Definitely Dead (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood - Book 6)

The Sookie Stackhouse series does it again. In the sixth book in the series I notice a theme starting that I just try to push through. I know it's necessary to the story and other readers who may not have started the series from the beginning but for me going over everything again and again is just getting tedious. It still hasn't stopped me from picking up book 7 and probably more after that.

Sookie starts dating Quinn the Were tiger from the previous novel. She goes to New Orleans to clean out her cousin, Hadley's house. Hadley was a vampire who was the lover of Queen of Louisianan's. Sookie discovers that the Queen needs her more than ever.

In this novel we also learn something about Bill and Sookie's relationship. Poor Sookie, just another day in the life of a telepath.

I still like these books no matter how much information they repeat.

Sookie Stackhouse is back in the sixth installment in the Southern Vampire series. Sookie's cousin Hadley, the sweetheart of the vampire queen of Louisiana, died unexpectedly six weeks ago. Or died again, since Hadley was a vampire, too. Sookie heads for New Orleans to clean out Hadley's apartment. And while cleaning out the apartment of a dead relative might be mundane for some, Sookie's trip turns into an adventure.

Sookie and the sexy were-tiger Quinn are an official item by the end of this novel, and both become accidentally entangled with the Vampire Queen's politically motivated marriage to the Vampire King of Arkansas. Sookie will have to battle forces larger than herself to save the day!

Charlaine Harris' series is so cute. I am especially looking forward to Allan Ball's series based on her books. Sookie and the gang may seem a little run-of-the-mill to readers who are used to the action-intense Laurell K. Hamilton or Kim Harrison novels, but the characters are Harris' strength. Her characters are completely endearing and her plot lines are credible. Even though this is a fantasy novel, Harris keeps her story rooted in reality as much as possible. It is just one of the great things about her books.

I highly recommend this book and entire series.

Sookie Stackhouse just can't seem to stay out of trouble. Even a simple task of cleaning out a cousins home after she dies is made into a fiasco with Sookie. When Sookie gets to her cousin's place she was renting she learns that a witch lives in the apartment below her cousin Hadley. The witch did Sookie a favor by sealing the apartment up so nothing would start to smell or get that closed up smell. Little did Sookie know that when she opened Hadley's apartment door and undid that spell, she would regret it. She finds a dead man in the closet...only she soon finds that he is NOT dead. He was a Were, but when he died Hadley seems to have turned him into a vampire, one that is new and can't control his waking hunger. Therefore, Sookie is soon on the menu. She survives but soon the new vampire is the least of her worries, when she finds out that her relationship with Bill, her ex-lover vampire, was nothing but a set up and a sham. She is devastated but moves on to take her place at the meeting she is required to be at of the queen vampire's. The queen has married and not for love, for ruling and power. The new husband is quite okay with this arrangement, but would much rather have the new power all to himself and sets up a plan to make this so. Well, Sookie helps break his plans, but not before she has much adventure and mayhem with her new boyfriend Quinn (the tiger shape shifter) by her side.

I rather liked this book for it's easy read and quick moving plot. I didn't find it to be the best of the series so far, but I still enjoyed reading it as a continuation of Sookie's life and all the drama and hard times that seem to find her. I really like Quinn and think Sookie is making a very good choice by looking into the prospect of becoming his girlfriend. Who wouldn't want a man that turns into a tiger? I never liked Bill and this book sealed that deal for me when I found out what he did to Sookie. I liked the witch characters that were more a part of this book too. I think they add something to the book. I found the Hadley angle a bit confusing at first though because I didn't remember her being introduced anywhere at all. Eventually it all came to make sense to me, but it was a bit of a setback as far as how I liked the book. Being confused for the first part of it I feel I may have missed some other things because I was so focused on worrying why I was so confused by the Hadley murder.

3 /4 Stars!

Jason's girlfriend also a werepanther has a miscarriage but doesn't want anyone to know, Sookie has her first date with her not and sexy weretiger and they have a great time until they get jumped by some newly made werewolves and Quinn is not very happy, Sookie long lost cousin Hadley is killed by another vampire in New Orleans,(Hadley just happens to be the vampire queen's girlfriend), Hadley leaves everything to Sookie so she goes to clean out the place and settle her estate and gets more than she bargains for, some is still trying to kill her, Hadley stole something belonging to the queen and she invited to a party the vampire queen and her new husband is throwing and all hell breaks out she barely get out alive.

This is my favorite Sookie book to date. And why is that -- no brooding Bill and annoying Eric. After the previous five books, that was starting to get on my nerves, I liked how book number six has taken a slightly different path with a flavor of other characters added in.

Now if you are keeping score between the television show and the books, book six and season three are almost on the same path. The books help you with what isn't mentioned on the show, but .... the show has tweaked the storylines to the point that they only "kinda-sort-of" reflect the books. Individually, they are, and good, but when you are trying to do both, you find yourself getting angry and frustrated. Characters that are alive and well in one, have been killed off in the other and vice versa. Main storylines in the books are curiously adapted into another directions with creative license is alive and well, when it comes to this series.

Back to this book, Sookie is at her deceased cousin Hailey's house to clean out her belongings when the spell that Amelia the landlord and resident witch, had put on the home wears off and an ominous odor takes over. That could only mean one thing here - there is a dead body and dead bodies have a way of leading to bad things when Sookie is involved.

This is the book where you learn a little bit more about the King and Queen of Louisiana and the evil doings that each are involved in. The Debbie Pelt thing is all tied up, Claudine has a major part and Quinn is turning into a character that I am truly enjoying. If you didn't like Bill prior to this book, you are really going to despise him now. A major revelation as to why he came to Bon Temps in the first place is revealed. This is most definitely a game changer. We also find out why Sookie is so special. Why vampires are drawn to her and why mortal men are distant? I just loved this book. Ties up many loose ends and leaves enough strings dangling that you cannot help but to look forward to the next.

This book seems to be a dividing line for many followers of the series, I for one, loved it, thought it was the best by far, others readers not so much. I suggest that you start at the beginning and form you own opinion without watching the television series first. That would be a disappointment.

The rumors that this is the last book are just that.....rumors. Ms. Harris is under contract for one more book in the Southern Vampire Series and is negotiating a new contract to continue this delightful story of a not-so-normal human and the supernatural world around her. The fact that Alan Ball(Six Feet Under) and HBO have optioned the books for a television series (production in early 2007)should only help her negotiations.

In the sixth book of the series, we find Sookie and her telepathic gift finally coming "out of the closet" so to speak when she helps find her co-worker's missing child. She is then drawn further into Vampire politics with a visit to pre-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans to meet the Queen of Louisiana and settle her cousin Hadley's estate. Further interactions with werewolves and shifters come as a result of Sookie's past and there is a terrific new dating possibility...Quinn, a weretiger of some importance in the society of the two-natured.

Charlaine Harris continues to fascinate us with this little corner of Louisiana. Her craft is such to make us truly care what happens to her characters. Just hop on over to her website and read how much her fans enjoy discussing characters and plots.

I've come to love and, well that's too harsh, like Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series. Her books are too up and down for me, starting with the first in the series. I read the first and didn't like the style of writing at all. I was so turned off of the almost paranormal romance, that I told myself I wouldn't read anymore from Harris. Then along came True Blood and the series was revived and my imagination picked up and I wanted to read more. I bought the rest of the series. The next 4 leading up to Definitely Dead were, for the most part, great books in the series (with the sole exception being Club Dead) and I'd come to respect the series. Definitely Dead was definitely missing something and it wasn't till the end of the book that it picked up enough to buoy the book from a dismal outing.

Right from the beginning the writing seemed so loose and flighty, nothing substantial at all. The characters seemed like they were going through the motions and the plot was just there, was nothing more than a string of events. There were some interesting moments, but for the most part I was a little bored. What kept me reading was that the writing was fast paced, even though nothing really was going on, so you could always get to the next scene really fast.

Luckily for Harris the book culminated in New Orleans and a whole slew of stuff happened that piqued my interest and injected life into the paranormal fiction, now making me look forward to the next book. You meet the Queen of Louisiana and her husband, the King of Arkansas, along with their retinue of thousand year old vampires. You kind of see Quinn in action, always behind the scenes in his were form, and more is hinted at about Sookie's supernatural ancestry. All in all the last quarter of the book breathed life into an otherwise uninteresting book. I would recommend only for those devoted fans to the series, both paper and television, and I would certainly still recommend the series.

3.5 stars.

This book is excellent - filled with characters that you can only love. This is the sixth book in this series though, and won't make any sense unless you've read those first.

I think characterisation is what raises this book above others of its type (and if you're into fantasy there are more than enough of these types of vampire books floating around at the moment.) Sookie is smart and tough without being rude and annoying (see Undead and Unwed for an example of smart and tough going horribly wrong).

Her boyfriends are three-dimensional and fun to read about. The problems she gets herself into and extracts herself from are interesting and unusual. She also seems to have morals, which is unusual in a book of this type.

So all in all, a fun way to spend an afternoon. I wish it tied up all the loose ends, but you have to give the author some credit - she wants to write a couple more sequels after all.

As an aside, I also like the way there is actually a reason for all those guys going crazy for her - most books just explain it away the otherwise ordinary person's extraordinary charm. Sookie, as it turns out, is descended from a fairy, and thus has got the whole glamour thing going. Hey - it's a heck of a lot better than inexplicable sexual magnetism.

I started reading this series when it first came out, and stopped (because of sheer volume of reading material at hand).

A friend gave me this book the other day, knowing I had read some of the earlier books. First off, let me state, if you haven't read at least 2 or 3 of the earlier books, you will be LOST in this book. However, if you do have the basics of what's happened in the past, then...

this book is just great. Fast paced, characters that grab at you, from first scene to last. Sookie is one of the most sympathetic series leads I've ever read, and she continues to be so. She's no superwoman, yet she holds her own amongst the monsters. This plot is very complex, and there's so much going on, that the book keeps you from page one.

IF YOU'VE READ OTHER SOOKIE BOOKS this is a great summer read.

(*)>

If you managed to get through Club Dead without hate in your heart for Bill Compton, this book is designed to remedy that. Yes, yes, there is a lot going on in this sixth installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series, but I will always think of it as the book where Bill became dead to me. (I'll come back to this later.)

Definitely Dead covers a lot of ground. In fact, the first half and the second half felt like they could have been two separate (albeit short) books. The first half doesn't have much of a unifying theme, except that Sookie's life is in transition. The big were-tiger Quinn is in Bon Temps, to pursue a relationship with her. They go out on a date and get attacked by weres. We find out Alcide is moving on with a sweet were woman named Maria-Star. Jason's girlfriend Crystal miscarries her baby. And a whole bunch of other stuf... But the book starts to come together when Sookie is summoned to New Orleans by the Vampire Queen of Louisiana to put her dead cousin Hadley's affairs in order. While there, she befriends a witch named Amelia, gets closer to Quinn, faces grave danger and becomes embroiled in vampire politics at the highest level.

But as many events as we're seeing happen throughout the course of this book (and believe it or not, I left some out!)... the interpersonal relationships are what have stuck with me now that it's over. I'm still sad and disappointed over Alcide. Though his part in the book is small, you feel the end of the possibility of a relationship between him and Sookie. I feel big warm and fuzzies for Quinn. I know not everyone likes him (and his overuse of the word "babe" can't be ignored,) but he is charming and strong... and most importantly, he is good to Sookie. Being a good guy comes naturally to him. There's not much of Eric here, though he is always a treat when he's around...

And then there is Bill. Here we find out the true depths of his deceptions in his relationship with Sookie. Yes, he hurt her with his indiscretions with Lorena. But over the course of the last two books, Sookie was beginning to forgive him and, perhaps, see him as a friend. And then the truth came out. As many tough knocks as Sookie has taken in these books, none have hurt worse than this one. The foundation of her self-worth is badly shaken. And to me, any chance Bill had for a future with her is gone forever. I hope he chokes on a sunshine sandwich. 4 stars.

P.S. If the introduction of Hadley's death leaves you feeling like you missed something, then you probably didn't read "One Word Answer." It's a short story that details Mr. Cataliades' visit to Bon Temps to inform Sookie of Hadley's death and the circumstances surrounding it. It was originally released as part of the Bite anthology and was re-released in A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse: The Complete Stories).

Sookie Stackhouse hasn't exactly been in relationship heaven lately. Her romance will Bill the Vampire is over. And Eric, the local head Vampire can' t get it through his head that a short fling is not love forever. And Alcide Hervaux, once the werewolf of her dreams was now dating someone else. So when Quinn the weretiger showed up and talked her into a date Sookie was glad of the opportunity. But Quinn and Sookie's date is interrupted by a surprise attack by rogue werewolves, and that just begins the trouble that's coming.

A psychotic family seeks the fate of their missing daughter. A new girl shows up at Sam Merlotte's bar. And a minister lectures Sookie on the sins of dating vampires. But Sookie is a telepath, and dating humans is hopeless. Vampires cannot be read, and weres are murky at best. For Sookie, supers are her best mates, regardless of what normal folk think. And one has to admit that dating the dead can be a lot more exciting than popcorn and a drive-in flick.

Perhaps, too exciting. Sookie's cousin Hadley meets a sudden ending and Sookie must go to New Orleans to take care of her estate. Hadley, was a vampire, a consort to the vampire queen of Louisiana, and the Queen commands Sookies presence and help in recovering a diamond bracelet before it's disappearance triggers a vampire war. Sookie sets to work with more than her share of deadly moments.

This is my one and only vampire 'romance' series. I don't like gush and throb stories, nor hours of kinky sex with occasional bits of plot. Charlaine Harris has managed to skirt the thin line by making Sookie a tough but endearing character who cares for her friends, likes a good looking man (or wolf or tiger) but doesn't tolerate guff from her opponents. And Harris understands that the sexy bits are only OK if there is a story worth reading underneath it all. If your looking for a wry southern vampire series with a solid cast start reading about Sookie Stackhouse.

I think this marks the end of my experience with the Sookie Stackhouse series. If I was disappointed with Dead as a Doornail, I am positively annoyed with Definitely Dead. This little book literally took me an entire month to read because I could only handle little spurts of it before my mind would wander, my eyelids would droop and I would completely loose interest. Hear me when I say that nothing, absolutely nothing exciting happens in this book. It's about 20 pages of plot and 300 pages of filler. In place of character development, Harris adds about 50 more forgettable characters to the scene that, I repeat, add NOTHING to the story and serve only to make a bland story read like a phone book. Ugh...pass..

In this, the sixth volume of the SOUTHERN VAMPIRE series (the basis for TRUE BLOOD) it is a few weeks after the events of DEAD AS A DOORNAIL and the short story 'ONE WORD ANSWER'.

Questions are still being asked about the mysterious disappearance of Debbie Pelt, the sometimes girlfriend of the Werewolf Alcide, including Debbie's parents. Unfortunately Sookie knew quite a bit about what had happened to Debbie but really did not want to share that information with anyone. When the opportunity to leave town, even if it was for the sad task of settling her dead cousin Hadley's estate and a frightening summons to the Vampire Queen's court Sookie was more than ready for a little time away from Bon Temps. Too bad she would have to cancel her second date with her latest suitor, Quinn, the weretiger.

Once Sookie arrived in New Orleans she found that her problems followed her and met up with a few left behind by her cousin Hadley. By the last pages of the book Sookie has managed to return order, well order of a sort, into her life. Who knows though what new challenges were waiting for her in Bon Temps?

Although this series is the basis for HBO's TRUE BLOOD there are significant differences between the two versions so it is not possible to switch seamlessly between the two. There is a very strong overall story arc to this series, apparently Harris has outlined at least some of the subplots in advance. Plot elements that are seeming dead ends in one novel are returned to in later stories. For maximum enjoyment begin with DEAD UNTIL DARK and proceed in order (including the short stories). Sookie's charming take on her ever expanding universe deserves to be savored to the fullest.

As mentioned by other reviewers, it is helpful to read the short story "One Word Answer" before this book. The plot of Definitely Dead can be summed up very simply, since not much happens of note. Sookie is attacked by weres before she must go clean out her dead cousin's apartment, then is attacked again while at the apartment cleaning. As the cover suggests, Quinn plays a pretty big role in this story. I wasn't impressed. He is pretty horny, that seems to be about all the depth there is to his character. We learn a bit of history about Bill, and a little shocker about Sookie as well. There was a bit of action toward the end of the story that was exciting, other than that it was pretty dull. The story opens with some news about Jason and Crystal and we get minimal follow up. As to who the weres are that are attacking Sookie, we find out in a sentence or two a few pages from the end of the book. Personally, I like my mysteries to be more drawn out with hints and clues, instead of the main character just stumbling upon answers, or having a lightbulb go off a few pages before the ending. My interest in the characters and my hope that the no nonsense tough Sookie from earlier books will be back keeps me going in this series.

This is the dullest, most disappointing book in the series (so far). I knew about "One Word Answer" and read it first. So what? While the audience should have been a little more informed through a prologue or something, the whole story wasn't necessary for reading the book. All it does is introduce Cataliades and the fact that Hadley had been Sookie's cousin and murdered because of some unknown scheme. It wasn't a great, or even interesting piece, and seemed more like a backstory exercise than something that was fit to publish. It also introduced that annoying, cryptic thread that ran through "Definitely Dead".

One of the reasons I like the Stackhouse series is that the tone is direct and moves at a decent clip. There isn't time to make the reader play guessing games and so it doesn't. Both the short story and this book deviate from that completely. I guess it's because that tired theme of royal sabotage dictates at least some of the Colonel-Mustard-in-the-parlor-with-the-candlestick shtick; but being that Charlaine's chosen P.O.V. for this series is Sookie's, it annoyed me that Soookie wasn't telling the reader about her brilliant hunches and instead threw in cryptic "I have to go do something" and "My bag was heavier when I left the ladies' room" comments that had me turning the pages back to see if I'd missed something. (That was possible, as I found the many of the descriptions so tedious that I did some very uncharacteristic skimming - mostly to get through the swamp scene, along with hiding behind the pillar, jumping the fence, etc.) But I hadn't missed anything, according to the big "Scooby-Doo"-style explanation at the end.

I found the missing child thing to be fitting for this point in the series. Sookie still lives in the same town with the same people, who seem to like her less every day, and she needed to endear herself to them in some small way. It maintains a sort of connection to her home and its people despite the melodrama of the actual event.

What I didn't like:
1) Quinn always calling Sookie "Babe", ending up naked so often,(We understand he has a great body and "Little Quinn" is actually pretty big, but enough is enough!)
2) Quinn's two dimensions - is it just me or does he come off as flat? All he seems to do is look at Sookie with longing, comment on her body, try protecting her from something, or be upset that he didn't protect her. Where's the tiger who handled the Packmaster challenge??
3) Eric outing Bill's betrayal - I say this only because it alienated a beloved main character and makes most readers feel betrayed by the author since she waited this long to even hint at that, let alone drop it in their face. Eric comes off as a shallow, gossipy human and Bill...well, I hope this issue will take the series somewhere good because only that will make this worth it. I was not surprised by the revelation. I still like Bill; he has demonstrated over and over that he is 100% vamp and will do whatever he is ordered to do. He is/was clearly torn, but his obligation is to his kind, no matter what he feels for Sookie.
4) The fairy blood - unless it will be relevant later, it should have been left out completely. Totally extraneous and over the top.
5) Sookie is always making out with the men and judging the women. Yes, she is a young, busty, pretty blond. She's allowed to have fun. We get it. But we also get how wholesome her upbringing supposedly was and while she's practically doing all the male supes she knows more than as mere acquaintances, she gets all self-righteous about the other female characters.
6) Every male character seems to want Sookie. I think the fairy blood thing was inserted into the story to address that complaint. It just doesn't work for me. It's lazy writing and assumes males and females can only really have one type of relationship. Charlaine could take some hints from Ilona Andrews, who does a great job with the male-female relationships and keeps it interesting.

Bottom line: it's not too good. But everyone is off her game sometimes, and this was Charlaine's turn. Hopefully she was back on it for the next book.

I am enjoying this book, and am about 3/4 through it, as I write this review. Harris' writing continues in the clever, witty style begun in earlier books of the series, which imo has gotten even better in this book. (Ms. Harris must have her own "word of the day" calendar, love the vocabulary). Written from the first-person perspective of Sookie, the protagonist of these pleasantly outrageous stories, the reader easily can get totally into her head. Thus, ironically, Harris makes us telepathic, at least as far as gleaning Sookie's feelings, thoughts, and dreams.

I was glad to get the tip, from other reviewers on the store, to read the short story "One Word Answer" before starting this book. I found it in Laurell K. Hamilton's anthology titled "Bite," which is available from the store. If I hadn't first read that story, I would have thought I had chosen "Definitely Dead" out of sequence. Still, as long as you go into this book being aware of the missing story about Sookie's cousin Hadley, you can figure out what happened from references to the back story that are contained in "Definitely Dead."

More about the writing. The vivid depiction of the ectoplasmic reconstruction most certainly exceeds, in quality of delivery, what could be accomplished even in Blu-Ray! (Don't know if it's been tried by "True Blood," as I haven't seen the most recent season.) Definitely attests to the brilliance of this author.

I plan to continue reading the "Sookie books," as I've come to call them, until the last word of the last page of the last book! And I'm sure I'll still want more...

Still reeling after the events of Dead as a Doornail, Sookee Stackhouse yearns for a return to relative normalcy. Unfortunately, the telepathic waitress lives in a complicated world, one that includes vampires,were-creatures, witches, and fairies. She also must cope with past events, such as her cousin Hadley's recent death. Besides her possessions, Hadley's apartment, magically sealed since her death, contains clues that might help solve her murder, clues which, once uncovered, could lead to the downfall of one of the most powerful vampires in the region. Aided and abetted by a bevy of magical creatures, Sookee, Hadley's sole heir, seeks answers, even as she tries to evade those who wish to kill her to prevent the truth from being revealed.

The sixth book in Harris' successful "Dead" series finds Harris at the top of her game--she's one of the rare authors who understands the close relationship between humor and horror, and of the rarer writers who can effectively exploit that oxymoronic dichotomy. Although Harris takes her time in getting to the real meat of her story, it's time pleasantly spent, as Sookee interacts with the colorful denizens of her strange world. Once the mayhem begins, however, readers will only put the book down with great reluctance--like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, a character with whom Sookee shares many characteristics, Harris' heroine easily captures both the hearts and minds of her audience. Note to readers: be on the lookout for Harris' nod to her favorite novel, The Three Musketeers.

In this, the sixth novel in Harris's series about telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse set in Bon Temps, LA, we start out with a few disjointed subplots about Sookie's relatives and neighbors. She uses her contacts to help Jason's werepanther girlfriend, who has miscarried, and her talents to help find a missing child. But then she's off to New Orleans to settle the estate of her cousin, a newly re-dead vampire who was the lover of the queen of Louisiana. Sookie must go through the apartment, claiming or discarding her cousin's things. She meets a nice witch (her cousin's landlady) and tries to continue her relationship with Quinn, even as the queen involves her in dastardly deeds.

It was kind of nice to get out of Bon Temps, but I agree with other reviewers who thought the story of her cousin's death was awkwardly presented (apparently there's a short story out there that explains the incident), and the Bon Temps story lines were disjointed and then left hanging -- waiting for the next book presumably.

While I still enjoy the adventures of Sookie, I felt a little ill used as a reader. Also, one of the "love" scenes with Quinn was pretty tacky as well. Not one of my favorites in the series, but the ongoing stories seem promising and I like the new character of Amelia, a friendly witch. Personally I'm glad Bill plays less of a role in these later books, but I'd like to see more of Eric. And ultimately I did miss the Bon Temps folks. Just not the same without Arlene and Andy and the gang.

I have hopes for the next instalment!

I am a huge fan of the Southern Vampire series. I love Sookie as a character and the supporting cast is faboo.

The beginning of the book was mostly set-up, which was fine. We get a bit of some of the old characters and get to start knowing Quinn a bit.

Then, we move on to Sookie going to settle the business with her cousin's estate. I can honestly say that this plot point bothered me more than anything else. I have read all of the books, but had not read the short story that this plot point referred back to. It made it a bit difficult to follow what was going on as I felt I was missing information. I will now try to track down the short story so I have all the info.

There is one major revelation in the book (which made me hate Bill all the more...I used to love him...now I want to throttle him) There is also a resolution to the Debbie Pelt line (at least for now) Plus, they opened some new plot lines with the Fellowship and some of Sookie's friends and acquaintences. I won't be surprised if the next book has a big plotline involving the Fellowship.

As for Quinn, I love him. Yes, he isn't fully developed, but so far so good. He is so much like Ranger (from the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series), even so much that he calls Sookie "babe".

I wish there was more Eric in the book (I LOVE ERIC), but I can cope. I look forward to seeing his interaction with Sookie and Quinn.

Overall good book and a must read for Sookie Stackhouse fans.

This one was a little disappointing because there is a backstory in a collection of short stories so it was confusing without that book. I have the boxed set and when you buy a boxed set the story should flow uninterrupted. So that is the worst part of the book. Because of that this book took longer to read than the others I just kept feeling a disconnect from the story because of missing out on the backstory. There was some big secrets revealed in this book that will be interesting to see play out .But because of the whole backstory missing this was not my favorite of this series.

If your reading this series I would recommend you find the book A Touch of Dead which should be Book 5 ½.
My score is actually 2 1/2 Stars

better?...For the life of me I can't figure out why these books are so popular. I started watching the show "True Blood" on HBO and thought holy cow I have to read the books because I can't possibly wait to see what happens. After borrowing the entire series from a friend I started reading and was dumbfounded! The writing and story flow is/was awkward. I have to admit after book four they have gotten better, but I still can't bring myself to rate this series above a three star. I will finish the series only because I am crazy about Eric. I am a avid reader (not a book a week like some "avid" readers claim, but a true a book a day or every other day reader). There was a part in this book that just absolutely blew my mind, which doesn't happen often because I've seen it all. Sookie finally gets face to face with Debbie Pelts parents and explained to them why and how she killed their daughter, and all they say is "That sounds like her". What the....? I have never seen a story line that has been the highlight of two novels dropped and was over with so fast. Am I the only person on the planet who just doesn't get it?

Oh, this sixth book in the series was another good read! It was just a lot of fun! And though reluctant about Quin at first, this character grew on me a bit over the course of the novel. Still, the more Sookie encounters Eric, the more I want her to end up with him! Dead To The World (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood, Book 4) has been my favorite book in the series, hands down, so far! And though I will also always love Sam... Well, Harris a real skill with offering Sookie (and the readers!) plenty of opportunities to speculate about Sookie's romantic future. This fast-paced series is super enjoyable to read, and certainly keeps you wondering where it is going! I am already looking forward to the seventh book!

like many other fans of the series, the increasing male supernatural characters getting lathered up for Sookie in previous books was getting a bit odd and off putting. Finally, in book six, we learn there may be a supernatural reason for their lust-though I will not blow it for you. Needless to say, it was a quirky new addition to the Southern Vampire world built by Ms. Harris.

Overall, I really enjoyed book 6, though it did have as many flaws as perfections. Like other reviewers, my biggest complaint was the sudden introduction of Sookie's cousin Hadley storyline. The story was introduced like such a "given" that I wondered if I had somehow missed it in a previous book. It seems like it was actually introduced in a short story, so I have to knock off half a star for thoroughly confusing this reader. Bad Charlaine! LOL
But there was enough supernatural action, laughs, drama, and Southern sexiness to satisfy this reader.
4.5 stars-recommended!

Did I miss something? When I started reading this book I couldn't help but wonder if I skipped one in the series somewhere. It brings up backstory and characters the author writes like we should know already, but I'd never heard much of Hadley except she was the troublemaker cousin who fell off the map. Now in this story Sookie seems to have already met her dead cousin's friends, solved some mystery of her murder, and knows so much about the queen and her gang that I felt like I missed a HUGE chunk of story somewhere.

And while I like that Sookie has something going with a were-tiger, I just can't picture an attractive, huge, bald, olive-skinned guy. I just see a tan Mr. Clean. And when Quinn was biting Sookie with his tiger teeth to get the tape off her wrists wouldn't that have infected her?

I just don't know what happened to this book in the series...did Harris bring in a guest writer or something? I'll still get the next one because I still want to know what happens with Sookie and the gang, but I was disappointed in this installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series.

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress and telepath. Her love life is a mess, people are being murdered in her yard and Sookie has to go to New Orleans as she has inherited her Cousin Hadley's estate. This isn't easy as Hadley was consort to the vampire Queen of New Orleans and not everyone wants her there.

I love this series. DEFINITELY DEAD, to me, was a really good story, and one that let Sookie grow and mature. The humor was there, as was the tension and suspense. But in this book, Sookie experienced emotional hurt and passion, both of I believed and felt. I did feel I was missing some information and learned some of the characters had been introduced in a short story. Even so, it didn't take away from the books strengths. The bigger problem for me is that I have to wait another year for the next book. For those who are fans of this genre, I highly recommend it, but start with the first book and read them in order.

As usual there's some humor here starting with the opening of Sookie helping Claude get a portfolio of glamour photos for romance covers--his definite lack of social skills makes the scene funny. Then there's a powerful young friendly witch Hadley's (Sookie's definitely dead cousin) landlady and the stasis spell and what happens to Bob (another witch). Amelia (the witch) with three others does an Ectoplastic reconstruction which goes well. Although she's very powerful she sometimes lacks the foresight and control that could be desired. And there's Felecia the new bar tender at fangtasia who is sent down to see Sookie and ask that she not kill her--Pam having fun, and the bar patrons are amused and amazed.

There are several plots intertwined nicely including the Pelts, Quinn and his interest in Sookie (which is returned) and their several eventful dates, and Sookie's increasing involvement with the Queen of Louisiana as well as a real apocalyptical breakup fight (the lion is kind of amusing as well).

Nicely written with good characters and some romance, but nothing erotic. Overall a very good read with a few plot inconsistencies (Debbie Pelt is a were Lynx in the previous book but now she's a were fox).

** spoiler alert ** It was okay...it's too bad both Bill and Eric are turning out to be pains in the neck. I think they're much more interesting than Quinn, who just seems to wander around half-naked most of the time and calls Sookie "Babe." Not to mention Sookie's going through supernatural men like a fat kid in a Krispy Kreme store -- Bill (vampire), Sam (shapeshifter), Alcide (werewolf), Eric (vampire), Calvin Norris (were-panther?) and Quinn (were-tiger?). Who's next? My bet is on a hobbit. Or Harry P...more It was okay...it's too bad both Bill and Eric are turning out to be pains in the neck. I think they're much more interesting than Quinn, who just seems to wander around half-naked most of the time and calls Sookie "Babe." Not to mention Sookie's going through supernatural men like a fat kid in a Krispy Kreme store -- Bill (vampire), Sam (shapeshifter), Alcide (werewolf), Eric (vampire), Calvin Norris (were-panther?) and Quinn (were-tiger?). Who's next? My bet is on a hobbit. Or Harry Potter.

When Sookie Stackhouse learns she needs to go to New Orleans to settle her dead vamp cousins affairs (by the orders of the Queen of Louisiana), her biggest disappointment is that she has to miss her date with sexy weretiger Quinn. However, when she arrives in New Orleans, she finds that cousin Hadley was keeping some secrets that have now put Sookie in danger. Sookie also learns some disturbing truths about her relationship with Bill that have her wishing only to go back to Bon Temps and her friends and routine but she knows she needs to settle things in New Orleans first.

This southern vampire novel was not quite as entertaining as others in the series (little happens to advance the storyline) but my main gripe is that the story of Hadley's death is included in a short story anthology and if you haven't read that, you feel as though part of the story is missing. When I read a series, I want the whole story included and not have to go to these separate sources to get the whole picture. I feel like this is just a sneaky way to draw out a series and sell more. It didn't ruin the plot for me, but I did feel like I was missing something. Besides that, a quick, ok read but I'm really starting to wish Sookie could catch a break in life. Be nicer to her, Ms. Harris!

These books have gotten better and better with each installment and this one is no exception. First, I have really come to love Harris's writing style-she makes the sentences and dialogue flow and really makes her story and characters come alive in a simplified way. She makes writing a novel seem easy! Second, the plot was exciting and once again kept me turning the pages. I've really come to love Sookie as a character - she has her insecurities like everyone else and is considered a "good girl" but takes risk and doesn't worry too much about the moral dilemmas. Which I personally find refreshing-I'm tired of reading about characters who do something drastic then spend pages on their regrets. I was shocked about the revelation about Bill (which I won't spoil for other readers here) but it seems to fit perfectly with his character. I love Eric more and more with each installment. I'm not too sure how I feel about Quinn at this point-he seems a little too perfect and cookie cutter-but I'm excited to see what happens with him in the next book. Highly recommended.

Charlaine Harris is back in the saddle again after her last series title Dead as a Doornail left a little to be desired. Sookie is packing her bags to go to New Orleans to collect her dead vamp cousin Hadley's belongings and clear her apartment by order of the Queen of Louisianna...yah I know...that wasn't really explained anywhere in the current novel. A side note about that is the back story for most of this novel is from a short story published by Harris. Odd, but at any rate the novel is still enjoyable. This story is chock full of the supernatural and in it we meet the queen's lawyer and his driver, both demons, Sookie's new love interest Quinn ( a hunka hunka burinin were-tiger) a witch that's a landlord and a vampire-were and lots of other interesting supes. Most intriguing is the vamp queen of Louisianna Sophie Le-Clerq and her entourage. Wow! Harris includes some great action sequences, plot and character twists that will make the reader gasp and Sookie's usual sense of humor and street smarts. Sexy, smart, funny and well written you can't ask for much more. Well Done!

This book brings a lot of open issues to being closed such as what happened to Sookie's cousin Hadley and Debbie Pelt's parents and sibling confronting Sookie. We also see a new side of Jason Stackhouse as well as a new nonvamp suitor for Sookie. This book opens the door for more possible trouble for Sookie as well as the Queen of Louisianna becoming a more known character. If your a fan you will love it especially if your a fan of the book series.

Like many other readers of this book, I felt completely and utterly lost for the first 200 pages. I felt like perhaps I had missed something, or hadn't paid enough attention to the words before my eyes. However, towards the third quarter of the book, it got really good, really fast! It explained everything that I was lost about in pretty good detail, although I still feel that there should have been more about Hadley's death and her comming over and such. In the beginnings of the book, it was hard for me to keep going, because I was so confused, but I am 'definately' glad I kept on reading. I enjoyed this book and I'm about to start All Together Dead in just a few minutes!

Sookie's powers are amazing, and it's great to see her family expanding and her world changing. I like book series where characters grow as the plots unfold (as opposed to series where the main character remains the same and doesn't grow much).
While at times the story was a bit too twisty and I really don't care about Quinn, overall I nejoyed this book and think it's a wonderful example of Harris developing her characters and thriving in her descriptions.

I am new to the Sookie Stackhouse series. I just started reading the series last week and have quickly made it through Book 7. I love the series as a whole but Definitely Dead seemed rushed or out of place. It definitely did not have the same feel as the rest of the series and I was glad for Harris to get back to normal with All Together Dead. For the entire book I kept thinking that I had missed a book in the series or something. It seemed like Harris picked up after several months of action in Sookie's life without filling the reader in but referencing it constantly. Harris' overwhelming desire to describe, in painful detail, what every person is wearing gets a little old at this point. The book did not get moving until well past page 100. In addition, the short, choppy chapters made reading a little dull and cumbersome. I fail to see why a 300 some odd page book requires over 20 chapters. I was disappointed in this book to say the least but don't frett if you felt like me. All Together Dead was much better. While failry predictable, it had a lot more action and drama!!!

This installent is probably the most action packed of the bunch. There are many interweaving storylines that Mrs. Harris manages to control quite well. Sookie's relationship with Quinn begins to develop, she is under fire from the Pelts over Debbie's recent death, and she must visit New Orleans to clean out her recently passed cousin Hadley's apartment. Somehow, Mrs. Harris manages to do all of these storylines justice.

We also learn something very important about Sookie's heritage, and her former lover, Bill, makes an interesting confession. My only gripe would be that the story might have wrapped up sooner. I began to get weary towards the end. All in all, don't miss "Definitely Dead."

I really enjoyed this sixth outing with Sookie and her friends. I feel Harris has really nurtured what is turning out to be a several book story arc and Definitely Dead helps fill in some pieces. The machinations of the supe world have been confusing to me, but now, as the Queen of LA and the King of AR have decided to marry, one can see how this is going to give the vamps a lot of power over other local groups. Plus, as the only group that has come out to humans, they retain power that way as well. Several other reviews mention the short story detailing more about Sookie's cousin Hadley. I'm off to find it now, as I did find the beginning a bit confusing!

This one had a slow start, with a few too many different plotlines running through it. Once the author settled into the New Orleans plot (and dropped the others), it got much, much better. Readers should get a copy of the short story "One Word Answer" and read it first (might be available at the author's website, or read it in the "Touch of Dead" anthology), or they'll be confused about what's happening. Bill's revelation was disturbing, and Eric wasn't really "there" for this one - seemed somewhat out of character. I enjoyed Quinn, though. Overall, I think the last 2/3 of the book made up somewhat for the slow beginning, but not enough to give it 5 stars.

I have loved the Sookie Stackhouse series since I first discovered it a few years ago. I waited eagerly for this book, but I was unfortunately disappointed.

I have always had a favorite when it comes to Sookie's suitors.

Bill- He says that he loves Sookie, but his actions do not bear this out. He has been unfaithful, a liar and routinely abandons Sookie when the fighting starts.

Sam- Sam only became interested in Sookie after she became involved with Bill. Then, he started sleeping with the maenad that almost killed her.

Quinn- If he says "Babe" one more time, I will scream. Quinn is okay, but he is missing a certain something.

Eric- Eric has always been my favorite suitor. He is confident, funny and smart. He has been her protector, friend and lover. In this book, however Eric is exhibiting some very un- Eric like behavior. It is as if the author has decided to emotionally regress him to the age of twelve in order to get some mileage out of the series. Even so, the scenes with Eric are some of the most interesting scenes in the book. There was not enough Eric in this book.

I read Sookie Stackhouse books primarily for the romantic elements and because I identify with the character. The strength of the series lies in the characters. Ms. Harris has created amazing characters that provide enough drama and conflict to make this series sizzle. She should work with what she has instead of introducing a myriad of new suitors/characters.

This book missed the mark and I just hope that Charlaine Harris does not turn Sookie into a slut like Anita Blake in order to milk the franchise.

My only problem with this book is that it had to end. In an afterward, Charlaine Harris suggested reading her other books and they're fine, I like them. But I luvvvvvvvv Sookie's adventures. The other reviewers mention her growth and it is indeed a delight. She's much more confident and not inclined to suffer the fool. The wait between books is my only complaint, they're just soooo good. I like the point that another reviewer made--it would be difficult to read this book without having read the others. The Sookie books and MaryJanice Davidson's Betsy the vamp queen are the very best of the genre---there is humor and real life pathos mixed in the hot lusty love and thrilling intriques. I like L.K. Hamilton, of course, but she's seldom as flat-out FUN as the Sookie books are, especially this latest in the series: Definately Dead.

First, I need to completely agree with the review from David Cady regarding feeling "lost" half way through this book. I was on vacation and reading and night; I was convinced that perhaps I had accidentally skipped some chapters. Not the case at all. Come to find out here, there was a short story that explains some events that are central to this book. Not cool at all.

Otherwise the story was basically bland. I'm reading the set to finish it, but I have to agree with many reviewers that have been disappointed with the quality of the story lines as the series goes on. Harris, you could do better work!

I absolutely loved the new installment and will forever be a fan of the Dead Series. Quinn is sexy, Eric seems to still be in the running Bill is out of the picture (Big sigh of relief, sorry women he just never "did" it for me though I did enjoy him in the earlier books) and Sookie is on the path to self discovery. She's made mistakes before and seems bound and determined not to make them again. Woohoo! I like the introduction of the Weres, but miss the vamps. Hey, what can I say they are more about blood, gore and sexy fun what girl in their right mind wouldn't love that? I thought it was nice to see the townspeople a little more accepting (or at least needing) of her gift. I do have to agree with another reviewer on the fact that this was not the most exciting Sookie book to date (Club Dead was my fav so far) but Charlaine has achieved her ultimate goal. I cant wait for the next book. I hope Eric becomes more aggressive in his pursuit of Sookie because a showdown between him and Quinn....hmmmmm...talk about sexy fun. I can't wait!

I love all these books and have read them all twice. The author's eye for detail is amazing and her unique atmosphere and tone are hard to find in writing these days. Having said that I have two critiques: Quinn, Sookie;s significant is blander than bland in this book and actually a little, annoying. MORE ERIC AND BILL PLEASE! I am a bit tired of Sookie almost dieing in every book as well, so the twist here was nice. Finally, I have to say I love the character development in this book, and the fact that the plot seems to build on itself. I am excited to her about the new HBO series based on the books and happy to hear there are 4 more books coming!

Since the vampires have came out of the closet, Bon Temps, Louisiana waitress Sookie Stackhouse, a very powerful telepath, has bounced from one life threatening incident to another. One of her biggest problems is the Van Pelts who want to know what happened to their daughter Debbie. Sookie doesn't want to tell the shifter family she killed her in self-defense yet they continue to hound her through representatives to get her to talk to them.

On a date with were-tiger Quinn they are attacked by teen-Weres who were recently bitten. Neither Quinn nor Sookie know who was supposed to be the target. It's almost a relief to travel with the queen of New Orleans's lawyer the mostly demon Mr. Cataliades to New Orleans to settle her cousin Hadley's estate. Sookie is the only heir but someone is going to extraordinary lengths to keep her from looking at Hadley's possessions. Sookie thinks it is because she was the queen's lover and in trying to avoid danger, Sookie once again finds herself in the middle of deadly vampire politics.

Take a dose of mystery, a cup of fantasy and a pinch of romance blended together and readers will have some idea what the Sookie Stackhouse novels all about. Charlaine Harris has created her own sub-genre with tongue in cheek (or should I say fang) humor that pops up the oddest times yet is used brilliantly as a tension reliever during the height of intense action scenes. Readers will thoroughly enjoy this special one of a kind series and after reading this book, will definitely want to obtain the backlist of books in this wonderful series.

Harriet Klausner

The latest novel, for All Together Dead is still two weeks away, of the Southern Vampires Novel lives up to its series. Sookie goes to New Oreleans to clean out her dead vampire cousin, Hadley's apartment. She also has a new love interest with a tiger shifter, Quinn, from Dead as a Doornail. Sookie's life is once again filled with chaos as she finds herself in deep trouble. With Weres attacking her and having a demon found dead in her woods, she has a mystery that needs to be solved. Oh and the vampire Queen of Louisana has a favor to ask her too. Swell! A fantastic read for all vampire fans, especially the Southern Vampire fans!

When I first got the book I rushed through it, sort of like a book feeding frenzy, just to see who Sookie would end up dating. When I finished it (8 hours later) I was disgruntled with the ending, because I felt like there were too many loose ends, and I felt like Sookie was too grumpy for me to enjoy her exploits. I am a big fan of the series, but this book fell a little flat for me at first. Now that I'm through with the second read, I like it better. Sookie is always coping with a steep learning curve, whether with her own powers or the supernatural world surrounding her. This book deals with her applying some of her tried and true lessons, which means she's not jumping into bed with Quinn or making a move on her various ex's. She's grumpy like any "real" person would be trying to cope with these crazy situations. Quinn's use of the "babe" word was a turn-off for me (as with some other reviewers), but I like his independent character and that he's refreshingly devoid of politics so far. I'm looking forward to "My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding" to see what wackiness happens at the Bellefleurs' double wedding.

Like the previous books in this series, I enjoyed it immensely. However, I've noticed a trend in the series that does not bode well. Like Hamilton's Anita Blake, Sookie is becoming an man magnet - attracting all these fantastically handsome and endowed men who she just can't decide who to be with.

Please, Ms. Harris, go over and read the reviews of Hamilton's latest books. Please don't let Sookie decide on Anitia's answer - sex with anything that moves.

Consider Mary Davidson's Betsy, who has just one guy (still fantastically handsome), who she wants to MARRY! Both Sookie and Betsy have FRIENDS, who they care for and are concerned about. That's good enough.

I was disappointed in this installment of the Southern Vampire series, a very unusal occurance for me as I have really loved them all. I didn't seem to have the flair, humor and excitement that the others did.

Lots of vampire politics in this book, which is very intersting, but not as many intesting plot twists as in the previous books. Also, I really missed Bill and Eric, two strong characters that have helped make this series what it is. They really took a back seat in this one and I found I missed them. They made a somewhat brief appearances, though each appearance does bring some degree of drama. Their appearances brought the most interest to the book as we have really come to know them well.

There's a lot going on in this story line. Sookie has a new love interest, a weretiger named Quinn. Sookie learns of her just passed cousin and makes some royal connections along the way. There's a major twist on Bill, and also we find out more on Sookie's background. I still liked the story, but I don't see myself reading this one multiple times like I have the others in this series.

If you love this series, it's definetly worth your time, but it's not as enjoyable as the other 7 (so far). I got this book from the library and have most of them in audio and print, but the only reason why I may consider buying it is to complete my collection. I doubt I will go back and read it again.

Sookie and friends are back and have surprises. I really wish she and Eric would get together.. but this book has surprises galore and will definetly have the reader wanting the next one.

Who in her family gave her fairy blood?

What does that mean for the future of Sookie? I wish Sookie would get another cat...

What about the butt~head Bill?

and does Sookie have a future with her Tiger boy or is Eric gonna wake up?/

Waiting for the next one..

Readers of this one will also like her new series about Toliver and Harper. Grave Sight and coming soon Grave Surprise.

As the title says did I miss something or what? Hadley, Sookie's cousin, dies BEFORE this book takes place, but AFTER the last one. But then the author refers to everything surronding her death like we have already read it.... WTH? Other than that I did enjoy this story and Sookie and Quinn's relationship, it sucks that once again she is moving too fast with a guy but if it wasn't for Eric and Bill still running around I could picture Sookie and Quinn lasting for a while.

I am a big fan of the Sookie books and enjoyed this one a lot. The plot: Sookie's cousin Hadley, who was the Queen of Louisiana's lover, has died (her second death, being a vampire) and Sookie has to go clean out her apartment. Various complications, like bodies, ex-boyfriends, angry Kings and interested Were-tigers follow. Some great new supporting characters are introduced and Sookie manages to balance being helpless and being gutsy at the same time. Enjoyable!!

My problem with the story is the emotional housecleaning I feel like Harris is doing. She obviously wants to sweep all the old love interests under the rug and begin fresh, but it was too blatant. First Calvin, then Alcide, then Bill, then Eric are sorta... put aside. Cleaned up---like skeletons in a closet. And frankly, as far as chemistry with Quinn.... there wasn't any. I don't read these for the romances, but I'd like a little better for Sookie. She seems to be at the supernatural buffet line of men or something and its getting a little lame. Sometimes, Madame Author, continuing a couple's interactions with Ongoing Chemistry is better than the perpetual New Love Interest.

Sookie's back! And with her she brings all of her paranormal entities and psychic phenomena. Once again, Sookie's psychic ability to hear other people's thoughts has gotten her into trouble with people (sort-of) she can't say no to. At least, not if she wants to live. Sookie has been called upon by the Queen of the Vampires for her services, and to make it all work out, Sookie is finally able to settle the estate of her dead cousin, who was the Queen's lover. Lots of damage done in this book, but Sookie is her old self, just trying to get by as a waitress, despite everything else. She's got a new boyfriend, to boot. If it seems to take a while to get into the groove, keep reading. It gets better!

This series still hasn't grown stale for me. Actually, this book really moves things along and reveals some important info. This time Sookie Stackhouse has a new boyfriend, finds out a heartbreaking secret about her past love, discovers some surprising facts about her bloodline and heads to New Orleans to go through her dead cousin's things. She finds a new witch friend and winds up embroiled in a big political vampire mess all the while trying her best to push her heartache aside. The characterization, as always, is well done and kept me anxiously turning the pages.

I fell in love with the Sookie Stakehouse series a few years back. Every release date I have waited with bated breath, stalking the aisles looking for the latest glimpse into her world. I've tried C. Harris' Grave Sight series but I didn't get as much out of it as the Sookie series.

As for DD, I wasn't disappointed with this book at all. What I will say is that this book seems to be a bridge in the series. Every so often one has to occur and I think that DD is one. It is a foundation laid for later books. While there seems to be a slow build in the beginning, after a few chapters you get to the meat of the story and it's worth it.

Charlaine introduces a new possible love interest for Sookie, Quinn the weretiger. There isn't much background given on Quinn and I'm hoping that later books will give a little more. Sookie also seems to be getting more and more entrenched in vampire politics. It will be interesting to see where that leads.

With the last two books I have to confess I have been a little concerned that Sookie would go the way of Anita Blake, and her books would turn into puppy-pile, sex-a-thons. Definately Dead shows that Charlaine Harris may be somewhat cognizent of this and has slowed down Sookie in some ways. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a prude but if you've read the last few Anita Blake books you know what I'm talking about. Not to say that Sookie is a "good girl" in this latest book when it comes to Quinn, its just seems she's trying to slow herself down a bit.

All in all, still a fan of the Sookie series. I look forward (though it will seem like an eternity until) the next in this series.

I began reading "Definitely Dead" with high hopes. The premise of this story revolves around Sookie closing up her dead cousin Hedley's apartment in the Big Easy. Even though we don't get to that portion of story until much later, I was delighted that she brought Quinn, the tiger back. What I wasn't happy with the returning story of `what happened to Debbie Pelt?' Debbie was a horrible person, she deserved what she got and the way her family is hunting Sookie down for answers annoys me. Then it's the situation about Bill Compton. I was totally aghast when Sookie felt hurt over the discovery of Bill's intentions at the start of the story. But does she really have the right to be mad? She broke up with him. She's slept with another vampire [Eric]. She is dating a tiger [Quinn]. Her reasons for breaking up with Bill was because of infidelities with Lenora (which is beyond his control because she was his maker, and I know he explained that to her). It's not fair for Sookie to now use this new information over Bill. I know she has done a lot for him to save his life... but it's like because now she knows that he was sent by the queen (and she really should be mad at her instead of going to all her parties and rubbing elbows with her like she's her best new friend), she's all hurt with Bill! This portion of the story really got to me, and I'm really mad that she banished Bill out of her life. She should be mad at Eric about it too, he knew about just as well. But you know she's not going to...go figure. Overall, it's a good read (longer than her other installments). But I finished this book feeling really let down. I hope the next book will convince me otherwise.

Last night I stayed up until three to finish this book, not because it was soooo suspensful but because I wanted to find out more and more about the characters. It was a fun read with a quirky mix of characters moving in and out of the story. Quinn, the romantic interest in this installment was sexy with an acceptably protective way suported by the incredible strength of a were tiger. Sookie is a reluctant hero with ISSUES but she struggles through and solves the mystery of her undead cousin's final death. Even vampires have relationship troubles in this series.

ok, this book was no where near as good as the rest of the books, its probably my least favorite.
*SPOILER ALERT*
first off, it seems that Harris just randomly threw in Quinn, i mean seriously, isn't Sookie's love life complicated enough without yet another boyfriend??? Shes becoming quite the loose woman! Plus hes just like total macho man, im thinking he must smell pretty bad. I have always been a die hard fan of Sookie/Eric since he was first introduced, so i was disappointed that there wasnt more of him in this one. Also, enough with Bill! He just keeps following Sookie around, going to Merlottes with his new girlfriend to make her jealous, and bugging her about it all the time! Seriously dude, you were selfish and lied and just plain screwed up, get over yourself and let poor Sookie get over you!!!! Some readers may hope for him to come back into her life, but i have hated this uptight, old fashioned, possessive vampire with HUGE sideburns(ewww) since book 1.
the plot seemed a little random to me, i mean Debbie Pelt was pretty much one of the main plots in the book, and shes been dead and causing Sookie waaaaaaaaaaay to much guilt over killing her for a while now, but thats not enough torture for Sookie, Debbies psychotic sister and her parents are really really determined to find out what happened to Debbie, to the point of KIDNAP and TORTURE! Sookie explains to them what happened and the parents accpet it and dont really blame Sookie to shooting Debbie, but the sister is determined to get Sookie, i think she may show up in a later book, bent on revenge.
then there was the whole thing with Hadley. I was sort of confused about why it was necessary to put her in, since she was already dead. then there is Amelia, she also seems kind of unnecessary to thee plot, i mean more witches?!?!?! there wasnt as much humor as in the earlier books, excepting Bob the cat (formally a witch until he was turned into a cat during a sexual witch experiment) the rest was a tad more serious and sad though.
The whole book seemed like a random short story that is completely deviated from the rest of the books.

As Sookie grows in character her relationships grow too, lots of hot scenes that gives u a romance fix, add adventure, new information unraveling keeps you wanting to continue reading this great series.

Longer than earlier novels in the series, Definitely Dead was a good read. If you haven't read the earlier novels, I urge you to go back before reading this one. They're amusing and highly entertaining. Definitely Dead answers some questions that have been left hanging for some time, and it leaves some doors open for future developments. Charlaine introduces some new characters who seem to be sticking around for a while, and that's a good thing. I'm pleased with the outcome for now, and I don't think anyone should write off Eric the Viking Vampire just yet. However, hopefully, we can close the book on Debbie Pelt. I can't wait to read the next or see the TV show!

Definitely Dead is full of truly shocking revelations. There is so much going on in this novel, it's surprising how easy it is to follow all the action. Each mystery had a conclusion that completely surprised me. I'm not quite sure about this Quinn fellow, but at least his character is interesting. I absolutely loved all of the focus on Queen Sophie-Anne. It looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of her, which I'm really looking forward to. Definitely Dead is definitely a stellar Southern Vampire novel.

I have enjoyed every single Sookie book. This is a series worth giving a chance. As for this particular story, I was rooting for Quinn and Sookie to get together. Because they wouldn't be considered a real couple by the end of the story, I think that they have a real chance at having a great relationship that will last. Sookie has been hurt very badly by the first "vampire" she loved and it has left her cautious of getting involved with someone else. I can only hope that Ms. Harris lets Sookie find her "soulmate" and hopefully it's Quinn.

If you haven't read any of the Sookie books, you should start with "Dead Until Dark". If you like vampires, werewolves, humor and romance, you will be not be disapointed by this series.

Definitely Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 6)
Charlaine Harris really knows how to write a book, if you like your vampire series with a bit of humor you will like these books, if you like your mysteries with a bit of what we call "Woo Woo" (in other words weird stuff)
then you'll like Ms.Harris's Southern Vampire series and if you find you like it find the rest Sookie Stackhouse is a kick and coming in September 2008 on HBO, the series based on this books called "True Blood".

Sookie Stackhouse is a small town cocktail waitress in Louisiana. Her telepathic abilities make her too scary for humans to feel comfortable around, much less date. However, the supernatural beings "sups" do not feel threatened by her at all. In fact, they seem drawn to her. Humans now know that vampires walk among them. That does not mean humans accept vampires though, many do not. And humans still do not know about all the other types of sups that exist.

Sookie takes time off from work and returns to New Orleans for various reasons. The more important one is so Sookie can go through Hadley's possessions. It is a task that Sookie has put off since her vampire cousin died - again. Yet someone is going out of their way to keep Sookie from doing it. It could be some rogue weres who reject Sookie as a friend of the pack, the vampire queen (Sophie-Anne) of Louisiana, the Pelt family (who still bugs Sookie about Debbie's disappearance), or even someone that Sookie still believes is a friend.

Whoever it is, they are out to stop Sookie from digging into Hadley's past. So once again, Sookie's life in peril.

**** To put it bluntly, you must read the previous novels before this one or you will be lost. Once the story gets rolling, it R-O-C-K-S! Until then, I was bombarded with characters as the author attempts to tell who is what creature, their history, etc. It got tedious to me at some points because many of these characters have nothing to do with this story. It's as if the author wants to give every character from the previous books a tiny cameo appearance. Telling about each character takes a lot longer than the actual "Hi Sookie. Bye Sookie." does. Once all that is out of the way, the plot takes off running and never slows down.

Rumors say this is the last book in the series. (That could explain all the cameos.) However, the author could decide to publish at least one more adventure. There is potential trouble at Merlotte's Bar, a vampire summit, and Sookie's soon to be new in-laws that could give lots of explosive material for the author to build on. I won't even go into how the local law enforcement would like to use her telepathic abilities or the sup-men in her love life. I can only hope that another novel in this series appears someday. I will certainly be keeping my eye out for one. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

The main character Sookie Stackhouse goes to New Orleans to claim her late cousin Hadley's estate. While Sookie packs up her cousin's belongings she uncovers a plot against the Queen of Lousiana and made a new friend while she was there. It's a very interesting book to read. The author Charlaine Harris writes plot devices into the story line that unfolds later in the story. One of the main reasons why I like the main character is her telepathic ability and how she reasons within her head.
If you like telepathic barmaids then this is the book for you.

I must say, I am quite pleased with this piece. It was nice to catch up with all the little characters I had become fond of in other books, like Dr Ludwig and Holly, which I had feared would drop off of the face of the series like many lesser authors do in their world building. I am pleased that when CH creates a character in her world of vampires, weres, witches... and the occasional human... she doesn't just ignore them after their two oh so useful lines.

As you can tell from other reviews, Bill is given more bad guy bashing! THANK GOD, I've always disliked Bill because he seemed to be too vampire steriotype. Other vampires (see Pam or Erik, or even the Queen of LA) have a sense of humor, have personality, and Bill really seems to lack that. He has always seemed driven by the idea of Territory, and control over that territory as opposed to personality.

This brings me to Quinn... he's a tiger. As a cat lover, and especially a large cat lover (live near a tiger refuge and trust me it's bliss) I couldn't ask for more in a man. Lucky Sookie!

I also liked the info and true feeling that was expressed during periods discussing the Queen of LA's relationship with Hadley, the final (maybe) clean up of the Debbie Pelt affair, and the fun with Claude that is oh so CH!

All in all it is possibly my favorite of the series. It proves that a book can be highly entertaining and not be ALL about life and death, it can have some happy mundane stuff in there as well, and we still love it. I loved that we were able to see more of Sookies interations with the people of Bon Temps, which we occassionally miss while she travels around the South on her... well I'm sure she wouldn't call them adventures!

Also, way to go with Sookie keeping her word to herself!

PICK IT UP!

I LOVE this series, but it did meander a bit in books 3 & 4 for me. The last book was really good, and this is as good as the first.

Yes, Sookie's personal life has gotten more complicated, but don't be scared off by that. The series isn't going into bad LKH territory. I don't want to spoil any of the plot, but as an example, when Sookie finds out more about Bill and their past relationship she reacts like a real person who has some dignity and self-respect rather than, say, getting a case of supernatural hot pants. (Oh, and she bathes occasionally--in fact, at one point looking for a towel results in a disturbing plot point.) There is actually real character development through conversation and action, and almost all of it is done while vertical.

Sookie is still her charming, loopy, occasionally sardonic self, and stays so through a thick plot with a lot of action. Some of her past catches up with her, and she get dragged into more intrigue w/the vamp royalty due to her (definitely) deceased cousin.

You will need to be totally caught up on the series to fully follow and enjoy this one. That's OK though--all of the Dead books are at least good, and it's worth it!

I am only 20% into this book and can't tell you how disappointed I am. I too thought I started the wrong book because so much was missing. After reading other reviews I found that there is some other story floating around out there that explains things. How stupid. My BIG pet peeve is that the author keeps giving background info on everyone and everything like we never read the first 5 books. I have been waiting for Eric or any vampire for that matter. Its all shifters and wolves. I want to read about the vamps. I find myself paging through not really reading just trying to finish it. In addition, I must say that I am EXTREMELY disappointed with the ending of the series. After reading reviews for the last book I find it hard to care.

I am still convinced that the first 3 Sookie Stackhouse Books were the best. After that it seemed that Charlaine Harris was sort of struggling to find a way to keep the story interesting. She seems conflicted about whether to have Sookie as sweet, innocent and not super bright or a bitch, hot to trot and just plain dumb. Sookie's many male relationships are getting tiring. Sookie also is becoming the stereotypical damsel in distress. By Defintetly Dead you know she is going to get the crapped beat out of her at least once and just barely make it out of some situation alive. Also in Definitely Dead there are many background stories that are referred to yet not explained in earlier books. That was a little puzzling. I liked the book ok but it was really mindless fluff reading. I will eventually read the rest of the series ( luckily they are easy enough to read them over a few evenings)but my enthusiasm for them is waning.

I love this whole series, but this book really was awesome because it gave more culture of Willie's home state and the aspect of Quinn was amazing. I can't wait to finish the whole series. Also makes me sad as well because I never want Willie's stories to end!!!

Okay I hate Bill, let me just start out with that. I'm in love with this series and it has reinforced my belief that you never learn anything good about yourself by eavesdropping. If you are new to the "Sookie" series I won't bore you with every detail, but the most important is that she can hear people's thoughts. This ability/curse has shaped her entire life beginning when she was a child (having survived a funny uncle). The only time she gets to enjoy a bit of blessed silence is when she meets Vampire Bill (the hated) and is from that moment on drawn into the world of supernatural. Every one of Charlaine Harris' books are a must read including her other series such as Lily Bard, and Aurora Teagarden.

With the sixth book of this series, I have found that with each new book, it is slowly, but noticeably getting worse, however, they are still entertaining to keep it going at a steady pace. I think that this book, like the fifth one, was of a lesser sort of the first four because it is missing the great sex scenes that I was loving. God I'm hoping she gets back together with one of the vampires, because I'm not really feeling a connection with her and Quinn. She's a telepath, and she just seems more comfortable sexually with a character that is dead and has no brain waves.

Still good, but I'm hoping for more in the future books, particularly the sex scenes I was used to from its beginnings.

This is the sixth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I am really starting to like Quinn and want to see him and Sookie get together. I liked the new witch we meet, Amelia, and while I think maybe we have met the Queen of Lousiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq before, I don't remember her. But I found that I kind of liked her in this book. And there was a great shocker that has to do with Bill! On to the next book in the series, All Together Dead.

I, too, own all the books presently out and am awaiting the next one. I watch the series as well. My only problem is I truely can't get enough and new books don't come fast enough. It makes me feel bad that I literally don't want to put the book down until I finish it because I realize the author can't write them as fast as I can read them. These books have all the mystery, fantasy, romance and curves I want to read. Thank you so much Charlaine Harris for this series.

I started reading Charlaine Harris years ago with the Aurora Teagarden mysteries. I read some of the Shakespeare line (a little too dark for me at the time) and am now enamored with Sookie. I also like the Grave line so far. However, I wish the editors would do their jobs. There are so many inconsistencies that they have become bothersome.

With the Vampire series, Sookie cannot need a "word a day" calendar and yet use college level words in normal speech. Also, why was Debbie Pelt a were-lynx in one book and a were-fox in another? "Dead as a Doornail" has a shifter shooting other shifters yet she worked at Merlottes during the nights of the full moon? Since it was her hands that changed, how was this possible.

Regarding "Dead to the World", even Sookie acknowledges that Crystal Norris HAD to know it was Felton that took Jason and never said anything. Not only is Crystal never punished but she and Jason are back together by the time Jason has his first change. It is not even brought up. Does no one find this a major flaw in the continuing story line?

I am a little concerned with the way it seems that Sookie's love life is progressing. It is a little reminiscent of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake and that series has just become boring and absurd. It has not happened yet with Sookie and I'm glad that she is remaining the same while her world expands. It is the attraction and loss of so many men that has me concerned. Sookie must grow and relationships will change. It just doesn't have to be a new man every book with so many others waiting in line. It is fine for now but should be watched carefully. Quinn seems to be a strong and good character for now.

My only other concern is the line of rape and sexual abuse that seems to run through so many of the Harris story lines. While I agree that it is a major problem and affects so many more people than anyone would ever know, it does not have to be in every series she writes. I am assuming she, as well as myself and almost every woman I know is a survivor of some form of sexual abuse. Please keep it a component of your writing but don't let it overide the series.

All the series are a little dark. Please keep the edge but don't send them into the abyss.

I have read all of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. I just finished this one and I have to say it was the first book of the series that I didn't have a problem putting down. The story was just Blah. I couldn't seem to connect with any of the characters and the excitement that usually comes from the books was very minimal. I recommend you read it, as it will probably be referenced in the next book but don't expect it to be near as good as its predecessors.

Sookie wasn't a likely heroine for me--a high school educated barmaid from BFE, Louisiana. Yet, like so many of us who read fantasy--Sookie is an outcast. Her telepathic ability kept her from relating to the rest of the world.

In this episode, Sookie's called by the Vampire Queen of LA to New Orleans to help clean out her cousin Hadley's apartment. Hadley, who just happened to be the Queen's lover, died on the night the Queen wed the Vampire King of Arkansas in a political match. Soon, Sookie realizes that Hadley's death is not quite what it seems.

Despite her lack of education, Sookie isn't your typical ditzy heroine. She doesn't make the same mistake twice and she's grown in her stories.

Harris is to be commended for her work on this series. Definitely a pleasure to read her novels.

As part of a series, this is definitely not the book to start with. The first book, Dead Until Dark, is still the best followed with Dead to the World - a book centering on Eric and Sookie. Yet, this one moves the storyline along. A short story, Bite (part of an anthology) comes before this novel and serves as a good summary of the events that follow in this tale. I miss the love triangle between Bill, Sookie and Eric. But she does answer a number of questions and brings up enough to make one willing to wait for the next book. Overall, still funny, still interesting.

I'm a huge fan of what I term "silly" vampire books (as opposed to horror) and they don't get any better than the Southern Vampire series starring Sookie Stackhouse. Betcha can't read just one! This book is just the latest in a series that can continue into infinity as far as I'm concerned. Unlike the Anita Hill books (which I also enjoy), this series isn't as focused on sex, so may be more enjoyable to the less prurient out there. Pick 'em up - read 'em! Enjoy!

As always with Sookie Stackhouse and the cast of characters a great read. Thanks Charlaine. Give the first Sookie Stackhouse book a read and you will be hooked. Nice, easy read includes some comedy, little spice, little love and many interesting characters!
So go traveling on the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse and escape the real world for a little while, you won't be sorry!

In her sixth book, spunky telepath Sookie Stackhouse once again finds herself getting involved with the supernatural community of Louisiana. This time, she's headed to New Orleans to sort through the apartment of her deceased cousin, but not before being mysteriously attacked by shapeshifters and receiving a summons from the Queen of Louisiana, a vampire. Sookie also gets a new love interest in this installment, and it will leave you eagerly looking forward to the next.

I've loved this series from the very first novel and have yet to purchase one without reading it overnight. So, sufficed to say, I'm a big fan of Mrs. Harris and was terribly saddened by missing her appearance at Barnes & Nobles here in New Orleans.

There are a lot of things I liked about this book and a couple of things that didn't sit right with me.

Let's begin with the good. One thing I've always loved about Harris' books are her incredibly vivid characters. I don't ever tire of the quirks and strangeness of even the human characters. There isn't a 'normal' or boring one in the lot of them. Further, I've always been fond of Harris' sense of humor that she adds to her books. I also like that Sookie sticks to her guns. She has certainly had to give in occasionally but it seems the more experience she gets the less we see of the naive Sookie from the beginning of the series. However, at times, the defensiveness was a tad overdone, occasionally coming off as unlikable. Granted, what she goes through would make most people a little on guard but it just comes off as very dissagreeable. I also liked that Harris cuts her losses on the men involved with Sookie, unlike some paranormal writers (cough cough) Sookie doesn't drag them all along with her through three more books and manage to still sleep with them all. Getting rid of Alcide as a romantic interest and dying down any relationship she may still have with Sam was a good idea. I know the relationship with Bill probably isn't over but it seems from Sookie's point of view that it is. (BTW, does Bill remind anyone else of Nick from the Harrison novels?)I think she really trimmed the fat in this novel leaving Quinn and Eric. I liked Quinn, he has a very sexy masculinity and he's alive and charismatic but I have to say that I'm still rooting for Eric. I'm afraid nothing will ever come of that though. I think now that Eric is his old self he will never be able to fully care for Sookie the way she wants him to. It's probably better off for Sookie that way. Quinn seems to be the best bet for her romantically even if he seems a little too perfect. On a quick end note, I also liked that Sookie has a female "supe" friend now.

The less than desirable things about the novel hardly compete with the good but are definitely worth mentioning. Firstly, I was a little surprised at the seemingly sloppy editing. What is up with paranormal novels and bad editing? Secondly, as previously stated, Sookie was much less likable in this novel than the others. She seemed perpetually in an unpleasant mood. I understand that this would be the natural progression of things, having found out all she did but it doesn't mean we have to like the rather grumpy character she is evolving into. Another thing that kind of bothered me was the lack of excitement. Don't get me wrong, the novel was plenty fast paced but I was never sitting on the edge of my seat. Also, I had an issue with the depiction of New Orleans and the people here. I'm sure Harris visited before she wrote the book but I don't think she accurately described it at all. Also, it seems very reasonable that she didn't mention the hurricane in this novel but I think she will HAVE to in the next novel.

I SERIOUSLY doubt this would be the last novel in the series. Harris has clearly set it up for another one. It would be ridiculous to assume otherwise. I am looking forward to seeing how this progresses and I REALLY hope the HBO series takes off however I am just not sure this would work on TV. Shows like Buffy, Angel and Charmed have doubtlessly gained a following but I think that with all the magic and shape shifting, a TV series budget couldn't accommodate all the special effects and seriousness the books would demand.

I own all the "Sookie Stackhouse" ("Trueblood") books that have been published along with season one of the "Trueblood" HBO series that is based on the books.I'm a fan of these and I never expected to be so!!!I only read the books to keep abreast of what my granddaughter and daughter were reading..and got "hooked"...I'm anxiously awaiting the next book and season two of the HBO, TV series also.Highly recommended if you love a mystery. :)

After the last Sookie book, I was worried that the Southern Vampire series was going the way of the Anita Blake series. In the last book, it seemed every male in Sookie's universe was in love with her and making passes. I was very worried where the series was heading.

Thankfully, Charlaine Harris steers the series away from "Sookie Stackhouse: Sex Goddess" and cleans house along the way.

That means that several loose ends, relationship wise, are tied off, while the more intriguing ones are allowed to remain around for future stories. We visit some of the characters we've grown a little weary of, but mainly so they can recede from future books. Another dangling (but not romantic) plot line that was growing old is snipped off by the end of this book as well.

Taking care of old business does make the plot drag a bit, but the book made me stay up way to late finishing it. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Sookie handle outrageous situations and reluctantly gain deeper insight into the supernatural world.

If you were worried that the series was heading into an Antia Blake-style, no-man-can-resist-her sex fest, rest assured. The elements we love so much -- Sookie's bluntness, colorful characters, the rich atmostphere and adventure -- are back. Anita still has a complicated lovelife but sheds some of the less likable suitors.

I really enjoyed this book for two reasons. Ms. Harris wraps up alot of secondary characters that have crossed Sookie's path and she introduces us to more characters that will move Sookie through to her next adventure. I am glad Ms. Harris has cleared up Bill's relantionship with Sookie. You just never knew where you stood with him as a character. Eric as always is a brilliant character and now she brings Quinn into Sookie's life. When the series starts on HBO who will be cast as Sookie, Bill, Eric and Sam? I will be checking her website for more info. It is a great book.

As a solid character, Sookie has a lot of promise and is developing a little of her own after a crash course in the supernatural inhabitants that surround her ever expanding world. But, she's also become a little too judgemental of that world with very little to go on, outside what she's been able to intuit from Bill and Eric and her involvement with them through the first four books. And what she does to Bill is downright scandalous! She comes off as a damning judge rather than an activist who just might be able to make a difference with her abilities. Snippy, as one critic called her. Try downright whiny and childish! Too little lease given to the other major characters as well. Don't turn Sookie into a self-serving baby, Charlaine. After what she's experienced, her character is far better than you've built her to in this book!

I am reading this book and am almost at the end. I have to say, that this is by far one of the most important books in the series, because we learn various things, as readers. This book follows the evens of the short story One Word answer, and Sookie has to go to her cousin's apartment. In doing so, there is someone that doesn't want her to. Also, Sookie starts dating Quinn, and meets the Queen of Louisiana. Unlike the series Trueblood, Hadley is not human, she is a vampire, and is the favorite of the Queen.

IF you are fan of this series, this book is a must, since as readers learn important things.

The onset of this series in my life has been fantastic! In the past month I have read all ten of the Sookie Stackhouse series, and I do not regret one minute of it. All of these books bring intrigue, suspense, and drama into the reader's imagination. I am on the very last few pages of "Dead in the Family", and I am going to cry when it is over. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a good series.

I've loved the Sookie books from the start, and in fact I've gotten my best friend borrowing my copies of them. I love this series, and I don't regret the purchase (though hardcovers are expensive). In fact, this was the first book I chose to read while I was on vacation.

I enjoyed the story throughly, and it was long enough that, while I read it in one sitting, I was able to pause at times and grin happily at still having another two hundred or a hundred and twenty pages left to go.

That said, I was vaguely disappointed with this story even if the reason for said disappoint was hard to pin down. I think, in some aspects, this story was too much like the others to be as good as them. The beginning was excellent and very interesting, and there were a lot of good scenes, but the fast paced force of events was nowhere near as strong. I finished the book only to stop, look around, and wonder why I felt as if I'd missed something. It felt like the story was approaching the fast paced action, but stopped just short of it.

That said, I was pleased with the scenes and the humor. The new bartender at Fangtasia asking Sookie not to kill her was a riot. I also loved Quinn's reapparance, and the fact that he and Sookie are dating: granted, I like Eric (not so much Bill anymore), but I think that Eric has too much of an image to maintain for him to be able to convince Sookie that he really cares about her. The Debbie Pelt thing is getting a bit old (she died...what? In the last book? Why does it feel like she died two books ago? Oh, she was in Club Dead too. Anyhow, please, let her stay buried...I didn't like her in the first place and I'm kinda sick of hearing about her).

Anyhow, this book is a really good read and well worth the purchase. However, as I said, it's good, but not as good as it gets. The earlier books in the series were better, in my opinion. Still, this still worth owning and reading. I can't wait for the next one.

This is the sixth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. In this book, Sookie heads to New Orleans to clean out the apartment of Hadley, her cousin who was recently killed. Of course bad things happen to Sookie and she gets herself in and out of many jams. Romantic interests in this book include vampires Eric and Bill and shapeshifter/tiger Quinn. Great action--I love this series.

[...]

Sookie and her shifter boyfriend deal with a murder and the politics of vampire leadership, the series takes a turn to look at the bigger picture of the supernatural world, and seems to be ramping up for some important events.

Read more reviews at joshreadthis.wordpress.com

If you haven't picked up the Sookie Stackhouse series - do it now! :) These books are great - entertaining and smart, and they flow very easily from one to the next, leaving you wanting more.

If you like these, you will love the Harper Connelly series, and I recently started the Aurora Teagarden and Lily Bard sets, and am enjoying those as well. I can't believe I just "found" Charlaine Harris this year! :)

After being a huge Twilight fan, I found these books to be a great adult diversion. The whole series has me once again engulfed in the mysteries of the underworld. Be open about the way Charlene Harris writes, as she is more from the traditional side of vampire life. But Hooray for Sookie! I really love they way she covers how average life really is and the trial and tribulations of Sookie Stackhouse!

I thought this series started out in a somewhat compelling way. However, as the series has continued the books seem silly. I became weary of Sookie's bad attitude towards almost everything, her smart mouth and the fact the every male she encountered was in her thrall.
Also I am annoyed that Ms. Harris would make her books so full of sexuality and sexual immorality. A lot of young girls read the twilight series and it is very likely they would find out about the Southern Vampire series. The writing and plot are simple and would be attractive to young girls. In spite of this, Ms. Harris has Sookie sleeping with 3 different males by now and fairly vivid descriptions of sex scenes. It just all began to seem silly to me, Sookie having sex, Sookie being mad, Sookie somehow finding herself the object of every man's affection. I don't know if I will finish the series. I am surprised there have been so many good reviews, because it feels like she just makes it up as she goes along and tries to think of the most outrageous things for Sookie to say or encounter in her life.

I enjoyed this book. It really moved the series further on. You find out more and more about Charlaine Harris' vampire world. I love the vampire politics and that's what this book is about. It's about seeing it through Sookie's eyes. It's not a stand alone book. You will need to read the past books in the series in order to understand all the hard feelings between Sookie and Bill and Sookie and Eric. This book brings Sookie further into the Louisiana vampire world and she gets to experience the political side of things. I loved the interactions between her and Quinn. It's sometimes hard to keep the vampires and the weres straight but it is getting easier. Sookie in this book travels to New Orleans so you aren't going to see much of Sam and Jason, but I would expect them to play a part in the next book in the series. I would recommend this book to anyone who has read the series and is looking for a quick and easy read. Great vacation book.

Quinn starts calling Sookie "Babe"..... reminiscent of Ranger in the Stephanie Plum novels, hmmm? Big, tough guy who oozes sex appeal and protects his interests....

I like the way the author makes sure the fans of this series(who are betting and taking votes on her website as to which male Sookie "belongs with") know the reasons why Sookie is not interested in the other males she has been attracted to along the way.

Love the series! Love the sense of humor!

This book is fantastic. Anyone who's growing tired of the Bill/Eric drama(although with Bill's revelation to Sookie in this book, he may have taken care of that himself!) will love the addition of Quinn the weretiger to this series. The action flowed wonderfully and I loved the addition of Ameila the witch! She's hillarious! Like I said this is one of the best of the series!

After having both read and listened to Definitely Dead, I feel qualified in making the judgement call that this is the most well written of the Southern Vampire books by Charlaine Harris. I feel that I know the characters personally, and I can anticipate their actions before they happen, just as if they were "real". Although I have questions, I do not feel as if the book ended abrubptly or that it was a filler between the last book and the next. The writing is full of aside remarks that can't help but entertain the reader. When I listened to the CD, I was constantly having to re-listen to hear what I missed. I thoroughly enjoy being in Sookie's head and I eagerly await the next installment.

I am so in love with this entire series and this book is one of my favorites out of the series. It has mystery, romance, adventure, and of course more vampires and supes!!! You get to know more about Quinn and also see more of the attachment Sookie has with Eric and also you learn something so terrible about Bill you hate him which I never thought would happen!!! Overall great read I've read it 3 times within the few weeks of owning the entire series!!!

Just finished reading Definitely Dead at 1:00 pm last night. I have been looking forward to the latest Sookie installment for months, but I have to say I am disappointed. When I first saw the cover of the book, I knew Quinn would be featured prominently. I find Quinn uninteresting. Eric is my favorite character/suitor in this series and it seemed like he was barely mentioned (okay--that's an exaggeration, but STILL). I think the vamps are by the far the most interesting characters in her books. Pam really was barely mentioned in this book, and I just love her dry sense of humor. I am looking forward to the next book because it sounds like it will have more to do with the vampires and their politics--ergo, Eric hopefully will be back. I have to say that it is a little frustrating that we will probably have to wait at least a year for it, though--especially when this book, to me, was largely unsatisfying. I do think Ms. Harris is a wonderful author. In my humble opinion, this book was just a slight misstep.

I own all the "Sookie Stackhouse" ("Trueblood") books that have been published along with season one of the "Trueblood" HBO series that is based on the books. I'm a fan of these and I never expected to be so!!! I only read the books to keep abreast of what my granddaughter and daughter were reading..and got "hooked"...I'm anxiously awaiting the next book and season two of the HBO, TV series also. Highly recommended if you love a mystery. :)

I've been working on finishing this book for months now. It simply doesn't keep me interested enough to finish it. I've grown tired of the character Sookie as each book seems to be the same thing in and out...and this book just doesn't keep the story flowing well enough to make it/keep it interesting. With each book I basically got more and more disappointed. And I guess book 6 has done it in for me. Still not sure if I will even finish it. Also didn't care for the fact that in order for you to get the full story line...you had to have read one of her short stories in a totally different book. I little forewarning on that by the author would have been nice!!

I really enjoyed this book. No, I don't think it was the best book in the series, but I still enjoyed it. New characters, interesting situations, etc.

However, the whole bracelet resolution was was too convenient. It came together too easy.

And, there was enough Bill and there certainly wasn't enough Eric. However, Quinn was a nice addition. I hope Ms. Harris doesn't rely too heavily on more and more men at Sookie as extra plot lines.

This book turned out to be one of my favorites of the stackhouse series. There is action x2 so it really gives you alot to read. You really just want to kick Bill in the butt but I will not spoil it but is a must read..
Lots of things come into play with this book and things are making more sense.

I love Charlaine Harris's books and the Sookie Stackhouse series is my fave (GRAVE SIGHT rocked, too!). DEFINITELY DEAD is a fabulous fifth installment in the series. We get to find out more about the yummy Quinn, but Eric and Bill are still around, too. And without spoiling it for other readers, Sookie finally gets a hint about her own heritage. Okay. I'm ready for the next one!

The book 6 of the series is the second best, so far, after book 5. But if you are a fan of the tv series, don't get caught up on it because this is nothing like the show. The previous books were used in some kind of way but this does not. I think the books are much better the show and I love the show.

I was dissapointed with, Dead as a doornail, but very much enjoyed Definitely Dead. I liked Quinn and Sophie (the vampire queen), and I was so glad to see Sookie tell Bill where to stick it. Let's face it as loyal boyfriends go he is a snake. Of course I would always like to see more Eric and Pam.

I love all of the Stackhouse Novels. If I were to try and persuade you to read them I'd say they are sexy, funny, and cute. The girl falls into a lot of traps and beds. It's funny because she always lands on her feet, wondering how she got there. She has the beautiful pride and innocence of a southern bell and all the fellows eat it up. This group of novels are just too good not to be read.

I know a lot of people are getting frustrated with the men in Sookie's life, but this series just seems to be getting better and better. Many comparisons have been drawn between the Sookie books and Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita books. These win out, hands down. The writing is excellent and well edited, Sookie's voioce is likeable and fun, and the sex is tasteful and well-done as opposed to trashy. I will gladly give Charlaine Harris the money I used to reserve for Laurell K. Hamilton's books!

I was pretty disappointed in this book. Harris seems to be sliding down the slippery slope like the Anita Blake series. The book was sloppy in its transitions and at some points towards the conclusion it got down right clich?. It's like she wrote a plot outline, then wrote to that without bothering to connect or contextualize much of what was going on. Too much "telling" the reader what was going on instead of showing it. Like the Blake series Harris is under-developing new characters, Quinn is portrayed as a pretty shallow almost simpleton. I find it sad that so many authors reduce men to shallow little sex things without building a personality around them. Sex without personality or character depth is fine if you're a not so good erotica writer. Even poor Sookie gets over simplified as well, sporadically undergoing character shifts without much context (ie Now she's mad, now she's whining...) or her inner dialogue becomes repetitive and...well....boring. To start becoming so superficial at this point in the series is very disappointing. I wouldn't have bought this book in hardback. I hope this was just a phase and the next book will be back up to standard for Harris.

Sookie Stackhouse is once again off on new adventures. I love this author, this series, and the this latest book just proves that Ms. Harris is an accomplished storyteller.

Sookie is a wonderful character that I found myself rooting for throughout the book, her down to earth personality, and folksy wisdom make for a charming heroine. Her love life remains an interest without becoming the focus of the book, and the innovative vampire/were world just keeps getting better. Don't start this book if you have to go to work(or to sleep)...I couldn't put it down.

I'd give this a 4.5 if I could, because it's not quite as good as Sookie #4 and #7. But, it's still one of the best in the series. There is tons of action, great character development, and super interesting new characters. I loved all the plot twists and the emotional aspects are intense! Fantastic!

this book continues in the same vein as the previous ones. despite some repeat information (for those who haven't read the earlier installments, I guess), these books are good fun. i especially love that sookie (and the author) don't take themselves too seriously, pretending to be a big drama, when this is supposed to be a little over the top. i've enjoyed all of them and can't wait for the next one to come out!

Charlaine Harris has definately captured Sookie Stackhouse and all of her companions, in my opinion. I only saw the few few episodes of True Blood on HBO but it seems like either the book was directly from it, or the show directly from the book. I love them. I am waiting on the rest to come out currently so in the mean time I am going to start on some of Charlaine Harris's other supernatural books.

This is the first time I read one in this series although I have read a few others by this author. If you are not REALLY into the vampire scene it won't make a lot of sense. It was well written but so many beheadings, major violence, shape-shifting I found it hard to keep up. A bit of advice, start from #1 in this series. It will probably help.

Sookie heads to her cousins Hadleys apartment to clean it out, she also was the Queens girlfriend. Meets the landlord who happens to be a witch. I enjoyed that character. The King and Queen are preparing to marry and the Queens bracelet that she received as a gift from the King is gone because Hadley stole it. So Sookie has to think on her feet to fix this crisis before the King will have a chance to end her. I enjoyed what was written about what was left in Hadley's home. There's a big shocker in the middle of the book regarding Sookie's love life that may make some readers happy and others upset.

I finished this book in one sitting because I just couldn't wait to read it and I wasn't disapointed. I have to admit that I understand why some readers were.

Fact 1: It is not the best book of the series.

Fact 2: It's still very much worth your time.

I have to agree that Bill should be "retired" at the very least, and put down if at all possible. But it's Ms. Harris's story so, he lives at the descretion of her pen.

Sookie fans should read this book. People wanting to try out the series should begin with "Dead Until Dark" and keep in mind that the books are best read in order.

I have to confess, when I read the first chapter of the book on the author's website, I was terribly afraid that the series had jumped the shark, if you can use the expression to describe a book series.

However, I was greatly relieved to find that this was not the case. This new book explores new storylines and introduces some great new characters, while at the same time remaining true to the feel of the original books.

I really look forward to this series. Her characters are ones that I find have "personality" or at least developed some over the series.

However, this book was just plain boring. The story didn't go anywhere at all. The whole missing braclet -- she didn't explain to the reader what was going on when she found it -- she told Quinn but we couldn't read about it for 40 more pages until she went to the reception. I found the whole vampire reception confusing. More back story should have been provided.

I believe that even the author felt that this wasn't the best -- the last paragraph of the book sums up all the untold plots and story lines that were not covered.

And, the very last page of the book encourages us to read something else for a change of pace. Perhaps this author is just burned out on these characters.

If you are on the fence, don't even bother reading this one in the series. You missed nothing of any importance in Sookie's life.

A wonderful addition to the Southern Vampire series. The whole thing worked. Enjoyagable read. Sookie Stackhouse rules! Can't wait for the next one. Wish publishers would reprint all of Ms. Harris' work (Aurora Teagarden, all the Shakespeare mysteries, etc.)they're terrific too. Love the "grave sight" series - looking forward to November. Thanks Ms. Harris for a great summer read - it was terrific!

I have enjoyed these book immensly but this one was a real disappointment. Dead Until Dark started the series and I would say was highly original in tone and execution - however, this book falls far short. Bill's twist is really out of left field and felt forced - I just didn't buy it - Ms. Harris would have been better off sending him on an extended vacation rather than ruin his character.

We did not see enough Eric - he's the funniest part of the series and is reduced to a couple of lines. The Queen is interesting but could have been developed more.

Quinn is quite boring - I don't understand why people like him - he's a flat character and the overuse of "babe" is grating.

The real problem with the book however is the choppiness and as one reviewer said Sookie channeling Velma and explaining the plot at the end a la Scoobie Doo. It's as if Ms. Harris wasn't given enough to time to flesh out characters and plot points in order to meet this books deadline.

Also, Fairies, shapeshifters, were-wolves oh my... We are verging on jumping the shark - how many more supernatural beings do we need to endure at the expense of a decent mystery or plot?

The series is a great ride and entertaining - I would recommend checking it out - just don't get the hardcover -wait for paperback.

If you are already a Sookie and Bill fan, this book will blow you away! It is fast paced, and you see a side of Sookie and a side of Bill you would never believe. If you are new to the Southern Vampire series, you definitely need to start with "Dead Until Dark." Ms. Harris has such a way of pulling you into the world of the supernatural, you don't realize you have left the "real world." Believable characters are what makes this series one that you will want to read over and over again. I cannot wait to see what Sookie and her friends have gotten themselves into next.

I read this series before TrueBlood came into the picture, and I fell in love with the characters. I have read the series 3 times through, and enjoyed it each time! I am definately a Sookie fan!

I think you have to enjoy supernatural books to enjoy the series, but if you are, these are a must read!

This seems like my day to give five stars, but I've been reading some darn good books lately. This one surprised me because, although I love Sookie, the last few books have felt kind of flat. I was afraid a favorite series of mine was losing steam, but then this book comes along and ties up a lot of hanging threads, getting the momentum going again. If you liked the earlier Sookies, you'll love this one. Really good plot and characterization, and wonderful humor!

Definitely dead does not describe her books! Try laugh out loud fun, sex, humor and surprise as elements that makes Charlaine Harris one of my favorites in the chick lit fantasy and supernatural realm.

I bought the Kindle version, and though it might be a formatting problem, there were a lot of grammatical errors. The book isn't the most interesting, and definitely has a lot of long inner dialogue paragraphs, but the story is so good! You just have to kind of push your way through the book sometimes.

Johanna Parker brings the characters to life in an exciting and believable way. This is an excellent series for those who enjoy fantasy and, particularly, vampire/shapeshifter tales. Sookie, the main character, is a pleasant person with whom I am able to identify. I would love to have her "disability"--I think. So far, the males she has dated are fun and also deadly. I hope this series continues for a very long time. This CD was certainly worth buying as I will listen to it a great number of times.

*Spoilers Ahead*

Early Synopsis: A revisionist take on the Sookie universe.

Bill - You poor, miserable *expletive.* What happened? First, you suddenly became an adulterer. Now, you're suddenly a seducer? Time to throw yourself on the stake, buddy. Next, you'll be a rapist - oh wait, right, that happened at the same time you suddenly became an adulterer. Oy.

Sookie -- Still love her, but there are problems. For one, I don't care if Debbie was Satan incarnate, don't cop an attitude with her grieving (and rightly p.o.'d) family - even if they are ruthless kidnappers. And fairy blood? FAIRY? When? How? Why? And how did this somewhat pertinent fact escape all of Sookie's supernatural boyfriends? I understand that Andre had a special fairy detector for a nose, but Eric and Bill fed on her. Why did we have to wait to book 7(?) to find out all of this? It could be an interesting plot twist - or it could be another ardeur. Fairy blood doesn't really solve the problem of Sookie's suitors. It justifies giving her more of them. And to me, that's a problem.

Eric - Let's see him in something more than a cameo.

Quinn - Stop saying "babe," OK, dude? I liked Quinn in the last book, I liked him still in this book, but he is coming across a bit as a Poochie (Simpsons ref).

Shifters in general - I'm a bit biased b/c Anita Blake has probably ruined shifter romances for me forever. But look at the list here: Sam, Alcide, Calvin, now Quinn. Unless we're talking were-gerbils next, I don't care. It is time to call the Dr. Ludwig-equivalent of veterinary science, and end all of this by neutering the lot of them. /bitterness.

Plot Resolution - Sookie does her best Velma impersonation and explains all the stuff that didn't make any sense. So the diamond was in the coffee? A few quick calls to the gas stations solved the mystery? I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out how the heck 2+2=5 here. I understand what happened, but it's hard to believe.

End: A better book than "Club Dead" with an interesting (if completely out of left field) twist on Bill's character, and a good set-up for future conflict. Scooby-Doo-like mysteries and flat villains weaken the mystery plot, and Sookie-Nookie becomes increasingly problematic as new characters sweep in and steal the limelight from older, better characters. 3/5

Ok, I guess I'm in the minority here, but I like Bill. I've been hoping that Sookie and Bill would get back together, but after this book it's pretty clear that that's not happening. I do like Quinn, but not as much as Bill. As I said, I think I'm in the minority. As for the book it was ok. To me the first two were fabulous, but after that the series took a turn for the worse. Let's hope Sookie sticks with Quinn for more than a couple of pages.

alot of people are saying this book wasn't very good but i really liked it :) it was a fast read & kept me wanting more.. all together dead however is turning into a bore snooze!! i loved Quinn being added to the mix & her being in her cousins apartment meeting amelia..

Very different from the TV show on HBO, but both are good. As the series continues on, it gets further and further from the show. But i think it's fun because neither give the other away and it's like you get two versions of Sookie's world.

When I first started this series I was still starry eyed over the Twilight series. However when I read this series I started to realize that Charlaine Harris writes better and her story plot and charaxcters are better, more detailed and more fun than other vamp fiction. I can't wait for the next one to come out and I hope that many more people start and begin to love this series the way I did.

WOW! I cannot believe these reviews, I thought this was one of her best.....The new love interest seems so yummy, give me more of him. Sookie is always in a scrap and this one is no exception. This book was great...I finished it in almost a day I couldn't but it down.

I am so thrilled I found Charlaine Harris and her wonderful characters like Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam, ETC...If you'd like to enter the world populated with vampires, weres and more read the Southern Vamp Mystery Series by Harris. They are all wonderful!!!

Ben was a Were, not simply a Shape Shifter, which made him different from Amy inasmuch as Ben was a Were, he was not a Shifter, but a Weregopher, while Alex was a Weregerbil, the counterpoint to Amy's Goat-Nematode...

For the love of Bob, if it takes 60 plus pages of exposition to ease into a really simplistic micro-plot, it's really not riveting reading. This thing was tedious beyond belief!

I have all these books and love them all, its just a little weird watching the show and seeing what they are putting in like the book and what theyre changing, but I hope Charlaine keeps Sookie alive and kicking for a long time, the books are so easy and fun to read, you will love them, just remember they are based on the the show, True Blood, and they are alot differnt then the show.

If you've read the first 5 books in this series, then you will be happy to know this one is just as good! I couldn't put it down and ended up reading it in just a few hours. It left me wanting more! Bring on book 7!

This new installment on the Southern Vampire series was a very good read. I am glad that I got it because I am loving the new twists in this book. It was good to hear a little bit more about Quinn, Claudine, and Sophie-Ann. I can't wait for her next book about Sookie. Hurry up Charlaine!!!!

i watched true blood, and got turned on to the sookie books. i love the first 4!! definately dead is icky, and whenever her new boyfriend called sookie"babe", i rolled my eyes everytime. this book just didn't have the charm to it for me. i have read them all and this is my least favorite.

I have read the whole series and this one is one of the better ones. Sookie returns, her cousin is dead, she learns the truth about Bill. Its packed with fun information that will keep the pages turning. I look forward to the next Sookie Novel.

i found this book sorely disappointing. The first four books were great, and then after that...the series seems to be going downhill. in this novel, there's too many things going on at once, too many characters running around. Especially new ones. Harris' established characters aren't involved in the storyline in any meaningful way, they just pop up here and there. She might as well not have written them in at all. I miss those characters, especially Eric and Bill. Those vamps were the reason i got into the series in the first place. With this book i found myself wholly uninterested in the plethora of new characters and was in anticipation of even a small cameo appearance of the established ones. I couldn't get into the story either...it just draaaaaged. And there were too many subplots. Plus, the ending was kinda disappointing too.

I found this book an excellent read, it was thrilling, exciting and at times i found myself with tears of sadness. The latest story was enthralling and i couldnt put it down till the end, i would highly recomend this book and previous ones to anyone who enjoys adventure.

I loved this book. It was my first time to read Ms. Harris's books and I was so thrilled with it, I had to go and buy all this series books. You need to start at the beginning to really know what is going on, however, any of the books are great.

This is another great Sookie Stackhouse novel. Charlaine Harris brings her characters to life. There is plenty of action and mystery surrounding Sookie and the small town she lives in. Each chapter keeps you wanting to read more.

Another great addition to the Sookie Stackhouse series from Harris. This book continues on from the rest, but also introduces new themes. If you love Harris' books you won't be disappointed in this one. A great vampire series for fans of the genre.

Really, I only read this one for Bill and Eric. There was little excitement. And frankly, the series has gotten increasingly boring. My advice? Skip this one and move on to the next book. You will miss nothing and will be 10,000 times better off. Trust me.

I look forward to reading the Southern Vampire Mysteries every year (well, every year since I discovered them). The first four books were the best of the series. (Dead as a Doornail was great too though.) I had looked forward to reading Definitely Dead and read more on sexy weretiger Quinn. Even though I had a hard time conjuring a gorgeous baldheaded, olive-skinned man, I do like Quinn a bit, though I need to know more about him. However, I wasn't thrilled with this installment and its "twists." But more on that stuff later. Hadley, Sookie Stackhouse's cousin, had been a vampire. She was murdered and is now definitely dead (as opposed to being vampire-dead). Hadley's apartment and her possessions now belong to Sookie, and she has been summoned by the Vampire Queen of Louisiana to claim them. Sookie is disturbed with the fact that her cousin had been a vampire. She had taken part in the execution of her cousin's murderer (this took place in the short story "One Word Answer" in the Bite anthology) and she isn't thrilled with the prospect of seeing the apartment and visiting the vampire queen. But someone is doing just about anything, including committing murder, to keep Sookie from claiming her inheritance. Did Hadley have some skeletons in her closet? Who is stopping Sookie from going to New Orleans and why? On top of everything else, the Pelts are again questioning Sookie about their daughter Debbie's disappearance, Eric is insisting upon taking her to a vampire council meeting and some Weres may want her dead. All poor Sookie wants to do is enjoy a few dates with the gorgeous Quinn. There are several twists throughout the novel.

I have to say that the first one-hundred or so pages are quite boring. There is some building of what is to come ahead, but most of it is too short and sparse to spark my interest. The scenes at bar Merlotte are always fun and Harris's descriptions of the south and of Sookie relaxing on a warm sunny day are great too, and I enjoy the witty dialogue as well, but the other stuff centered on internal monologue and on Sookie getting reacquainted with practically every character in the series was a big bore for me. In the first one-hundred or so pages, we get appearances or mentions of Bill, Alcide, Sam, Eric, Jason, Claude, Claudine, Maria-Star, Quinn, Calvin, the Pelts, Merlotte's regulars and several very small, filler characters, some of which I couldn't remember at first. Out of all those characters, I was only interested in Bill, Eric and Quinn. It seems that Ms. Harris felt the need to bring up these characters even if most of them were not relevant to the plot. It matters little to me if some of them are in one of the novels or not. Perhaps a brief mention of them would suffice. After we got out of that hallway, which included a mini-mystery centered on a missing school boy, the story got interesting and the action began. I was enjoying the story a great deal... until I read the part about the "twist" with Bill. I had a feeling that it was a contrived plot device to write him off the series or to make him unlikeable to us readers. I hate it when authors do that! Laurell K. Hamilton did it with Richard and now Charlaine Harris has done it with Bill. But I sincerely hope that isn't the case, for Bill is my favorite character in this series and I'd hate to see him go. He has done some vile things to Sookie that don't make him good boyfriend material, but what I like about him and Eric is that they're flawed and complex and not vanilla vampires. The point of vampires is that they don't behave or think like regular people. Also, I'd like to read about his side of things. Ever since Club Dead, it has been all about Sookie and her broken heart, with very little opportunity to have Bill defend himself. I hope this new twist is just new conflict between him and Sookie and nothing else. It is obvious to me that Ms. Harris has put Bill and the other men "in the back burner" in favor of Quinn. As for Quinn, I have no idea what to make of him yet. He is likeable, but kind of one-dimensional thus far. He is definitely not as interesting or as colorful as Eric and Bill. I hope Ms. Harris won't do with Quinn what LKH has done with Anita Blake's Micah and have Quinn become Sookie's "soulmate." *shudder* Anyway, Definitely Dead has its fun and entertaining moments, but the problems above kept me from enjoying this one the way I had enjoyed the previous installments. This was nevertheless entertaining and I'm sure that many Sookie fans will enjoy it. I hope against hope that Charlaine Harris won't take the direction I suspect she will take though.