Any day a Charlaine Harris book comes out is a good day. I'd run my grandmother over to get to the bookstore for her books. I would pay full price for her books, in hard cover. Enough said.
Definitely Dead continues the Dead series with Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie is a Louisiana barmaid who never really existed much outside - in thought or deed - her small town sphere until the day that vampire Bill came into her bar and sat in her section. It was like manna from heaven for Sookie, because you see, she has a little mental problem. She's a telepath. Being different has always set her apart from everyone else and now in walks someone just as novel and weird in the eyes of her neighbors. Bill sets Sookie up with an introduction into the supernatural world. She meets shape shifters, weres, witches, fairies, more vamps, and who knows what else. Her own uniqueness makes her accepted into their world, available to be drawn into all their battles and machinations.
In this outing Sookie heads to Louisiana to clear out her recently deceased cousin Hadley's apartment. Hadley had been a vampire before her final death and the girlfriend of the queen of Louisiana. Her death it would seem was more complicated than first appeared and now Sookie has become involved in the situation. It would also seem some of the troubles from earlier books follow her to New Orleans. Helping her out in her trials are 2 newer characters of the series: Quinn the weretiger who first appeared in Dead as a Doornail and Amelia, Hadley's landlady and a witch.
What I liked: Clearing out of some of the dead wood. In the previous book Sookie was left with a heck of a lot of suitors. Here Harris successfully got rid of Cal the werepanther, seemed to tie off the Alcide the werewolf drama, and definitely ended the reconciliation possibilities with Vampire Bill. Now, clearly there will be more Bill drama in the future, but I felt that Harris really put to bed the possibility of a happily-ever-after for these two - both for the reader and the character. Now, we're left with Quinn, Eric, and Sam - her boss. I have a feeling there will be some Sam drama in the next book, but as to which way it will go I don't know. Harris is one those great authors who can actually surprise the reader - pleasantly - with how she tackles things. Oh, I liked everything else too. Harris is The Master of dialogue and characters. If you look for those elements in your books you can do no better than her.
What could be improved: Yeah right. Go get her books!
