Seawitch (Greywalker, #7)

by Kat Richardson

[kimbacaffeinate]

The Greywalker series is one of my favorite urban fantasies. It has elements I love; fantastic world building, fully developed characters, mysteries, suspense, and plenty of paranormal woo-woo. I was absolutely smitten with Downpour the last installment of the series and the wait for Seawitch was excruciating! It was worth every second as Richardson delivered a fast paced, action packed tale that kept me on the edge of my seat. I had to force myself to set it down or else I would have consumed it in a single evening; sleep be damned.

Harper Blaine is a private investigator, who after dying for two minutes found herself able to walk the realm between the living and the paranormal. This space is known as the "grey". She is known as a Greywalker and maintains the balance between both worlds. While reading the series we have watched Harper learn her skills as a Greywalker, face down evil adversaries and figure out her own personal life. I adore and respect Harper. She is strong, brave, snarky and brilliant. She thinks on her feet, and is a total kick-ass. She is like a Timex watch she takes a licking' and keeps on ticking. She is without a doubt one of my favorite female protagonists. She doesn't bitch about her problems, she is fair and always tries to do the noble thing. She has made a life for herself in Seattle working as both a PI and handling "grey" cases. Often the two intertwine and the ride is always a good one.

Harper has been hired by an insurance company, to investigate the return of the Seawitch. Twenty-seven years ago the ship and her crew disappeared. They were declared lost. Now it has suddenly reappeared and is docked in its old birth at the marina. Harper learns that the Seattle police department is also investigating and she is anxious to find out why. At the marina Detective Rey Solis greets her. Rey’s cases and Harper’s have intertwined before and Harper suspects he doesn’t entirely trust her. The tale that unfolds is suspenseful, full of old Ireland lore and mystical creatures.

Richardson has this incredible ability to create characters that you cannot help but love. I have already professed my feelings for protagonist Harper Blaine. In each novel we have seen her grow and this novel is no exception. I loved seeing her open up and connect with people. Harper is complicated, delightful and her snarky attitude often has me giggling. I am so pleased that Richardson chose to include Rey Solis in this case. Learning his history and meeting his family was interesting and I loved getting to know the man behind the cold, professional, by-the-book Detective. I am hoping he joins Harper on other cases. Quinton wasn’t as present in this novel, but when he was ..WOW! We get to know more about him and his secretive past. Facts revealed about his father..OMG! I promised no spoilers so my lips are sealed. We meet other colorful people and creatures that add to the mystery. Richardson brought these secondary characters to life and each was unique in their own right.

Let’s talk world-building and nobody does it like Kat! If you have read any books in this series, I think you will agree that Richardson is brilliant with bringing the realm between the living and the paranormal to life. As I read her words I slipped into the grey and it bursts to life. Each novel reveals more about this mysterious, unique place and I find myself completely enthralled. Harper's case was fascinating. I love to watch documentaries about lost ships and speculate about what occurred. The tale of the Seawitch was fascinating, as the author slowly revealed clues and pieces of the mystery. She did this while weaving in old lore’s and mystical creatures. It was delightful and she breathed an air of believability into it all. The action scenes were exciting and had me turning the pages at a rapid pace. The subplot(s) that weaves throughout all eight novels just keeps getting more intense and I find myself once again drooling in anticipation for the next book. *sighs*