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Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris
02/02/2008 . Source: Sue Davies 
pub: Gollancz Romancz. 295 page hardback. Price: £ 9.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-0-575-07885-7). Buy Grave Surprise in the USA - or Buy Grave Surprise in the UK  check out website: www.orionbooks.co.uk
The new story from Charlaine Harris picks up from the very end of the last, 'Dead As A Doornail' (reviewed also this month). Once again, we meet Harper and Tolliver Connelly, brother and sister by marriage only, representing a brave face to the world after a ruined and abusive childhood.
Harper has a special skill since her near death 'hit by lightning' experience. The ability to find corpses is coupled with the skill of determining how they died. She is even, on occasion, able to release the souls to...somewhere. It sounds like a neat trick but in practise this leads to suspicious locals and the desire to get her out of town rather fast.
Dr Clive Nunley has invited Harper to demonstrate her skill. He is keen to show his class of undergraduates just what a fake she is. Its not long before his certainty is wobbled when Harper demonstrates that she knows there is a modern corpse in with an ancient skeleton. The additional body is that of a little girl, Tabitha Morgenstein. She is not unknown to Harper and tried unsuccessfully to track Tabitha after her disappearance the previous year. The coincidence is too great for the authorities and Harper must prove she had nothing to do with the murder.
Of course, it's never that simple and as the bodies pile up its not just the dead who are giving Harper grief. She's still growing up emotionally and she makes a discovery of the heart which is potentially just as disturbing.
Once again, Harris demonstrates her easy style and wit as she produces a good read. These novels are sold under the Gollancz Romancz title so its not just about gruesome murder there is a tiny sprinkle of 'lurve'. Harris adds a couple of intriguing character developments and moves along the story of Harper and Tolliver enough to make her readers eager for the next instalment. I count myself as a fan.
Sue Davies
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