My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding Anthology

Werewolves, vampires, witches, voodoo, Elvis---and weddings

An “ordinary” wedding can get crazy enough, so can you imagine what happens when otherworldly creatures are involved? Nine of the hottest authors of paranormal fiction answer that question in this delightful collection of supernatural wedding stories. What’s the seating plan when rival clans of werewolves and vampires meet under the same roof? How can a couple in the throes of love overcome traps set by feuding relatives---who are experts at voodoo? Will you have a good marriage if your high-seas wedding is held on a cursed ship? How do you deal with a wedding singer who’s just a little too good at impersonating Elvis?

· L. A. Banks
· Jim Butcher
· Rachel Caine
· P. N. Elrod
· Esther M. Friesner
· Lori Handeland
· Charlaine Harris
· Sherrilyn Kenyon
· Susan Krinard

Shape-shifters, wizards, and magic, oh my!

My main reason for picking up this short story collection was so that I continue working my way through Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. An unfortunate side effect is that I am pretty sure I read something out of order for the Harry Dresden series, but what can you do really? I am not 100% sure if some of the other stories were parts of series as well because that will really knock my "only read a series in order" mantra around a bit as well!

In Spellbound by L A Banks, the Hatfields and the McCoys have been feuding for generations, "working roots on each other, casting evil spells, dabblin' in hoodoo". When Odelia Hatfield and Jefferson McCoy fall in love, the one thing that can be guaranteed at the wedding is problems! It doesn't really help that the wedding was something of a surprise to all parties who thought they were coming to town to celebrate individuals graduations!

L A Banks is an author who I only ever seem to read in anthologies, but I do like her voice, and will maybe try to make an effort to read more of her longer books!

I really enjoy reading Jim Butcher's Dresden files stories, and Something Borrowed was no exception. Wizard Harry Dresden is a last minute replacement best man for his friend's wedding, but there just isn't quite something right about the bride! Once he puts his finger on what the issue is, it's a matter of life and death and Harry has to pull out all the stops to save the big day!

The only thing that was a bit annoying for the OCD in me, is that this story should be read between Dead Beat and Proven Guilty (books 7 and 8 in the series) and I am only up to book 3. I have previously read another short story out of order as well! Let it go Marg, let it go!

Dead Man's Chest by Rachel Caine was a really fun read. At first I was really confused at where the author was trying to take the story, but in the end I think this will be one of my favourites from the collection.

Cecilia couldn't believe her luck when romance cover model Ian Taylor fell for her. Only problem is that things are going a little bit fast for her when suddenly she is whisked onto an old style sailing ship to be married in what appears to be a ship wench outfit. Turns out there is something strange about the crew, and suddenly Ian doesn't seem to be quite the catch either. Lots of fun.

All Shook Up by P N Elrod was another fun read. Frankie is catering at a celebrity wedding reception when she is completely shocked to see that the entertainment is a VERY good Elvis impersonator. Whilst she is an excellent caterer, she also has another gift - seeing the future, and she is not sure that she likes what she sees, but Elvis seems to be doing a good job of distracting her for now! Another author that I only seem to read in anthologies. Last time I reviewed one I said I can definitely see myself reading more by this author. Same still applies - I just need to get around to starting a whole book by her.

If there was one story in this collection that didn't really work for me, it was Esther M Friesner's The Wedding of Wylda Serene. There haven't been many events held at the exclusive Club, basically because absolutely anything could, and has happened. It is therefore something of a surprise when the local darling, Wylda Serene insists that she must get married there, especially when no one seems to have met the lucky man yet. Whilst I did enjoy the premise, and think that it is one that the author could have a lot of fun with (who couldn't have fun with a bunch of ancient and trouble making Greek Gods), I don't think I really got the mother-of-the-bride-zilla moments enough to be able save this story from being meh!

Lori Handeland seems to be yet another author that I only read in anthologies, and yet I liked the last story I read from her featuring characters from her Jager-Sucher series. In this story, Charmed by the Moon, Jessie and Will are about to get married when they find a love charm that has been hidden amongst their belongings. This leads them to question whether they are really in love or if they have been manipulated, and by whom?

Tacky by Charlaine Harris is set in the same world as the Sookie Stackhouse books, but Sookie isn't one of the characters. This short story examines what might possibly happen if a vampire decides to marry a werewolf. The main character is neither bride nor groom, but the bridesmaid. She also has to figure out what the bridesmaid's role in the wedding is meant to be, with a special focus on not ending up with a bridesmaid dress that looks tacky! There is also the fact that not everyone on either side is comfortable with this union, which leads to some problems on the big day, and then there is also the opinions of regular humans that might well get in the way as well.

A Hard Day's Night-Searcher by Sherrilyn Kenyon was the reason I read this book, and was in itself an okay story. It certainly didn't blow my mind though. Rafael Santiago's squire Jeff is a bit of a problem. He has published a story where he has changed the names, but other than that he has basically written about the Dark Hunter world, and now the top squires want to see him. They send Celina to pick up Jeff, but Rafael manages to stall by offering her a deal - he can get her to break the Squire within a week if she has to stay with him.

"...Or Forever Hold Your Peace" by Susan Krinard, was more a mystery than a romance, but I would love to read more set in this world. It is set in a alternate Victorian style world called Albion, where all the best families pass on not only land and treasures but also paranormal Talents. At the key moment in the wedding of Lady Emma Wakefield and Lord Edward Parish, a stranger bursts into the wedding and objects to the union. As he runs away from the wedding, he is killed. The next day, the bride goes missing and it is up to Lady Olivia Dowling and her friend, Kit Meredith, to figure out how those two events are connected. I really liked Olivia and Kit as a couple and you could easily see something more developing between the two characters.

Many Bloody Returns: Tales of Birthdays with Bite edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L P Kelner

Never-before-published vampire stories by Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Kelley Armstrong, and many others.

Suspenseful, surprising, sometimes dark, sometimes humorous-these all-new stories will ensure that readers never think of vampires (or birthdays) in quite the same way again.

In New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris's "Dracula Night," Sookie Stackhouse is the only human at the annual commemoration of Dracula's birth. But this year, the Prince of Darkness actually shows up-and finds Sookie to be a tasty-looking present.

New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher's crime-solving wizard Harry Dresden, of the Dresden Files novels, heads to a role-playing party to give his vampire brother a birthday present in "It's My Birthday Too," only to discover there are some bloodthirsty party crashers who don't share their brotherly love.

In "Twilight," Cassandra DuCharme, who appeared in New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's Dime Store Magic, knows she has to kill to live as a vampire another year-but finds herself disturbingly disinterested in the hunt.

Plus ten more bloody good birthday stories that take the cake.

Dracula Night by Charlaine Harris - Sookie Stackhouse finds herself invited to a celebration of the birthday of Dracula being hosted by Eric. This was a bit of a let down to me. I loved seeing this overly eager side of Eric, but there was too much time spent on backstory. When you only have twenty pages of story telling, you need to get the story going quickly.

The Mournful Cry of Owls by Christopher Golden - A young girl is about to celebrate her 16th birthday, and to find out about the truth of who she really is. I really liked this story, despite the fact that it had a more sombre tone to it that some of the others included in the collection.

I was a Teenage Vampire by Bill Crider - When a young girl in 1950s smalltown America thinks that it would be great to invite the local vampire to her birthday party, no one realises that the consequences will last forever. This was a lot of fun from a new to me author.

Twilight by Kelley Armstrong - The whole reason why I even borrowed this book was to read another Otherworld story while I wait for the next full length book. Vampire Cassandra needs to kill at least one person per year or else she will die forever. Sounds like a good enough incentive to get it done, but she finds herself strangely reluctant to do so. Loved the interaction with Aaron in this story.

It's My Birthday Too by Jim Butcher - a short story feature Harry Dresden, wizard extraordinaire. I really enjoyed this one too. I have a feeling that I might have spoiled myself for some pretty big reveals in future books though, especially seeing as I have only read the first two. Never mind.

Grave-Robbed by PN Elrod - Undead detective Jack Fleming is approached by a young girl to help unveil a charlatan medium who is targetting her recently widowed sister. I could definitely see myself reading more by this author.

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life by Rachel Caine - As far as I can tell this is like an introduction to the Glass House series. Whilst I have read nearly all of her Weather Warden books, I haven't started on this series yet, but after reading this I definitely intend to.

The Witch and the Wicked by Jeanne C Stein - When witch Sophie is contracted to cater a vampire birthday party, little did she realise that things were going to take such a dramatic turn. With the guest of honour burned to a crisp, and Sophie left with the ashes, she decides to have a go at making a youth cream with very interesting results. Not a bad read.

Blood Wrapped by Tanya Huff - I have heard lots of mentions about Tanya Huff's books over the last few years. It's hard not to have especially seeing as there was even a TV series made based on her books. I had not really been all that interested in picking up her books though. I am now! I cannot wait to get the first book in the series and find out more about Vickie, and most particularly about Henry.

The Wish by Carolyn Haines - Apparently this author has published more than 50 books, but I don't remember hearing of her before. This story didn't really do much for me.

Fire and Ice and Linguini for Two by Tate Halloway - Garnet is a witch, and her boyfriend Sebastian is a vampire. Sebastian has assured her many times that he does not want to celebrate his birthday because he is cursed. The events that follow probably lend some credence to this theory when the two of them are forced to fight for their lives against a demon. This story was pretty entertaining. I might look up the previous books in the series at the library at some point.

Vampire Hours by Elaine Viets - A woman who is in an unhappy marriage meets Michael - a man who is offering her a whole lot more than just mundane living. I liked the idea behind this one, wasn't quite so keen on the execution. This was her first vampire story.

How Stella Got Her Grave Back by Toni L P Kelner - Another first time effort. After spending years away from her home towne vampire Stella bring her lover Michael back to her home town, only to find that there is someone else buried in her grave. She is a Jane Doe, and Michael and Stella are determined to find out who she is, and who killed her.

Charlaine Harris Question

This is one for all the Charlaine Harris fans out there.

For the time being I am all caught up on the Sookie Stackhouse series and the Harper Connelly series.

Of the two other series that she has written, the Lily Bard series and the Aurora Teagarden series, my library has only the second book in the Lily Bard series. One of the other libraries I am a member of has books 3 and 5 of that series, and books 6, 7 and 8 of the Aurorar Teagarden series. That library is however completely out of my way these days so it would be a pain to get out there to borrow them, and then to take them back again. I guess I could see about an ILL.

My question to you fans out there is therefore, are these other series worth reading? Should I try and track them all down to buy or are they kind of take it or leave it books?


By the way, I have posted this post using the schedule thingy I talked about a couple of posts ago! I really am not up at 3am! Let's hope it worked!



ETA: IT WORKED!!!

Two Harper Connelly reviews

In case you are wondering why I am doing all these two-in-one reviews (keep an eye out for a three-in-one review soon), it is so that I can convince myself that I am catching up! The bonus is that it does mean that there will be cases where I have posted a review of book 3 in a series for example, when I haven't yet posted about books 1 and/or 2 yet. There have very often been weeks between the first reviewed book and the second!

When she was 15, Harper Connelly was struck by a bolt of lightning. She recovered, mostly...she has a strange spiderweb of red on parts of her body, and her right leg has episodes of weakness. Sometimes her right hand shakes. She has headaches. And she can find dead people.

That was the part that interested anthropology professor Dr Clive Nunley.

The professor invited Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver to Memphis to give a demonstration of Harper's unique talent - and what better place to have that demonstration than in a very old cemetery?

Dr Nunley doesn't bother to hide his scepticism, even when Harper stands atop a grave and senses not one but two bodies, a centuries-dead man, the owner of the grave, and a young girl, recently deceased.

The grave is opened and Harper is proved right: the dead girl is Tabitha Morgernstern, an eleven-year-old abducted from Nashville two years previously. That's bad enough, but worse is to come, for Harper tried - and failed - to find the child when she first went missing. The coincidences are making the police very suspicious, so Harper and Tolliver undertake their own hunt to find the killer starting with a nocturnal visit to the cemetery.

And the next morning a third dead body is found in the grave.

When Harper Connelly and her step brother Tolliver Lang travel to Memphis at the request of local anthropologist Dr Clive Nunley they believe it will be a case of doing the presentation and then moving on. Dr Nunley wants to test Harper's skill by taking her to an old cemetery and asking for her to identify how each of the bodies within the graves died. There is no way that Harper can have any forward information about the bodies in the grave so it should silence the skeptics once and for all. However, when Harper identifies one of the bodies as a young girl who only died recently, the skeptics are delighted at her misstep until she is proved right.

Somewhat disturbingly for Harper, the body is that of a young girl who disappeared a couple of years previously and who Harper failed to find. Soon not only are there skeptical people amongst them, there are also suspicious people, including the Police. Matters aren't helped when Harper has a fight with Dr Nunley and he is then found in the same grave the next day.

The mystery in this book is much tighter than the one in Grave Sight, the first book in the series, and there are plenty of people who could have killed the young girl, Tabitha Morgenstern. There are family secrets galore in the Morgenstern family, and nearly all of the family members are under suspicion at one stage or another.

There are a couple of recurring characters in the form of Xylda and Manfred, who add colour and quirkiness to the narrative. Poor Manfred appears to be destined for heartbreak given his feelings for Harper.

The relationship between Harper and Tolliver is again just on the ugh side of squicky for me. Having read the third book now, I am going to leave it at that, but I will say more about it in the next review.

Hired to find a boy gone missing in Doraville, North Carolina, Harper Connelly and her brother Tolliver head there - only to discover that the boy was only one of several who had disappeared over the previous five years. All of them teenagers. All unlikely runaways.

All calling for Harper.

Harper soon finds them- eight victims, buried in the half-frozen ground, all come to an unspeakable end. Afterwards, what she most wants to do is collect her fee and get out of town ahead of the media storm that's soon to descend. But when she's attacked and prevented from leaving, she reluctantly becomes a part of the investigation as she learns more than she cares to about the dark mysteries and long-hidden secrets of Doraville-knowledge that makes her the next person likely to rest in an ice-cold grave.

So far, this is the best book in the series for me.

Harper and her step-brother Tolliver are hired by a family member of a young boy who has been missing for a couple of years. The previous town sheriff had decided that the six missing boys from the town were all runaways, but the new sheriff is determined to find out exactly what was going on.

Harper is somewhat surprised when she located not one, not six, but eight bodies on a farm just outside town. Soon it is up to Harper to try and figure out what else connects these poor boys, apart from the fact that they appear to have all been killed by the same murderer.

When Harper is attached and left with stitches in her head, and a fractured arm, it is clear that she is getting a little too close for the murderer to remain comfortable, and it is all that Harper and Tolliver can do to just get out of town. Or at least they would if they hadn't been snowed in.

Gradually the pieces all fall into place, but not without some heartbreaking assistance from a young boy, and with some more kooky antics from Manfred and Xylda.

Okay, spoiler territory now. Highlight below to see what I think about Harper and Tolliver's relationship in this book!


Yes, I know. Much is made in this book of the fact that Harper and Tolliver are not really brother and sister. There is no shared blood between them, but I really struggle with their progressing relationship in this book. Whilst they may not share blood...they have lived as brother and sister for years! And yet, there devotion to each other is touching, especially as Tolliver tries valiantly to keep Harper safe. I'm just not sure I was ready to go all the way with them as a couple!

The finale is action packed, and tense and a fitting ending to the story of a lot of young men who died at the hands of a sadistic and predatory killer.

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has her hands full dealing with every sort of undead and paranormal creature imaginable. And after being betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Sookie must not only deal with a new man in her life-the shapeshifter Quinn-but also contend with the long-planned vampire summit.

The summit is a tense situation. The vampire queen of Louisiana is in a precarious position, her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans. And there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. Soon, Sookie must decide what side she'll stand with. And her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe.

Having read all of the Sookie Stackhouse books that are out, I put this one on the hold request list at the library as soon as it came on the catalogue because I was so eager. Having read it, I will definitely read the next book, but I might not be in quite such a hurry.

Once again the book is filled with all the usual suspects - Bill, Eric, Quinn, Sookie and also the Queen of Louisiana and her entourage, and this time they are off to the vampire summit, where Sookie is to use her talents as a telepath to try to find out anything that could help the queen, especially during the trial that she is due to face for the murder of her husband!

This book, in a way that I don't recall happening before in this series, got bogged down in the vampire politics, and there also seemed to be much more death and destruction in this one, particularly towards the end of the novel.

There are as always several possible love interests in this one, but I do wish that this question would be resolved a little more. I don't mind so much the very difficult choice that Sookie has between Eric and Quinn, but I do wish that Bill didn't still get trotted out again and again!

This isn't a book to start reading this series on. I don't think it would make any sense whatsoever if this was the first read for someone new to the series. Overall, I would say that this is one for the fans.

Rating 3.5/5

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

I have what you might call a strange job: I find dead people. I can sense the final location of a person who's passed, and share their very last moment. The way I see it, I'm providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living - but I'm used to most people treating me like a blood-sucking leech. I couldn't do it alone - that's why my step-brother Tolliver travels with me, as my manager and, sometimes, bodyguard. It's an unpredictable work schedule: we live out of hotels, ready to hit the road at any time. Because for the living it's always urgent - even if the dead can wait forever...


Harper and Tolliver and experts at getting in, getting paid, and then getting out of town fast - because the people who hire Harper have a funny habit of not really wanting to know what she has to tell them. At first, the little Ozarks town of Sarne seems like no exception. A teenage girl has gone missing, and Harper knows almost immediately that this girl is dead. But the secrets of her death - and the secrets of the town - are deep enough that even Harper's special ability can't uncover them. With hostility welling up all around them, she and Tolliver would like nothing better than to be on their way. But then another woman is murdered. And the killer's not finished yet.....

This is the first book in the Harper Connelly series of books which feature a woman who can locate bodies of dead people and can tell how they died. She only gained this ability after she was struck by lightening when she was a teenager. Now, she is a freelancer - if you want to find a body, give her a call, and if you are prepared to pay, then she will find the body for you. Part of the problem is though that whilst people SAY that they want you to find the body, that isn't necessarily really the case.

Travelling with Harper across the country, providing both a management style service and bodyguard service, is her step brother Tolly. When they arrive in the small town of Sarne, the intention is to find the body, finish the job, and get out of there as soon as possible. But when the answer that Harper gives is not quite the answer that people wanted to hear, then things start getting messy for Harper and Tolly as they begin to realise that there are many levels of complexity in the relationships between many of the town's people. Harper is at least pleased to give some peace to a couple of people, including the mother of the dead girl.

Pleased to be finally out of town, they find themselves having to go back when the mother is also killed, and now they are suspects. With some allies within the local police, but more enemies, Harper and Tolly need to figure out who did it and why before they find themselves in jail, or worse still...dead!

Harper's condition certainly is an interesting starting point for a murder mystery, and I am sure that there is plenty of scope for interesting mysteries in the future.

I did find the relationship between Harper and Tolly somewhat unusual. Whilst they were both intimate with others, there was almost a sense of possessiveness or perhaps it is an undertone of unfulfilled sexual desire between them that, depending on how things are handled in future books, could be a bit squicky, but having now read quite a few books by Harris, I am sure that she can be trusted not to go anywhere too disturbing!

Overall, this is an okay start to the series, with a lot of promise for future books. I have already heard from a few places that the second book in the series is better....so now I just have to wait for it to come in at the library.

Rating: 3.5/5

Bite Anthology

Feel the Touch of Darkness. . .

Follow a vampire who can be as deadly as her prey. Meet a down home southern girl who's found out, much to her chagrin, that vampires are her type. Feel the euphoria of fear in the shadow of a reluctant Queen of the Undead. Step closer to the hot-blooded edge of passion as a strange new mythology of the night is unveiled.

The bite is back in vampire fiction as today's most provocative authors of vampire fiction cast their irresistible spells on you . . .

The brightest and hottest authors --including New York Times best-selling authors Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris--tell all-new tales featuring their best known and loved characters.

I added this book to my TBR list because it was the only Sookie Stackhouse story that I hadn't read previously. I do have to say that when I read the book I was kind of surprised that Laurell K Hamilton and Charlaine Harris were the headline acts in the book because between the two stories by them, they covered only 58 pages out of the total of 294 pages in the book.

* From Laurell K. Hamilton, a never-before-published Anita Blake story in which Anita, temporarily separated from her vampire lover Jean-Claude, must go to him for help on a case. Where she finds herself once more falling under his erotic spell. . .

I haven't read any LKH before, so this was my first exposure to Anita Blake, and based only on this story I am not convinced that I need to read more from her. The story itself felt more like an epilogue and a first chapter than a complete story. Eventually I guess I will get to her, maybe after I finish catch up with all the Sherrilyn Kenyon books.

* A brand-new, Southern Vampire story by Charlaine Harris features Sookie Stackhouse and the vampires who have come to define her romantic life, and have ended her hope of a normal one. . .

You know, I don't recognise the story I read from the blurb above. Basically, this very short story fits in between the last two Sookie Stackhouse books,Dead as a Doornail and Definitely Dead and is about Sookie finding out that her cousin Hadley has died and left her a legacy. This explains a couple of things that happened in Definitely Dead a bit better.

* Newly crowned Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor reluctantly assumes her royal duties in Mary Janice Davidson's brand-new novella.

This is another new to me author that is pretty popular. I was actually pretty surprised when I looked on her website by two things - the first was how many different types of books she writes, and secondly how amateur the website looks. Anyway, Dr Sophie Tourneau has been the local vet in Embarrass, Minnesota for many years. If anyone realises that she is a vampire then no-one is saying anything. She used to have a special friend that she fed off, but he died some time before and she has been lonely for a long time.

Liam Thompson is one of her clients, but he has been secretly in love with her for years. The only problem he is human, but when Sophie realises that there is a rogue vampire on the loose killing young girls, he's there to assist her in anyway she can. Gradually she realises that maybe she could do with Liam's company.

Of course, in a novella 60 pages long, the romance was rushed, but it wasn't too bad. Overall, this book was okay. I might add some more of this authors books to my TBR list eventually. Any recommendations?

* Introduced in the anthology Hot Blooded and the romance Master of the Night, Angela Knight has created a fascinating universe melding Arthurian lore with erotic vampirism . . .


Whilst I enjoyed this one, I did feel a little overwhelmed with understanding the world that the story was set up in, given that haven't read any of the other books in the series. It is a kind of mix of several different stories. The above blurb tells you nothing, so I got the following off of Angela Knight's website.

When brand-new witch Caroline Lang has a vision of demons, evil vampires, and unholy grails, she finds an ally in Galahad, immortal knight of the Round Table.

Galahad is a veteran of the Magekind's magical battles of good against evil, but Caroline is like no partner he's ever had. Sexy, smart-mouthed, and irreverent, it doesn't take Caroline long to get under his skin.

But even as their partnership heats up, dark forces conspire to strip them of their power and kill them. If Galahad and Caroline don't defeat them, mankind will pay the price...

I will definitely be reading more of this series!

* Finally, in the romantic novella "Blood Lust", popular romance author Vickie Taylor brings her own unique spin on vampires . . .

I don't recall hearing about this author before, but she is definitely on my reading radar now.

Daniel Hart has been working to try and develop synthetic blood, something that has the bigwigs in the local vampire community very interested. So interested in fact that they are willing to steal his formula and beat the crap out of him to get it. Fast forward a couple of months and Daniel is determined to exact revenge, not only in respect of his work, but also his fiance who was left undead by them. In order to get revenge he needs to get himself turned into a vampire as well, and this is where Deadre Rue. She is very reluctant to bring him over, especially seeing as she thinks that she has a pretty miserable existence - especially there has been so many restrictions on who she can feed from.

This novella was really good, and I have added this author to my "I am going to read more from this author one day" list!

Overall, I have added a couple of new authors to my list and I have now caught up with all the Sookie Stackhouse stories (I think).

One interesting thing is that this is the fourth anthology I have read so far this year. I only read 6 in total last year. What this does have the effect of doing is increasing the number of new to me authors I have read. So far this year, I have read 19 books, and been introduced to 16 new authors!



Rating 4/5

Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

As a person with few living relatives, Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse really hated to lose one. But she never guessed that it would be her cousin Hadley - a consort of the vampire queen of New Orleans. After all, technically speaking, Hadley was already dead. And now, as unexpected heir to Hadley's estate, Sookie discovers the inheritance definitely comes with a risk.

Someone doesn't want Sookie looking too deeply into Hadley's past - or for that matter, Hadley's possessions. And they're prepared to do anything in their power to stop her. But who? The range of suspects runs from the rogue weres who reject Sookie as a friend of the pack to the vampire queen herself, who could be working through a particularly vulnerable subject - Sookie's first love, Bill.

Whoever it is, they're definitely dangerous - and Sookie's life is definitely on the line...

Read it, liked it. Will that do as a review?

This is the sixth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, after Dead as a Doornail and I liked that there seemed to be some closure on a couple of Sookie's relationships. It was getting a bit ridiculous that every paranormal bloke in town was hot for her, although I did find it interesting that this attraction was explained a little in this book.

I liked Quinn...a lot! And I liked the way that the relationship was building up between the two of them.

Once again Sookie was badly injured, but I suppose that it is to be expected really. She does get tied in with some seriously unpleasant business with the Queen of Louisiana that I am sure will be explored a bit more in future books.

Can't wait for the next Sookie book to come out in May I think! You can read the first chapter of All Together Dead here.

Rating 4/5 (Finished reading this book on 4 December 2006)

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

This is the fifth book in the Southern Vampire series, following on from Dead to the World

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty and well manner and has only a few close friends - which isn't surprising, since not many people can appreciate Sookie's abilities as a mind reader. It's not a quality that has the guys beating down her door - unless they're vampires, werewolves, or other supernatural beings. And now some of them aren't just friendly - they're family.

When Sookie sees her brother Jason's eyes start to change, she knows he's about to turn into a were-panther for the first time - a transformation he embraces more readily than most shapeshifters she's known. But her concern for her brother becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population - and Jason's new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter.

Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks - unless the killer decides to find her first....

Okay...so I am probably going to sound a bit grumpy with this review. I really did enjoy this book but the thing I am beginning to find is that the books are basically rehashed each time!

The main storyline is that someone has been shooting shapeshifters including Sam, Sookie's boss. The local shifter community suspects Jason, Sookie brother. In order to help out and have some protection, Sam (who is half in love with Sookie) asks Sookie to approach Eric (the local vampire sheriff who can't remember what went on with Sookie in the last book but would really love to because he can't stop thinking about her) to give him a vampire to work the bar where Sookie works. Charles dresses like a pirate and soon is charming all the locals!

As in the other books Sookie gets injured, her house nearly burns down, Bill (her ex-boyfriend who would really like to get back with her) tries to come to the rescue as does Alcide (who even suggests to Sookie that he would like to have a permanent relationship with her, even going so far as to include her in the process to choose a new pack leader).

With just about every supernatural man half in love with Sookie, including the leader of the local were-panther community, things are a little predictable, but still entertaining, and because I am a series junkie I will still read the next one!

Rating 4/5

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

The fourth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, following on from Club Dead.

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-town cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty. She does her job well. She keeps to herself and has only a few close friends because not everyone appreciates Sookie's gift. She can read minds. Not exactly every man's idea of date bait. Unless they're undead. Vampires and the like can be tough to read - just the kind of guy Sookie's been looking for.

Maybe that's why, when she comes across a naked vampire on the road home from work, she doesn't just drive on by. Turns out he hasn't a clue as to who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric, still as scary and sexy - and dead - as the day she first met him. But now that he has amnesia, Eric is sweet, vulnerable, and in need of Sookie's help - because whoever took his memory now wants his life. Sookie's investigation into why leads straight into a dangerous battle among witches, vampires, and werewolves. But there could be a greater danger to Sookie's heart - because the kinder, gentler Eric is very difficult to resist...

Sookie's New Year's resolution was to stay away from vampires. Should be easy right? After all, her ex-boyfriend Bill has gone to Peru so she has no need to have anything to do with any of his vampire buddies. Except when she comes across Eric running naked down a road, apparently unaware of who he is, he is pretty hard to resist. It turns out he has lost his memory, and the people who put the curse on him are pretty intent on tracking him down so that they can finish him off once and for all. Not long after Eric turns up, Sookie's brother Jason goes missing, so between looking for him, and trying to keep Eric hidden, her New Year's resolution has gone out the window. It certainly doesn't help that Eric is still sexy as, and to top it off he is kind and vulnerable....yum! I wouldn't be saying no either, just quietly, and I don't know about Sookie, but I was definitely thinking "Bill.....Bill who?" a lot of the time through this book!

With more and more supernaturals being unveiled and time running out, Sookie is drawn into a supernatural battle between witches, were-creatures (including the very sexy Alcide who we met in the last book), fairies, vampires and the local wiccan community, Sookie is just hoping that she doesn't get too badly beaten up.

When I finished the last book I was really hoping that Sookie would end up with Alcide. They had such great chemistry, and he seemed like a really great guy...well, for a werewolf anyway! It wasn't to be in this book, but one of the major obstacles is out of the way for the future if that is the way the author decides to go!

With more supernatural men find Sookie attractive, and her own conflicted feelings about some of them, it all looks like interesting times ahead for Sookie.

Rating 4/5

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

The third book in The Southern Vampire series featuring Sookie Stackhouse, following on from Living Dead in Dallas.

There's only one vampire Sookie Stackhouse is involved with (at least voluntarily) and that's Bill. But recently he's been a little distant -- in another state, distant. His sinister and sexy boss Eric has an idea where to find him. Next thing Sookie knows, she is off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. It's a dangerous little haunt where the elitist vampire society can go to chill out and suck down some type O. But when Sookie finally find Bill -- caught in an act of serious betrayal -- she's not sure whether to save him ... or sharpen some stakes.

Things aren't great between Bill and Sookie, but when he lies to her about where he is going and what he is up to, Sookie is devastated. When she is contacted by Eric and the other vampires because they are concerned that he has gone missing, Sookie is willing to help in any way but she is torn about whether when they find him she will be happy to see him or not.

Eric gives her an in to the supernatural community of Jackson, Mississippi, and we are introduced to Alcide Hervaux, a shapeshifting surveyor whose family owes Eric a favour. I have to say....I like Alcide as a character. Where Sookie didn't date normal men, she certainly has supernatural men falling over themselves to be with her, and Alcide is certainly amongst them, but he is a man who seems to treat Sookie quite well, the same can't always be said for some her other men friend.

Anyway, Sookie goes to Jackson, ostensibly to search for Bill, and she finds him, but not before we meet an old enemy and Sookie is seriously injured. This gives Eric an excuse for Sookie to take more of his blood, making his link to her even stronger. After rescuing Bill and generally saving the day again, Sookie returns home, and I was glad to here the decision that she made in the last few pages of the book. Good on you Sookie!!

This was quite dark at times, but still funny and entertaining. I can't wait to read more and see what role Bill, Eric, Sam and Alcide have in her life in the future!

Rating 4/5

Other Blogger's Thoughts;

Melissa's Bookshelf

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

The second book in the Southern Vampire Novel series featuring Sookie Stackhouse, following on from Dead Until Dark.

Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is on a streak of bad luck. First, her coworker is murdered and no one seems to care. Then she's face-to-face with a beastly creature that gives her a painful and poisonous lashing. Enter the vampires, who graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn't enjoy it).

Point is, they saved her life. So when one of the bloodsuckers asks for a favor, she complies. And soon, Sookie's in Dallas using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire. She's supposed to interview certain humans involved. There's just one condition: the vampires must promise to behave--and let the humans go unharmed. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly. . .

From having never read a vampire novel, this was my third one in a month. I guess I haven't really got to any hardcore ones yet though.

When yet another one of Sookie's coworkers is murdered, and Sookie is the one to find the body stuffed in the back of one of the local policemen's car, it's bad enough. But when she is attacked by a maenad and ends up with poisonous wounds on her back, and all so that she can give a "message" to Eric, you know that Sookie's in for a rough ride.

It has been agreed that Sookie will be hired out to a nest of vampires who live in Dallas. One of the vampires has gone missing, and it is up to Sookie to question the humans who hang out with the vampires to see what they know. Sookie has agreed to do this only on the condition that the humans won't be harmed once they have been finished with.

Sookie and Bill head off for Dallas, not realising that they are heading into a lot of danger. There is a radical anti-vampire movement there that is masquerading in the form of a fundamentalist church, known as the Fellowship of the Sun.

The fellowship has a vampire in their midst who is determined to commit suicide by exposing himself to the sun's rays. That is not enough however....the leaders of the fellowship want another vampire, and maybe even a couple of humans to make the show really exciting!!

Along the way, Sookie meets another telepath, some shapeshifters and many more vampires, and in more danger than she really wanted to be! Can't a girl just live a quiet life with her vampire boyfriend. Even once they return home, there is still more drama, as Sookie sets out to assist in solving the mystery of who really killed her friend and co-worker.

Once again, I really enjoyed this read. There were several laugh out loud moments, and the relationship between Bill and Sookie seems to be developing very nicely indeed! It will be interesting to see how the continued presence of Eric impacts on their relationship in future books! I guess because I had more of an idea what to expect I actually enjoyed it more than Dead Until Dark. Hopefully I will be picking up the next book in the series tomorrow, so I will soon know if the high standard has been maintained or not.

Rating 4.5/5

Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Melissa's Bookshelf

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, she keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome - and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life...

but Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire with a bad reputation. he hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of - big surprise - murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next....

My first EVER vampire book, although this seems to be a bit of a cross between vampire and cozy murder mystery so I am not sure that everyone would count it as a true vampire story but that's okay!

Sookie Stackhouse lives a pretty quiet life, not really by choice, but because she can hear the thoughts of everyone around her and that gets to be quite overwhelming! Usually she tries to block everyone's thoughts but even that is pretty tiring so she does her work and then spends her time with the grandmother that she lives with, and the brother that she doesn't necessarily always get along with! That is, until she meets Bill. Bill is different because, well, she can't hear any of his thoughts. Bill is also a vampire who is looking to return to the hometown that he lived in a couple of hundred years.

Things are changing for vampires. They are grudgingly being accepted by most of the community (even appearing on Oprah), and they are protected by the law, but that doesn't mean that everyone accepts them. As Sookie gets to know Bill, she also gets to meet some of the crowd that he hangs around with, and they aren't all quite as civilised as Bill!!

When one of Sookie's coworkers is found dead, there are several suspects. When another girl is killed, suspicion is more strongly focused on two people close to Sookie - Bill and her brother Jason.

Quicker than you can say "I Vant to Suck Your Blood" the bodies are stacking up and Sookie is being targeted by the murderer. She has to find out who the murderer is before she becomes a victim herself.

Whilst I did really enjoy this book, I did have a couple of issues with it. The first is that when one of the people closest to Sookie is murdered, she is pretty much over it in a couple of chapters. The other is that if this is supposed to be a murder mystery then Sookie doesn't really seem all that focused on finding the killer. She does, but it is almost as though she is caught unawares until he is finally upon her, trying once again to kill her. It would seem that being able to read people's minds would make it easy to solve a murder mystery but it seems that some people are harder to read than other, including Sam, Sookie's boss who is another person in Sookie's life who is not quite what he seems!

Having said that, I did enjoy this book, and will be reading more of the series. It is certainly a change of pace from the other books that I have been reading. Can't wait to read more about the vampires, shape shifters and other creatures that live in Sookie Stackhouse's small time Louisiana.

Rating 4/5

Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Lous Pages
A Reader's Respite
Melissa's Bookshelf