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An Ice Cold Grave Audiobook
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(3.00) - 18,572 listener ratings
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Plot Summary
An Ice Cold Grave is the third book in Charlaine Harris's Harper Connelly series of novels which has been acquired by Syfy to make into a TV series. The heroine of the books, Harper Connelly, has the unique ability of sensing the dead; she can find dead bodies and is also able to tell the cause of death. She developed this ability when she was fifteen and got struck by lightning. Now, she uses it to help people who are looking for loved ones and suspect that they have passed on. She gives them closure, if that's what they need, but, often, she gets embroiled in finding out how exactly the person died and solving the mystery of their death.
Harper's stepbrother, Tolliver, who is not biologically related to her in any way and who didn't grow up with her either, is her manager. Given that Harper's ability is pretty dark, she has a tendency to sink into depression, and Tolliver is there to make sure that her emotions remain level. However, in An Ice Cold Grave: Harper Connelly Mysteries, Book 3, this is really difficult to do because the murders are so violent.
Harper and Tolliver are asked to come to Doraville, North Carolina and locate a missing boy. They get there to find that Jeff McGraw, the boy they have been hired to find, is not the only one who has disappeared. Altogether, there have been six missing boys in the past five years. The Sherriff of Doraville just assumed that the boys were runaways, but Harper finds out the truth—that they were tortured, raped and killed before being buried in a cabin. Given the amount of publicity the case gives rise to, Harper and Tolliver are surrounded by reporters, which makes the job of finding the murderer a lot more difficult.
This is the darkest of the Harper Connelly novels, but it's beautifully written, and you really feel for Harper, given her unusual ability. She wants to help people, but at the same time, the facts are so ugly that she'd like to run away from them. For a while, she manages to do so in Tolliver's arms, as the two finally take their relationship beyond the platonic. Eventually, however, it's up to Harper to keep her chin up and get justice for the boys who were abused and murdered.
Download An Ice Cold Grave now and join Harper and Tolliver as they juggle their personal feelings for each other while uncovering the truth behind these brutal murders.
Charlaine Harris was born in Tunica, Mississippi and was always interested in writing, even when she was young. At first, she wrote poetry and ghost stories, but when she was in school at Rhodes College, she also started writing plays. A few years later, she turned to novel-writing and has been doing so ever since; her career spans thirty years. She has written the Aurora Teagarden series, featuring a librarian who solves mysteries; the Lily Bard series, also a mystery-themed series featuring a protagonist who was abused; the Sookie Stackhouse series; and the Harper Connelly books, which are currently being made into a TV series. Harris lives in southern Arkansas with her husband and three children.
"Sooo good! This is definitely the best of the three so far, and I'm hoping the 4th will be just as good. In this one, Charlaine Harris corrects many of the flaws of the earlier two books. There's more character progress, less rote repetition (but only just), a different story pattern, an elongated conclusion (a big problem with the first two, in my opinion). I really liked this one!"
— Psych_Panda (5 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
New York Times best-selling author Charlaine Harris is a fan favorite for her Sookie Stackhouse mysteries as well as this series starring supernatural detective Harper Connelly. Called to tiny Doraville, North Carolina, Harper investigates the disappearance of several young boys. After finding them buried in a secluded wood, it becomes clear that a sadistic serial killer is stalking the town's children.
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Quotes
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“Bestseller Harris’ exciting third Harper Connelly mystery finds the psychic sleuth faced with her most challenging and heartbreaking job to date…Harris dependably delivers fear with charming down-home finesse.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Alyssa Bresnahan’s sprightly voice embodies the casual and spirited demeanor of Connelly. Bresnahan’s subdued delivery during Connelly’s weaker moments produces a subtle intimacy with listeners.”
— AudioFile -
“Harris’ series makes the most of its unusual premise, using the paranormal elements to good effect. She has also created a winning heroine.”
— Booklist -
“Harris’ greatest strength is creating realistic, fully rounded characters with just a sentence or two…Fans of paranormal mysteries, especially of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake books, will snap this book up.”
— Library Journal
Awards
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A USA Today bestseller
An Ice Cold Grave Listener Reviews
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Lisa Allison, 5/5/2016
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" I couldn't really finish this book. I read the second in the series while on an airplane, so it was admittedly more entertaining while i was bored. And had nothing else to read. However this book felt dry and boring. A little more "light" than i'd like and repetitive as a series. "
— Sashiko, 2/17/2014 -
" My only question is, why did she start out with them being "brother and sister" if she intended them to hook up in the 3rd book? Now it feels kinda icky-bad. "
— Kathy, 2/5/2014 -
" I love this series. The only thing that I found really surprising was Harper and Tolliver's relationship but then I realized that I skipped book 2 and read book 3. Harris has become one of my favorite writers!! "
— Kathy, 2/3/2014 -
" This is where the series may have jumped the shark. The fact that Harper and Tolliver have gotten together is weird. I don't care that they're not related, they're step-siblings. Creeps me out. "
— Nancy, 1/14/2014 -
" Started but found it very annoying! Especially main characters brother's name - who wasn't really her brother. "
— Selene, 1/7/2014 -
" This was the third book in the Harper Connelly series. It was pretty good and we finally got some answers about her and Tolliver. "
— Brandy, 1/5/2014 -
" I liked this series right up until the main character got "involved" with her former stepbrother, then it started to take on a creepy tone to me and I lost interest. "
— Kristal, 12/25/2013 -
" requires lots of wilful suspension of disbelief and some of the ~sex talk~ made me snort loudly and wake up my better half. "
— Trisher, 12/17/2013 -
" In this installment, Harper goes to the Carolina's and discovers a mass grave in a small town. But she does play out on her feelings for Toliver. "
— Sheryl, 12/16/2013 -
" Not quite as good as the second, but still a fun series. "
— Seruh, 11/22/2013 -
" I like the Harper Connelly mysteries that Charlaine Harris is producing. The only caveat is the romance between the step-siblings. I find it over-played and squicky. "
— Rebecca, 11/10/2013 -
" Very much the best of this series so far. I wasn't sure I was going to continue this series, but now I'm definitely going to read the next one after this. "
— Jewel, 8/8/2013 -
" The relationship btwn Harper and Tolliver grossed me out. "
— laninaki, 6/11/2013 -
" It was better than the 2nd one but still not as good as all the sookie books! "
— Stefani, 3/3/2013 -
" I was liking the series until in this book, incest was introduced and I couldn't finish it. "
— Hanna, 2/3/2013 -
" To some this was good. but with me, I did not care for it in the turn of the storyline direction... "
— Unicorn-san, 11/4/2012 -
" I guess my current enjoyment is leading more towards vampires, werewolves and ghouls, oh my! "
— Terri, 3/31/2012 -
" This book ties up a few loose ends in the previous books. The murder mystery is the most violent and horrifying one yet, and Harper gets put through the wringer. I couldn't put this book down-- I finished it in 2.5 hours after I put down the other one! I can't wait for the 4th in the series. "
— Diana, 9/13/2011 -
" It had to happen...it was in the cards. "
— Kathy, 8/27/2011 -
" This is the first book in this series that I have read and I have to say I don't know why I put off reading them for so long, I can't wait to read the first two in the series and bring on any more that follow!! A Brilliant read and one that I can see could have almost as bigger following as Sookie! "
— Kate, 7/30/2011 -
" I really liked this series. Far different from all the vampire and werewolf books I love so much. I found it really hard to put this series down. "
— Mindy, 6/19/2011 -
" terrific book! Love the series. this one has a little bit of creepy to it. "
— Jennifer, 6/17/2011 -
" usual charlain harris book. fun, quick read. harper really jumped into it with tolliver. "
— Jennifer, 5/31/2011 -
" Well the sexual tension of the step siblings is over, but the explaining of their new relationship has just begun. The mystery plot and suspence keep you reading. "
— Debbie, 5/29/2011 -
" The best of the Harper Connelly books, it is compelling and heart breaking. "
— Harry, 5/22/2011 -
" Charlaine Harris is a genius! I love her books so much. They keep me on the edge of my seat during the entire read; I never want to put the book down. As soon as I finish one, I'm dying to pick up the next! "
— Iris, 5/18/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this. Very creepy, good character relationships, heavy on the oppressive atmosphere. I was even happy with the turn of Harper and Tolliver's relationship. I'm glad that the strained dance from the other novels had ended. "
— Jennifer, 5/18/2011 -
" This was my favorite of the Harper Connelly series. It was fast paced and I was finished with it very quickly. I am excited to continue the series. "
— Lesley, 5/15/2011 -
" This was good, although it could have ended about 70 pages earlier. Its put me in the mood for the next sookie stackhouse book, which ive just downloaded! "
— Michael, 5/7/2011 -
" Very much the best of this series so far. I wasn't sure I was going to continue this series, but now I'm definitely going to read the next one after this. "
— Jewel, 5/6/2011
About Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris is a New York Times bestselling author who has written four series and two stand-alone novels, in addition to numerous short stories, novellas, and graphic novels cowritten with Christopher Golden. Her Sookie Stackhouse books have appeared in twenty-five different languages and on many bestseller lists and are the basis of the HBO series True Blood.
About Alyssa Bresnahan
Alyssa Bresnahan is a dynamic dancer, actor, and audiobook narrator. She has narrated over two hundred audiobooks, has earned twenty Earphones Awards, and was named one of AudioFile magazine’s Golden Voices. In 2009 she was a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best fiction narration.