Lily Bard "Shakespeare" Series by Charlaine Harris

Lily Bard is hiding. She has left her tragic past behind to start over in the small town of Shakespeare. Working as a cleaning lady has given Lily access to many of the citizens of Shakespeare, and somehow  she is always stuck in the middle of their problems. Recently there have been quite a few murders in this small town. The local sheriff has discovered Lily's past, and befriended her. She has begun dating again, and is getting close to her martial arts teacher. She has become the confidant for many, and is an unofficial detective when it comes to solving these crimes.

I put these books together because I read them so quickly. I really enjoyed the mystery of these. I think Lily is a pretty kick butt chic, who has overcome a lot. I recommend these for traveling or the beach!

The Harper Connelly Series by Charlaine Harris

In high school, Harper Connelly was struck by lightning. Her step brother Tolliver saved her life. Now she has a weak leg, headaches, sometimes her hands shake, and, oh yeah, she can sense dead people. Now in her twenties, Harper has made a career of finding the dead. Along with her step brother Tolliver, she travels around the country to help people locate the dead, or find out how they died. Harper feels a "buzzing" when a body is near, and can connect to them, and share their last moments. Of course many people don't believe her and think she's a fraud, but through working with law enforcement, and many other clients, the truth of her gift is spreading. Somehow Harper and Tolliver always end up more deeply involved with these cases the they would like.

This series is super fun. I read them all back to back, so I decided to just put them all together. I really loved the combination of Harper's "supernatural" type of ability, and murder mysteries. These books are quick reads, great for a day at the beach!