(hb; 2013: fourteenth/"final" entry in the Sookie Stackhouse series)
From the inside flap:
"After the terrible events of the past weeks, both Sookie and Sam are finding it hard to concentrate on Merlotte's - and the bar is suffering for it. But Sookie finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed.
"Sookie's relationship with Eric Northman is in limbo. He and his vampires are keeping their distance. . . and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.
"Then Arlene is found murdered, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.
"But the evidence against her is weak, and Sookie makes bail. Helped by her assortment of friends, living and undead, she must discover the truth about Arlene's death to clear herself of suspicion. All she knows is that two mysterious men were somehow involved. As to whom they might be - Sookie will soon learn that she has more than one enemy waiting to get vengeance for the past.
"Nothing is ever clear-cut in Bon Temps. What passes for truth is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough."
Review:
Fun, blast-through, series-overview read - not a murder mystery, but, rather, an
effective (if brisk) character and story wrap-up of Harris's Sookieverse that
occasionally dips into Sookie-based melodrama, but otherwise made this reader
chuckle and sometimes feel warm and fuzzy.
My expectations were
relatively low for Harris's books (in comparison to those of many Sookie fans),
so I was appreciative that Dead Ever After [DEA] is a solid read. Is it great?
No, because the series has been hit-and-miss since
All Together Dead, the seventh book, published in 2007. (That said, I've found
something to enjoy in each of the books, no matter how much or little I
recommended them.)
Borrow DEA from the library before buying it; this
caveat goes for especially passionate fans of the Sookie novels.
Showing posts with label Charlaine Harris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charlaine Harris. Show all posts
Monday, May 13, 2013
Friday, June 29, 2012
Deadlocked, by Charlaine Harris
(hb; 2012: thirteenth entry in the Sookie Stackhouse series)From the inside flap:
"Growing up with telepathic abilities, Sookie Stackhouse realized early on that thre are things she'd rather not know. And now that she's an adult, she also realizes that some things she knows about, she'd rather not see - like Eric Northman feeding off another woman. A younger one.
"There's a thing or two she'd like to say about that, but she has to keep quiet - Felipe de Castro, the vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), is in town. It's the worst possible time for a human body to show up in Eric's front yard - especially the body of the woman whose blood he just drank.
"Now it's up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl's fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who's set out to make Sookie's world crashing down."
Review:
Deadlocked is a good read - as usual, Harris balances her characters' tangled histories, their interactions and other plot elements into an entertaining book.
That said, while Deadlocked wraps up key/ongoing elements and characters (all the while opening up new ones), Harris should consider ending the series within the next few books - I understand the Sookieverse characters are beloved by many, but Harris' last few books have been generally flat, humor-wise, and the characters' dilemmas (along with Sookie's flash-temper) are beginning to wear thin, feel redundant and/or read like trifling affairs, despite Harris' consistently solid writing.
Deadlocked is worth checking out from the library, perhaps worth purchasing, if done so at a cut-rate price.
Friday, September 02, 2011
Dead Reckoning, by Charlaine Harris
(hb; 2011: twelfth entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the inside flap:
"With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects otherwise, and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit - and the twisted motive for the attack.
"But her attention is divided. Though she can't 'read' vampires, Sookie knows her lover, Eric Northam, and his 'child' Pam well - and she realizes that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, she is drawn into the plot - which is much more complicated than she knows.
"Caught up once again in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will lean that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human - and that there is a new [vampire] queen on board."
Review:
Another fun, blast-through pop-culture take on vampires, fae, weres, shifters (and elves!), with Harris's usual blend of character- and plot-complicating revelations (particularly for Sookie), supernatural action, quirkiness and flirtiness.
It will be interesting to see how Harris handles the game-changing fall-out from Dead Reckoning in her next Sookie novel.
Good read, worth checking out from the library.
Followed by Deadlocked.
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Dead in the Family, by Charlaine Harris
(hb; 2010: eleventh entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the inside flap:
"A Fae War has left the supernatural community of Bon Temps, Louisiana, in chaos -- and waitress Sookie Stackhouse mentally and physically drained. And still, the peace and quiet she so desperately craves is hard to come by. . .
"Even with the blood of two vampires in her system, Sookie is having trouble healing from the terrible torture she endured at the hands of her great-grandfather's enemies during the brief but deadly Fae War. Worse are the emotional wounds -- especially over the loss of her own personal fairy godmother and the near death of her first love.
"Sookie is hurt and she's mad. Just about the only bright spot in her life -- beside the fact that she, after all, still alive -- is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman, who is under scrutiny by the new vampire king because of their relationship.
"As the political implications of the shifters' coming-out are beginning to be felt, Sookie's connection to one particular Were draws her into the dangerous debate. And, unknown to her, though the doors to Faery have been closed, there are still some fae on the human side -- and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry."
Review:
Fun blast of a read, like most of Harris's Sookie works, bubbling with mixed-creature intrigue (that includes the f**ktard human bigots who are pushing through anti-Were legislation), as well as flirtiness, a world-savvy wit and briefly-glimpsed gore.
This is one of the better Sookie novels of the last few years, its focus solely on the action, plot-centric character interactions, and an ably-executed expansion of the Sookieverse.
Followed by Dead Reckoning.
From the inside flap:
"A Fae War has left the supernatural community of Bon Temps, Louisiana, in chaos -- and waitress Sookie Stackhouse mentally and physically drained. And still, the peace and quiet she so desperately craves is hard to come by. . .
"Even with the blood of two vampires in her system, Sookie is having trouble healing from the terrible torture she endured at the hands of her great-grandfather's enemies during the brief but deadly Fae War. Worse are the emotional wounds -- especially over the loss of her own personal fairy godmother and the near death of her first love.
"Sookie is hurt and she's mad. Just about the only bright spot in her life -- beside the fact that she, after all, still alive -- is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman, who is under scrutiny by the new vampire king because of their relationship.
"As the political implications of the shifters' coming-out are beginning to be felt, Sookie's connection to one particular Were draws her into the dangerous debate. And, unknown to her, though the doors to Faery have been closed, there are still some fae on the human side -- and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry."
Review:
Fun blast of a read, like most of Harris's Sookie works, bubbling with mixed-creature intrigue (that includes the f**ktard human bigots who are pushing through anti-Were legislation), as well as flirtiness, a world-savvy wit and briefly-glimpsed gore.
This is one of the better Sookie novels of the last few years, its focus solely on the action, plot-centric character interactions, and an ably-executed expansion of the Sookieverse.
Followed by Dead Reckoning.
Friday, October 09, 2009
A Touch of Dead, by Charlaine Harris
(hb; 2009: story anthology. Tenth/side entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the inside flap:
"In 'Fairy Dust,' Sookie finds her mind-reading talents in demand when a fairy from a set of triplets gets dusted.
" 'Dracula Night' may be the commemoration of the Prince of Darkness's birth, but it's Sookie who gets a tasty-looking present.
"Learning that her cousin is dead is shocking enough for Sookie. Learning that her cousin was a vampire who got staked leaves her speechless in 'One Word Answer.'
"When Sookie teams up with her witchy friend Amelia to discover who has it out for Bon Temps's most successful insurance agent, they get 'Lucky.'
"A solo Sookie has the holiday blues in 'Gift Wrap,' until she has an unexpected encounter with someone who has bigger problems than loneliness."
Overall review:
Caveat: (possible) spoilers in this review.
Fun, non-essential Sookie read.
These stories fill in certain event-blanks between the Sookie novels, but, for regular Sookie readers, there's an element of ok-get-to-the-#$%-point impatience to these pieces. The reason for this: Harris does a lot of necessary novel plot-/character-recapping in these stories, recaps that may bore those who have read the novels.
These pieces aren't bad, but, like I said before, they're non-essential.
One of the nice things Harris does, in her Introduction, is tell readers where these stories lie in the Sookie timeline (e.g., "The action in 'Fairy Dust' takes place after the events in Dead To The World.").
Not wondering when these stories happened eliminates any unncessary distractions for Sookie readers like myself, who read (and write) according to the timelines of the serial books we read (and write).
Also, Lisa Desimini's interior art imbues the pieces with additional warmth and much-needed quirkiness (there's not a lot of quirk in these stories).
"Gift Wrap" was my least favorite story. Its plot, barely saved by a character-based twist at the end, was otherwise pure Paranormal Harlequin romance.
Standout stories: "Dracula Night" (I liked seeing Eric get geek-fanboy about something), and "Lucky" (the most interesting, least-predictable story in this mix).
Decent read, unnecessary for ongoing Sookie-book fans.
From the inside flap:
"In 'Fairy Dust,' Sookie finds her mind-reading talents in demand when a fairy from a set of triplets gets dusted.
" 'Dracula Night' may be the commemoration of the Prince of Darkness's birth, but it's Sookie who gets a tasty-looking present.
"Learning that her cousin is dead is shocking enough for Sookie. Learning that her cousin was a vampire who got staked leaves her speechless in 'One Word Answer.'
"When Sookie teams up with her witchy friend Amelia to discover who has it out for Bon Temps's most successful insurance agent, they get 'Lucky.'
"A solo Sookie has the holiday blues in 'Gift Wrap,' until she has an unexpected encounter with someone who has bigger problems than loneliness."
Overall review:
Caveat: (possible) spoilers in this review.
Fun, non-essential Sookie read.
These stories fill in certain event-blanks between the Sookie novels, but, for regular Sookie readers, there's an element of ok-get-to-the-#$%-point impatience to these pieces. The reason for this: Harris does a lot of necessary novel plot-/character-recapping in these stories, recaps that may bore those who have read the novels.
These pieces aren't bad, but, like I said before, they're non-essential.
One of the nice things Harris does, in her Introduction, is tell readers where these stories lie in the Sookie timeline (e.g., "The action in 'Fairy Dust' takes place after the events in Dead To The World.").
Not wondering when these stories happened eliminates any unncessary distractions for Sookie readers like myself, who read (and write) according to the timelines of the serial books we read (and write).
Also, Lisa Desimini's interior art imbues the pieces with additional warmth and much-needed quirkiness (there's not a lot of quirk in these stories).
"Gift Wrap" was my least favorite story. Its plot, barely saved by a character-based twist at the end, was otherwise pure Paranormal Harlequin romance.
Standout stories: "Dracula Night" (I liked seeing Eric get geek-fanboy about something), and "Lucky" (the most interesting, least-predictable story in this mix).
Decent read, unnecessary for ongoing Sookie-book fans.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Dead And Gone, by Charlaine Harris
(hb; 2009: ninth entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the inside flap:
"For Sookie Stackhouse, the day-to-day activities of the vampire and Were communities in and around Bon Temps, Louisiana, are of vital interest. She's blood bound to the leader of the vamps, is a friend to the local Were pack, works for a man who is a shifter, and has a brother who is a werepanther. . .
"But for most of the humans in Bon Temps, the vamps are mysterious, seductive creatures -- and they don't even know about the Weres.
"Until now. The Weres and shifters have finally decided to follow the lead of the undead and reveal their existence to the ordinary world.
"At first it seems to go well. Then the mutilated body of a werepanther is found in the parking lot of the bar where Sookie works. The victim is someone she knows, so she feels compelled to discover who -- human or otherwise -- did the deed.
"But what she doesn't realize is that there is a much greater danger than the killer threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings -- older, more powerful, and far more secretive than vampires or werewolves -- is preparing for war. And Sookie will find herself an all-too-human pawn in their battle."
Review:
Caveat: (possible) spoilers in this review.
Another fleet-footed, pot-boilin' tale from Harris.
This time out, Sookie's dodging the questions of two FBI agents who are curious how telepaths Sookie and Barry Horowitz (aka "Barry Bellboy") helped locate survivors at the Pyramid of Gizeh hotel bombing (at the end of All Together Dead).
She's also being stalked by abattoir-minded fey folk, political enemies of her fully-fey great-grandfather, Niall.
Not only that, Sookie, along with the FBI and the local PD, is trying to figure out who murdered then crucified her cheatin'-heart sister-in-law, Crystal, behind Sam Merlotte's bar.
Like most of the previous Sookie books -- the one exception is All Together Dead -- Dead And Gone has that relatable, fast n' furious vibe that makes this continually-expanding series such a hoot to read.
Fun, often intense, surprise-filled read, this. Check it out!
Followed by a Sookie-based anthology, A Touch of Dead (which is scheduled for an October 6, 2009 release).
From the inside flap:
"For Sookie Stackhouse, the day-to-day activities of the vampire and Were communities in and around Bon Temps, Louisiana, are of vital interest. She's blood bound to the leader of the vamps, is a friend to the local Were pack, works for a man who is a shifter, and has a brother who is a werepanther. . .
"But for most of the humans in Bon Temps, the vamps are mysterious, seductive creatures -- and they don't even know about the Weres.
"Until now. The Weres and shifters have finally decided to follow the lead of the undead and reveal their existence to the ordinary world.
"At first it seems to go well. Then the mutilated body of a werepanther is found in the parking lot of the bar where Sookie works. The victim is someone she knows, so she feels compelled to discover who -- human or otherwise -- did the deed.
"But what she doesn't realize is that there is a much greater danger than the killer threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings -- older, more powerful, and far more secretive than vampires or werewolves -- is preparing for war. And Sookie will find herself an all-too-human pawn in their battle."
Review:
Caveat: (possible) spoilers in this review.
Another fleet-footed, pot-boilin' tale from Harris.
This time out, Sookie's dodging the questions of two FBI agents who are curious how telepaths Sookie and Barry Horowitz (aka "Barry Bellboy") helped locate survivors at the Pyramid of Gizeh hotel bombing (at the end of All Together Dead).
She's also being stalked by abattoir-minded fey folk, political enemies of her fully-fey great-grandfather, Niall.
Not only that, Sookie, along with the FBI and the local PD, is trying to figure out who murdered then crucified her cheatin'-heart sister-in-law, Crystal, behind Sam Merlotte's bar.
Like most of the previous Sookie books -- the one exception is All Together Dead -- Dead And Gone has that relatable, fast n' furious vibe that makes this continually-expanding series such a hoot to read.
Fun, often intense, surprise-filled read, this. Check it out!
Followed by a Sookie-based anthology, A Touch of Dead (which is scheduled for an October 6, 2009 release).
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
From Dead To Worse, by Charlaine Harris
(hb; 2008: eighth entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the inside flap:
"The supernatural community in Bon Temps, Louisiana, is reeling from two hard blows -- the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the man-made horror of the explosion at the vampire summit the month before in the up-north city of Rhodes. Sookie Stackhouse is safe but dazed, yearning for things to get back to normal. But that's just not happening. Too many vampires -- some friends, some not -- were killed or injured, and her weretiger boyfriend, Quinn, is among the missing.
"It's clear things are changing, whether the Weres and vamps in her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie -- friend of the pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, the leader of the local vampire community -- is caught upin the changes.
"In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death. . . and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood flowing, her world will be forever altered. . ."
Review:
Caveat: (possible) spoilers in this review.
This isn't a mystery novel in any sense, simply -- intentionally -- a fiction novel.
Sookie has her hands full, dealing with: emotional fall-out resulting from the high-body count explosion at the Pyramid of Gizeh hotel (at the end of All Together Dead); another bloody Were-group coup; a rash of political assassinations within vampire territories; the disappearance of her Were-tiger sweetie Quinn; the swell of Fellowship of the Sun numbers in Bon Temps; and the discovery of previously-hidden relatives, some supernatural, some human.
Between all of the above hub-bub, Harris keeps the plot boiling along at a fast, amusing clip.
From Dead To Worse is better than the last Sookie outing (the too-predictable All Together Dead, where some characters became Unaccountably Stupid).
Guilt-free, fun Sunday-afternoon read, this. Check it out.
Followed by Dead And Gone.
From the inside flap:
"The supernatural community in Bon Temps, Louisiana, is reeling from two hard blows -- the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the man-made horror of the explosion at the vampire summit the month before in the up-north city of Rhodes. Sookie Stackhouse is safe but dazed, yearning for things to get back to normal. But that's just not happening. Too many vampires -- some friends, some not -- were killed or injured, and her weretiger boyfriend, Quinn, is among the missing.
"It's clear things are changing, whether the Weres and vamps in her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie -- friend of the pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, the leader of the local vampire community -- is caught upin the changes.
"In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death. . . and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood flowing, her world will be forever altered. . ."
Review:
Caveat: (possible) spoilers in this review.
This isn't a mystery novel in any sense, simply -- intentionally -- a fiction novel.
Sookie has her hands full, dealing with: emotional fall-out resulting from the high-body count explosion at the Pyramid of Gizeh hotel (at the end of All Together Dead); another bloody Were-group coup; a rash of political assassinations within vampire territories; the disappearance of her Were-tiger sweetie Quinn; the swell of Fellowship of the Sun numbers in Bon Temps; and the discovery of previously-hidden relatives, some supernatural, some human.
Between all of the above hub-bub, Harris keeps the plot boiling along at a fast, amusing clip.
From Dead To Worse is better than the last Sookie outing (the too-predictable All Together Dead, where some characters became Unaccountably Stupid).
Guilt-free, fun Sunday-afternoon read, this. Check it out.
Followed by Dead And Gone.
Monday, August 24, 2009
All Together Dead, by Charlaine Harris
(hb; 2007: seventh entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the inside flap:
"Being surrounded by all varieties of undead, changeling and preternatural beings has gotten to be nothing out of the ordinary for Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Still, even she has her limits. Betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Sookie must now not only deal with a possibly new man in her life -- the oh-so band some shapeshifter Quinn -- but also contend with the long-planned vampire summit in Rhodes.
"The summit, which has attracted undead power players from all over the central U.S., is sure to be a tense situation. The vampire queen of Louisiana is in a precarious situation, her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans. And there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. With secret alliances and backroom deals the order of the day -- and night -- Sookie must decide what side she'll stand with. And her choice might mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe."
Review:
Caveat: (possible) spoilers in this review.
Not a mystery at all (all of the malefactors are fairly obvious), this seventh Sookie novel is a fun afternoon-blast of a book.
One nit: there's a longer-than-usual sex scene (it spans two and a half pages) that runs way too long. It doesn't seem like Harris was adding a natural/logical scene to her story; it reads like she made Harlequin Romance-esque concessions to the "romantic supernatural" genre/readers. (This is disappointing, but not book-ruining, for me. . . though it should be noted that Laurell K. Hamilton's overwrought/overlong sex scenes caused me to stop reading her.)
On the plus side, most of the series (undead) regulars -- including Barry Horowitz (aka "Barry Bellboy"), telepath bellboy from Living Dead in Dallas, and Sophie-Anne Leclerq (teenage vampire queen of Louisiana, who slew her treacherous husband, Peter Threadgill, at the slaughterama finish of Definitely Dead) -- are present, as are some followers of Fellowship of the Sun, and one of its more-violent splinter groups, Take Back the Night.
Largely predictable -- some of the actions taken by key characters are pseudo-twisty, and suprisingly dumb -- there's a "don't think, enjoy the ride" feel to this one.
Solid beach-read.
Followed by From Dead to Worse.
From the inside flap:
"Being surrounded by all varieties of undead, changeling and preternatural beings has gotten to be nothing out of the ordinary for Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Still, even she has her limits. Betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Sookie must now not only deal with a possibly new man in her life -- the oh-so band some shapeshifter Quinn -- but also contend with the long-planned vampire summit in Rhodes.
"The summit, which has attracted undead power players from all over the central U.S., is sure to be a tense situation. The vampire queen of Louisiana is in a precarious situation, her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans. And there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. With secret alliances and backroom deals the order of the day -- and night -- Sookie must decide what side she'll stand with. And her choice might mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe."
Review:
Caveat: (possible) spoilers in this review.
Not a mystery at all (all of the malefactors are fairly obvious), this seventh Sookie novel is a fun afternoon-blast of a book.
One nit: there's a longer-than-usual sex scene (it spans two and a half pages) that runs way too long. It doesn't seem like Harris was adding a natural/logical scene to her story; it reads like she made Harlequin Romance-esque concessions to the "romantic supernatural" genre/readers. (This is disappointing, but not book-ruining, for me. . . though it should be noted that Laurell K. Hamilton's overwrought/overlong sex scenes caused me to stop reading her.)
On the plus side, most of the series (undead) regulars -- including Barry Horowitz (aka "Barry Bellboy"), telepath bellboy from Living Dead in Dallas, and Sophie-Anne Leclerq (teenage vampire queen of Louisiana, who slew her treacherous husband, Peter Threadgill, at the slaughterama finish of Definitely Dead) -- are present, as are some followers of Fellowship of the Sun, and one of its more-violent splinter groups, Take Back the Night.
Largely predictable -- some of the actions taken by key characters are pseudo-twisty, and suprisingly dumb -- there's a "don't think, enjoy the ride" feel to this one.
Solid beach-read.
Followed by From Dead to Worse.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Definitely Dead, by Charlaine Harris
(pb; 2006: sixth entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the inside flap:
"As a person with so few living relatives, Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse really hated to lose one. But she never guessed that it would be her cousin Hadley -- a consort of the vampire queen of New Orleans. After all, technically speaking, Hadley was already dead. And now, as unexpected heir to Hadley's estate, Sookie discovers the inheritance definitely comes with a risk.
"Someone doesn't want Sookie looking too deeply into Hadley's past -- or, for that matter, Hadley's possessions. And they're prepared to do anything in their power to stop her. But who? The range of suspects runs from the rogue weres who reject Sookie as a friend of the pack to the vampire queen herself, who could be working through a particularly vulnerable subject -- Sookie's first love, Bill.
"Whoever it is, they're definitely dangerous -- and Sookie's life is definitely on the line."
Review:
A few weeks have passed since the happenings of Dead As A Doornail.
Sookie heads to New Orleans, to attend an important vampire conference -- at the request of Sophie-Anne Leclerq, vampire queen of Louisiana. Once there, she's not only dealing with murky political intentions and fatal betrayals, but with the settling of her cousin Hadley's estate; Hadley, consort to Leclerq, died under weird circumstances. . . not a surprising thing, considering that death-magnet Sookie is her cousin.
Not only that, but the intrusive, suspicious Pelt family -- Barbara, Gordon, and their were-daughter Sandra -- are still sniffing around Sookie, determined to find out what really happened to Sandra's c*nt of were-sister, Deborah, who disappeared two months back (for more details on that, read Dead to the World).
Fortunately for Sookie, she's surrounded by as many friends as she is enemies. Quinn, a classy influential were-tiger (first seen in Dead As A Doornail) is wooing Sookie; Amelia Broadway, a White Witch ("not a Wiccan") and landlord to the deceased Hadley, is becoming chummy with Sookie; Mr. Cataliades, a half-demon lawyer, boss of the recently-murdered demon messenger Gladiola, is watching over Sookie as well.
Then there's the series "regulars" -- Bill Compton (not an interesting character, but Sookie's first, now ex-boyfriend); Eric Northman, playboy vampire sheriff of Area 5, whose interest in Sookie's has turned wary and ambiguous; Pam, Eric's vamp assistant, who's curious about the reason for Sookie's unintentional, amatoric effect on supernatural males; Alcide Herveaux, a kind-hearted were-panther, first introduced in Club Dead; Sam Merlotte, Sookie's good-natured, were-dog boss; and Bubba, the iconic-singer-turned-cat-killing vampire.
As quirky, amusing and fast-moving as the rest of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, this. Of course, there's a couple of bodice-ripper scenes (a natural occurence, given the tasteful, mostly-contained lustiness of many of the characters), and an ending that lends itself to another sequel.
I only have one nit for this book, or rather, the series -- Harris needs to lose a few characters, soon. Readers get too comfortable when there are too many "regulars"; given the inevitable acts violence between many of these supernatural characters, it seems reasonable to expect a few series-altering, reader-shocking deaths. (I'd suggest Bill, whom I've never liked, or even Eric, whose interest in Sookie is becoming repetitive -- besides, wouldn't Pam, shark-like on the best of days, make a livelier, more intriguing vampire sheriff?)
If you like the other Sookie novels, you'll probably like this.
Followed by All Together Dead.
From the inside flap:
"As a person with so few living relatives, Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse really hated to lose one. But she never guessed that it would be her cousin Hadley -- a consort of the vampire queen of New Orleans. After all, technically speaking, Hadley was already dead. And now, as unexpected heir to Hadley's estate, Sookie discovers the inheritance definitely comes with a risk.
"Someone doesn't want Sookie looking too deeply into Hadley's past -- or, for that matter, Hadley's possessions. And they're prepared to do anything in their power to stop her. But who? The range of suspects runs from the rogue weres who reject Sookie as a friend of the pack to the vampire queen herself, who could be working through a particularly vulnerable subject -- Sookie's first love, Bill.
"Whoever it is, they're definitely dangerous -- and Sookie's life is definitely on the line."
Review:
A few weeks have passed since the happenings of Dead As A Doornail.
Sookie heads to New Orleans, to attend an important vampire conference -- at the request of Sophie-Anne Leclerq, vampire queen of Louisiana. Once there, she's not only dealing with murky political intentions and fatal betrayals, but with the settling of her cousin Hadley's estate; Hadley, consort to Leclerq, died under weird circumstances. . . not a surprising thing, considering that death-magnet Sookie is her cousin.
Not only that, but the intrusive, suspicious Pelt family -- Barbara, Gordon, and their were-daughter Sandra -- are still sniffing around Sookie, determined to find out what really happened to Sandra's c*nt of were-sister, Deborah, who disappeared two months back (for more details on that, read Dead to the World).
Fortunately for Sookie, she's surrounded by as many friends as she is enemies. Quinn, a classy influential were-tiger (first seen in Dead As A Doornail) is wooing Sookie; Amelia Broadway, a White Witch ("not a Wiccan") and landlord to the deceased Hadley, is becoming chummy with Sookie; Mr. Cataliades, a half-demon lawyer, boss of the recently-murdered demon messenger Gladiola, is watching over Sookie as well.
Then there's the series "regulars" -- Bill Compton (not an interesting character, but Sookie's first, now ex-boyfriend); Eric Northman, playboy vampire sheriff of Area 5, whose interest in Sookie's has turned wary and ambiguous; Pam, Eric's vamp assistant, who's curious about the reason for Sookie's unintentional, amatoric effect on supernatural males; Alcide Herveaux, a kind-hearted were-panther, first introduced in Club Dead; Sam Merlotte, Sookie's good-natured, were-dog boss; and Bubba, the iconic-singer-turned-cat-killing vampire.
As quirky, amusing and fast-moving as the rest of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, this. Of course, there's a couple of bodice-ripper scenes (a natural occurence, given the tasteful, mostly-contained lustiness of many of the characters), and an ending that lends itself to another sequel.
I only have one nit for this book, or rather, the series -- Harris needs to lose a few characters, soon. Readers get too comfortable when there are too many "regulars"; given the inevitable acts violence between many of these supernatural characters, it seems reasonable to expect a few series-altering, reader-shocking deaths. (I'd suggest Bill, whom I've never liked, or even Eric, whose interest in Sookie is becoming repetitive -- besides, wouldn't Pam, shark-like on the best of days, make a livelier, more intriguing vampire sheriff?)
If you like the other Sookie novels, you'll probably like this.
Followed by All Together Dead.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Dead As A Doornail, by Charlaine Harris
(pb; 2005: fifth entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the back cover:
"Small-town cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has more than her share of experience with the supernatural -- but now it's really hitting close to home. When Sookie sees her brother Jason's eyes start to change, she knows he's about to turn into a werepanther for the first time -- a transformation he embraces more readily than most shape-shifters she knows. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population, and Jasons's new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks -- unless the killer decides to find her first. . ."
Review:
Warning: possibile spoilers in this review.
Sookie's life is, as usual, all atumble with craziness: someone's sniping local Weres (one fatally, others wounded); a stranger from out of town, with possible ties to the Fellowship of the Sun (a virulent, "Christian-based" anti-vampire group), torches Sookie's house; Tara Thornton, Sookie's best friend since childhood, is being victimized by a predatory vampire (Mickey); and the Weres in nearby Hotshot are about to nominate a new packleader, in a political contest that's gotten too hot.
Sookie, via her mostly-friendly ties to the Weres, Fairies, Shifters (a less-regarded variation of Weres), vampires and other supernatural creatures, is drawn into all of these happenings.
The identity of the sniper isn't surprising -- author Harris tips her hand a little early there, but the sniper's identity isn't the most important part of the story.
What really makes this series work is how seamlessly everything interconnects. Harris builds on events and characters from past books, letting everything flow in a natural, quirky, much-like-real-life manner. This is easily one of my favorite Sookie Stackhouse novels, in that reading this felt like I was revisiting old friends (who, like the "bad" characters, are a realistic mix of good and bad).
This can be read as a stand-alone novel, but in order to really appreciate Harris's deftly-penned artistry, readers should read the first four books, in order.
Excellent, excellent, excellent, this!
Followed by Definitely Dead.
From the back cover:
"Small-town cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has more than her share of experience with the supernatural -- but now it's really hitting close to home. When Sookie sees her brother Jason's eyes start to change, she knows he's about to turn into a werepanther for the first time -- a transformation he embraces more readily than most shape-shifters she knows. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population, and Jasons's new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks -- unless the killer decides to find her first. . ."
Review:
Warning: possibile spoilers in this review.
Sookie's life is, as usual, all atumble with craziness: someone's sniping local Weres (one fatally, others wounded); a stranger from out of town, with possible ties to the Fellowship of the Sun (a virulent, "Christian-based" anti-vampire group), torches Sookie's house; Tara Thornton, Sookie's best friend since childhood, is being victimized by a predatory vampire (Mickey); and the Weres in nearby Hotshot are about to nominate a new packleader, in a political contest that's gotten too hot.
Sookie, via her mostly-friendly ties to the Weres, Fairies, Shifters (a less-regarded variation of Weres), vampires and other supernatural creatures, is drawn into all of these happenings.
The identity of the sniper isn't surprising -- author Harris tips her hand a little early there, but the sniper's identity isn't the most important part of the story.
What really makes this series work is how seamlessly everything interconnects. Harris builds on events and characters from past books, letting everything flow in a natural, quirky, much-like-real-life manner. This is easily one of my favorite Sookie Stackhouse novels, in that reading this felt like I was revisiting old friends (who, like the "bad" characters, are a realistic mix of good and bad).
This can be read as a stand-alone novel, but in order to really appreciate Harris's deftly-penned artistry, readers should read the first four books, in order.
Excellent, excellent, excellent, this!
Followed by Definitely Dead.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Dead to the World, by Charlaine Harris
(hb; 2004: fourth entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the inside flap:
"Sookie Stackhouse is a small-town cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty. She does her job well. She keeps to herself and has only a few close friends because not everyone appreciates Sookie's gift. She can read minds. Not exactly every man's idea of date bait. Unless they're undead. Vampires and the like can be tough to read -- just the kind of guy Sookie's been looking for.
"Maybe that's why, when she comes across a naked vampire on the road home from work, she doesn't just drive on by. Turns out he hasn't a clue as to who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric, still as scary and sexy -- and dead -- as the day she first met him. But now he has amnesia. Eric is sweet, vulnerable, and in need of Sookie's help -- because whoever took his memory now wants his life. Sookie's investigation into why leads straight into a dangerous battle among witches, vampires, and werewolves. But there could be a greater danger to Sookie's heart -- because the kinder, gentler Eric is very difficult to resist."
Review:
A few weeks have passed since the events of Club Dead.
Sookie, once again, faces simultaneous crises: she's housing Eric Northman, vampire Sheriff of Area 5, who's not only had his memory wiped by malefic witches, but is still being targeted by them; her brother, Jason, has disappeared, without a trace, foul play a factor; and a territorial war is brewing between the aforementioned witches (led by Marnie Stonebrook, aka Hallow), Weres, shapeshifters (from the nearby Were-town of Hotshot) and, of course, vampires.
Like the previous Sookie Stackhouse novels, this isn't so much a mystery as a highly entertaining novel with dead bodies prompting eclectic, survival-related questions. All the while, with every new novel, the reader's knowledge of things lurking in the Sookie-verse grows proportionally with Sookie's experiences.
Exemplary series, why aren't you reading it yet?
Followed by Dead As A Doornail.
From the inside flap:
"Sookie Stackhouse is a small-town cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty. She does her job well. She keeps to herself and has only a few close friends because not everyone appreciates Sookie's gift. She can read minds. Not exactly every man's idea of date bait. Unless they're undead. Vampires and the like can be tough to read -- just the kind of guy Sookie's been looking for.
"Maybe that's why, when she comes across a naked vampire on the road home from work, she doesn't just drive on by. Turns out he hasn't a clue as to who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric, still as scary and sexy -- and dead -- as the day she first met him. But now he has amnesia. Eric is sweet, vulnerable, and in need of Sookie's help -- because whoever took his memory now wants his life. Sookie's investigation into why leads straight into a dangerous battle among witches, vampires, and werewolves. But there could be a greater danger to Sookie's heart -- because the kinder, gentler Eric is very difficult to resist."
Review:
A few weeks have passed since the events of Club Dead.
Sookie, once again, faces simultaneous crises: she's housing Eric Northman, vampire Sheriff of Area 5, who's not only had his memory wiped by malefic witches, but is still being targeted by them; her brother, Jason, has disappeared, without a trace, foul play a factor; and a territorial war is brewing between the aforementioned witches (led by Marnie Stonebrook, aka Hallow), Weres, shapeshifters (from the nearby Were-town of Hotshot) and, of course, vampires.
Like the previous Sookie Stackhouse novels, this isn't so much a mystery as a highly entertaining novel with dead bodies prompting eclectic, survival-related questions. All the while, with every new novel, the reader's knowledge of things lurking in the Sookie-verse grows proportionally with Sookie's experiences.
Exemplary series, why aren't you reading it yet?
Followed by Dead As A Doornail.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Club Dead, by Charlaine Harris
(pb; 2003: third entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the back cover:
"There's only one vampire Sookie Stackhouse is involved with (at least voluntarily) and that's Bill. But recently he's been a little distant -- in another state, distant. His sinister and sexy boss, Eric, has an idea where to find him. Next thing Sookie knows, she is off to Jackson, Mississippi, to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead [aka Josephine's]. It's a dangerous little haunt where the elitist vampire society can go to chill out and suck down some type O. But when Sookie finally finds Bill-- caught in an act of serious betrayal -- she's not sure whether to save him. . . or sharpen some stakes."
Review:
Sookie's dealings with the supernatural take her to Jackson, Mississippi, when Eric Northman, Bill Compton's boss, tells her that Bill has been kidnapped. Once there, Sookie works with: a kind-hearted Were (shape-changing werecreature), Alcide Herveaux; a mentally-damaged "Bubba" (aka, the usually-well-hidden and undead Elvis Presley, introduced in Dead Until Dark); and Eric, who must keep his true identity a secret -- to conduct business in another vamp leader's territory without informing him/her is seen as a serious breach of vamp etiquette, with probably-fatal consequences.
Together, they must find a way to free Bill from his kidnappers, without rustling the ego-feathers of Russell Edgington, king of the Louisiana vampires, or starting a Were-vampire turf war.
Another entertaining page-turner from Harris, who writes focussed mysteries that read less like mysteries and more like sur/real life. Excellent series, this.
Followed by Dead To The World.
From the back cover:
"There's only one vampire Sookie Stackhouse is involved with (at least voluntarily) and that's Bill. But recently he's been a little distant -- in another state, distant. His sinister and sexy boss, Eric, has an idea where to find him. Next thing Sookie knows, she is off to Jackson, Mississippi, to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead [aka Josephine's]. It's a dangerous little haunt where the elitist vampire society can go to chill out and suck down some type O. But when Sookie finally finds Bill-- caught in an act of serious betrayal -- she's not sure whether to save him. . . or sharpen some stakes."
Review:
Sookie's dealings with the supernatural take her to Jackson, Mississippi, when Eric Northman, Bill Compton's boss, tells her that Bill has been kidnapped. Once there, Sookie works with: a kind-hearted Were (shape-changing werecreature), Alcide Herveaux; a mentally-damaged "Bubba" (aka, the usually-well-hidden and undead Elvis Presley, introduced in Dead Until Dark); and Eric, who must keep his true identity a secret -- to conduct business in another vamp leader's territory without informing him/her is seen as a serious breach of vamp etiquette, with probably-fatal consequences.
Together, they must find a way to free Bill from his kidnappers, without rustling the ego-feathers of Russell Edgington, king of the Louisiana vampires, or starting a Were-vampire turf war.
Another entertaining page-turner from Harris, who writes focussed mysteries that read less like mysteries and more like sur/real life. Excellent series, this.
Followed by Dead To The World.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Living Dead in Dallas, by Charlaine Harris
(pb; 2002: second entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the back cover:
"Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is on a streak of bad luck. First, her coworker is murdered and no one seems to care. Then she's face-to-face with a beastly creature that gives her a painful and poisonous lashing. Enter the vampires, who graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn't enjoy it).
"Point is, they saved her life. So when one of the bloodsuckers asks for a favor, she complies. And soon, Sookie's in Dallas using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire. She's supposed to interview certain humans involved. There's just one condition: The vampires must promise to behave -- and let the humans go unharmed. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly. . ."
Review:
Sookie's day-to-day activities (waitressing; hanging out with her boyfriend, Bill) take a weird turn when the body of one of her co-workers, a short-order cook named Lafayette, is found, torn apart, in a car in the diner parking lot.
A short time later, Sookie is attacked by a message-bearing maenad (Callisto) near the woods bordering Sookie's hometown, Bon Temps, Louisiana.
No mere coincidence, this attack: it has something to do with Eric Northman, head vampire in Sookie's area, who has summoned Sookie to his Shreveport bar.
Eric sends Sookie and Bill to Dallas, Texas, so she can use her mind-reading abilities to sort out a serious vampire matter there.
Not long after that, Sookie is kidnapped by The Fellowship of the Sun, a Christian hate group that kills vampires; Fellowship believers do this on what they believe for be moral/religious principles.
Like Dead Until Dark, this second book is a burn-through, character-cool, can't-set-down read.
Check this series out!
Followed by Club Dead.
From the back cover:
"Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is on a streak of bad luck. First, her coworker is murdered and no one seems to care. Then she's face-to-face with a beastly creature that gives her a painful and poisonous lashing. Enter the vampires, who graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn't enjoy it).
"Point is, they saved her life. So when one of the bloodsuckers asks for a favor, she complies. And soon, Sookie's in Dallas using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire. She's supposed to interview certain humans involved. There's just one condition: The vampires must promise to behave -- and let the humans go unharmed. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly. . ."
Review:
Sookie's day-to-day activities (waitressing; hanging out with her boyfriend, Bill) take a weird turn when the body of one of her co-workers, a short-order cook named Lafayette, is found, torn apart, in a car in the diner parking lot.
A short time later, Sookie is attacked by a message-bearing maenad (Callisto) near the woods bordering Sookie's hometown, Bon Temps, Louisiana.
No mere coincidence, this attack: it has something to do with Eric Northman, head vampire in Sookie's area, who has summoned Sookie to his Shreveport bar.
Eric sends Sookie and Bill to Dallas, Texas, so she can use her mind-reading abilities to sort out a serious vampire matter there.
Not long after that, Sookie is kidnapped by The Fellowship of the Sun, a Christian hate group that kills vampires; Fellowship believers do this on what they believe for be moral/religious principles.
Like Dead Until Dark, this second book is a burn-through, character-cool, can't-set-down read.
Check this series out!
Followed by Club Dead.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris
(pb; 2001: first entry in The Sookie Stackhouse Novels)
From the back cover:
"Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of 'disability.' She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome -- and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life. . .
"But Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of -- big suprise -- murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next. . ."
Review:
Less a murder mystery than a fleet-footed story, this damn-near-impossible-to-set-down novel is an instant charmer. Lead character Sookie, a mind-reader with definite leanings and flaws, narrates the series of fantastic events with a natural Southern voice, making her world and those around her read believable.
Mystery-wise, the murderer, or murderers, isn't/aren't easy to spot. Credit author Harris for avoiding the all-too-common mistake of making the villains of the tale evil -- like real-life baddies, they're simply too intense or misguided in their goals and beliefs; ditto their methods for bringing them to fruition.
Excellent, memorable novel. When I was done reading it, I couldn't wait to read the next Sookie Stackhouse offering, Living Dead in Dallas.
Dead Until Dark, and it sequels, inspired a cable show, True Blood.
True Blood began airing on HBO on September 7, 2008. Anna Paquin plays Sookie Stackhouse. Stephen Moyer plays Bill Compton. Sam Trammell plays Sam Merlotte. Ryan Kwanten plays Jason Stackhouse. William ("Will") Sanderson plays Sheriff Bud Dearborne. Alexander Skarsgård (real-life son of Stellan Skarsgård) plays Eric Northman. Michael Raymond James plays Rene Lenier. Chris Bauer plays Detective Andy Bellefleur.
From the back cover:
"Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of 'disability.' She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome -- and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life. . .
"But Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of -- big suprise -- murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next. . ."
Review:
Less a murder mystery than a fleet-footed story, this damn-near-impossible-to-set-down novel is an instant charmer. Lead character Sookie, a mind-reader with definite leanings and flaws, narrates the series of fantastic events with a natural Southern voice, making her world and those around her read believable.
Mystery-wise, the murderer, or murderers, isn't/aren't easy to spot. Credit author Harris for avoiding the all-too-common mistake of making the villains of the tale evil -- like real-life baddies, they're simply too intense or misguided in their goals and beliefs; ditto their methods for bringing them to fruition.
Excellent, memorable novel. When I was done reading it, I couldn't wait to read the next Sookie Stackhouse offering, Living Dead in Dallas.
Dead Until Dark, and it sequels, inspired a cable show, True Blood.
True Blood began airing on HBO on September 7, 2008. Anna Paquin plays Sookie Stackhouse. Stephen Moyer plays Bill Compton. Sam Trammell plays Sam Merlotte. Ryan Kwanten plays Jason Stackhouse. William ("Will") Sanderson plays Sheriff Bud Dearborne. Alexander Skarsgård (real-life son of Stellan Skarsgård) plays Eric Northman. Michael Raymond James plays Rene Lenier. Chris Bauer plays Detective Andy Bellefleur.
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