Charlaine Harris, Definitely Dead

Definitely Dead

Charlaine Harris

Ace, May 2006, $23.95, 336 pp.

ISBN 0441014003

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 novel is all about. Charlaine Harris has created her own sub-genre with tongue in cheek (or should I say fang) humor that pops up at 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 back list of books in this wonderful series.