An Ice Cold Grave: Review AND Many Bloody Returns: Giveaway

For details on the Many Bloody Returns giveaway, read on after the review of An Ice Cold Grave.

On one of my earlier posts Pat mentioned that Carrie Vaughn, author of the Kitty Norville series, is his guilty pleasure. Charlaine Harris is mine.

Though truth be told, I don't feel guilty at all when I read one of her books. Not one bit. I would sit in the middle of a crowded airport with any Harris book in my hands for the whole world to see. In fact, I don't really understand the whole guilty pleasure thing. Is it because we're supposed to be enriching our minds with the likes of Tolstoy?

Yeah right.

I'd rather enjoy myself and that's what a Charlaine Harris book is for. I don't know why I connect with Harris' writing so much. There are plenty of authors who write the same kind of fiction and write from the first person perspective just like Harris. But there's always a kind of intimacy to her books that I never quite feel with other writers. I feel as if my best friend is telling me a story.

You may already know Harris from her Southern Vampire series but you may not be aware of her Harper Connelly Mysteries. In a departure from all the vampire/werewolf fiction that is so prevalent right now, Harris introduced a character in the first book of the series, Grave Sight, who seems very real. Struck by lightening as a teenager, Harper Connelly finds that she now possesses the unique ability to find the dead. Dead bodies give off a sort of "buzz" or resonance that she can feel and her ability to locate bodies and see how they died has turned into a kind of living for Harper. Often hired by grieving relatives, and sometimes the police, Harper and her step-brother/business manager, Tolliver travel from site to site finding bodies and revealing the mystery of their deaths.

An Ice Cold Grave is the third book in the Harper Connelly series and it takes us to the poor town of Doraville, North Carolina, where Harper has been hired to look for the bodies of six local boys who have gone missing. Not only does Harper find the six boys, but she finds two more bodies unexpectedly buried in the same spot, alerting the town to the fact that they have a serial killer in their midst.

Despite its psychic elements, An Ice Cold Grave is a mystery at heart. (thus the title The Harper Connelly Mysteries) So if you are a particular fan of Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books, be prepared for something a little different. And while it took a little while for Harper to grow on me, I do like the character and the series.

Harper is an interesting conundrum as a main character. She isn't always strong, mentally or physically, and she relies quite heavily on her step-brother, Tolliver for support. Her unusual job forces them to travel from place to place, never setting down roots and her uncanny ability further isolates them. Harper also has extra to deal with in this book because it's the first time she has ever had to deal with such a vicious crime. Many deaths are violent, but seeing so much pain concentrated in one spot leaves Harper feeling understandably shaky. Adding to the psychic blow is a physical attack on Harper by someone who may be a serial killer. I'd be shaky too.

The transient nature of the series means that these books don't have as much of an ensemble cast as we have seen in the past with Harris' Southern Vampire saga-- though there has been a reoccurring character or two in the last couple of books. So Harper and Tolliver have to carry the story on their shoulders, and really, since the book is told from Harper's perspective, it's Harper who carries the load. But Harris has a knack for telling stories about women overcoming tough childhoods-- and sometimes tough adulthoods-- and she deftly shapes Harper into someone to sympathize with and care about. But for those who have read Harris' other books, don't expect Sookie Stackhouse here. Harper is a bit less resilient than Sookie and this series just has a different feel; which is exactly as it should be.

And if I'm being really really honest, my favorite parts have to do with the supernatural elements of the story. There's just something about the fact that Harper was just like the rest of us-- until being struck by lightening-- that fascinates me. Sort of the there but for the grace of God go I concept I guess. And Harper's ability to find bodies isn't a vague thing at all either. She spots them accurately and distinctly and most nonbelievers aren't going to stand a chance in the face of that for long. Of course, as with any story of its type, you have to deal with the skeptics but Harris doesn't belabour the point.

Those who have read the previous books in the series are also going to be in for a little surprise with this installment too. There weren't a lot of romantic elements in the last two books, and I know a few of Harris' fans lamented that fact. Well, she definitely didn't skip the sex this time and the form the romance takes in this book is more than a bit controversial (and no--I'm not going to tell you what happens). I found myself with raised eyebrows and yet at the same time I felt Harris stayed true to the story and the characters; a brave choice that might not please everyone. (Then again, maybe I'm just being a prude)

There were times when I felt this book was slightly predictable but frankly, I didn't mind too much. And though I think I still prefer Harris' Sookie Stackhouse saga, this one stands on its own just fine. If you like Harris' writing style, definitely give this series a chance. Like everything Harris writes, all the books are page turning, fast, enjoyable reads-- not Tolstoy mind you, but fun.

And if a new Harper Connelly book wasn't enough, I happen to have more Charlaine Harris goodness in the form of a collection of short stories in Many Bloody Returns, edited by Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner. This beauty includes stories by Harris, Kelley Armstrong, Jim Butcher (who knew Harry Dresden had a vampiric relative?), Rachel Caine, P.N. Elrod, Tanya Huff (Blood Ties fans, this is for you) and more.

I'm normally not a short story person but I liked this book for a lot of reasons. First is the premise: vampire stories. To be more specific, vampire stories with a birthday theme, hence the Birthdays with Bite subtitle. And secondly, the authors (whom many of you will know) revisit familiar characters. Charlaine Harris takes Sookie Stackhouse to Dracula's birthday party while Kelley Armstrong explores the ennui of a vampiric lifespan. I was also really excited to see an old favorite of mine, P.N. Elrod return with a story featuring Jack Flemming, the vampire detective from her Vampire Files series.

I'm not going to lie, this one is tough to part with.

But if you like vampire themed fiction, or you are participating in Carl's R.I.P. Challenge you might like to get your hands on this one. Leave a comment (or email me if you don't have a blogger account) and I'll pick a random name in couple of days.

Good luck!