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Dead To The World

Charlaine Harris

Published 2004         291 pages

Synopsis

It’s New Year in Bon Temps, Louisiana a time when most people would be out partying but not cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse.  She has to work.  Its a few weeks since she had to take time off from work to go and rescue her cheating vampire boyfriend Bill from the clutches of his evil ex-girlfriend and she desperately needs to earn some money to pay her bills.  She was happy to work New Years Eve because having just split up with Bill she didn’t have any party plans.  It was a busy night and she was looking forward to going home, counting her tips and sleeping. 

However her night didn’t end the way she’d planned as she finds a half naked Eric running down the road on her way home from work.  She stops to see what’s up and once again gets pulled into vampire business. 

Eric has been cursed by a witch, who wants to take over his business holdings, and is suffering from amnesia as a result.  The vampires can’t let Eric be found by the witches who want to capture him so badly that they have posted a $50,000 reward for information on his whereabouts.  They need somewhere to hide him, somewhere the witches would never think of looking – Sookie’s house seems the perfect place.  Sookie’s brother Jason makes a deal with the vampires that Sookie will look after Eric for $35,000.  She needs the money so she agrees to keep Eric safe for a few days while the vampires find the witches and make them remove the curse from Eric.

Initially Sookie fears that getting drawn into vampire business is going to end up with her being beaten up again, a realistic fear, as that is what has happened on every previous occasion.  However it soon becomes apparent to her that she has more to fear than physical pain.  Eric with amnesia is a completely different vampire.  He can’t remember that he is a womanising flirt and powerful vampire leader.  He’s still sexy but he’s vulnerable, gentle and sweet too.  This time Sookie’s heart might be a risk of being broken….

The Review

Yet another great book in the Sookie Stackhouse series.  Dead To The World is the fourth book in the Southern Vampire series and possibly my personal favourite.  The supernatural setting is developed further with the introduction of witches, were-panthers and fairies.  The story has more fast paced action, more mystery and a good romantic element to it too.

The book has three distinct story lines; Eric’s amnesia, the vampires’ battle to deal with the witches and the mystery of Jason’s kidnapping.  The Eric story line provides the romantic interest and some touching moments.  Eric is probably my favourite character in the Sookie books (apart from Sookie herself) so it is good that he has a story of his own, although the Eric in this story isn’t at all like normal Eric.  He is much sweeter and this makes me like him all the more. 

The vampires’ battle against the witches provides the action in the story and as the body count rises I’m amazed that the police never seem to question what is going on when they find burnt out buildings full of bodies (as an avid CSI fan I expect some eagle eyed crime scene police officer to spot something is amiss!)

Jason’s kidnapping provides the mystery element of the story and allows for the introduction of some interesting new characters but it doesn’t really seem to fit with the rest of the book.  However the story lines are all tied up neatly at the end and the reader is left with the satisfaction of having read a most entertaining and original story.

The Sookie Stackhouse series just seems to keep getting better.  Sookie herself is so practical and down to earth you just have to love her.  The small town rural feel of the stories, combined with the fantastic supernatural element really works and is what makes the stories so original.

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