Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris signals the return of Sookie Stackhouse, a human with a superhuman power. The cocktail waitress at Merlotte’s, a bar located in a small Louisiana town, has the ability to read people’s minds. As witnessed in previous books, while this gift isn’t always a blessing, it can come in handy at times. The introduction of some new characters, further character development, and a thoughtful plot contribute to the book being another fun fantasy read.
The book starts off where the previous one left off: with Jason’s reaction to his first shift into a were-panther. Surprisingly, Jason takes his transformation rather positively and dispels any doubts regarding his acceptance of his current situation. However, it is too early for Sookie to lay her fears to rest, as a series of murders leads the community of shape-shifters to point their fingers at Jason, who is considered to be an impure were-panther. While trying to find the real killer, Sookie is targeted for being snoopy. Sam, the bartender at Merlotte’s, is then shot, causing alarm at the bar. Sookie makes friends with Charles, the vampire who temporarily takes over the management of the bar under Eric the vampire’s direction, and he keeps close watch over Sookie to ensure her safety. When the were Community refuses to cooperate with the authorities in their investigation and stands firm in their belief that Jason is the crook, Sookie and a recovered Sam take matters into their own hands and resolve to find the true killer.
Different subplots keep the reader engaged and prevent the book from becoming boring and repetitive. From trying to get her friend out of a dangerous relationship with a vampire to getting entangled in an inner werewolf power struggle, Sookie has a lot on her plate. It is evident that the latest installment takes a more varied approach than the other books in the series. While the culprit is somewhat predictable, the plot development is refreshing and as such, the foreshadowing can be forgiven. The book is filled with adventure and injected with a little humor on the side to make for an overall fun reading experience.
Those who are not yet well-acquainted with the series and decide to pick up this book without reading the others do not need to worry, for Harris does a good job of providing enough background details to keep readers on track and interested. All in all, Dead as a Doornail does not disappoint and is another development in the popular Sookie Stackhouse Books series that is worth reading.
Related posts:
Comments on this entry are closed.