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Greywalker #8
Possession
When a comatose woman suddenly wakes up and starts painting scenes she’s never witnessed, with a skill she’s never had, medical science has no explanation. As more bizarre phenomena manifest, even her doctors start to wonder if the woman may be possessed. Frustrated and frightened, the patient’s sister reluctantly turns to Greywalker Harper Blaine to discover who—or what—is occupying her sister’s body.
As Harper digs into the case of apparent possession, she discovers other patients struck with the same mystifying afflictions and a disturbing connection to one of the most gruesome stories in Washington’s history…
As Harper digs into the case of apparent possession, she discovers other patients struck with the same mystifying afflictions and a disturbing connection to one of the most gruesome stories in Washington’s history…
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
43 people are currently reading
1967 people want to read
About the author
Kat Richardson
33 books1,246 followersBestselling author of the Greywalker paranormal detective novels. Former theater brat, singer, dancer, gemology and jewelry course-writer, liveaboard boater, and editor. Currently lives in the wilds of far-western Washington with her husband and dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
August 12, 2019
The series is starting to become meh...
It's still fun and cute, but it might be a bit too much.
This feels like a filler, although things happen in the book. It is fun at times and it did make me chuckle once in a while, but it's lost its edge.
I dunno if maybe I got bored of the story (although I don't think I did) or if the story itself became a bit boring, but ah well.
I'll try the next one as well, seeing as it's the last one and I already have it on my Kindle.
It's still fun and cute, but it might be a bit too much.
This feels like a filler, although things happen in the book. It is fun at times and it did make me chuckle once in a while, but it's lost its edge.
I dunno if maybe I got bored of the story (although I don't think I did) or if the story itself became a bit boring, but ah well.
I'll try the next one as well, seeing as it's the last one and I already have it on my Kindle.
March 27, 2015
In Possession Harper Blaine goes back to the type of case she started with as a Greywalker. With a twist, of course. Add something worse than a revenant and a man with a skewed view on patriotism and you'll realise that nothing is usual or easy when it comes to Harper's world.
This case is so serious that the only suitable help is the one she would rather avoid even if the person is a friend. She definitely needs Carlos's help.
Quinton has his own problems that became worse in previous books.
There is not much to tell regarding the plot. It is a true P.I. story with a paranormal side. Harper talks to a lot of people, looking for answers to the latest Greywalker problem and, as usual, ends up injured but helps a lot of people in the end.
While reading this series I often check the legends, folklore, urban legends or just places Kat Richardson mentions. It makes this series even more enjoyable.
This case is so serious that the only suitable help is the one she would rather avoid even if the person is a friend. She definitely needs Carlos's help.
Quinton has his own problems that became worse in previous books.
There is not much to tell regarding the plot. It is a true P.I. story with a paranormal side. Harper talks to a lot of people, looking for answers to the latest Greywalker problem and, as usual, ends up injured but helps a lot of people in the end.
While reading this series I often check the legends, folklore, urban legends or just places Kat Richardson mentions. It makes this series even more enjoyable.
September 16, 2013
I think this has to be one of the best books in the series. I was not a big fan of her last book, Seawitch, it felt slow and plodding and while it introduced two new fantasy "creatures" to the lexicon it had a very side show feel to it. On the other hand Possession was a great book to read, maybe I just like my mysteries a bit more on land or more tangible but Possession hit all the right notes for me.
A woman approaches Harper, in Phoebe's (Harper's old friend) bookstore, her sister is in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) but has been convulsively painting eerie scenes over and over again. When Harper goes to see the woman she gets paint lobbed in her eye disturbing her ability to see the normal but realizes the woman is possessed by a ghost, and many ghosts stand around her. Harper's investigation turns up 2 other cases of PVS, something that is incredibly rare, and realizes there is something darker going on.
But as she tries to tackle this Quinton's father rears his very ugly head and tries to use her to make Quinton "fall back into the fold" something Quinton has vowed not only not to do, but to bring his father and his father's cronies down.
Between the two plots the book moves at a good pace and not only do we see Harper grow, but we watch her fail and get back up and try again, one of the things that keeps me coming back to the books. She is a very realistic heroine not all kick ass and full of it and herself, or so unsure of herself that she can't move forward, and Quinton is an enigma that I have enjoy learning about.
Looking forward to whats next this time!
A woman approaches Harper, in Phoebe's (Harper's old friend) bookstore, her sister is in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) but has been convulsively painting eerie scenes over and over again. When Harper goes to see the woman she gets paint lobbed in her eye disturbing her ability to see the normal but realizes the woman is possessed by a ghost, and many ghosts stand around her. Harper's investigation turns up 2 other cases of PVS, something that is incredibly rare, and realizes there is something darker going on.
But as she tries to tackle this Quinton's father rears his very ugly head and tries to use her to make Quinton "fall back into the fold" something Quinton has vowed not only not to do, but to bring his father and his father's cronies down.
Between the two plots the book moves at a good pace and not only do we see Harper grow, but we watch her fail and get back up and try again, one of the things that keeps me coming back to the books. She is a very realistic heroine not all kick ass and full of it and herself, or so unsure of herself that she can't move forward, and Quinton is an enigma that I have enjoy learning about.
Looking forward to whats next this time!
July 28, 2013
This was a little different from the other Greywalker books in that Harper spends less time in the Grey and deals with fewer monsters of the supernatural ilk. Until the end, it is more mystery than action and, being a mystery lover, I took to it wholeheartedly. The Grey is not completely absent as Harper has a funny (on purpose) accident that keeps her connected to that realm all the time. As there are changes for the reader, there are changes for Harper too. She has an interesting relationship with Quinton in that they are both fiercely independent and have a personal imperative to save the world. She is conflicted when their personalities prove to be at conflict with maintaining a normal relationship. Instead, she has to look outside of her comfort zone for help and discovers that the weak, the meek, and the dark all have strengths of their own to share. Possession contains a lot of haunted history and I especially like the epilogue where I learned that Kat Richardson stayed true to Seattle's history. Creepy, creepy town -- I've got to visit it someday.
March 28, 2014
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4
*My Thoughts*
Possession is the eighth book in the Greywalker series and things get interesting for our protagonist Harper Blaine when it comes to tracking down the entity that has put several individuals into comas and a belief that they are all Possessed by demons or something else. After being approached by the sister of one of the victims, Harper finds herself trying to solve a mystery that is both confusing and daunting and time is quickly running out before none of the victims ever wake up again.
Harper is known as a Greywalker, or one that treads the line between the living world and the paranormal realm which is filled with witches, shape-shifters, necromancers, sorcerers, vampires, shamans, and a plethora of other monsters that have made Harper's life very interesting these past Eight novels. She's a Seattle private investigator who looks into the freaky that surrounds her on a daily basis, while also trying to remain one step ahead of the grim reaper. Harper, who has died twice, is also known as the Hands of the Guardian, and Paladin of the Dead and takes her job very seriously.
Harper has had an interesting few years, especially with her relationships with her so called friends like book store owner Phoebe Mason, the Danzigers who are currently missing in action, and Detective Sergeant Solis who has seen the world that Harper lives in, and doesn't care for it at all. Things have started to get interesting with her relationship to Quinton Purlis who she calls her "spouse-in-soul," along with her feret known as Chaos. Harper finds herself working alongside an interesting cast of characters, including a medium, and Carlos, the vampire necromancer who is seriously dangerous, in order to save the victims before time runs out.
I enjoy this particular series because Richardson researches her setting like no other author I know. She digs into the nuisances of Seattle, and provides actual facts, people, and events that have made the city an interesting place to live and work and surrounds it with Harper's fictional world. Possession is no except as Richardson dives into the story about a female serial killer from the early 21st century and makes her one of the prime villains of the story. I especially like Harper because she is a true badass heroine, and not just a person who goes about her daily grind like everyone else.
I think one of the reasons I didn't give this a higher rating is that Quinton is mostly absent from the story because he is trying to bring down his father James Purlis and keeps secrets from Harper. Purlis, who works for a secretive covert group known as Ghost Division, would love to get his hands on Harper if only he knew about her abilities and her access to the Grey world. Quinton is so obsessed with his mission, that he really doesn't pay particular attention to Harper's difficulties even though they are bonded in a way that he can feel her pain. I think there is also a moral question as to things that happen in this story as well and whether or not the story really needed to take up so much of this story arc.
I'm grateful to the Jacksonville Public Library for allowing me access to this title via the Inter-library loan system here in Florida. One can only hope that they purchase Revenant (Greywalker #9) which releases August 5th 2014 by Roc Hardcover so that I can continue to read this awesome series.
Published: August 6th 2013 by Roc
*Rating* 3.5-4
*My Thoughts*
Possession is the eighth book in the Greywalker series and things get interesting for our protagonist Harper Blaine when it comes to tracking down the entity that has put several individuals into comas and a belief that they are all Possessed by demons or something else. After being approached by the sister of one of the victims, Harper finds herself trying to solve a mystery that is both confusing and daunting and time is quickly running out before none of the victims ever wake up again.
Harper is known as a Greywalker, or one that treads the line between the living world and the paranormal realm which is filled with witches, shape-shifters, necromancers, sorcerers, vampires, shamans, and a plethora of other monsters that have made Harper's life very interesting these past Eight novels. She's a Seattle private investigator who looks into the freaky that surrounds her on a daily basis, while also trying to remain one step ahead of the grim reaper. Harper, who has died twice, is also known as the Hands of the Guardian, and Paladin of the Dead and takes her job very seriously.
Harper has had an interesting few years, especially with her relationships with her so called friends like book store owner Phoebe Mason, the Danzigers who are currently missing in action, and Detective Sergeant Solis who has seen the world that Harper lives in, and doesn't care for it at all. Things have started to get interesting with her relationship to Quinton Purlis who she calls her "spouse-in-soul," along with her feret known as Chaos. Harper finds herself working alongside an interesting cast of characters, including a medium, and Carlos, the vampire necromancer who is seriously dangerous, in order to save the victims before time runs out.
I enjoy this particular series because Richardson researches her setting like no other author I know. She digs into the nuisances of Seattle, and provides actual facts, people, and events that have made the city an interesting place to live and work and surrounds it with Harper's fictional world. Possession is no except as Richardson dives into the story about a female serial killer from the early 21st century and makes her one of the prime villains of the story. I especially like Harper because she is a true badass heroine, and not just a person who goes about her daily grind like everyone else.
I think one of the reasons I didn't give this a higher rating is that Quinton is mostly absent from the story because he is trying to bring down his father James Purlis and keeps secrets from Harper. Purlis, who works for a secretive covert group known as Ghost Division, would love to get his hands on Harper if only he knew about her abilities and her access to the Grey world. Quinton is so obsessed with his mission, that he really doesn't pay particular attention to Harper's difficulties even though they are bonded in a way that he can feel her pain. I think there is also a moral question as to things that happen in this story as well and whether or not the story really needed to take up so much of this story arc.
I'm grateful to the Jacksonville Public Library for allowing me access to this title via the Inter-library loan system here in Florida. One can only hope that they purchase Revenant (Greywalker #9) which releases August 5th 2014 by Roc Hardcover so that I can continue to read this awesome series.
Published: August 6th 2013 by Roc
September 3, 2013
This was the 8th book in the Greywalker series and I enjoyed it more than the last book. It was an interesting read and I enjoyed watching the mystery unravel. I also enjoyed how all of the loose ends came together in the end.
I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobooks for this series have always been really well done. The narrator is exactly how I picture Harper Blaine would sound. The narrator does an excellent job doing all the character voices and capturing character emotion. I really enjoy listening to this series on audiobook even more than reading it!
Harper Blaine is drawn into a disturbing case when a woman comes to her complaining that her sister has been possessed. The woman’s sister was in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) until one day the sister just sat up and started painting. The woman thinks her sister is possessed, but as Harper starts looking into the case she finds other PVS patients doing similar things and she realizes that this is part of a much bigger issue.
This was an excellent continuation of this ghostly investigative urban fantasy series. Richardson’s style is very unique and I could understand how it wouldn’t appeal to everyone but I really enjoy it. Richardson writes in a very detailed way, she describes the actions of her characters very precisely and gives very detailed descriptions. I enjoy it.
I also enjoy how Richardson kind of has a theme or area that she focuses on and does research on for each book. This book focuses on a few different things. The first is persistent vegetative states, the second is possession, and the third is some of the rather disturbing history of a certain serial killer from Seattle’s history.
Harper doesn’t really grow or change much as a character in this book. Her and Quentin are still having problems with Quentin’s father that ends up tying into the storyline in a big way. As a result their relationship does see some stress. They still make a great couple, but I wish at times that Quentin would trust Harper a bit more. These two still have some growing to do in their relationship.
Harper also doesn’t really gain any new powers as a Greywalker. She uses her ability to see and interact with the Grey quite a bit. She also uses her ability to travel through layers of time. All of this remains intriguing and is fun to read about.
The plot is cleverly done. I love how all of the different pieces that Harper is dealing with kind of all come together neatly in the end. There are a couple of unresolved story points mostly dealing with activities that Quentin’s dad is involved in.
Overall a very well done addition to this series. I enjoyed it alot. This was a very well done investigative urban fantasy. I still enjoy reading about Harper Blaine and her unique Greywalking skills. The plot is very well done and very intriguing. I continue to appreciate how Richardson does such thorough research on the historical aspects of her novels. Recommended to those who enjoy investigative urban fantasy.
I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobooks for this series have always been really well done. The narrator is exactly how I picture Harper Blaine would sound. The narrator does an excellent job doing all the character voices and capturing character emotion. I really enjoy listening to this series on audiobook even more than reading it!
Harper Blaine is drawn into a disturbing case when a woman comes to her complaining that her sister has been possessed. The woman’s sister was in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) until one day the sister just sat up and started painting. The woman thinks her sister is possessed, but as Harper starts looking into the case she finds other PVS patients doing similar things and she realizes that this is part of a much bigger issue.
This was an excellent continuation of this ghostly investigative urban fantasy series. Richardson’s style is very unique and I could understand how it wouldn’t appeal to everyone but I really enjoy it. Richardson writes in a very detailed way, she describes the actions of her characters very precisely and gives very detailed descriptions. I enjoy it.
I also enjoy how Richardson kind of has a theme or area that she focuses on and does research on for each book. This book focuses on a few different things. The first is persistent vegetative states, the second is possession, and the third is some of the rather disturbing history of a certain serial killer from Seattle’s history.
Harper doesn’t really grow or change much as a character in this book. Her and Quentin are still having problems with Quentin’s father that ends up tying into the storyline in a big way. As a result their relationship does see some stress. They still make a great couple, but I wish at times that Quentin would trust Harper a bit more. These two still have some growing to do in their relationship.
Harper also doesn’t really gain any new powers as a Greywalker. She uses her ability to see and interact with the Grey quite a bit. She also uses her ability to travel through layers of time. All of this remains intriguing and is fun to read about.
The plot is cleverly done. I love how all of the different pieces that Harper is dealing with kind of all come together neatly in the end. There are a couple of unresolved story points mostly dealing with activities that Quentin’s dad is involved in.
Overall a very well done addition to this series. I enjoyed it alot. This was a very well done investigative urban fantasy. I still enjoy reading about Harper Blaine and her unique Greywalking skills. The plot is very well done and very intriguing. I continue to appreciate how Richardson does such thorough research on the historical aspects of her novels. Recommended to those who enjoy investigative urban fantasy.
August 29, 2013
Harper Blaine is contacted by a woman who believes her sister is possessed. The woman’s sister is comatose, except for sitting straight up to paint. She also starts to speak, but no one can make sense out of what she is saying. Harper agrees to help and discovers this woman isn’t the only case of comatose victims doing things that science can’t explain. In getting to the bottom of the events Harper realizes that her boyfriend, Quinton’s father might have a hand in it.
Possession is the eighth book in the Greywalker series. The stories follow Harper, a PI and Greywalker. She can see ghosts. She works to keep our world and the grey world in a kind of balance. I would recommend starting at the start of the series, but Possession could stand on its own.
Richardson is a wizard at blending actually history with ghostly encounters. There is more of that skill in Possession. The novel explores some of Seattle’s darker past. All the comatose victims are linked to a market where construction is going on. It’s easy to suspend belief when so many details in the novel feel as realistic as they do. The attention to detail is impressive.
While the environment is a seamless and interesting organism, the dialogue and some of the characters became too far reaching for this reader. I’ve came along way with Harper, and while there is a dangerous FBI subdivision plot in the back ground of this story, the buildup didn’t feel as dangerous as it has in the past. I don’t feel scared for Harper or her loved ones, or even captured by the plight of the victims. I need to be, but in so many ways the story feels predictable.
Vampire necromancer Carlos, a character favorite, is brought back into the mix as the story heats up. Together they’re left to discover and destroy what is making the ghosts, and a lot of Seattle go wonky.
Possession deals with a topic that the series hasn’t touched before, possession. The mystery, like the last novel Seawitch, seems more about discovering information, but letting others clue it in. Harper tends to fall into clues. Other characters tell her how to solve the problem, which was more of an issue for me. I’m not sure I like her asking others what she should do. While the series is low angst, I’d like to feel more danger in tight situations.
- Beth
Possession is the eighth book in the Greywalker series. The stories follow Harper, a PI and Greywalker. She can see ghosts. She works to keep our world and the grey world in a kind of balance. I would recommend starting at the start of the series, but Possession could stand on its own.
Richardson is a wizard at blending actually history with ghostly encounters. There is more of that skill in Possession. The novel explores some of Seattle’s darker past. All the comatose victims are linked to a market where construction is going on. It’s easy to suspend belief when so many details in the novel feel as realistic as they do. The attention to detail is impressive.
While the environment is a seamless and interesting organism, the dialogue and some of the characters became too far reaching for this reader. I’ve came along way with Harper, and while there is a dangerous FBI subdivision plot in the back ground of this story, the buildup didn’t feel as dangerous as it has in the past. I don’t feel scared for Harper or her loved ones, or even captured by the plight of the victims. I need to be, but in so many ways the story feels predictable.
Vampire necromancer Carlos, a character favorite, is brought back into the mix as the story heats up. Together they’re left to discover and destroy what is making the ghosts, and a lot of Seattle go wonky.
Possession deals with a topic that the series hasn’t touched before, possession. The mystery, like the last novel Seawitch, seems more about discovering information, but letting others clue it in. Harper tends to fall into clues. Other characters tell her how to solve the problem, which was more of an issue for me. I’m not sure I like her asking others what she should do. While the series is low angst, I’d like to feel more danger in tight situations.
- Beth
January 6, 2020
Could not put it down. The buildup of suspense lasted almost to the last page. Loved the descriptions of Seattle - especially the Pike Place Market. Great backdrop for ghostly goings on! This is an amazing series, and I am sorry the next one is the last one.
March 9, 2019
3.5
It kept me engaged for most of it.
It kept me engaged for most of it.
May 1, 2025
Here we go big again
July 30, 2023
We're back in Seattle and this time Harper Blaine's investigation takes her to the Pike Place Market and the waterfront area. I love that the author incorporates some real local history into her stories.
January 3, 2018
I liked this book, even if I did read it out of order. I am always so impressed by her research into Seattle's past. Her information about Washington State's first female serial killer was downright scary. It is more of a traditional investigation story, with Harper chasing down a wide cast. I don't know the background with Quinton's father, so a lot of that subplot was lost on me. I'll have to go back and read the ones I haven't. A very good read.
November 8, 2013
I'm a follower of the Graywalker series. I really like Harper Blaine, the detective/graywalker of these novels. So far, I have read all of these books. I also will continue to read further installments of the series. Although I had liked some of the other stories more, this story did not live up to my expectations. Don't get me wrong, it was still a good read. I think the reason I am giving it three stars, is because I do not feel the plotline was up to the standards of some of the other stories.
The Graywalker books don't have plot lines that will get this a Pulitzer Prize, but they are usually energetic and I want to try to get to the next part faster than I can read. During POSSESSION, I felt it was slower paced for me and the plot was a little flimsy, or weak.
Just the same, I still plan to read more. I really like the Graywalker series and would even like to see a little two-hour made for TV movie or a take-off movie on Harper. Do they still make Sunday Night TV Movies?
The Graywalker books don't have plot lines that will get this a Pulitzer Prize, but they are usually energetic and I want to try to get to the next part faster than I can read. During POSSESSION, I felt it was slower paced for me and the plot was a little flimsy, or weak.
Just the same, I still plan to read more. I really like the Graywalker series and would even like to see a little two-hour made for TV movie or a take-off movie on Harper. Do they still make Sunday Night TV Movies?
September 1, 2013
I hate writing reviews, so I will keep this short. I love Kat Richardson and her Greywalker series. I love how she has made a new character type and a new ability, you don't hear about something called The Grey in every book nowadays!
That being said, this one was not my favorite of the series. This is the next book after Seawitch, which I thought was one of the best in the series. I think this one was too slow to start and once it did, you were sort of like..."Okay, what next?". I also didn't think the ending lived up to what fans of Harper are used to. I understand you can't have a knock down drag out every book, but two pages cannot tell me how she defeats the bad-guy-of-the-week. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but it just wasn't...amazing. I can't wait to see where Richardson goes with the story and I hope to hell they get the bad guy (aka Papa Purlis).
That being said, this one was not my favorite of the series. This is the next book after Seawitch, which I thought was one of the best in the series. I think this one was too slow to start and once it did, you were sort of like..."Okay, what next?". I also didn't think the ending lived up to what fans of Harper are used to. I understand you can't have a knock down drag out every book, but two pages cannot tell me how she defeats the bad-guy-of-the-week. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but it just wasn't...amazing. I can't wait to see where Richardson goes with the story and I hope to hell they get the bad guy (aka Papa Purlis).
December 13, 2013
Once again, Kat has rendered me speechless with her tale telling. I love her vivid imagination, and the way she weaves the past into her books. I also love when a particular vampire is in the storyline, cause I'm twisted and have a soft spot for him. Yep, Carlos is one bad kick ass necromancer vampire, but I've always been one for the good bad guy, and to me, that's Carlos. Love him! Of couse I love Harper and Quinton too. I love the way they are together, and separate. I'm looking forward to Kat's next book with so much anticipation. I can't wait for it!! Love this series!!
August 6, 2016
I am having to rest my eyes so picked this up in an audio book. The Greywalker series is one that is best if read in order but the last one I read was #3. I did not feel the lack of any backstory or world building. It did help that I had read the first books in the series. Harper is still a great character and she is supported by a great cast of supporting characters. The story has a great plot that allows a lot of danger and suspense as the story progresses. The reader does a good job of different voices and keeping the story flow going.
August 30, 2013
Let's just say, I continue to enjoy the Greywalker series so much, I was already looking for information on the next book. Then I kicked myself as I remembered that this one just came out! *sigh* For awhile, I was behind on the series due to school, and had several to catch up on. Now that I'm caught up, I must wait impatiently with everyone else...
I highly recommend this series, set in Seattle, but definitely start at the beginning!
I highly recommend this series, set in Seattle, but definitely start at the beginning!
December 19, 2014
Harper is dealing with a case involving the strange behaviour of a patient in a permanent vegetative state. On further investigation it seems that there is more to the story than possession.
A chance to read a series set in Seattle one of my favourite places to visit.
A chance to read a series set in Seattle one of my favourite places to visit.
October 15, 2013
I love this series. Harper is a tough chic. Her bond-mate (if you have read the series) Quinten is cool and very understanding of all the ghosts stuff. I can't wait to see what comes next. I love the history in the book. I live in WA. I have read about the big bad doctor chic. Creepy. :)
May 28, 2019
Seattle private eye Harper Blaine doesn't like spirit mediums, which is kind of funny, considering that she sees dead people. Nevertheless, she learns to respect one in this adventure, when they are brought together by a client whose sister has been exhibiting weird symptoms while lying in a persistent vegetative state. For example, the sister sits up in bed, grabs paints and a brush, and creates photo-realistic paintings of a place that nobody in the house can remember seeing before – yet that strikes Harper as familiar, somehow. It's like watching a marionette being controlled by a puppeteer.
Harper's investigation leads her to two more strange cases of local people who fell into persistent vegetative states around the same time, and who also seem to be calling out for help. Being a greywalker, in touch with the denizens of the Other Side and the In Between, Harper notices that there is a lot of abnormal ghost activity surrounding these people. This only adds to the weirdness of the behavior of three people whose condition, all by itself, is so rare that it shouldn't be statistically possible to find three such patients in a city the size of Seattle. Apparently, somebody, by which I mean something, is getting ready to make a big move in the gray (or rather, Grey) area between life and death, and it's probably going to mess things up for the people living (or not living) on both sides.
Meanwhile, Harper's main squeeze is having daddy issues. Quinton's dad is a super spy who has gone off the reservation, and is now trying to develop a project involving supernatural beings. While Quinton tries to sabotage whatever nefarious plot his father has in hand, Harper also receives a summons from one of her past clients, now the alpha vampire of the SeaTac metropolitan area, who is concerned about the disappearance of a, how do you say, pre-chrysalis vampire. Someone, somehow, has subverted the up-and-coming vamp's loyalty, creating a dangerous situation for the urban undead. As Harper's two lines of investigation become increasingly intertwined, she finds herself partnering not just with a genuine medium but also with a creature of the night, whom anyone would rather have as an ally than an enemy.
So, the dead and the undead of Seattle are definitely showing signs of great disturbance; and when they're disturbed, you're disturbed. Try it, and you'll agree. While Harper juggles romance, friendship, and the maintenance of a frisky pet ferret with her responsibilities as the guardian on the living side of the Grey, she must also race against the rapidly closing window of survival on three desperately imperiled victims, the swift approach of a soul-devouring evil, and whatever despicable thing her sort-of-father-in-law has planned. Plus, she has it on the authority of an immortal necromancer that simply killing the jerk won't solve anything. She's dealing with deep magic, and as the manifestations in the old part of town grow grimmer, she realizes that the world as she knows it is in deep trouble. It's the kind of challenge Harper Blaine has often risen to, and rise to it she does again, with a passion and urgency lightened by just the right amount of dry wit. Monsters take note: don't mess with this girl.
This is the eighth of nine Greywalker novels, combining private detective fiction with the paranormal. The next (and to date latest) installment is Revenant.
Harper's investigation leads her to two more strange cases of local people who fell into persistent vegetative states around the same time, and who also seem to be calling out for help. Being a greywalker, in touch with the denizens of the Other Side and the In Between, Harper notices that there is a lot of abnormal ghost activity surrounding these people. This only adds to the weirdness of the behavior of three people whose condition, all by itself, is so rare that it shouldn't be statistically possible to find three such patients in a city the size of Seattle. Apparently, somebody, by which I mean something, is getting ready to make a big move in the gray (or rather, Grey) area between life and death, and it's probably going to mess things up for the people living (or not living) on both sides.
Meanwhile, Harper's main squeeze is having daddy issues. Quinton's dad is a super spy who has gone off the reservation, and is now trying to develop a project involving supernatural beings. While Quinton tries to sabotage whatever nefarious plot his father has in hand, Harper also receives a summons from one of her past clients, now the alpha vampire of the SeaTac metropolitan area, who is concerned about the disappearance of a, how do you say, pre-chrysalis vampire. Someone, somehow, has subverted the up-and-coming vamp's loyalty, creating a dangerous situation for the urban undead. As Harper's two lines of investigation become increasingly intertwined, she finds herself partnering not just with a genuine medium but also with a creature of the night, whom anyone would rather have as an ally than an enemy.
So, the dead and the undead of Seattle are definitely showing signs of great disturbance; and when they're disturbed, you're disturbed. Try it, and you'll agree. While Harper juggles romance, friendship, and the maintenance of a frisky pet ferret with her responsibilities as the guardian on the living side of the Grey, she must also race against the rapidly closing window of survival on three desperately imperiled victims, the swift approach of a soul-devouring evil, and whatever despicable thing her sort-of-father-in-law has planned. Plus, she has it on the authority of an immortal necromancer that simply killing the jerk won't solve anything. She's dealing with deep magic, and as the manifestations in the old part of town grow grimmer, she realizes that the world as she knows it is in deep trouble. It's the kind of challenge Harper Blaine has often risen to, and rise to it she does again, with a passion and urgency lightened by just the right amount of dry wit. Monsters take note: don't mess with this girl.
This is the eighth of nine Greywalker novels, combining private detective fiction with the paranormal. The next (and to date latest) installment is Revenant.
August 18, 2018
Possession is the eighth and penultimate book in the Greywalker series written by Kat Richardson and centered on Harper Blaine, a private investigator, who inadvertently became a Greywalker, a person who can see and walk among the supernatural, when she died for two minutes.
Lillan Goss approaches Harper Blaine regarding her sister, Julianne Goss, who was until recently was in a persistent vegetative state. Not too long ago, Julianne Goss just awoken and begins painting pictures and muttering words. There are no medical explanations for this behavior and Lillan Goss is convinced that his sister is possessed – even some of her doctors start to wonder the same when as more bizarre phenomena manifests. Harper Blaine accepts the case and starts investigating.
When Harper Blaine observes Julianne Goss in the Grey, she can see ghosts swarming around her and a dark form she cannot discern – an anomaly should not be happening. As Harper Blaine investigates, she finds other similar cases and they are all tied to horrific events from Seattle's history. As the investigation furthers Harper Blaine relies on vampires, mediums, and ghosts to help solve this case.
Possession is written rather well. Richardson has mixed the paranormal, magic and urban fantasy rather well with history and legend. It was high on the mystery aspect and low on action, although when it does occur it was intense and action packed. Richardson's ability to describe settings is reinforced here as she describes the setting rather well. The relationships between the characters have tightened, deepened, and strengthened over the series – it is a joy to see how much growth Richardson made when writing this series.
All in all, Possession is written extremely well and a good continuation for the series, which I plan to read in the very near future.
Lillan Goss approaches Harper Blaine regarding her sister, Julianne Goss, who was until recently was in a persistent vegetative state. Not too long ago, Julianne Goss just awoken and begins painting pictures and muttering words. There are no medical explanations for this behavior and Lillan Goss is convinced that his sister is possessed – even some of her doctors start to wonder the same when as more bizarre phenomena manifests. Harper Blaine accepts the case and starts investigating.
When Harper Blaine observes Julianne Goss in the Grey, she can see ghosts swarming around her and a dark form she cannot discern – an anomaly should not be happening. As Harper Blaine investigates, she finds other similar cases and they are all tied to horrific events from Seattle's history. As the investigation furthers Harper Blaine relies on vampires, mediums, and ghosts to help solve this case.
Possession is written rather well. Richardson has mixed the paranormal, magic and urban fantasy rather well with history and legend. It was high on the mystery aspect and low on action, although when it does occur it was intense and action packed. Richardson's ability to describe settings is reinforced here as she describes the setting rather well. The relationships between the characters have tightened, deepened, and strengthened over the series – it is a joy to see how much growth Richardson made when writing this series.
All in all, Possession is written extremely well and a good continuation for the series, which I plan to read in the very near future.
December 2, 2013
Eighth in the Greywalker urban fantasy series revolving around Blaine Harper, a private psychic detective who walks the Grey in Seattle.
My Take
This was terrifying enough even though I knew that Harper would win the day. Thank god for Chaos! Richardson’s descriptions of this chuckling little fuzz ball and his antics helped defuse the terror.
It’s a tightrope that Harper and Quinton walk as he tries to bring down his father while keeping Harper’s abilities from him. The last thing Harper wants is to end up on a slab in a government lab.
It’s a perfect plot with nothing that hangs together. At least not until we get deep enough into the book when the dangling, disparate bits do display their connections. It’s a hard task made more difficult by the riddles thrown out by the ghosts. Then the revelations from Carlos and Cameron about the extent of Harper's family: the ones you can choose and those you can't. It only makes the impossible worse.
It’s been so long since I last read a Greywalker novel that I don’t remember what happened to Phoebe. I do wish Richardson had given a few more clues on this.
No, I'm not buying Harper's waffling about paying up her end with Carlos. Why wouldn't she tell him? Then there's Quinton's comment about hoping his "sister's a bastard, too, because having you for a grandfather—" just doesn't make sense. Wouldn't father have been more appropriate?
Why hasn't Quinton done more to stop his dad if this is just one of the experiments he's seen? I hate that Quinton leaves him alive. It makes sense why he does, but I don't like it at all!
I dunno. I loved and disliked this one. It's a horrifying story with a powerful government entity behind it, and I can't wait to find out what happens next. The dislike part was all the buildup. Pages and pages of it only to have it all resolved, very easily, in the last few.
In some ways, it’s old home week as Harper makes the rounds visiting characters within the series. No, they’re not all here, for the Danzigers are still in Europe. I suspect we’ll be seeing them in Revenant , 9.
The Story
It’s when her sister, Julie, starts painting without being aware of doing it that Lillian Goss searches desperately for help. For Lillian knows that her sister is possessed. The signs are all there, and yet Father Nybeck won’t help her. She’s at her wit’s end until she hears about Harper Blaine.
It’s questions and curiosity that turn up more victims suffering from PVS, and a note written in his own handwriting that starts the timer counting down. The race is on to find and cure them before it’s too late for them, and for the city.
The Characters
Harper Blaine is a private investigator with a special ability to “see” and move through the supernatural after several brushes with death. Nothing normal for her, she’s on call for the uncanny as the go-between, the negotiator, the troubleshooter, a general fixer of all things. Chaos is her manic ferret, the carpet shark, LOL. Quinton, a.k.a., J.J., is her electronics genius of a boyfriend scrambling to thwart his father’s plans and continue to evade the NSA that wants him back.
Phoebe Mason runs Old Possum’s Books ‘n’ Beans, a used bookstore, and she’s one of Harper’s best friends. Family. Simba is one of the shop cats. Poppy Mason is Phoebe’s dad. Hugh is the oldest brother, and he shares the house behind the restaurant with his parents.
Lillian Goss is caring for her sister, Julianne, who is in a persistent vegetative state (PVS). At least she was. Eva Wrothen is one of the few private nurses who will stay on and help care for Julie. Richard Stymak is a medium trying to help.
Kevin Sterling is a tunnel engineer with Mary, his terrified wife, Olivia is his daughter, and a son. Rhiannon Held is the archeological site monitor on the project.
Jordan Delamar plays the banjo at Pike Peak Market and can make a banjo out of anything. Levi Westman is a computer programmer and Jody’s partner. Just not legally. Minty Canter, Ansel Fuso, and Nightingale and Whim Sonder are fellow buskers who try to help find Jordan.
The Ghosts
Mercedes runs ghost tours around Pike Place Market. Cannie Trimble is the first with a message. "Mae West", a.k.a., Lois Brown died in 1995. Kikisebloo, a.k.a., Princess Angeline, is the daughter of Chief Sealth. Dr. Linda Hazzard was an infamous serial killer who took advantage of odd laws.
The Vampires
It’s been three years since Cameron Shadley, the vampire king in Seattle, ousted Edward in Labyrinth , 5. Carlos is both vampire and necromancer besides being Cameron’s chief adviser in his current role; he’s also the proprietor of Adult Fantasies. He terrifies Harper. Inman is a dhampir who works for Carlos.
James Purlis is Quinton’s dad, in name only. Quinton describes him as "a step away from Satan". A spy, he’s been hunting down paranormals, experimenting on them in his NSA Ghost Division. He’s demanding Quinton’s participation and will do anything to ensure it. Limos is Hunger Incarnate.
Detective Sergeant Rey Solis is with the Seattle PD and has seen enough of what Harper does to become, well, less skeptical. Dr. Skelleher is Harper’s primary care doctor, and he has literally seen almost all. Harper thinks of the Guardian Beast as her boss in the Grey. Twitcher is/was one of the homeless guys.
The Cover
The cover is cold with a shivering Harper huddled in her black leather jacket atop a building in Pike Place Market as the rain and lightning slash around her and ghostly hands reach out for her.
The title is simple and true, for it is a matter of Possession, and it’s not limited to the victims.
My Take
This was terrifying enough even though I knew that Harper would win the day. Thank god for Chaos! Richardson’s descriptions of this chuckling little fuzz ball and his antics helped defuse the terror.
It’s a tightrope that Harper and Quinton walk as he tries to bring down his father while keeping Harper’s abilities from him. The last thing Harper wants is to end up on a slab in a government lab.
It’s a perfect plot with nothing that hangs together. At least not until we get deep enough into the book when the dangling, disparate bits do display their connections. It’s a hard task made more difficult by the riddles thrown out by the ghosts. Then the revelations from Carlos and Cameron about the extent of Harper's family: the ones you can choose and those you can't. It only makes the impossible worse.
It’s been so long since I last read a Greywalker novel that I don’t remember what happened to Phoebe. I do wish Richardson had given a few more clues on this.
No, I'm not buying Harper's waffling about paying up her end with Carlos. Why wouldn't she tell him? Then there's Quinton's comment about hoping his "sister's a bastard, too, because having you for a grandfather—" just doesn't make sense. Wouldn't father have been more appropriate?
Why hasn't Quinton done more to stop his dad if this is just one of the experiments he's seen? I hate that Quinton leaves him alive. It makes sense why he does, but I don't like it at all!
I dunno. I loved and disliked this one. It's a horrifying story with a powerful government entity behind it, and I can't wait to find out what happens next. The dislike part was all the buildup. Pages and pages of it only to have it all resolved, very easily, in the last few.
In some ways, it’s old home week as Harper makes the rounds visiting characters within the series. No, they’re not all here, for the Danzigers are still in Europe. I suspect we’ll be seeing them in Revenant , 9.
The Story
It’s when her sister, Julie, starts painting without being aware of doing it that Lillian Goss searches desperately for help. For Lillian knows that her sister is possessed. The signs are all there, and yet Father Nybeck won’t help her. She’s at her wit’s end until she hears about Harper Blaine.
It’s questions and curiosity that turn up more victims suffering from PVS, and a note written in his own handwriting that starts the timer counting down. The race is on to find and cure them before it’s too late for them, and for the city.
The Characters
Harper Blaine is a private investigator with a special ability to “see” and move through the supernatural after several brushes with death. Nothing normal for her, she’s on call for the uncanny as the go-between, the negotiator, the troubleshooter, a general fixer of all things. Chaos is her manic ferret, the carpet shark, LOL. Quinton, a.k.a., J.J., is her electronics genius of a boyfriend scrambling to thwart his father’s plans and continue to evade the NSA that wants him back.
Phoebe Mason runs Old Possum’s Books ‘n’ Beans, a used bookstore, and she’s one of Harper’s best friends. Family. Simba is one of the shop cats. Poppy Mason is Phoebe’s dad. Hugh is the oldest brother, and he shares the house behind the restaurant with his parents.
Lillian Goss is caring for her sister, Julianne, who is in a persistent vegetative state (PVS). At least she was. Eva Wrothen is one of the few private nurses who will stay on and help care for Julie. Richard Stymak is a medium trying to help.
Kevin Sterling is a tunnel engineer with Mary, his terrified wife, Olivia is his daughter, and a son. Rhiannon Held is the archeological site monitor on the project.
Jordan Delamar plays the banjo at Pike Peak Market and can make a banjo out of anything. Levi Westman is a computer programmer and Jody’s partner. Just not legally. Minty Canter, Ansel Fuso, and Nightingale and Whim Sonder are fellow buskers who try to help find Jordan.
The Ghosts
Mercedes runs ghost tours around Pike Place Market. Cannie Trimble is the first with a message. "Mae West", a.k.a., Lois Brown died in 1995. Kikisebloo, a.k.a., Princess Angeline, is the daughter of Chief Sealth. Dr. Linda Hazzard was an infamous serial killer who took advantage of odd laws.
The Vampires
It’s been three years since Cameron Shadley, the vampire king in Seattle, ousted Edward in Labyrinth , 5. Carlos is both vampire and necromancer besides being Cameron’s chief adviser in his current role; he’s also the proprietor of Adult Fantasies. He terrifies Harper. Inman is a dhampir who works for Carlos.
James Purlis is Quinton’s dad, in name only. Quinton describes him as "a step away from Satan". A spy, he’s been hunting down paranormals, experimenting on them in his NSA Ghost Division. He’s demanding Quinton’s participation and will do anything to ensure it. Limos is Hunger Incarnate.
Detective Sergeant Rey Solis is with the Seattle PD and has seen enough of what Harper does to become, well, less skeptical. Dr. Skelleher is Harper’s primary care doctor, and he has literally seen almost all. Harper thinks of the Guardian Beast as her boss in the Grey. Twitcher is/was one of the homeless guys.
The Cover
The cover is cold with a shivering Harper huddled in her black leather jacket atop a building in Pike Place Market as the rain and lightning slash around her and ghostly hands reach out for her.
The title is simple and true, for it is a matter of Possession, and it’s not limited to the victims.
March 21, 2018
72 points/100 (3.75/5 stars).
Something or someone is possessing people in a vegetative state, and Harper is asked to investigate who/what and why.
In this penultimate book, Possession is slightly more interesting mystery because the victims are all in vegetative states, and they're displaying classic possession signs like drawing things and writing things. However, I am still left disappointed. The book spends a lot of time setting up the plot for the next book in the background. Richardson links the plot of this book to the plot of the last book, but it feels so contrived.
I was disappointed in the characters and relationships, too. The author lost ground on the character interactions, they feel worse. They feel like they are creating drama for the sake of drama, not for any reason that she has already established in their personalities. The newer characters that were created for the story were alright. It is just all the established characters that are being molded into new people to fit what the author needs in the finale.
While I enjoyed the possession aspects, I found it difficult to enjoy the whole of the book. In fact, the ending itself left me not even wanting to read the last book, if I'm being honest. I still will read Revenant, but I'm not excited about it. It is a poor way to end a penultimate book. I really hope the last book ends satisfactorily.
Something or someone is possessing people in a vegetative state, and Harper is asked to investigate who/what and why.
In this penultimate book, Possession is slightly more interesting mystery because the victims are all in vegetative states, and they're displaying classic possession signs like drawing things and writing things. However, I am still left disappointed. The book spends a lot of time setting up the plot for the next book in the background. Richardson links the plot of this book to the plot of the last book, but it feels so contrived.
I was disappointed in the characters and relationships, too. The author lost ground on the character interactions, they feel worse. They feel like they are creating drama for the sake of drama, not for any reason that she has already established in their personalities. The newer characters that were created for the story were alright. It is just all the established characters that are being molded into new people to fit what the author needs in the finale.
While I enjoyed the possession aspects, I found it difficult to enjoy the whole of the book. In fact, the ending itself left me not even wanting to read the last book, if I'm being honest. I still will read Revenant, but I'm not excited about it. It is a poor way to end a penultimate book. I really hope the last book ends satisfactorily.
Read
November 16, 2020I really like how Richardson infuses her Harper Blaine stories with local lore, mixed well with more geographically diverse legends. In this installment, the mystery hinges upon the spirit of an early serial killer in Seattle, adds a local native American figure, plus the catalyst of an old goddess, imported from Europe.
Harper's case begins with her trying to figure out why an improbable number of people, statistically speaking, have passed into vegetative states which are interrupted by the symptoms of old-time spiritualists' ghost manifestations, such as directed painting and writing, and ghostly writing in blood scratched on skin.
Her boyfriend Quinton's father shows up in this story when he's capturing supernaturals and suborning and studying them, and this brings in Harper's old allies, Cameron and Carlos, when the elder Purvis captures one of their dhampires.
As seems to be a common theme in urban fantasy this year, Harper finds out in this novel just how connected she is to her friends and family, and realizes that she has more allies and support than she ever thought possible.
Harper's case begins with her trying to figure out why an improbable number of people, statistically speaking, have passed into vegetative states which are interrupted by the symptoms of old-time spiritualists' ghost manifestations, such as directed painting and writing, and ghostly writing in blood scratched on skin.
Her boyfriend Quinton's father shows up in this story when he's capturing supernaturals and suborning and studying them, and this brings in Harper's old allies, Cameron and Carlos, when the elder Purvis captures one of their dhampires.
As seems to be a common theme in urban fantasy this year, Harper finds out in this novel just how connected she is to her friends and family, and realizes that she has more allies and support than she ever thought possible.
December 18, 2021
Definitely feels like this series is ready to wrap up. With only one book left, I think the author was reading the writing on the wall that stuff has gotten a bit too twisted to keep up with. I enjoyed the main storyline here surrounding the coma patients and the ghosts that inhabited them, but found the side plots surrounding Quinton and his father to be irritating. Quinton is "so mysterious" but the lack of communication about... anything... is really frustrating as a reader. I don't find myself intrigued by what is really going on, just ready for it to end. Regardless, I hope the final installment will be fun and clear up some loose ends.
November 22, 2024
I am continuing to enjoy this series. Harper is a great character, and I love that there are 9 books in which we get to follow her around as she tries to solve paranormal mysteries. This is the second to last book in the series and the author continues to do an awesome job of keeping the plots fresh and interesting. I enjoyed the mystery and found some of the creatures Harper ran into kind of creepy. I could have done without the relationship drama between Harper and Quention but other than that it was an enjoyable story.
February 1, 2019
Whilst I enjoyed this book that mainly featured mystery coma patients and ghosts, I can’t help feeling like this book would have been better earlier in the series than the last-but-one.
It felt like Harper’s abilities reached a crescendo a couple of books ago, and since then, there’s been very little focus on her abilities; they’re almost an aside which seems weird.
It felt like Harper’s abilities reached a crescendo a couple of books ago, and since then, there’s been very little focus on her abilities; they’re almost an aside which seems weird.
July 2, 2022
First foray into this series, which might have been my biggest mistake. Grabbed it for the storyline (supernatural murder/mystery) and felt it got off to a good start, but then it all became part of this much more convoluted, political thing which i found boring.
Will start at the beginning and see if i can become more invested in the overarching storyline/characters…
Will start at the beginning and see if i can become more invested in the overarching storyline/characters…
July 26, 2017
Is it my imagination or are these books getting better? Maybe I'm getting to know the cast better as people. Or maybe finally they are all getting to be real people in my mind. Anyway, I'm liking Harper's relationship with Quentin now! Nice going Kat!
August 13, 2018
If you told me when I started this series that I would happily read 8 books worth of vampires and ghosts, I would have been surprised. I'm a little sad that the next book will be the last in the series.
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