In Sookie’s world vampires co-exist with the human race. They “came out of the closet” several years ago and demonstrated their ability to live amongst mankind, due in part to the development of a synthetic blood substitute.
In Dead and Gone the werewolf/shifter community decides to follow suit. After all, they’re closer to “normal” than vampires right? They can withstand the sun, they’re warm-blooded, their skin isn’t pale, and they can eat real food. Who cares if they grow fur and howl at the moon every few weeks?
They decide to reveal themselves to the world on national television by having one of their kind turn furry during a live broadcast. Their unveiling is met with mixed reviews; some question whether other supernatural races exist whereas others applaud their honesty and willingness to trust that the human race will embrace their diversities. Overall, people seem to be taking the announcement fairly well.
Until a were is brutally murdered and placed in the Merlotte parking lot.
With Sookie, when it rains it pours: the recent were murder has Jason once again on the prime suspect list; two of Sam’s relatives are brutally attacked and Sookie has to take over managing Merlotte’s; a new vampire king is interested in using Sookie to his advantage; and her fae relatives are at war with a faction of human-hating faeries that want to kill Sookie because of her half-fae heritage.
So it’s no wonder that Dead and Gone shows us a more reflective Sookie, one who wonders about some of the choices she’s made in life. Sookie realizes that although she’s still a caring person, she’s also become somewhat hardened and jaded because of the numerous life-and-death situations she’s dealt with. Before she knew much about the supernatural world her life consisted of going to work, shielding herself from other people’s thoughts, and looking after her home.
Her increased awareness of the supernatural community has come at a price: she’s lost several loved ones and acquaintances; she’s been targeted by a serial killer; she’s been kidnapped by religious fanatics; her house has been set on fire; and she’s been violently attacked by monstrous creatures more times than she cares to remember. Sookie keeps plugging along because that’s her nature, but in Dead and Gone she’s much more cautious about the decisions she makes.
Dead and Gone is a writing coup for Charlaine Harris. Several loose ends are wrapped up in this book and unfortunately, at least one character from previous books is killed however the storyline kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. The character development is superb, the pacing is quick, and the suspense is, well, downright suspenseful. I used to think that Book #4, Dead To The World was my favorite in the series but it’s been usurped by this entry. If you love well-written urban fantasy with a bit of humor and adventure thrown in you’ll thoroughly enjoy Dead and Gone.
Dead and Gone is available from online retailers and booksellers.
Also, check out the entire collection of Sookie Stackhouse Books in Order.
I set up this site to write about Sookie Stackhouse books. To give you my unbiased opinions about the books. Although I absolutely love the series I’ll never give you lip service about a particular book. Instead come here for an honest assessment of what I think about a book so you can make an informed decision about whether you want to read it.
Having said that, From Dead To Worse is one of my least favorite books in the series. Why? Because it doesn’t contain an over-arching mystery. Sure, we learn that the vampire queen of Louisiana, badly injured at the end of the last book, is vulnerable and a prime target for a takeover; we see Sookie’s life in danger as she tries to help and ends up delving into dangerous vampire politics; we learn of a brewing were war that Alcide, a friend of Sookie’s, is involved in and which prompts attempts on Sookie’s life. These are all great stories that are well written. But there’s really no central arc in the storyline leading up to a suspenseful climax.
Don’t get me wrong, taken as a whole, the book isn’t bad. It’s just that I’ve become accustomed to reading about a central mystery and having Charlaine Harris wield her own brand of magic by seamlessly interweaving it with relationship storylines.
On a more positive note, Charlaine Harris does an admirable job of tying up some loose ends in the book and resolving some unanswered questions from a relationship perspective. We learn more about Sookie’s background and why she’s telepathic. We’re introduced to some new family members that she didn’t know existed. Eric learns more about what happened when he lost his memory. And Bill proves that he’s got a lot of leadership potential.
Charlaine Harris is undoubtedly a brilliant writer capable of developing engaging and entertaining stories. I can’t hold this book against her and viewed in context to the rest of the books, it doesn’t detract from the series as a whole. However, From Dead To Worse felt like a collection of vignettes instead of one cohesive piece of work. It will likely appeal more to diehard fans than newcomers, primarily because so many character references are linked to past events in previous books.
See also: Sookie Stackhouse Book 9 - Dead and Gone
In All Together Dead, Book 7 in the Sookie Stackhouse series, Sookie is still on the outs with “The Vampire Who Must Not Be Named”. And although she’s dating the weretiger Quinn she can’t seem to shake her attraction to the charismatic Viking vampire Eric. I’m a big Team Eric fan so I’m happy to see this storyline continue.
The story opens with Sookie attending an important vampire summit on the shores of Lake Michigan at the demand of Sophie, the vampire queen of Louisiana. Sophie, accused of murdering her husband (the vampire king of Arkansas) in a play for power and control, will be tried at the summit. Sophie claims to be innocent and wants Sookie to help prove this by reading the minds of the human companions accompanying other vampires at the event.
Once Sookie arrives at the hotel she meets up with Barry the Bellboy, an old acquaintance and fellow telepath who helped save Sookie in a previous book. Barry now works for the vampire king of Texas, who brought Barry along for the same reasons Sophie wanted Sookie around. Sookie soon notices strange occurrences in the hotel: suitcases mysteriously appear, a pair of supernatural bodyguards from a heretofore unknown race have been hired to protect the king of Kentucky, and Sophie’s primary accuser is found dead. As a matter of fact, several murders occur at the hotel. At first they look like the handiwork of the Fellowship of the Sun, a radical anti-vampire organization that just happens to be in town at the time. But Sookie and Barry’s investigations into the murders make them wonder whether they’re the result of an inside job, a suspicion that soon makes Sookie in particular the prime target of the mysterious murderer.
Now let’s talk about Sookie’s romances. Sookie is currently dating the extremely hunky Quinn who’s working at the summit. But powerful and sexy vamp Eric is still a strong contender for her affections and their bond extends beyond any exchange of blood. In this book we learn more about Eric’s feelings for Sookie and I have to tell you, it’s refreshingly sweet. This book makes one wonder if Bill was ever really right for Sookie. I truly believe his feelings for Sookie were sincere regardless of his initial motivations but it’s hard to restore a relationship when trust is compromised.
All Together Dead is one of the funniest books in the Sookie Stackhouse series thus far. The nuptials between the king of Mississippi and the king of Indiana are laugh out loud hilarious. And there are some funny exchanges between Sookie and Pam, Eric’s vampire business partner. In the earliest books Pam was portrayed as an emotionally detached vampire who saw humans as nothing more than food but here lately we’ve seen her warm up to Sookie, something that comes as a surprise to both of them!
Charlaine Harris’s ability to write about so many relationships while keeping the storyline of assassination and betrayal at the forefront is a testament to her brilliance as a writer. Her stories may seem straightforward on the surface but peek beneath the skin and you’ll discover statements about political alliances, trust and loyalty. All Together Dead is a funny, exciting, thought provoking and overall worthy addition to the Sookie Stackhouse book series. You can get All Together Dead from online retailers or from local bookstores.
