Deadlocked (Sookie #12) Review

Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse #12)

Charlaine Harris 

Publisher: Gollancz

Sookie has a murder investigation on her hands. A young girl has died at a vampire party - and it looks as though her lover, Eric, might be responsible. Eric swears he didn't do it, the police don't believe him, and even Sookie isn't so sure. Nor is she inclined to take his word for it, not having caught him enjoying the victim's blood minutes before she was killed. But something strange is going on. Why had Sookie been asked to come to the fateful party a few minutes early - just to catch Eric in the act? And why had the victim spiked her own blood before approaching Eric? Was it simply because she wanted to be irresistable, or was it something more sinister? Sookie will have to find out ... but it's the worst moment to investigate, as her Fae family are having troubles of their own and Sookie is, inevitably, drawn in. And there is one last complication. The cluviel dor her grandmother left her. It will grant her one wish, which could fulfil Sookie's heart's desire. The only problem is, she still doesn't know what - or who - her heart truly desires...

The end of the Sookie Stackhouse series is in sight (for me at least as I wait for the paperbacks to come out!) and once again it was nice to revisit Sookie and her world. I find it difficult to remember that for her only two years have passed since Bill Compton first walked into Merlottes but for it’s been over 10 years. Sookie’s world has always been a mixture of the miniature of life (shopping, birthday cards, sunbathing, shaving her legs etc) with some serious violence and supernatural politics. This visit to Bon Temps was like seeing old school friends again after an absence – you remember the good times and catch up but you know you’ll never re-capture that closeness you had when you were fifteen. 

Sookie and her vampire honey, Eric are having issues – partly due to someone trying to frame Eric for murder of a fangbanger and partly as struggle to reconcile some pretty big differences in their attitudes. Adding to the difficulties are the motley mixture of fae Sookie’s cousin Claude has been collecting at his strip club and some power struggles within the local werewolf pack. One issue with Sookie’s world is the number of different plot lines that don’t always go together well – my favourite books have always been the ones that have focused on a single plot line (Vampire summit, Hadley’s murder, Bill’s disappearance etc). Here the different strands of plots meant that I struggled to follow what was going on and the climax had less impact as a result. It was like trying to follow a single strand of spaghetti on a full plate.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book. Sookie is never less than a likeable character who’s absolutes of right and wrong have become greyer over time. She’s more than happy to lie to the police to protect Eric and the vampires, yet is still kind and true in her friendships. The writing is so cosy and warm – Charlaine’s writing always makes me feel like I’m sinking into a huge armchair covered in cushions. Overall, this had a definite sense that the end is in sight with some plot strands wound up and some happy ending on the horizon. While people often say the series isn’t as good as it once I actually think the series has remained remarkably consistent over the last ten years. It’s one of the first UF (Rural) Fantasy series I read and I have never felt like dropping the series. I am looking forward to the final book in the series and think it’s right that we leave Sookie to some (hopefully) quiet time.

Recommended for fans of Rachel Caine and Patricia Briggs. 7 out of 10.

Dead Reckoning Review

Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse 11)
-          Charlaine Harris

Publisher: UK – Gollancz

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. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows...

I know I’m about a year behind publication on the Sookie books but that’s mostly because I like to wait for the paperback to come out. Like many others I haven’t been overly impressed with recent books (All Together Dead was a series highlight for me that hasn’t been matched since) – there’s only so much enjoyment I get out of hearing the miniature of Sookie’s life – her money worries, her cleaning habits and sunbathing schedule. That said (or written!) there is still enough captivating about the characters that make me want to know what the latest happenings in Bon Temps are.

With that all in mind, I was pleasantly surprised with Dead Reckoning. Maybe I was just in the mood to read about Sookie shaving her legs or getting her haircut, but I was mildly entertained for the duration of the book. Sookie does seem to have changed since we first met her (only two years ago in her time, but over ten years for us!). She is more realistic about what the supernatural world is like, the violence and yes, the blood – but she does have a habit of bursting into tears a lot. I also wasn’t keen on Sookie randomly getting naked – I didn’t really see the point of that!

This isn’t a book that I would recommend people new to the series to start at – most of the plot lines are hold overs from previous books and only a few are resolved here.  There is a lot happening here – perhaps too much as individual stories can get lost, are tied up quickly or left unresolved. I guess I miss it when the Sookie books have definite beginning, middles and ends, but as the series has progressed the number of characters and plot elements have grown to unwieldy amounts.  On this occasion I felt the vampire, fae and home life stories meshed better with each one having something to say about who Sookie is now.

Overall, it was a pleasant enough read – I do love Eric and Pam so any book where they feature more is a plus for me…although I wasn’t so keen on the reappearance of Bill, or Alcide for that matter. I felt like both these characters have run out of steam a little. However, Sookie literally does need to fight men off sticks it seems…I wonder if I can find out her secret…

Recommended for fans of Patricia Briggs and Carrie Vaughn. 7 out of 10

Dead In The Family Review

Dead In The Family (Sookie Stackhouse 10)

-       Charlaine Harris

Publisher: UK – Gollancz

Stackhouse is dealing with a whole host of family problems, ranging from her own kin (a non-human fairy and a telepathic second cousin) demanding a place in her life, to her lover Eric's vampire sire, an ancient being, who arrives with Eric's 'brother' in tow at a most inopportune moment. And Sookie's tracking down a distant relation of her ailing neighbour (and ex), Vampire Bill Compton. In addition to the multitude of family issues complicating her life, the werewolf pack of Shreveport has asked Sookie for a special favour, and since Sookie is an obliging young woman, she agrees. But this favour for the wolves has dire results for Sookie, who is still recovering from the trauma of her abduction during the Fairy War.

I have to admit to feeling a little territorial over Sookie books as I discovered and loved them long before True Blood and part of me resents having to share these characters...okay, having to share Eric (I never liked Bill!). In this instalment Sookie is recovering from her torture by fairies in the previous book and it was nice that Charlaine doesn’t just gloss over Sookie’s ordeal but shows her struggling to return to a normal life. As ever, Sookie’s life isn’t easy but is complicated here by her relationship with Eric, the vampire head of section five, her distant fairy relatives and her friend of the pack status.

I really enjoyed spending time in Sookie’s company and I really liked how her relationship with her brother Jason grew here – he finally seems to be there for her and steps up as a reliable brother – for once! While the beginning of this book has lots of separate strands going so it feels a little discontinuous with Sookie dealing with vampire politics one minute, her cousin Hadley’s son the next and then dealing with weres before talking to fairies, but most of these strands wind together for a layered finale which solves most of the issues raised in this book. There are still plenty of ongoing issues though that aren’t moved on here – particularly with regards to the vampire politics.

The writing is easy to slip into and familiar if you’ve been following the series so far. Probably not the best book to start with if you’ve not visited Bon Temps so far though as there are a lot references to past events and characters that it assumes you some knowledge of. Like a comfortable pair of pyjamas, you know what to expect by now and Charlaine doesn’t disappoint even if it doesn’t quite hit the highs of All Together Dead.

Recommended for fans of Nicole Peeler and Jeaniene Frost. 7.5 out of 10.



A Touch Of Dead Review

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A Touch of Dead

-          Charlaine Harris

Publisher: UK – Gollancz

Sookie Stackhouse enjoys her job as a cocktail waitress in Merlotte's, a small-town bar in small-town Bon Temps, deep in Louisiana. She's funny and pretty and, thanks to her grandmother, she's very well-mannered - but since not many people truly appreciate her ability to read their minds, the guys haven't exactly been beating down her door . . . And then along came Bill, tall, dark and handsome - and Sookie couldn't 'hear' a word he was thinking. He was exactly the

type of guy she'd been waiting all her life for. Of course, Bill had a disability of his own: fussy about his food, not into suntans, bit of a night person: yep, Bill was a vampire. But at least now Sookie nows there *are* guys she can date who won't worry about her catching them thinking about other women . . . And that's going to make Sookie's life really interesting!

I’m really glad I didn’t pay a lot of money for this book! At a slim 180 pages it took me less than two hours to read the whole thing – consisting of five short stories starring Sookie Stackhouse – two of which I had read previously in other anthologies. I really like the Sookie Stackhouse series having discovered them years before True Blood started. I will admit some novels I prefer to others and these short stories are a mix of what I like and don’t about the series. I like when Sookie is being is being proactive or investigating a mystery so the stories Lucky and Fairy Dust worked best for me. Both of which involve Sookie using her telepathy to solve a crime. The stories I disliked where when the action seems to stumble upon Sookie as in Dracula Night and Gift Wrapped – which I didn’t like as it didn’t sit well with what I know of Sookie, but hey I’m a reader not the writer! One Word Answer is more of a prequel to Dead as a Doornail and probably the best of the bunch.

These short stories do assume some background knowledge of the series with details dropped in more to remind the reader of when the book takes rather than inform.  Overall, I would say this is more a book for completists only. I don’t think it adds much to the casual reader or those new to the series. It's not bad - just not memorable. However, I do recommend the series as a fun distraction for a few hours!

Recommended for die-hard Sookie fans only. 5.5 out of 10