The Harper Connelly Mysteries is a series of fantasy mystery novels written by Charlaine Harris, and first published in 2005
The series is narrated by 24-year-old Harper Connelly, who comes from a self-professed “riches to rags” family. Her mother married a man when Harper was a teenager, and she acquired a step-brother, Tolliver, in the process. They watched their parents succumb to drugs and their family life reduced to nothing. At 15, Harper was struck by lightning, a life-altering event that left her with the unique ability to sense dead people. When near a dead person, she can hear a “buzzing sound” that intensifies if the death is more recent. Along with this ability, she can see how the person died, but in the case of murders, not the identity of the murderer. Intent on making the most of her situation, Harper and Tolliver (who has taken on the role of her manager) charge customers who are in need of her special talent.