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Wednesday 24 July 2013

Caragh Reviews - Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Published - 2011
Publisher - Gollanncz
Format - Hardback
Synopsis - Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana. It's a job which has its own challenges, but now the vampires and the shapeshifters are finally 'out', you'd think the supernaturals would get on with each other. But nothing is that simple in Bon Temps!... and Sookie has a knack for being in trouble's way; not least when she witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but before she can investigate something else - something even more dangerous - comes up. Sookie's lover Eric Northman, and his 'child' Pam are plotting something in secret. Whatever it is, they seem determined to keep Sookie out of it; almost as determined as Sookie is to find out what's going on. She can't sit on the sidelines when both her work and her love life are under threat - but as their plans gradually become clear Sookie finds the situation is deadlier than she could ever have imagined.

It's not the world's best kept secret that i'm a bit of a Truebie! I love the TV show passionately and I read the first 10 Sookie Stackhouse books a few years ago (thanks, Amber!). Once I could no longer just borrow the books from my friend I genuinely forgot they were even still a thing! I saw this in the library last week and knew I had to finish off the series.

The Sookie Stackhouse books are, brace yourself, even crazier than the TV show. In a good way! With each installment, Sookie's life and that of those around her gets more insane and there are an increasing amount of Supes to contend with. Though my knowledge of the previous books is more than a little shaky due to it being at least 2 years since I read them, I think it's safe to say that it follows on quite nicely and Bon Temps is the same as always.

I rated Dead Reckoning with 3 stars but I can't honestly say that I enjoyed it as such. I love the characters, which in this case was great, because nothing really seemed to happen for two thirds of the book. In some ways I rated this book higher because it felt more like a 'set the scene' book and I needed that after being away from the series for so long but the truth is, I probably rated it for Eric Northman, *swoon*. Dead Reckoning felt more like the TV show than the previous books too. The locations used were familiar, there weren't *too* many book-only characters and the inevitable showdown takes place at Fangtasia.

I think I probably should have re-read the books before trying to get into the series again as I felt that I was missing something. I didn't have the advantage of the build up from the previous books and that hindered my reading a little as I was exclaiming at things I should have already known. All in all it was a pretty quick and simple read and I liked it for what it was. I'll be keeping an eye out for the next ones in the library anyway!

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