Dead to the World

"Dead to the World" is the fourth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series by novelist Charlaine Harris. After returning home from her mission of saving now ex-boyfriend Bill from his crazy vampire maker, Sookie is back at work in Merlotte's for New Year's Eve. On her way home from a busy evening at work, she spots Eric Northman, Bill's boss and Sheriff of Area 5 in the vampire business, running naked across the road. She stops to pick him up, since they are friends, and realizes that he is not his usual self. It soon becomes apparent that a witch has placed a curse on Eric, impairing his memory so that he has no recollection of who he is. Sookie takes Eric back to her house and calls Pam, Eric's co-worker to explain to her the situation. Pam travels to Bon Temps, and proceeds to ask Sookie if she can hide Eric at her place for awhile, since the witches would never find him there. After Sookie's brother, Jason makes a $35,000 deal with the vampires; Sookie reluctantly agrees to watch over Eric. Little did she know that this version of Eric would surprise her and she would find herself falling for him.

As I continue reading through the series, each book becomes my new favorite. I like this installment particularly because I love the character that Eric becomes while in his amnesia state. While under the curse, Eric becomes a sweet, gentle, and caring vampire, as opposed to the power hungry, womanizer that Eric is known for. Although Sookie is not ready for a new relationship, I am pleased to learn of how close she and Eric get in "Dead to the World". Aside from Sookie and Eric's blossoming relationship, the fourth book of the series reveals many new characters in the supernatural world. "Dead to the World" is packed with detailed information, and the storyline becomes so bizarre that it is nearly impossible to stop reading once you've started.

Club Dead

The third installment of Harris' Southern Vampire mysteries, titled "Club Dead" takes a different turn on Bill and Sookie's relationship. Bill has been spending the majority of his time working on his computer and compiling a directory of all the vampires he has met or encountered. His project is top secret, and as a result, he inadvertently pushes Sookie away. While out on business, Bill is kidnapped by another vampire. Now it is Sookie's job to rescue Bill, as he had rescued her so many times in the past. Eric has paired Sookie up with a Alcide Herveaux, a werewolf, to aid in Bill's rescue. During the rescue mission, Sookie finds out that Bill has lied and betrayed her, and was planning to run away with his former vampire lover, Lorena. Sookie is crushed, but decides that she must still rescue him. However, it is not surprising that after learning of Bill's scheme to leave her, she finds herself attracted to Alcide. Alcide's feelings are definitely mutual, but unfortunately he still has some baggage with his ex girlfriend, Debbie Pelt.

Alcide takes Sookie to a vampire bar in Mississippi, called Club Dead, where she reads the minds of the humans there and tracks down where Bill is being kept. After much planning, a few deaths and many injuries along the way, Sookie comes to Bill's rescue (and kills his lover, Lorena). Although she cares enough for Bill to save him, she proceeds to end their courtship.

Club Dead is my favorite book in the series thus far. A few new characters are introduced, and with each book the plot thickens. I do not care for Bill's character that much, so I was happy to learn that Sookie has ended the relationship. With so many other men pursuing Sookie Stackhouse, I am excited to see who and what the fourth book brings.

Living Dead in Dallas

The second installment in Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series is titled "Living Dead in Dallas". After beginning a courtship with Vampire Bill Compton, bar maid Sookie Stackhouse finds herself in the middle of some serious vampire business. At the request of Bill's boss, Eric, Sookie and Bill venture to Dallas where Sookie is expected to use her telepathic powers to help find a missing vampire. She soon discovers the vampire is being held at an anti-vampire church called the Fellowship of the Sun. While posing as a young couple interested in the church, Sookie and one of Eric's fellow workers are captured by the Fellowship and held in the basement of the church. Sookie soon finds out that Eric's worker is a trader working for the Fellowship. With the help from a vampire named Godfrey, and a shape-shifter named Luna, Sookie manages to escape the Fellowship and returns to tell the vampires what has happened to her, which results in a massive slaughter of the Fellowship and the church.

Upon their return home, Sookie distances herself from Bill, feeling overwhelmed with all the drama and injuries her new relationship has brought to her normally low-key lifestyle.

I think Harris does an excellent job in her portrayal of a supernatural world. Her novels are mysterious and addictive. Each page will keep you on the edge of your seat, and once you begin reading her series, it is nearly impossible to stop.

Dead Until Dark

Author Charlaine Harris is most famous for her Southern Vampire novels, The Sookie Stackhouse series. The first book in the serious, "Dead Until Dark" introduces the main characters and provides an overview of the strange and twisted world in which main character, Sookie Stackhouse lives.

Stackhouse leads a fairly normal life, working as a bar maid at the local Merlott's bar in Bon Temps, Louisiana. However, Sookie has a unique quality that separates her from having a normal life-she's a telepath. Distraught from the constant noise of other's thoughts in her brain, she had decided that dating just wasn't in the cards for her-Until she met Vampire Bill Compton. Sookie discovered that she couldn't read the thoughts of vampires, and this was a huge relief to her.

Sookie and Bill begin dating, and in no time are head over heels for each other. Things start to go awry for the couple when a series of murders starts happening throughout the small town, and Sookie's brother, Jason Stackhouse is considered a suspect. Sookie attempts to clear Jason's name by reading the mind's of everyone in town, and finally Bill takes Sookie to the popular vampire bar called Fangtasia to read the mind's of some of the humans there to further her investigation. While at Fangtasia, the couple runs into another dilemma. Bill's vampire boss and owner of Fangtasia, Eric Northman takes an interest in Sookie when he learns of her unique ability. Eric insists Sookie must use her powers to help in the investigation of an embezzlement that has taken place in Fangstasia. Sookie reluctantly agrees, and discovers the embezzler to be a fellow vampire who is killed after trying to attack Sookie.

The first book of the series comes to an end as the Bon Temps killer is revealed to be the boyfriend of Sookie's co-worker, Arlene. Jason is off the hook and peace is returned to the small town.