Grave Surprise

Although I have friends who really like the Sookie Stackhouse series ( the basis of the "True Blood" TV series I think) by Charlaine Harris, I haven't read them, but since I was familiar with her name, I grabbed this audiobook from another series of hers. The protagonist, Harper Connelly, was struck by lightning as a teen and has, ever since, been able to "read" the dead. That is, when in proximity to a dead body, she knows who it is (was) and what killed him/her. She is a "consultant" of sorts, often brought in to find the missing or known dead. Accompanied by her brother and manager, Tolivar Lang, she is now in Memphis to do a demonstration of her abilities for a college class on the paranormal. While "reading" a very old graveyard, she encounters a new body; in fact, it is the body of a young girl she was brought to Nashville to search for the previous year and never found. Needless to say, that connection places Harper and her brother high on the police's list of persons of interest. The premise behind this particular protagonist's talents are somewhat unusual and the aftereffects of her experience and subsequent dealings with people's skepticism are dealt with matter of factly, although it is clear what an emotional price she pays. Competently written with well-developed characters and setting, I would definitely seek out more of this series to find out how Harper and Tolivar are getting along.