure about it.


I had a lot of ups and downs whilst reading the first book in the series Grave Sight. It took me a while to get into the plot due to the lack of character development and no background history to either the characters personally or their lives in great detail. The relationship between Harper and Tolliver is never fully explained and it frustrated me a little. The book eventually picked up in the middle and I found myself excited when the action kicked off and my suspicious mind started analysing the characters for the answers I was looking for.


Unfortunately it didn't last too long. It became repetitive and rather than answering any questions it just raised more. The boring descriptions of Harper's time in motel rooms was unneccessary and I was disappointed with how the answer to the mystery was crammed into a few pages at the end when it could have been more elaborate and interesting.


That said, as a basic read, I did like it. I'm interested in seeing if Harper and Tolliver's characters are developed more and that there is a story involved regarding their sister Cameron. I think I will read the next books in the series but I won't be rushing to pick them up any time soon.