Novels Now

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
ACE Fantasy, 2009
Fantasy; 312 pgs

There are times when I wish I could read people’s minds. I imagine it would get tiresome after awhile–not to mention the headache! And would I be able to block out the voices and images that flood my mind? I am sure there are some thoughts I would rather not be privy to. No, I don’t envy Sookie Stackhouse at all.

Dead and Gone is the 9th book in Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire mystery series, featuring Sookie Stackhouse, a Southerner in Bon Temps with the ability to read minds. It’s a series filled with supernatural beings, a bit of magic, romance and mystery. Sookie and I have been through a lot together over the years. We have shared laughs, tears, and many frightening experiences. I was with her when she met her first vampire and discovered that the world around her was not the world she’d grown up believing it to be.

In this latest installment of the series, the were-people and shape shifters have decided it is time to announce their existence to the world. The vampires have been more of less integrated into society for quite a while, and the two-natured folk feel the time has come to step outside of the proverbial closet. Their coming out is met with a mixture of fascination, excitement, fear and anger. When the body of a woman, partially shifted into her animal form, is found hanging from a cross in the back of Merlotte’s, the bar and grill where Sookie works, it’s a sure sign of a hate crime. The real question though is whether the murder took place as a warning to other shape shifters or was it more personal?

As if that wasn’t enough, a civil war is brewing between the fairies, and Sookie is right in thick of it. Add to that the inquisitive FBI agents who are breathing down her neck and a rather disturbing turn in her relationship with one of her vampire friends.

Trouble always seems to find Sookie and it does not waste time finding her again in Dead and Gone. She is joined by some of her usual crowd: her brother Jason, whose neck I wasn’t quick to want to ring this time around; the ever sexy and confident vampire Eric; Sam, Sookie’s charming boss; Amelia, Sookie’s witch roommate; ex-boyfriend and vampire Bill Compton; and, of course, a special appearance by none other than the King Bubba himself. And that’s just for starters.

I enjoyed Dead and Gone overall. I gobbled it up quite quickly as I often do Harris’ books. That said, it left a little something to be desired. I liked the story well enough, but a couple of major scenes fell a little flat for me, especially towards the end. There were also side story lines that I would like to have seen more fully developed. All in all though, it was still a fun novel and a good escape from an otherwise stressful day.

It’s been interesting to watch Sookie grow as a character. She isn’t quite as innocent as she once was. The series has definitely taken a darker turn with each book. While Dead and Gone is not my favorite book of the series, it will tide me over until I can get my next Sookie fix.

In the meantime, let’s get back to supernatural powers we wouldn’t mind having. Now telekinesis . . . There’s a gift I wouldn’t mind having.

Rating: (Good)