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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
I was disappointed by the fact that the resolution of this mystery rested on the same exact set of facts as one of the earlier books in the series (killer figures out victim is onto Big Secret because victim is messing around with basic, Gregor Mendel genetic squares in a high school biology book). I mean, there are only 4 books in the series so far, and 2 of them have the same fact pattern? It seems like lazy writing. Also? Remind me never to look at a high school biology textbook. Apparently, they are DEADLY.
4.5 stars - great!
I really loved this story. But it didn't hit my "it was wonderful! 5 stars!" radar, so I'm going to call it "4.5 stars - great!" :-) I did cry in the end, but more on that later.
In this fourth and final outing with Harper and Tolliver, everything comes sort of full circle. It was a nice conclusion to the Harper Connelly series. And I say it only "sort of" came full circle in this book just because book one opened some years after Harper's sister Cameron went missing. In this book, we finally learn what happened to her (as said on the book's back cover). :-)
It was very nice to learn what happened to Cameron, and I was not expecting the person responsible for her disappearance to be the one who disappeared her. Who it was turned out to be was both surprising and very sad. :'(
On a happier note, Harperand Tolliver got married in the end! :-) But on a rather sad - but happy! - note, the ending was very poignant and it makes me cry (I say "makes" because I just reread it for the writing of this review and I once again have tears in my eyes).
What happened in the end was we had a very nice sort-of Epilogue at the end of Chapter Twenty-One. We learned about what happened toTolliver's father and brother, his and Harper's little sisters, and Manfred. :-) Then, Tolliver and Harper got married! They returned home to St. Louis, where they buried Cameron. And Harper. . . *cue tears* :-) That was such a good ending. And it was a really great book. :-)
About the continuity issues I've been mentioning in my reviews -- in my review of [b:Grave Surprise|538294|Grave Surprise (Harper Connelly, #2)|Charlaine Harris|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1390961680s/538294.jpg|3159799], I mentioned that I had thought Mariella was older (and NOT only nine years old) than Gracie from something said in book one (and M was eleven in book one). Turns out, I was right, as in this fourth and final book, "Mariella is twelve years old now, and Gracie is just over three years younger" (page 22). Iona is married to "Hank." Mark stayed "Mark" throughout. And everything else seemed to line up with what we were told in [b:Grave Sight|58077|Grave Sight (Harper Connelly, #1)|Charlaine Harris|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328694483s/58077.jpg|2027280] (and subsequent books). So. . .HOORAY! :-)
I'm so happy that this book was seemingly error-free. It was an excellent conclusion to the series. And it was exciting and suspenseful and sad and wonderful. It was just really, really great. :-)
I really loved this story. But it didn't hit my "it was wonderful! 5 stars!" radar, so I'm going to call it "4.5 stars - great!" :-) I did cry in the end, but more on that later.
In this fourth and final outing with Harper and Tolliver, everything comes sort of full circle. It was a nice conclusion to the Harper Connelly series. And I say it only "sort of" came full circle in this book just because book one opened some years after Harper's sister Cameron went missing. In this book, we finally learn what happened to her (as said on the book's back cover). :-)
It was very nice to learn what happened to Cameron, and I was not expecting the person responsible for her disappearance to be the one who disappeared her. Who it was turned out to be was both surprising and very sad. :'(
On a happier note, Harper
What happened in the end was we had a very nice sort-of Epilogue at the end of Chapter Twenty-One. We learned about what happened to
Still, at last I know what happened to her.
We'll hit the road again, soon. After all, we have to make some money.
And they're all out there waiting for me. All they want is to be found. [fin]
About the continuity issues I've been mentioning in my reviews -- in my review of [b:Grave Surprise|538294|Grave Surprise (Harper Connelly, #2)|Charlaine Harris|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1390961680s/538294.jpg|3159799], I mentioned that I had thought Mariella was older (and NOT only nine years old) than Gracie from something said in book one (and M was eleven in book one). Turns out, I was right, as in this fourth and final book, "Mariella is twelve years old now, and Gracie is just over three years younger" (page 22). Iona is married to "Hank." Mark stayed "Mark" throughout. And everything else seemed to line up with what we were told in [b:Grave Sight|58077|Grave Sight (Harper Connelly, #1)|Charlaine Harris|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328694483s/58077.jpg|2027280] (and subsequent books). So. . .HOORAY! :-)
I'm so happy that this book was seemingly error-free. It was an excellent conclusion to the series. And it was exciting and suspenseful and sad and wonderful. It was just really, really great. :-)
full review to come! wish the series wasn't over
Hmm.
I guess Grave Secret was okay but I didn't want to give it 2 stars.
I guess Grave Secret was okay but I didn't want to give it 2 stars.
A nice quick read. A little predictable. Learned a lot more of the back story on the main characters Harper Connelly and Tolliver Lang. Good vacation or beach read. Wonder when or if Charlaine Harris will publish another book in the series.
Brilliant series of books. Everything has been tied up really well. Hopefully one day Harper will get another book, plenty more bodies out there wanting to be found.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
While I still enjoy reading about Harper and her life, I found the coincidences in this one a bit hard to swallow. Instead of looking at how Harper and Tolliver navigate their life (which is a lot, especially since she still refers to him as her brother even as they plan their marriage), I got thrown by the coincidence that her last job is with the exact family that intersects with her stepdad, who has just got out of prison and is making some moves towards some villainy. And I don't buy the resolution of the Cameron story line.
On the other hand, it does make for a good resolution of the series.
On the other hand, it does make for a good resolution of the series.
Grave Secret is the fourth book in Charlaine Harris's Harper Connelly series. I've been alternating between really loving and being mildly disappointed in this whole series but this last book ended up being in the really loving category.
This time around Harper and her brother end up dealing with a mystery that's more personal and close to home for them than any of the other mysteries they've dealt with so far. Most of the other books in the series seemed to move kind of slow and be a bit too predictable for me. Grave Secret moved a lot faster for me and had a lot more twists and turns than I was expecting.
Overall the series was pretty enjoyable but there were definitely a few points that could have been done better. Most of the time I found it kind of hard to feel connected to Harper, or any of the other characters for that matter, and as a result where the author could have probably gotten away with the "not brother/sister" relationship if she had made me actually CARE about the characters more, I ended up just feeling awkward everytime I read about Harper and her brother. The plots for this series were always really good but I feel like more of the books should have been dedicated to them than wasted on their "developing" relationship. So they love each other. So they love each other MORE than just brother and sister. Okay,fine... ON WITH THE STORY.
I've heard there's possibly a show in the works based on this series? Here's hoping they get some things correct on it! (Like for instance, making Tolliver hotter than he sounds in the book. "Tolliver's complexion is pitted and scarred from acne." Narrow face, too thin, acne scars?....Not extremely appealing to read about.)
This time around Harper and her brother end up dealing with a mystery that's more personal and close to home for them than any of the other mysteries they've dealt with so far. Most of the other books in the series seemed to move kind of slow and be a bit too predictable for me. Grave Secret moved a lot faster for me and had a lot more twists and turns than I was expecting.
Overall the series was pretty enjoyable but there were definitely a few points that could have been done better. Most of the time I found it kind of hard to feel connected to Harper, or any of the other characters for that matter, and as a result where the author could have probably gotten away with the "not brother/sister" relationship if she had made me actually CARE about the characters more, I ended up just feeling awkward everytime I read about Harper and her brother. The plots for this series were always really good but I feel like more of the books should have been dedicated to them than wasted on their "developing" relationship. So they love each other. So they love each other MORE than just brother and sister. Okay,fine... ON WITH THE STORY.
I've heard there's possibly a show in the works based on this series? Here's hoping they get some things correct on it! (Like for instance, making Tolliver hotter than he sounds in the book. "Tolliver's complexion is pitted and scarred from acne." Narrow face, too thin, acne scars?....Not extremely appealing to read about.)