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Greywalker #2
Poltergeist
Harper Blaine was your average small-time PI until she died - for two minutes. Now she's a Greywalker - walking the thin line between the living world and the paranormal realm. And she's discovering that her new abilities are landing her all sorts of "strange" cases.
In the days leading up to Halloween, Harper's been hired by a university research group that is attempting to create an artificial poltergeist. The head researcher suspects someone is faking the phenomena, but Harper's investigation reveals something else entirely - they've succeeded. And when one of the group's members is killed in a brutal and inexplicable fashion, Harper must determine whether the killer is the ghost itself, or someone all too human.
In the days leading up to Halloween, Harper's been hired by a university research group that is attempting to create an artificial poltergeist. The head researcher suspects someone is faking the phenomena, but Harper's investigation reveals something else entirely - they've succeeded. And when one of the group's members is killed in a brutal and inexplicable fashion, Harper must determine whether the killer is the ghost itself, or someone all too human.
Unknown Binding
First published August 7, 2007
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About the author
Kat Richardson
33 books1,245 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 469 reviews
July 1, 2019
It went to a 4-star book, yay!
Again, I feel like this series is totally under-rated and more people should at least give it a try. This author surprised me in the best of ways.
Again, I feel like this series is totally under-rated and more people should at least give it a try. This author surprised me in the best of ways.
May 31, 2022
Two stars is Goodreads' more-or-less neutral rating, and what I liked about this novel more or less balances what I didn't like. First, what I liked.
The main character and first-person narrator, Harper Blaine, was likable and well motivated I thought. As a newbie Greywalker, she was honest about what she didn't know yet of paranormal things ("the Grey") and readily sought advice.
I also liked her main allies in this adventure--her mentor of sorts Ben and his witchy wife Mara, Quintin the tech guy, and Phoebe the motherly owner of Old Possum Books & Beans whose Jamaican childhood included duppy lore. All five of these characters were warm-hearted, supportive of each other, and well-portrayed, making their scenes enjoyable even when not much was happening in them.
Another thing I liked was the detailed description of various parts of Seattle and their history. I felt I was right there in the physical component of the outdoor scenes. That brings us to the Grey, defined at one point as a kind of crossover zone between our familiar life and what lies beyond. Its main characteristic seems to be mist and fog (how appropriate for Seattle) in which ghosts and other things appear, usually indistinctly, and disappear unpredictably. It seems that you can always go "deeper" into the Grey, so in the Grey scenes it isn't clear how far into it we're seeing at any moment.
In book #1 of the series Harper acquired the ability to penetrate the Grey and to see colors produced by people's emotions. Energies in the Grey are brightly colored, and entities connect via energy threads of characteristic colors. Much of Harper's adventure consists of following particular yellow threads that connect to the mystery entity that's harming people. When Harper enters the Grey she fades out from ordinary view like a ghost. Movement and time in the Grey correspond only roughly to the physical world, and she has to be careful about where she comes out of it.
Well, that's me, trying to make sense of something that's indistinct almost by definition. Where my poor brain just gave up was the notion of time loops in the Grey. A ghost, it seems, is a loop in time? Definitely not a soul who survives for decades, but a continual replaying of the memory energies that were released at death. So the Grey is full of layers, each layer being a time loop, and Harper pokes through the layers to find the right one and then kind of slides along it...
As you can probably tell, I had a lot of trouble visualizing all the action in the Grey and understanding Harper's ability to do things there. She thinks, I can't do this, and then she does it somehow; that happens quite a few times. I should also mention Carlos the creepy but powerful vampire, who saves the day more than once, though this is definitely not a story about vampires.
Back to the parts that were clear. It's a neat premise: A psychologist named Tuckman at (fictional) Pacific Northwest University is attempting to replicate the (real-life) Philip experiments in group psychology. He gets a diverse group of volunteers to meet regularly in a specially equipped room to hold fake seances while Tuckman observes from an adjoining room. They know that it's all fake and that the little movements of objects in the seance room are controlled by Tuckman.
What they do is to get creative and make up a ghost, with a detailed life story; each volunteer contributes something to "Celia" the ghost, and before long Celia is doing little poltergeist tricks on her own, not manipulated by Tuckman from the observation room. The idea is to show that group collaboration creates psychokinetic phenomena. But then wild movements happen; the table jumps up and dances around the room, for instance.
Tuckman thinks one of the volunteers is sabotaging his experiment and hires Harper to find the culprit. Tuckman's a skeptic and doesn't know anything about the Grey. But soon his assistant Mark (who also works at Phoebe's shop) is murdered, and Inspector Solis is in charge of the police investigation. Harper and Solis manage to work together to some extent, and Solis is both well-portrayed and clear cut.
The resolution of the case was satisfying in light of the disparity between this world and the Grey, human culprit and/or dangerous paranormal entity, police action versus psychic combat. Getting there, though, meant a lot of technical prose around the experiment, endlessly repetitive scenes with Ben and Mara's toddler, and lots of blurry activity in the Grey.
The main character and first-person narrator, Harper Blaine, was likable and well motivated I thought. As a newbie Greywalker, she was honest about what she didn't know yet of paranormal things ("the Grey") and readily sought advice.
I also liked her main allies in this adventure--her mentor of sorts Ben and his witchy wife Mara, Quintin the tech guy, and Phoebe the motherly owner of Old Possum Books & Beans whose Jamaican childhood included duppy lore. All five of these characters were warm-hearted, supportive of each other, and well-portrayed, making their scenes enjoyable even when not much was happening in them.
Another thing I liked was the detailed description of various parts of Seattle and their history. I felt I was right there in the physical component of the outdoor scenes. That brings us to the Grey, defined at one point as a kind of crossover zone between our familiar life and what lies beyond. Its main characteristic seems to be mist and fog (how appropriate for Seattle) in which ghosts and other things appear, usually indistinctly, and disappear unpredictably. It seems that you can always go "deeper" into the Grey, so in the Grey scenes it isn't clear how far into it we're seeing at any moment.
In book #1 of the series Harper acquired the ability to penetrate the Grey and to see colors produced by people's emotions. Energies in the Grey are brightly colored, and entities connect via energy threads of characteristic colors. Much of Harper's adventure consists of following particular yellow threads that connect to the mystery entity that's harming people. When Harper enters the Grey she fades out from ordinary view like a ghost. Movement and time in the Grey correspond only roughly to the physical world, and she has to be careful about where she comes out of it.
Well, that's me, trying to make sense of something that's indistinct almost by definition. Where my poor brain just gave up was the notion of time loops in the Grey. A ghost, it seems, is a loop in time? Definitely not a soul who survives for decades, but a continual replaying of the memory energies that were released at death. So the Grey is full of layers, each layer being a time loop, and Harper pokes through the layers to find the right one and then kind of slides along it...
As you can probably tell, I had a lot of trouble visualizing all the action in the Grey and understanding Harper's ability to do things there. She thinks, I can't do this, and then she does it somehow; that happens quite a few times. I should also mention Carlos the creepy but powerful vampire, who saves the day more than once, though this is definitely not a story about vampires.
Back to the parts that were clear. It's a neat premise: A psychologist named Tuckman at (fictional) Pacific Northwest University is attempting to replicate the (real-life) Philip experiments in group psychology. He gets a diverse group of volunteers to meet regularly in a specially equipped room to hold fake seances while Tuckman observes from an adjoining room. They know that it's all fake and that the little movements of objects in the seance room are controlled by Tuckman.
What they do is to get creative and make up a ghost, with a detailed life story; each volunteer contributes something to "Celia" the ghost, and before long Celia is doing little poltergeist tricks on her own, not manipulated by Tuckman from the observation room. The idea is to show that group collaboration creates psychokinetic phenomena. But then wild movements happen; the table jumps up and dances around the room, for instance.
Tuckman thinks one of the volunteers is sabotaging his experiment and hires Harper to find the culprit. Tuckman's a skeptic and doesn't know anything about the Grey. But soon his assistant Mark (who also works at Phoebe's shop) is murdered, and Inspector Solis is in charge of the police investigation. Harper and Solis manage to work together to some extent, and Solis is both well-portrayed and clear cut.
The resolution of the case was satisfying in light of the disparity between this world and the Grey, human culprit and/or dangerous paranormal entity, police action versus psychic combat. Getting there, though, meant a lot of technical prose around the experiment, endlessly repetitive scenes with Ben and Mara's toddler, and lots of blurry activity in the Grey.
July 19, 2014
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
I’d like to start this review off by first saying that I’m not 100% sure whether it’s the narration or the story that’s making me consistently rate this series 3 stars, so you might want to take my thoughts with a grain of salt until I figure that one out. Anyway, I think that I enjoyed this installment slightly less than its predecessor on account of all the psycho babble & lengthy experiment explanations. I felt like I was back in college listening to a professor drone on about a subject I couldn’t have cared less about. Kat Richardson’s approach to the paranormal seems to be largely academic in nature, and I’m not convinced that that writing style is well-suited for the Urban Fantasy genre.
One of the aspects that I enjoyed the most about GREYWALKER was Ben and Mara’s supe 101 sessions with Harper, yet they seem to have almost completely vanished in this installment. I’m not sure how much time has elapsed between novels—I may have missed it in the earlier chapters—but it can’t be more than a couple of months, and I found that Blaine’s grasp of her newfound abilities was far too advanced for book 2. She’s also suddenly full-out dating Will, and in a long distance relationship no less, after only a few weeks (?). Again, I’m not clear on the time frame, but it just felt off to me. I had to double-check to make sure that POLTERGEIST was indeed the second installment in this series.
I enjoyed the whodunit murder mystery even though I did find that it was a little too predictable because the suspect pool was restricted to the experiment participants. I also liked learning some of the tricks on the trade when Richardson explores how certain illusions are created; it’s clear that a lot of research went into this novel. Quinton is probably one of my favourite characters to date, and I was satisfied with the role he played in this story as well as Phoebe Mason’s. She’s a new addition, and I look forward to reconnecting with her in future installments. Will on the other hand… I honestly don’t see his appeal, and hope that Harper dumps his ass ASAP.
The narration was somewhat improved when compared to the previous audiobook. I thought that Mia Barron’s Jamaican accent was well-done, and her ‘baby’ voice wasn’t half-bad either, although too much of it would have definitely given me a headache. But to be fair, any 2 year old talking in my ear nonstop would, so that means that her performance was authentic. Barron’s portrayal of the vampire characters was still too over-the-top for my tastes, especially where Carlos was concerned; he came across as more Count Dracula than evil undead master.
In short, my struggles with this series continue, and if something doesn’t start to click soon, I may be calling it quits. POLTERGEIST felt more like a crime novel with paranormal elements mixed in than it did an Urban Fantasy which might be the crux of my problems with Harper Blaine.
I’d like to start this review off by first saying that I’m not 100% sure whether it’s the narration or the story that’s making me consistently rate this series 3 stars, so you might want to take my thoughts with a grain of salt until I figure that one out. Anyway, I think that I enjoyed this installment slightly less than its predecessor on account of all the psycho babble & lengthy experiment explanations. I felt like I was back in college listening to a professor drone on about a subject I couldn’t have cared less about. Kat Richardson’s approach to the paranormal seems to be largely academic in nature, and I’m not convinced that that writing style is well-suited for the Urban Fantasy genre.
One of the aspects that I enjoyed the most about GREYWALKER was Ben and Mara’s supe 101 sessions with Harper, yet they seem to have almost completely vanished in this installment. I’m not sure how much time has elapsed between novels—I may have missed it in the earlier chapters—but it can’t be more than a couple of months, and I found that Blaine’s grasp of her newfound abilities was far too advanced for book 2. She’s also suddenly full-out dating Will, and in a long distance relationship no less, after only a few weeks (?). Again, I’m not clear on the time frame, but it just felt off to me. I had to double-check to make sure that POLTERGEIST was indeed the second installment in this series.
I enjoyed the whodunit murder mystery even though I did find that it was a little too predictable because the suspect pool was restricted to the experiment participants. I also liked learning some of the tricks on the trade when Richardson explores how certain illusions are created; it’s clear that a lot of research went into this novel. Quinton is probably one of my favourite characters to date, and I was satisfied with the role he played in this story as well as Phoebe Mason’s. She’s a new addition, and I look forward to reconnecting with her in future installments. Will on the other hand… I honestly don’t see his appeal, and hope that Harper dumps his ass ASAP.
The narration was somewhat improved when compared to the previous audiobook. I thought that Mia Barron’s Jamaican accent was well-done, and her ‘baby’ voice wasn’t half-bad either, although too much of it would have definitely given me a headache. But to be fair, any 2 year old talking in my ear nonstop would, so that means that her performance was authentic. Barron’s portrayal of the vampire characters was still too over-the-top for my tastes, especially where Carlos was concerned; he came across as more Count Dracula than evil undead master.
In short, my struggles with this series continue, and if something doesn’t start to click soon, I may be calling it quits. POLTERGEIST felt more like a crime novel with paranormal elements mixed in than it did an Urban Fantasy which might be the crux of my problems with Harper Blaine.
December 12, 2010
Real rating 3.5 stars. Kat Richardson is hitting her stride as a writer, and I found I enjoyed this book more than her last book. Harper is a PI hired to find someone "undermining" a scientific experiment on creating a ghost. The psychologist hiring her doesn't know that Harper can actually see into the world of the paranormal. There's an interesting cast of side characters, from the college professor and witch who help her with her skills, to her mysterious friend Quinton to Phoebe, bookstore owner. The mystery underneath drives the story and kept me guessing. Although I enjoy urban fantasy, the ghost/paranormal is not my favorite area of interest, but I just skimmed some of the longer explanations of the paranormal world. The resolution was satisfying without being expected or entirely satisfactory for the heroine. Although Harper is new to the paranormal, she is trying to learn and understand more of how it works. I'll be looking for the next installment.
September 28, 2008
At the start let me say that I liked this book. It has an interesting perspective on the whole supernatural urban fantasy slant as the main character is not a vampire, witch or shapeshifter, which are the common character tropes out there. Instead Harper Blaine, after a near death experience, is able to perceive the Gray, the sub layer filled with people's auras, ghosts and other oddities. Blaine, who is a PI, is hired by Professor Tuchman to investigate a parapsychology experiment in which various people are trying to animate a ghost. Tuchman thinks that someone is sabatoging the experiment. Meanwhile during the course of her investigation, one of the participants is murdered and Blaine's investigation and the police investigation run concurrently. Blaine is a nice character, she is aided by a witch and another professor -- the Danzigers, who have a young son, who Richardson uses for some comic elements, but who also plays a role in the ending.
I think this book would be better if Richardson could have more dialogue. Blaine spends a lot of the book describing stuff in long expository paragraphs. This leads this barely 320 page book to read a lot slower. This is a minor gripe, and I am looking forward to the next novel.
I think this book would be better if Richardson could have more dialogue. Blaine spends a lot of the book describing stuff in long expository paragraphs. This leads this barely 320 page book to read a lot slower. This is a minor gripe, and I am looking forward to the next novel.
June 17, 2018
I like this series well enough, but I think I drag my feet about reading it because I am bored with the denial trope. In this instance it's the denial-to-acceptance trope of accepting powers.
I love that the ferret's name is Chaos, though. It's a perfect name for a ferret. :)
I love that the ferret's name is Chaos, though. It's a perfect name for a ferret. :)
January 12, 2011
Poltergeist started out interesting. A scientific experiment is being performed to see if people can create a poltergeist. Harper is hired by the person in charge of the experiment to show that the phenomenon is being faked. It's a little confusing, but the scientist is a little strange. Unlike Greywalker, the mystery comprises the entire book. While it was exciting at the beginning, it quickly became stale. Harper interviews the study participants over and over and comes up with unimportant details. There is little mention of the characters from the first book, and the grey is still barely present. We do get some more convoluted explanations from Ben and Mara about the grey, but it wasn't enough. There are no vampires here, no explanation of the spell put on Harper from the first novel, one conversation with Will, and little progress with the grey. If the mystery was entertaining and exciting enough those things wouldn't have mattered so much, but Harper interviewing study participants to find who they disliked was elementary and snooze worthy. I'm disappointed because I enjoyed Greywalker very much. I will not be continuing in this series.
May 3, 2009
This is rather similar to the first book with Harper still learning to be a greywalker and walking/working in/with the Grey. She uses Mara (witch), Ben (para expert), Carlos (vampire) and Quinton (electronics wizard) for information. The major difference is that the case she's working involves a mean spirited poltergeist. A group of grad students are performing an experiment where they created a poltergeist and one of the group has been murdered. Harper is sorta working with the police to discover the culprit. Unfortunately, the culprit fits more into Harper's world than the real world so she is left with most of the work.
What follows is a very techinical book and really drags when describing the equipment used and the techonology involved. I had a lot of trouble following some of this and just figured it wasn't that important to the story. Also, way to many seances - got tedious.
Hopefully book 3 will involve something other than poltergeists.
What follows is a very techinical book and really drags when describing the equipment used and the techonology involved. I had a lot of trouble following some of this and just figured it wasn't that important to the story. Also, way to many seances - got tedious.
Hopefully book 3 will involve something other than poltergeists.
November 15, 2009
This book was painful to read. It drug on and on. The story had a good premise but it could have been told in half the time. I felt like the same story was being told over and over every time she went to interview a different person, just when you thought you might be getting a good story from someone you were off to someone else. Too many characters without enough character development. The most intriguing characters were the bookstore owner and her family, but I feel like their role in this book was mainly to build them up for another story. This book just didn't pull the me in, I was bored, and I don't think I'll waste my time on another Greywalker book.
The first book was much better.
The first book was much better.
January 3, 2015
Richardson really shows off her skills here! It was beyond entertaining seeing the theory and science behind making a poltergeist, and then watching where the real thing starts happening. Especially when it's a psychopath using a poltergeist to kill. What a unique and very disturbing idea. It's refreshing to see science and magic meet in such a realistic blend. Which was what I loved about Greywalker, and what I'm beginning to think is this series strong point. Don't get me wrong I love outrageous magic and critters, but being able to believe it's real. Now that's where it gets fun.
Harper was quite the loner in the first installment, which I get you want to keep people at arms length when you're having doubts about your own sanity. Poltergeist shows that Harper isn't a loner and even has a really cool “adopted” family. Her relationship with the Danzigers is developing, bordering on friendship and work help. Her long distance relationship with Will Novak is actually a go. What I like is that the development is real, and while not the focus of the story it adds something human. That vital piece of trying to be normal and yet drowning in a new world that few know about.
Harper is still leery about the Grey and the world she's having to step into. But what I like is that she can admit that she has wasted time learning what she clearly is going to have to deal with. She's not normal anymore and the sooner she learns the more she can protect herself and others. There's also a glimpse into how good Harper is, not willing to just let people deal with things they aren't even aware are going on in the supernatural. Even more is that Harper even decides that learning from kids is OK if it helps her understand her powers more. That's an amazing character in my book.
The psychology and case studies of haunting/poltergeists is a fascinating read here. Though I will admit at times even my brain tuned out during some of the hypothesizing and other academic talk. A lot of times I thought that a two sentence response, or less could have summed things up nicely. But hey, let the brainiac characters free! It does make them feel more authentic, even if my mind checked out once or twice. Harper is on a case to prove that a poltergeist experiment isn't being tampered, and also discovers money fraud, and has to deal with a murder case. Watching how she handles herself with legal aspects in mind to make sure she doesn't cross the cops, and make sure she can't be incremented and used as a scapegoat is amazing to watch! Most of the time books are so sloppy about police procedure, legal issues, and so on.
Poltergeist is a murder mystery, physiological thriller, and so much more. While the world of the vampires isn't delved into any deeper, it still shows off the magic well. The true power is the mix of science and magic to make everything feel as if it really could be part of our world. That the leaps taken in the book, could be taken in real life. A real treat! Richardson has setup a great cast here to get to know for later books. Not to mention stable stepping stones into her unique take on the mystical as she eases readers, along with Harper, into the world of the Grey.
Sexual Content: Clean, some sexual humor, and references to sex.
4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.
Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.
Harper was quite the loner in the first installment, which I get you want to keep people at arms length when you're having doubts about your own sanity. Poltergeist shows that Harper isn't a loner and even has a really cool “adopted” family. Her relationship with the Danzigers is developing, bordering on friendship and work help. Her long distance relationship with Will Novak is actually a go. What I like is that the development is real, and while not the focus of the story it adds something human. That vital piece of trying to be normal and yet drowning in a new world that few know about.
Harper is still leery about the Grey and the world she's having to step into. But what I like is that she can admit that she has wasted time learning what she clearly is going to have to deal with. She's not normal anymore and the sooner she learns the more she can protect herself and others. There's also a glimpse into how good Harper is, not willing to just let people deal with things they aren't even aware are going on in the supernatural. Even more is that Harper even decides that learning from kids is OK if it helps her understand her powers more. That's an amazing character in my book.
The psychology and case studies of haunting/poltergeists is a fascinating read here. Though I will admit at times even my brain tuned out during some of the hypothesizing and other academic talk. A lot of times I thought that a two sentence response, or less could have summed things up nicely. But hey, let the brainiac characters free! It does make them feel more authentic, even if my mind checked out once or twice. Harper is on a case to prove that a poltergeist experiment isn't being tampered, and also discovers money fraud, and has to deal with a murder case. Watching how she handles herself with legal aspects in mind to make sure she doesn't cross the cops, and make sure she can't be incremented and used as a scapegoat is amazing to watch! Most of the time books are so sloppy about police procedure, legal issues, and so on.
Poltergeist is a murder mystery, physiological thriller, and so much more. While the world of the vampires isn't delved into any deeper, it still shows off the magic well. The true power is the mix of science and magic to make everything feel as if it really could be part of our world. That the leaps taken in the book, could be taken in real life. A real treat! Richardson has setup a great cast here to get to know for later books. Not to mention stable stepping stones into her unique take on the mystical as she eases readers, along with Harper, into the world of the Grey.
Sexual Content: Clean, some sexual humor, and references to sex.
4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.
Originally reviewed at Book Whispers.
November 21, 2012
Kat Richardson do povědomí čtenářů vynesla její knižní série Šerochodec, v níž spojuje paranormální prvky, urban fantasy a detektivní žánr. Kat byla už od dětství vášnivým čtenářem. Začínala knihami a světy C. S. Lewise, Lloyda Alexandra, I. Asimova, A. C. Clarka, R. Heinleina, C. J. Cherryh nebo M. Lackey. Později jejímu srdci učaroval detektivní žánr. Vystudovala novinařinu, což jí dalo potřebný základ pro rozvoj coby spisovatelky.
Zajímavé ovšem je, že s prací začínala v herním průmyslu. Nejsou jí tak cizí takové věci jako je RPG (Role Playing Game = Hra na hrdiny), ale také filmová scénaristika, či samotná spolupráce při tvorbě her. Než se vrhla na psaní, získala titul ve zpěvu, pracovala pro rádio a také hrála v divadle. Miluje fretky a žije v Seattlu, kde bydlí i s rodinou na lodi.
Harper má nový případ. Vypadá to, že výzkumná skupina, která má za cíl napodobit Filipův efekt, jej napodobuje tak bravurně, že se jim pomalu začíná vymykat z rukou. Respektive víra v něco nadpřirozeného, v poltergeista stvořeného jen jejich společnou myslí, nejspíš vytvořila něco, co je začíná pronásledovat.
Jenže když je jeden z členů skupiny, který byl do skupiny nastrčen, aby některým paranormálním úkazům napomohl, nalezen mrtvý ve svém bytu, už nejde jen o výzkum. Poltergeist se stává živým a může napadnout kteréhokoliv z nich.
Český překlad byl o poznání lepší než v prvním díle. Věty nebyly těžkopádné, nedocházelo k nesrozumitelnému významu slov či jiným krkolomnostem. Sice jsem se tu a tam zastavila u nějaké přesmyčky nebo malé chybičky, ale jinak byl krásně zachován spád děje.
Nemůžu si pomoct, ale Harper mi opravdu připadá jako ledová královna. Ono je trefné, že ji tak někdo v knize dokonce označí. A já nemůžu nic jiného než souhlasit. Někdy mi od Harper chybí jakýkoliv projev citů. Sice tu jsou náznaky, že úplně marná a bez emocí není, ale i přesto mi přijde po většinu času až příliš chladná a zaměřená jen na práci. Těžko říct, jestli ji takto změnila ona nehoda, díky níž se dostává do Šera, nebo už taková bývala dříve.
Ostatní postavy tohoto dílu se vzájemně s příběhem výborně doplňují. Nikdy tak úplně nemůžete vědět, co vás čeká. Všichni hrají svou hru a trumfy či kostlivce ve škříni odhalují až postupně. Na můj vkus tam bylo málo Quintona. Tak nějak tajně doufám, že by se mezi ním a Harper mohlo dít i něco jiného než jen čistě pracovní vztah. Myslím, že by to příběh celkově oživilo.
Poltergeist je rozhodně daleko lepší než předchozí díl. Co se týče samotnému příběhu i překladu. Na knize bylo poznat, že autorka hodně zkoumala problematiku poltergeistů a pokusů. Její nashromážděné poznatky tak navodily dosti reálnou atmosféru, která by i bez zmínek o Šeru fungovala poměrně dobře.
Osobně velice příjemné překvapení. Výborná detektivka s příměsí paranormálna. Škoda jen, že se autorka věnuje hlavně rozuzlení příběhu. Sice někdy nakousne něco z Harpeřina osobního života, ukáže i jinou její stránku, přesto se nějaké romance zase tak nedočkáme. To ale neznamená, že v budoucnu nebude. Uvidíme, necháme se překvapit. Knize tak dávám 4 hvězdičky a těším se na další díl.
----------Reakce po dočtení knihy----------
Rozhodně daleko lepší než předchozí díl. Co se týče samotnému příběhu i překladu. Bylo vidět, že autorka hodně zkoumala problematiku poltergeistů a jistých zkoumání. Překvapivě dobrá detektivka s dávkou paranormálna.
Zajímavé ovšem je, že s prací začínala v herním průmyslu. Nejsou jí tak cizí takové věci jako je RPG (Role Playing Game = Hra na hrdiny), ale také filmová scénaristika, či samotná spolupráce při tvorbě her. Než se vrhla na psaní, získala titul ve zpěvu, pracovala pro rádio a také hrála v divadle. Miluje fretky a žije v Seattlu, kde bydlí i s rodinou na lodi.
Harper má nový případ. Vypadá to, že výzkumná skupina, která má za cíl napodobit Filipův efekt, jej napodobuje tak bravurně, že se jim pomalu začíná vymykat z rukou. Respektive víra v něco nadpřirozeného, v poltergeista stvořeného jen jejich společnou myslí, nejspíš vytvořila něco, co je začíná pronásledovat.
Jenže když je jeden z členů skupiny, který byl do skupiny nastrčen, aby některým paranormálním úkazům napomohl, nalezen mrtvý ve svém bytu, už nejde jen o výzkum. Poltergeist se stává živým a může napadnout kteréhokoliv z nich.
Český překlad byl o poznání lepší než v prvním díle. Věty nebyly těžkopádné, nedocházelo k nesrozumitelnému významu slov či jiným krkolomnostem. Sice jsem se tu a tam zastavila u nějaké přesmyčky nebo malé chybičky, ale jinak byl krásně zachován spád děje.
Nemůžu si pomoct, ale Harper mi opravdu připadá jako ledová královna. Ono je trefné, že ji tak někdo v knize dokonce označí. A já nemůžu nic jiného než souhlasit. Někdy mi od Harper chybí jakýkoliv projev citů. Sice tu jsou náznaky, že úplně marná a bez emocí není, ale i přesto mi přijde po většinu času až příliš chladná a zaměřená jen na práci. Těžko říct, jestli ji takto změnila ona nehoda, díky níž se dostává do Šera, nebo už taková bývala dříve.
Ostatní postavy tohoto dílu se vzájemně s příběhem výborně doplňují. Nikdy tak úplně nemůžete vědět, co vás čeká. Všichni hrají svou hru a trumfy či kostlivce ve škříni odhalují až postupně. Na můj vkus tam bylo málo Quintona. Tak nějak tajně doufám, že by se mezi ním a Harper mohlo dít i něco jiného než jen čistě pracovní vztah. Myslím, že by to příběh celkově oživilo.
Poltergeist je rozhodně daleko lepší než předchozí díl. Co se týče samotnému příběhu i překladu. Na knize bylo poznat, že autorka hodně zkoumala problematiku poltergeistů a pokusů. Její nashromážděné poznatky tak navodily dosti reálnou atmosféru, která by i bez zmínek o Šeru fungovala poměrně dobře.
Osobně velice příjemné překvapení. Výborná detektivka s příměsí paranormálna. Škoda jen, že se autorka věnuje hlavně rozuzlení příběhu. Sice někdy nakousne něco z Harpeřina osobního života, ukáže i jinou její stránku, přesto se nějaké romance zase tak nedočkáme. To ale neznamená, že v budoucnu nebude. Uvidíme, necháme se překvapit. Knize tak dávám 4 hvězdičky a těším se na další díl.
----------Reakce po dočtení knihy----------
Rozhodně daleko lepší než předchozí díl. Co se týče samotnému příběhu i překladu. Bylo vidět, že autorka hodně zkoumala problematiku poltergeistů a jistých zkoumání. Překvapivě dobrá detektivka s dávkou paranormálna.
July 13, 2019
This book does not live up to its potential. The main story is a pretty standard mystery with some supernatural elements. But it's not complicated, and not really that interesting. A lot of the book is interviewing suspects but not really giving clues, or proving the action and red herrings a mystery needs. And a TON of the book is explaining magic and ghost things, but some how the most boring magic ever. Like it's a very confusing and inconsistent magic system and despite the fact that most of the book is explaining magic it somehow never explains the book's magic system. It's just endless boring discussions of ideas and what could be, without ever establishing an understandable system for this world. I hoped this book would overcome the first book's over explanation problem, but it's clearly a feature not a bug and I definitely can not make it through another of these. The series lacks tension, forward moving actions, or really engaging characters. The main character isn't well developed but she also has this thread of internalized misogyny (more hating other women than herself), and there isn't much explicit racism, but very the sense that people of color are foreign/alien and their cultures are their for our entertainment. And I love Seattle but whew then endless descriptions of it here get exhausting. But if you like theoretical things explained endlessly, then this is for sure the series for you.
May 6, 2021
First book was brilliant. Was refreshingly fast passed and kept me enthralled. I was even exhausted at the end. It had so many threads to it which I loved - I was looking forward to the next book maybe spinning off some of the events from it. I really liked that it wasn't soppy as well. (Book 3 is much better than 2- worth sticking with it). So while book 2 still didn't have any romance to speak ok (yippee) the way it was written was like it was another author. Way too much detail explaining things sorry to say it got boring in bits. I skipped so many pages. The story concept was brilliant though. I can only hope the advise this author received has not influenced her other books.
April 9, 2017
4 Stars
Poltergeist book 2 in the Greywalker series by Kat Richardson is a fun and interesting continuation to this cool urban fantasy series. As I have said so many times, I can't get enough adult urban fantasy these days. Richardson throws in a atypical heroine as our protagonist and it really works. There isn't really anything new in Greywalker but there is plenty of awesome things to enjoy.
Great characters.
Greater setting.
A familiar feel.
The writing is good and the pacing is fast.
This was a better story than book one. Cool setup and plot with all of the experimentation and mysteries. I really great had fun learning things along the way.
Poltergeist also has a better ending that was quite satisfying.
I really enjoyed it. So much so that I wanted to immediately go on to book three..
Cool cool.
Poltergeist book 2 in the Greywalker series by Kat Richardson is a fun and interesting continuation to this cool urban fantasy series. As I have said so many times, I can't get enough adult urban fantasy these days. Richardson throws in a atypical heroine as our protagonist and it really works. There isn't really anything new in Greywalker but there is plenty of awesome things to enjoy.
Great characters.
Greater setting.
A familiar feel.
The writing is good and the pacing is fast.
This was a better story than book one. Cool setup and plot with all of the experimentation and mysteries. I really great had fun learning things along the way.
Poltergeist also has a better ending that was quite satisfying.
I really enjoyed it. So much so that I wanted to immediately go on to book three..
Cool cool.
March 10, 2020
Again the book was ok. I am intrigued, but it just seems like it is missing something that keeps it from being much more than a 3 star read. I had really hoped for better than book one and I didn't really get it. The October Daye series, once I got past book one, things took off...so I had hopes. I think there is still too much I don't understand and the MC doesn't seem to be learning fast enough even though it had been months since she got this new found ability. I don't know. I am sure I will read on, because, well I am a bit curious to see what happens and I would like to see if things go anywhere with Quinton or not. Does she is know what Quinton is? Is he what I presume him to be? hmmm
January 23, 2019
This is the second book in the Greywalker series, and like the first, I really enjoyed it. It might be a little above a YA book, due to some romance and some scary parts, but nothing really too graphic. The writing is very good, and the story is fun to read. The author is doing a really good job on character development between the first two books so far. She is also very good at writing a story that keeps your attention and doesn't give everything away too early in the book. It wasn't till the last few sections that we learned who the bad guy was.
Now, this is probably known to you, but the main character can walk between our world and the spirit world, and is a private investigator. What I really love about this book is how she is still learning her basic powers a whole book into the series. I hate the trope that when someone gets powers or changed in some supernatural way, they become experts immediately. Case in point is the Buffy show. While I loved it, any Joe Schmoe who gets turned into a vampire immediately becomes a master of martial arts for the fights with Buffy. Here Harper not only doesn't know all she can or can't do, but she doesn't even want her powers at times. She doesn't have any real source of first hand information other than a couple who have some knowledge due to studies and the wife being a witch. The only other information she gets is from a vampire who runs a sex store and peep show. Again, this book is about character development, and it is going nice and slow. that is how I would learn if I was thrust into this world, trial and error, and lots of fear at times.
The theme of this book is that Harper is hired to investigate a college study on creating a paranormal entity, based on a faked study from years before. The professor running it is a total jerk, and wants her to investigate since he thinks that someone is faking the happenings, because they are beyond what he is faking to make the participants think was supernatural. I know a kind of weird setup. Then one of the people in the team gets murdered, in a nonhuman way. Harper has to help the police solve the murder, solve what is going on with the study, and solve some of the issues with her own life and work. And, again, solve some of the questions on what she can do with her powers. We finally come to a end when she dispels the entity that has been created and catches the murderer. I won't say more than that, because I want you to read this book yourself.
Again a fun read, and I enjoyed it enough to get the next book in the series. I think my daughter is old enough to read and enjoy this as well, with it not been too adult for her. Young teen ages are fine, but I would not want someone younger than that to read it, just because of some of the themes. I am really glad the library has this series so I have a good set to read. There are 9 books in the series, so 7 more to enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2025
I stumbled upon a Greywalker short story while reading an Urban fantasy anthology that I had purchased for a story from a different author.
I enjoyed that brief foray enough that I purchased the first book in the series and enjoyed that enough that I have read the second and purchased the third.
Female author, intelligent, bad ass heroine, enjoyable side characters, good world building, and takes place in and around Seattle not far from where I live.
I enjoyed that brief foray enough that I purchased the first book in the series and enjoyed that enough that I have read the second and purchased the third.
Female author, intelligent, bad ass heroine, enjoyable side characters, good world building, and takes place in and around Seattle not far from where I live.
July 9, 2017
this one was just ok for me. I felt like it dragged on in the beginning and then I lost interest and couldn't pull myself to sit and finish it so it took me forever to get through. but once I did get closer to the end more of her powers were revealed and it was easier to get into. finally after a book and a half our heroine finally gets the idea of what she's doing. I like that better than her flailing around clueless in "the grey"
August 5, 2023
The info dumps are highlighted in the audio version. Not my fave in the series & the narrator does a disservice to the male voices, especially Quentin’s.
Thank goodness I’ve read this series multiple times and I know it’s good ;)
Thank goodness I’ve read this series multiple times and I know it’s good ;)
April 28, 2024
Could have been good, but it was overall boring. Did truly appreciate the levels of research gone into the paranormal practices, reminded me of Ghost Hunt (top 3 animes ever) but without the charm. A moody read, but not one with enough substance to revisit. Could have been shorter.
February 4, 2020
This was a bit slower to get off the ground than the first book but was still really fun to read. Harper is definitely coming into her own as her abilities are improving. I found the Authors note particularly interesting as she explained how she used genuine places and occurrences in Seattle amid the make believe, along side some oddities from the 1st book she felt needed explanation. If you are a fan of Sookie and you haven’t read this series I would recommend looking it up!
December 6, 2011
Second in the Greywalker urban fantasy series set in Seattle and revolving around a private investigator who can walk between worlds.
My Take
Whoa...the frauds aren't all that surprising especially with what's revealed about his past but the direction that Tuckman's experiment takes and its results are very unexpected.
I like what Richardson is doing with the series as a whole and this particular installment was pretty tense. My only objection is that Richardson hasn't worked her continuing characters in this one as much as she worked the story and its particular characters. It was fascinating how she worked their interaction and the changing dynamics even though I also feel that she neglected to stretch the tensions between them as much as she could have as well as their own personal issues. I wouldn't mind seeing a short story on Patricia Railsbeck's kids and I rather liked Wayne.
The Story
Harper is hired by Professor Tuckman to find the saboteur in his experiment to study "how rational individuals become irrational in groups and how that is reinforced by the group itself". The irony is that Tuckman himself has two saboteurs in the group and he thinks there's another one working on his or her own. And he is lyin' his ass off to Harper.
As Harper looks into the experiment and interviews its participants, she learns how the parameters of the experiment are twisting them, changing interpersonal relationships, creating emotional havoc and she discovers the underlying frauds perpetrated by Tuckman.
The Characters
Harper Blaine is a private investigator with a special ability to "see" the supernatural after a brush with death (see Greywalker). She's getting better at understanding how to use this new gift but is still leery of it. Chaos is her manic ferret. Will is the man Harper would love to have in her life and he's not sure it's a life he can handle; Michael is his brother.
Mara Danziger is a witch who helps Harper with the more physical aspects of the Grey while her husband Ben better understands its metaphysics. Both teach at the University of Washington. Their very young son Brian is currently going through a rhino phase. Albert is their resident ghost.
Quinton is an independent DIY who has become friends with Harper. If you can imagine it, Quinton can create it. Detective Rey Solis is investigating the first murder of one of Tuckman's group. Phoebe Mason is the owner of Old Possum's Books 'n' Beans, a used bookstore and self-appointed surrogate mother to Harper. Happily, Phoebe's family sees themselves as Harper's family as well.
Cameron Shadley is the vampire Harper helped in Greywalker. Carlos is both vampire and necromancer besides being Cameron's mentor in his new unlife and the proprietor of Adult Fantasies. Harper finds him very scary; so far, there is a detente between Carlos and Edward. Edward is the head vampire in Seattle.
Gartner Tuckman is a professor at Pacific Northwest University. Denise Francisco is his very angry secretary who helped install the system for the meeting and control rooms while the insecure and angry Terry Dornier monitors the controls. Celia Falwell is the "ghost" in Tuckman's experiment. Mark Lupoldi is one of Tuckman's special assistants in the experiment. The experiment's participants include Dale and Cara Stahlqvist, both A-types in business with an open marriage; Ken George; Wayne Hopke is the retired major with a drinking problem; Ana Choi and Ian Markine joined out of boredom; and, Patricia Railsback is an unhappy housewife whose kids can see the Grey.
The Cover
The cover has a very cocky Harper posed next to a Chinese dragon on a street in Chinatown in Seattle---you can just see the Space Needle in the distance---all of it covered in a very hazy yellow.
The title is all about the Poltergeist as it becomes more and more alive.
My Take
Whoa...the frauds aren't all that surprising especially with what's revealed about his past but the direction that Tuckman's experiment takes and its results are very unexpected.
I like what Richardson is doing with the series as a whole and this particular installment was pretty tense. My only objection is that Richardson hasn't worked her continuing characters in this one as much as she worked the story and its particular characters. It was fascinating how she worked their interaction and the changing dynamics even though I also feel that she neglected to stretch the tensions between them as much as she could have as well as their own personal issues. I wouldn't mind seeing a short story on Patricia Railsbeck's kids and I rather liked Wayne.
The Story
Harper is hired by Professor Tuckman to find the saboteur in his experiment to study "how rational individuals become irrational in groups and how that is reinforced by the group itself". The irony is that Tuckman himself has two saboteurs in the group and he thinks there's another one working on his or her own. And he is lyin' his ass off to Harper.
As Harper looks into the experiment and interviews its participants, she learns how the parameters of the experiment are twisting them, changing interpersonal relationships, creating emotional havoc and she discovers the underlying frauds perpetrated by Tuckman.
The Characters
Harper Blaine is a private investigator with a special ability to "see" the supernatural after a brush with death (see Greywalker). She's getting better at understanding how to use this new gift but is still leery of it. Chaos is her manic ferret. Will is the man Harper would love to have in her life and he's not sure it's a life he can handle; Michael is his brother.
Mara Danziger is a witch who helps Harper with the more physical aspects of the Grey while her husband Ben better understands its metaphysics. Both teach at the University of Washington. Their very young son Brian is currently going through a rhino phase. Albert is their resident ghost.
Quinton is an independent DIY who has become friends with Harper. If you can imagine it, Quinton can create it. Detective Rey Solis is investigating the first murder of one of Tuckman's group. Phoebe Mason is the owner of Old Possum's Books 'n' Beans, a used bookstore and self-appointed surrogate mother to Harper. Happily, Phoebe's family sees themselves as Harper's family as well.
Cameron Shadley is the vampire Harper helped in Greywalker. Carlos is both vampire and necromancer besides being Cameron's mentor in his new unlife and the proprietor of Adult Fantasies. Harper finds him very scary; so far, there is a detente between Carlos and Edward. Edward is the head vampire in Seattle.
Gartner Tuckman is a professor at Pacific Northwest University. Denise Francisco is his very angry secretary who helped install the system for the meeting and control rooms while the insecure and angry Terry Dornier monitors the controls. Celia Falwell is the "ghost" in Tuckman's experiment. Mark Lupoldi is one of Tuckman's special assistants in the experiment. The experiment's participants include Dale and Cara Stahlqvist, both A-types in business with an open marriage; Ken George; Wayne Hopke is the retired major with a drinking problem; Ana Choi and Ian Markine joined out of boredom; and, Patricia Railsback is an unhappy housewife whose kids can see the Grey.
The Cover
The cover has a very cocky Harper posed next to a Chinese dragon on a street in Chinatown in Seattle---you can just see the Space Needle in the distance---all of it covered in a very hazy yellow.
The title is all about the Poltergeist as it becomes more and more alive.
December 4, 2022
Fun to read a book where the heroine and I live and work in the same neighborhoods.
December 30, 2010
This is the second book in the Greywalker series. Book 3 "Underground" and book 4 "Vanished" are already out. The fifth book "Labyrinth" is due out in August 2010. Right now there are six books contracted for this series. This book was a great addition to the series. I listened to this on audio book and the audio book was very well done.
Harper Blaine is starting to get better at this Greywalker thing. Then she gets a call from a psychologist who is running a study with a group of people who are supposed to be using their mental energy to create a Poltergeist. Well the group has either created or summoned something and things are starting to get violent during their seances. The psychologist is convinced that someone in the group is faking the effects and wants Harper to find out who it is. When one of the group members either dies or is murdered the stakes are increased and Harper has to figure out if the happenings are paranormal, normal, or a combination of both.
I really like Harper Blaine as a character. She is definitely not a bad-ass but she is smart. She approaches her cases with a very analytical mind, sets up great plans to solve her cases, and is very practical about it all. Mira and Ben as the couple that assist Harper with paranormal knowledge are great, and their little two year old boy Brian had me chuckling at his antics a number of times (maybe this is because I have a three year old son). I liked Brian's crazy two-year old stunts and thought they added some humor to the book.
This book is definitely more of a paranormal mystery than any other genre; Harper doesn't really have a love interest in this book and Harper assumes mundane causes before fantastical causes. A lot of time in this book is spent going into technical details on how ghost phenomena can be faked. Another large chunk of time is spend going into technical detail on how the Grey works. I really enjoyed the technical discussions; Richardson has done her home work and I found a lot of the information around the faking of ghost phenomena to be very interesting. This is a warning to people who don't like this kind of stuff though; if you aren't interested in hearing all the intricate details behind the workings of things then this book might not be for you.
I really loved how Richardson has expanded Harper's working with the Grey. I still enjoy the creativity behind the idea of the Grey and the idea of Harper being able to travel through layers of ghostly time is really interesting and adds a whole additional layer to the story. The story was very engaging, action packed and the writing very readable.
My only complaint with this book was that Harper only had the one case to work on and, at times, her foot work on that case got a bit boring. It would have been nice to have Harper juggling a couple cases, as she did in the first book, to keep things interesting during the inevitable lulls in the one case.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to listening to the next book of the series on audio book. If you like paranormal mystery that pays special attention to detail when explaining the workings behind the paranormal phenomena then I think you will really love this book.
Harper Blaine is starting to get better at this Greywalker thing. Then she gets a call from a psychologist who is running a study with a group of people who are supposed to be using their mental energy to create a Poltergeist. Well the group has either created or summoned something and things are starting to get violent during their seances. The psychologist is convinced that someone in the group is faking the effects and wants Harper to find out who it is. When one of the group members either dies or is murdered the stakes are increased and Harper has to figure out if the happenings are paranormal, normal, or a combination of both.
I really like Harper Blaine as a character. She is definitely not a bad-ass but she is smart. She approaches her cases with a very analytical mind, sets up great plans to solve her cases, and is very practical about it all. Mira and Ben as the couple that assist Harper with paranormal knowledge are great, and their little two year old boy Brian had me chuckling at his antics a number of times (maybe this is because I have a three year old son). I liked Brian's crazy two-year old stunts and thought they added some humor to the book.
This book is definitely more of a paranormal mystery than any other genre; Harper doesn't really have a love interest in this book and Harper assumes mundane causes before fantastical causes. A lot of time in this book is spent going into technical details on how ghost phenomena can be faked. Another large chunk of time is spend going into technical detail on how the Grey works. I really enjoyed the technical discussions; Richardson has done her home work and I found a lot of the information around the faking of ghost phenomena to be very interesting. This is a warning to people who don't like this kind of stuff though; if you aren't interested in hearing all the intricate details behind the workings of things then this book might not be for you.
I really loved how Richardson has expanded Harper's working with the Grey. I still enjoy the creativity behind the idea of the Grey and the idea of Harper being able to travel through layers of ghostly time is really interesting and adds a whole additional layer to the story. The story was very engaging, action packed and the writing very readable.
My only complaint with this book was that Harper only had the one case to work on and, at times, her foot work on that case got a bit boring. It would have been nice to have Harper juggling a couple cases, as she did in the first book, to keep things interesting during the inevitable lulls in the one case.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to listening to the next book of the series on audio book. If you like paranormal mystery that pays special attention to detail when explaining the workings behind the paranormal phenomena then I think you will really love this book.
May 2, 2018
Glad I stumbled on this series. Really enjoyable and easy to read.
July 18, 2008
This book actually creeped me out. In a genuinely nervous, peering into dark corners kind of way. I haven't run across a ghost story that did that in quite awhile, and last night after putting The Squirt to bed and curling up in my rocker to read, I found myself glancing repeatedly at my watch, wondering when DH would be home to keep me company. The cover doesn't help. Harper looks much more sinister (almost possessed) than she did on the cover of Greywalker. So kudos to Kat Richardson. Poltergeist is not only a solid follow-up, but different enough in tone from its predecessor that it held my interest throughout and I felt compelled to keep turning the pages.
This time around Harper is hired by a local psychology professor to investigate the unexpected happenings in an experiment he's running on psychokinesis, involving a group of participants' ability to "create" their own poltergeist. Little does the skeptical Professor Gantner know how qualified this particular PI is for the job. The further she investigates, however, the more convinced Harper is that the group of misfits has, in fact, created a real ghost. And, when Dr. Gantner's assistant Mark is suddenly murdered in a decidedly unusual fashion, Harper immediately sets out on the trail of the ghost and the individual controlling it.
The bulk of this second Greywalker novel is taken up with Harper's day-to-day investigations as she gets to know the various participants in the poltergeist experiment and works alongside Detective Solis who's in charge of the murder case. Her friend, the quirky Quinton, enters the mix as well, helping Harper with the technological aspects of the case and providing an unflappable sounding board when she's at a loss as to how to proceed. Add in a couple of harrowing visits to the necromantic vampire Carlos, and I had to shake the apprehension off my shoulders more than once. I continue to like Harper for her ever matter-of-fact approach to the darker aspects of the job and for the way she looks out for the few friends she has, almost in spite of her natural reserve and strong inclination toward isolation. The third Greywalker novel, Underground, comes out in just a couple weeks and I'm hoping it will include more interaction between Harper and her friends and perhaps some additional information on her past. I just know there's stuff she's not telling us...
This time around Harper is hired by a local psychology professor to investigate the unexpected happenings in an experiment he's running on psychokinesis, involving a group of participants' ability to "create" their own poltergeist. Little does the skeptical Professor Gantner know how qualified this particular PI is for the job. The further she investigates, however, the more convinced Harper is that the group of misfits has, in fact, created a real ghost. And, when Dr. Gantner's assistant Mark is suddenly murdered in a decidedly unusual fashion, Harper immediately sets out on the trail of the ghost and the individual controlling it.
The bulk of this second Greywalker novel is taken up with Harper's day-to-day investigations as she gets to know the various participants in the poltergeist experiment and works alongside Detective Solis who's in charge of the murder case. Her friend, the quirky Quinton, enters the mix as well, helping Harper with the technological aspects of the case and providing an unflappable sounding board when she's at a loss as to how to proceed. Add in a couple of harrowing visits to the necromantic vampire Carlos, and I had to shake the apprehension off my shoulders more than once. I continue to like Harper for her ever matter-of-fact approach to the darker aspects of the job and for the way she looks out for the few friends she has, almost in spite of her natural reserve and strong inclination toward isolation. The third Greywalker novel, Underground, comes out in just a couple weeks and I'm hoping it will include more interaction between Harper and her friends and perhaps some additional information on her past. I just know there's stuff she's not telling us...
April 10, 2015
My Take:
This is the second book in the series, and you can tell that the author is more comfortable with her story line and her characters. However, it is still pretty under-developed. As Harper has developed
her skills in the Grey, it’s a big leap to how she got there – there isn’t any back story on how she got the skills, or what she had gone through to learn about them. I actually thought this was the third or
fourth book in the series because of this jump – it has references that link parts back to the first book, but they aren’t strong connections, and information is missing. The book talks about her strong relationship with the detective, but … when did they meet? How? What was the case? Are they supposed to have a friendship? It says they do, but … it isn’t supported with the text. What about the Jamaican family? It says they’re good friends, but … it isn’t supported by the text, there is no sense of familiarity or history, and it feels like a false front utilized for dramatic effect, instead of an actual character connection.
I thought the plot line of this book was stronger than the first one, but it is still missing vital connections, explanations and relationship developments. There is a lot of technical information about how things work, and scientific explanations, but they are mainly just listed for information, instead of utilized for a character development. Again, an interesting and entertaining read, and the bones are there for a really great story, but … it could be better. I think that’s why I’m so disappointed – because it’s there, but it’s not quite THERE.
This is the second book in the series, and you can tell that the author is more comfortable with her story line and her characters. However, it is still pretty under-developed. As Harper has developed
her skills in the Grey, it’s a big leap to how she got there – there isn’t any back story on how she got the skills, or what she had gone through to learn about them. I actually thought this was the third or
fourth book in the series because of this jump – it has references that link parts back to the first book, but they aren’t strong connections, and information is missing. The book talks about her strong relationship with the detective, but … when did they meet? How? What was the case? Are they supposed to have a friendship? It says they do, but … it isn’t supported with the text. What about the Jamaican family? It says they’re good friends, but … it isn’t supported by the text, there is no sense of familiarity or history, and it feels like a false front utilized for dramatic effect, instead of an actual character connection.
I thought the plot line of this book was stronger than the first one, but it is still missing vital connections, explanations and relationship developments. There is a lot of technical information about how things work, and scientific explanations, but they are mainly just listed for information, instead of utilized for a character development. Again, an interesting and entertaining read, and the bones are there for a really great story, but … it could be better. I think that’s why I’m so disappointed – because it’s there, but it’s not quite THERE.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2016
In this second book of the series, like the first one, we tag along Harper's investigation for a new weird case she's working on. The plot is realistic and basically a detective story in a paranormal world.
Harper keeps busy and has accepted her new reality, without actually venturing into it very much. She keeps avoiding learning more about the Grey until absolutely necessary and as she says herself at one point, she's being a bit too stubborn for a bit too long (or something along those lines). She's being ignorant and muleheaded I would say, but it's not as if she hasn't got enough things on her plate so I do get where she's coming from.
I listened to the audiobook for this book as well as the first one, and although the narrator does a good job voicing Harper and Mara (whose accent and portrayal is probably the best in the audiobook), the rest of the characters' voices and accents (and even tones sometimes) are way off. It's as if many of them are talking in slow motion and their emotions are not voiced succesfully, if at all, most of the time. I strongly disliked her version of Carlos who sounds angry and, well, like a woman trying to talk in a deep voice and failing miserably. I'm not sure if I'll listen to the audiobooks for the rest of the series since I kept getting distracted by all of the above and missing parts of the story because of it.
Apart from that, I will definitely read the next book. Harper and her world have a lot of potential and I'm looking forward to seeing them reach it (or not).
Harper keeps busy and has accepted her new reality, without actually venturing into it very much. She keeps avoiding learning more about the Grey until absolutely necessary and as she says herself at one point, she's being a bit too stubborn for a bit too long (or something along those lines). She's being ignorant and muleheaded I would say, but it's not as if she hasn't got enough things on her plate so I do get where she's coming from.
I listened to the audiobook for this book as well as the first one, and although the narrator does a good job voicing Harper and Mara (whose accent and portrayal is probably the best in the audiobook), the rest of the characters' voices and accents (and even tones sometimes) are way off. It's as if many of them are talking in slow motion and their emotions are not voiced succesfully, if at all, most of the time. I strongly disliked her version of Carlos who sounds angry and, well, like a woman trying to talk in a deep voice and failing miserably. I'm not sure if I'll listen to the audiobooks for the rest of the series since I kept getting distracted by all of the above and missing parts of the story because of it.
Apart from that, I will definitely read the next book. Harper and her world have a lot of potential and I'm looking forward to seeing them reach it (or not).
February 24, 2013
This book had many of the same issues in it that the first book had. An overabundance of explanations for every little thing as well as the language not really seeming to fit with the writing let alone the character of Harper. But the it goes beyond just that for issues this time around.
New characters showing up and supposedly being best buds with Harper for example. Why didn't we know about them before this if they are so close?
Harper doesn't seem to like women in general and there are many offensive throwaway remarks that are made throughout the book that have a distinct misogynistic feeling to them. Then there is the child hating ways of Harper. As a mother I can understand that kids are frustrating and I would never judge someone for not wanting kids however I can't get behind the way Harper talks about Brian at all. It's disrespectful and crude.
The story itself was interesting and for the most part managed to keep my attention. There were some parts that didn't seem essential, such as the ghost and the brooch but they weren't too distracting either. Characters other than Harper don't feel like much more than background objects that are mere puppets brought out when needed and then put away. None of them have developed beyond the two-dimensional faces we met in the first book and none of them have flaws to make them interesting at all.
This is likely the last book in the series that I will bother to read and I only got this book because I had hoped that the over explanation problem would have been resolved by now.
New characters showing up and supposedly being best buds with Harper for example. Why didn't we know about them before this if they are so close?
Harper doesn't seem to like women in general and there are many offensive throwaway remarks that are made throughout the book that have a distinct misogynistic feeling to them. Then there is the child hating ways of Harper. As a mother I can understand that kids are frustrating and I would never judge someone for not wanting kids however I can't get behind the way Harper talks about Brian at all. It's disrespectful and crude.
The story itself was interesting and for the most part managed to keep my attention. There were some parts that didn't seem essential, such as the ghost and the brooch but they weren't too distracting either. Characters other than Harper don't feel like much more than background objects that are mere puppets brought out when needed and then put away. None of them have developed beyond the two-dimensional faces we met in the first book and none of them have flaws to make them interesting at all.
This is likely the last book in the series that I will bother to read and I only got this book because I had hoped that the over explanation problem would have been resolved by now.
October 27, 2021
it's not a bad book/series so far but I can't bring myself to care much about the plot or the protagonist. She seems utterly bland and sort of translucent herself, like Grey. It makes no sense why people warm to her, her sense of humour seems archaic/absent and she's just not particularly riveting. The logic behind this story also felt flawed, Meh.
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