DEAD AS A DOORNAIL

Dead As A Door Nail

Charlaine Harris Books

As I was drifting off to sleep again, I remembered my New Year’s Eve resolution: I wanted not to get beaten up. Note to self: I should have included “shot”.
Sookie Stackhouse , p. 193

Still haven’t got enough of vampires, werewolves, shape shifters, and faeries? Well you are in luck because we have another good read to fill those cravings. DEAD AS A DOORNAIL is the 5th installment in The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris .

Sookie Stackhouse, the lovable telepath heroine from Bon Temps, Louisiana, is once more thrown into the world of the supernaturals.

Life was not as simple as it was before. Sookie’s world was turned upside down when vampires, werewolves, shape shifters, maenads, dwarves, goblins, witches and other “supes” became an everyday part of her life.

In this book, Sookie’s story started with worrying over her brother, Jason, who was set to change into a were panther. It was the first full moon of the New Year, a time for Jason to change form for the first time. If we would look back on the last book, Jason was kidnapped and was bitten by a were panther. Since he was not born with it, he would not change into a full were panther.

All of Sookie’s worries were unnecessary though since it looks like Jason is enjoying his new form. He also seems to fit well with his new were panther community. Calvin Norris (head of the were panther community in Hotshot and another one of Sookie’s “supe” admirers) has taken Jason under his wing.

Who says that life in a small town can get boring? Try living in Bon Temps. Life in Bon Temps gets more dangerous when a mysterious sniper starts to shoot people. Calvin Norris was shot in the chest but barely managed to survive. Heather Kinman, a nineteen year old clerk was shot dead and Sookie’s own boss, Sam Merlotte, was shot in the leg.

The police and the townsfolk think that these were random shootings but Sookie knows better. All the victims were shape shifters. Now who has a grudge against these “supes”? Jason was instantly suspected by his new “family” as the possible shooter.

Sookie was out to prove that her brother is not the shooter. But that was not the end to Sookie’s long list of problems. Since Sam was recovering from his injury, Merlotte’s needed a temporary bartender/bouncer.

So Sookie grudgingly went to Eric to ask for a favor. Charles Twinning, the new bartender at Fangtasia, was sent to help out. Now here’s the exciting part, the tension between Sookie and Eric Northman, the Viking vampire sheriff, is becoming more pronounced.

Eric still hasn’t got a clue as to what happened when he stayed with Sookie during those days that his memory was erased. Of course, Sookie prefers that he would just drop the topic. Wouldn’t you just love to know if Eric would remember everything, right?

Another problem came in the form of two private investigators who were trying to track down Alcide’s former girlfriend who has gone missing after Alcide abjured her for her treachery. The two investigators tried to get some information from Sookie, but to no avail. Whatever Sookie knows would stay with her and with Eric (although he doesn’t remember).

To further add spice to Sookie’s never ending dilemmas, Alcide Herveaux decided to visit Sookie. If you would remember this is the Were that Sookie felt a strong attraction to when she was in Jackson, Mississippi trying to rescue her wandering ex-vampire boyfriend Bill Compton.

Sookie was thrust into a Were ritual she would never likely to forget, experienced a terrible blow to her heritage, and got hurt again, so that means bye-bye to her New Year’s resolution. What more could happen? Believe me, you haven’t read everything yet.

I have to admit DEAD AS A DOORNAIL was not really that high in my list of favorite reads. But I am not saying that it is not good ok? Sheesh, calm down for a minute there. This 5th installment is a good read but I am not much of a were girl since this one has more Were politics and stuff.

Sorry, but I am more of the vampire kind of gal (hope I don’t anger some were fans there). I am just rooting for the home team…go team vamp! Guilty as charged. I hope I’m not alone on this. Anyway, it’s a good thing there is the element of Sookie and Eric in this book. It kept me hanging on. Hehehe .

I am very happy to see that there is an improvement to this very interesting relationship between Eric and Sookie. I also have to give Sookie a round of applause here. Why? Well, aside from getting hurt yet again and still managed to survive it.

She somehow always gets the good looking “supes” interested in her without even trying. What could be her secret that makes her so noticeable and attractive to these men…err, beings? First her philandering ex-boyfriend Bill who seems to be working his way back into Sookie’s good graces.

Then the handsome Viking vampire boss, Eric Northman, although he was under a spell then but hey there was already chemistry between them when they met. I felt it and I’m sure you have too!

It seems more exciting that a “contest” is on between Eric and Bill. Who gets Sookie?

Adding to Sookie’s roster of admirers is Calvin Norris, head were panther and then there’s Alcide Herveaux, the gentle Were from Jackson, Mississippi. The list just keeps getting longer as the series progresses. Finally to sum it up (for this book only) is the mysterious Quinn. If he will be a definite part of Sookie’s love life, we’ll just have to see.

Admit it, you are becoming so hooked into this series as I and thousands of other fans are. Well who wouldn’t be? Charlaine Harris never fails to delight her fans. It seems that The Southern Vampire Mysteries has it all.

If you’re looking for mystery, humour, action, suspense, an occasional drama and a budding love story, you don’t have to look very far. Charlaine Harris novels have it all wrapped up in a delightful tale of humans, the undead and the “supes”. Which reminds me, have you picked which “man” you are cheering for?