Review: GRAVE SECRET

Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
Book 4 of the Harper Connelly series
Read by Alyssa Bresnahan
Format: audiobook

Genre: adult urban fantasy

About Grave Secret:

New in the series from New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels.

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 matters 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 no part of the man- but he may not have a choice in the matter.

Soon, family secrets ensnare them both, as Harper finally discovers what happened to her missing sister, Cameron, so many years before.

And what she finds out will change her world forever.

Source: Info in the About Grave Secret was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6344832-grave-secret on 01/02/2012.

Narrative Evaluation:

Harper is no longer too stupid to live (TSTL) in this book!! I think that Charlaine Harris as a writer is getting better as more books comes out. This is the best book I've read of her thus far! Or listened to, in this case. And the best book in the Harper Connelly series! This book actually has a coherent plot structure, although the plot was just a tad "holey" with a bit of loose ends that was never tied up properly, but Harper is not obviously TSTL!! The narrative suggested that an act was a mistake on hindsight but there was never a follow up on the negative consequences of that act. In fact there was no further mentions about it... Loose ends in the plot, which ought to have brought the rating of this book a tad down but didn't because I just had too much fun with this book. I think that is mostly because the author's voice is also getting more compelling. I can't stop listening to Harper Connelly audiobooks! Although I have to complain that this library copy is not very complete. I could clearly make out that bits of the audiobook is missing and the narration has jumped paragraphs. So I have to re-read this book in paperback format or something. Even with all that moaning, it does not negate the fact that this book delivers a wonderful reading/listening experience!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = N/A (8-hour playing time)
Plot = 4.5
Narrator = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

Thank you to Audiobook Collection (EBSCOhost) and RCT Library for letting me borrow this digital audiobook!!

FTC Disclosure:
This audiobook was borrowed from the library. No money received for this review.