An Ice Cold Grave - Harper Connelly 3

Ice Cold Grave
Charlaine Harris
Berkley
Oct
ISBN 0425217299
Mystery/Paranormal
***1/2



Ever since being struck by lightening, Harper Connelly has had the ability to locate dead bodies and tell how they died. This ability has been both useful to society as well as to her finances. Her latest case involves finding a great number of corpses, all of them children, who are the victims of a serial killer. Before she can leave after concluding her work, Harper is attacked, necessitating an extension of her stay in town. Even if she hadn't been hurt, the local authorities want her to remain and help, so she and Tolliver find themselves forced to accomodate the situation. It also forces the two of them to realize that they are not related and deal with the feelings they have submerged for years.



This is Harper's most deadly case yet, with events in it that mirror real life events in some ways. Fans will note that this entry seems to mark a turning point for the beloved heroine, and one does wonder where the stories will go from here. Be aware that light humor and fun are downplayed in favor of a grittier story. Despite this, if you love the series, be sure and get this asap.



That said, Tolliver and Harper moving into a sexual relationship may disturb some people. For two books now, they have presented themselves as siblings, despite not being related by blood, just by love. Even though they do not share a mutual parent, there is a tinge of incest to this turn of events that potentially will turn away readers or make some of us shudder.