Sookie Stackhouse, the lovable telepathic waitress from Bon Temps, Louisiana is having relationship problems. Her vampire boyfriend Bill is lately very detached, inattentive and neglectful. So when he tells Sookie that he’s going away on a business trip to Seattle she knows he’s lying. She’s just not sure why.

Before he leaves he shows her where he’s hidden some of the computer files he’s been working on; all part of a secret project for the vampire queen of Louisiana.

Eric, the vampire head of the area where Sookie lives gives her some bad news: Bill has been summoned to Jackson, Mississippi by his master and ex-girlfriend, a female vampire named Lorena. He further tells Sookie that while in Jackson, Lorena betrayed Bill which resulted in Bill getting kidnapped. Eric can’t go searching for Bill in Mississippi since it’s outside his jurisdiction so he asks Sookie for assistance. Sookie, although hurt, agrees to Eric’s plans, thinking that she’ll deal with Bill’s cheating butt once he’s back home in Bon Temps.

Eric asks Sookie to start by visiting Club Dead, a local hangout for the supernatural community in Jackson. Eric wants Sookie to read the minds of the humans there in order to find out where Bill is being held. To protect her Eric arranges for her to team up with Bubba (a famous singer now turned vampire) and Alcide, a handsome werewolf living in the Jackson area.

In Club Dead Alcide represents a potential love interest for Sookie. The more Sookie gets to know him the more she likes what she sees. Alcide, unlike Bill, can go out with her during the day. Touching Alcide is like touching another warm-blooded human being. She can have dinner with Alcide and actually watch him injest real food.

But of course, there’s a hitch – isn’t there always? Alcide has an extremely, somewhat crazy ex-girlfriend who doesn’t appreciate Sookie spending time with Alcide. And she’s not above using physical force to get Sookie to back off.

So, Sookie’s got a psychotic ex-girlfriend on her trail, she’s got to locate and infiltrate the compound where Bill is being held, she’s got to decide where her relationship with Alcide is going, and oh, she’s got to kick Lorena’s butt for luring Bill into a trap which resulted in his abduction. This girl’s life is never easy!

This is the third installment in the Southern Vampire Mystery fantasy book series by Charlaine Harris. This book has a bit of everything: adventure, romance, suspense, betrayal, and of course, humor. Club Dead is perfect for fantasy book readers who like their vampire fiction fast-paced and full of action; it will surely appeal to both paranormal romance and urban fantasy fans alike.

NOTE: Club Dead was originally published in paperback but a large print edition was published in 2005. A special edition hardcover version of the book is slated for publication in 2010. The paperback version of Club Dead is available from online retailers in print and ebook format.

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See also: Sookie Stackhouse Book 4 - Dead To The World