Kat Richardson, Greywalker

Greywalker

Kat Richardson

Roc, Oct 2006, $14.00

ISBN 045146107X

In Seattle private investigator Harper Blaine expected an apology and a check from her client, but instead he hammered her head with his fists and slammed it against the doorjamb before completing his beating of the sleuth. A few days later Harper awakens in the hospital where Dr, Skelleher informs her she had died for two minutes before they managed to bring her back.

Nothing is the same since the incident as now Harper sees ghosts and other paranormal essences that she cannot classify. Even stranger her clients take a gruesome twist as she has started to have walk-ins from the shadowy realm beyond the mortal plane. She needs professional help and a psychiatrist would cost too much money. So instead she turns to Linguistics Professor Ben "ghost guy" Danziger and his "bewitching" wife Mara to instruct her on supernatural 101, 102, and advanced courses. Life is not the same for this Greywalker though she tries by dating a normal antiques expert while she is one bite away from being the vampire king's dessert as she blunders on a case from beyond.

This is an amusing somewhat satirical fantasy mystery starring a delightful female who gaining an on the job education as an almost human sleuth. The storyline is fast-paced, but belongs to the heroine who hopes by dating the norms she can keep one foot out of the graveyard. Fans will enjoy the delightfully entertaining detective story that moves back and forth between worlds as the tyro Greywalker learns about life, death, and a myriad of grey in-betweens.

Harriet Klausner