Teaser: Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver are back again. This time, their travels take them to Memphis where they have been hired by a very skeptical professor who seeks to out Harper as a fraud who financially exploits the family of missing persons. The test is at an old historical graveyard. As Harper begins doing what she does best, she realizes something is very wrong. All of the corpses should be over 100 years old, but one was killed a very short time ago. She figures out that it is the corpse of a 12 year-old girl from a missing persons case in Nashville that Harper worked on 2 years earlier. The police are suspicious of Tolliver's and her connection to the case, and make them their prime murder suspects.
Short Thought: Great mystery with small town intrigue. The start of a huge and disappointing turning point in the series.
Expanded Thoughts: The only reason that I didn't give this novel a much lower rating was because the 'murder mystery' plot line was so good. The characters I could have done without on this one. (Characters: 1 owl)
It was like the first book drilled into the readers' heads that Tolliver and Harper were siblings. Every other word out of Harper's mouth has her telling everyone and correcting everyone on their relationship. "This is my brother." "No, he's my brother." "My brother, my brother, my brother." (It was in there so much, it became annoying.)
But then, out of the freaking blue, bam! Harper decides that she has romantic feelings for him. It frustrated me because if there was going to be this taboo attraction, it could have been done better. It was like the author went. "Oh well, I need to add something to appease the romance fans at the expense of the story and readers' stomachs." I mean, they were both with other people in the previous novel, and all this sibling camaraderie was built up. It's like two different series.
It's too bad, because the mystery was brilliant. (The author knows her mystery. All bow to Harris.) I got a deal on the third book, so I will give it a go. I have faith because I love so many of Charlaine Harris' other books.
Additional Notes: This book has some mild sexual themes.
Additional Notes: This is the 2nd novel in the Harper Connelly Mysteries by Charlaine Harris.
No comments:
Post a Comment