I am really enjoying this series. I get so wrapped up in Sookie's life as soon as I finish one book I pick up the other.

I've had a lot of people recommend Charlaine Harris to me over the past few years, and I had the pleasure of seeing her in person and seeing how charming and funny she was then, so I bought the first Sookie book, hoping it would live up to its hype. I won't bother with plot reviews because this late in the game, there are a ton of other reviews up that have that, but honestly, I spent most of the book waiting for it to get as funny and charming as people claimed. I found Bill to be dull as dishwater, and Sookie alternatingly annoying and dim. I stuck with it because there were sections that genuinely entertained me. I most enjoyed Sookie's boss, Sam, and kept hoping Sookie would drop the boring vampire to be with him. I've heard a couple spoilers for later books, so I've bought the second, hoping it gets better. I love ongoing series, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I'm getting extremely discouraged with this genre (paranormal/vampire romance). The books that are consistently recommended just aren't very good. This one being a prime example.

First of all, the plot was an utter bore. Murder. Okay - can we be more original than that? Maybe I've read too many of these books recently but nearly every vampire romance starts off with a murder. Then the the whole book is spent with the dingbat of a heroine (who is supposed to be smart) figuring out who the murderer is with the help of her vampire boyfriend. Yawn.

On top of that, the characters and setting were just plain flat and not very interesting. For the same reason I didn't enjoy the characters or setting in Holly Black's Tithe, I didn't enjoy them here. There are plenty of books with low-income, uneducated characters who are thoughtful and insightful (Huck Finn anyone?). But Sookie doesn't demonstrate any particular capacity for thoughtful reflection or insight. Her POV doesn't add to the story. And it should.

Ultimately, I couldn't really tell if the author wanted her to be smart or not. Some of her dialog was borderline intelligent and some of it was incredibly stupid. And supposedly she reads a lot but where is this shown? There isn't a single scene where she actually picks up a book. She could be reading Teen Beat magazine and drooling over the Jonas Brothers for all we know.

She's also 25, living at home and letting her grandmother cook and clean for her. She's a virgin until halfway through the book - kinda weird for someone who's 25, telepathic or not (and I only say that because her telepathy is supposedly the reason for her *chastity*). She shows no interest in improving herself via education or some other means. She's just content to live her life as a barmaid and have lots of sex with her not-very-well-described-beyond-being-super-horny vampire boyfriend. Um, okay. Why is this interesting?

This brings me to another point. From the cover, you might make the mistake of thinking this is a YA novel. Not so. Lots of sex. I have nothing against that, but most paranormal romance books I've read have something quasi-indicative of the nature of the book on the cover (refer to LKH or JR Ward). However, since the author often has no say in this so I'm not slamming Ms. Harris for it - just pointing it out. Maybe the publisher will take note.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book. Wish I could say otherwise but I can't. Dull plot, boring and/or unlikable characters, and inconsistent character logic made it a less than enjoyable read.

This book is so very awful it makes me lose faith in humanity. The fact that so many people seem to actually like it is horrifying.

There are many things wrong with this book so I will list just a few.

(1) In every scene, the author describes what each character is wearing. Every scene, every character. Apparently it is essential to the plot that we know what everyone is wearing AT ALL TIMES. Also, Charlaine believes that details about the main character's mundane daily tasks such as showering, brushing her hair, shaving her legs, and putting lotion on are VERY IMPORTANT for the readers to know about.

(2) The main character has the intolerably stupid name of Sookie Stackhouse. She is accompanied by vampires with names like Bill and Pam.

(3) Characters actually say things like "pleased as punch" and "happy as a clam." Give me a break!

(4) Charlaine does not understand the proper use of punctuation. Commas appear randomly and without reason. Can she not afford a proofreader?

(5) There is - and I say this in all seriousness - a part where Bill the vampire is described as "looking very vampirey." I'm sorry, but what the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you too lazy to use adjectives that actually exist, Charlaine?

And much, much more. Do yourself a favor and skip this poorly written series. It's not even worth the read to laugh at how awful it is.

Wow, so glad I found this book!
This is a very enjoyable book, funny, great language, very thouroughly constructed characters and the world. You feel like you actually know these people and therefore care deeply as to what happens to each one of them! Nice intricate plot - twists and turns all around!
I highly reccomend this.

My first thoughts of this book is, `Why did I wait to read this title?' Then I go into foaming throws of happiness. This book is up there people! I was so surprised by it.

As to the Mystery part I felt that it wasn't the focus. Even though it cuts close to Sookie. In fact the mystery solves its self. The novel is perfect for it. Who the killer was surprised me, which never really happens.

All the characters were real and they interacted greatly. Sookie's ability of reading people's minds is valid, and believable. I didn't think the author could have done better at it.

The romance is really good as well. I got that fuzzy little feeling that makes you go, "She's in love." And may I say not lust, but love. The extra little romance interests that always get thrown into stories, where well thought out, and again realistic.

And for a light comedy it was written really well. Harris managed to keep it feel light and humorous while taking us into the world of vampires.

**** I look forward to the rest of this series. (I can barely keep my hands off it!) For vampire fans don't be put off and for those who have yet to enjoy this genre don't wait! A top book, good plot, characters, and just to good not to read.

These books are my favorite - I like them more than Harry Potter and Twilight combined!

This was fun to read. And yes, I will be reading the others. I don't need to add to the descriptions of what the book is about. It was more an "Urban Fantasy Lite" when compared with Green, Butcher and Harrison, but the humor was handled well and didn't seem forced. I do hope in future books in the series the characters become less stereotyped.

There were a few spots where Harris obviously skipped a line in her outline. The events just weren't believable. The absolute worst was:

WARNING! SPOILER: Let's see, Gran killed instead of Sookie. Murderer obviously knows Sookie still alive. EVERYONE leaves - Sookie now home alone - Riiiiight! "Hey, Guys, that murderer may still be in the woods. Let's get out of here before one of us gets hurt. Ciao, Sookie! Lock your door." Ain't gonna happen! END OF SPOILER.

Onward to "Living Dead in Dallas".

I read this book after learning that Allan Ball of HBO is directing a TV Series based on it. I was intrigued. The book turned out to be a griping reading. I couldn't put the book down till I was done, and I just had to read the other books in the southern vampire series (all 6 :-)) right after - So no one was able to talk to me for about a week.
The book tells the story of a good southern, yet unusual girl, who learns she actually likes to walk on the wild side when she meets and falls for a vampire. It kind of touches on every woman's fantasy of taming the bed guy - and it actually works due to the splendid writing. The only thing that bothered me about the book was the somewhat conservative and sanctimonious depiction of sex. It's a sexy book that for some reason apologizes for it. It really shouldn't.

I have enjoyed the Dresden files so much, I started looking at all of the series books that are out there. WOW! There's a lot of them! Hearing that HBO was going to develop a series based on these books, I decided to try book #1.

I found the writing easy and fun to follow. The idea of Vampires as people who just discriminated against but are now a part of "normal" society was interesting as well.

I did feel the "mystery" part of the plot suffered a little bit because the author was trying to establish the series, but that is forgiveable, and I found the end very satisfying.

My one complaint, and believe me I'm not a prude, was the sex in the book. I don't have a problem with sex in books, but it seemed to me that Sookie, who was a virgin fell quite quickly into having sex all the time. Once the sexual barrier had been crossed, they did it repeatedly. I just found that was not in character with her upbringing and personality.

Probably won't read book two, but I probably will watch HBO.

Thanks for listening.

I have been avoiding this book after hearing that the main character's first name is Sookie, but seeing so many wonderful reviews, I figured I should check out what all the hype was about. Let me also mention that Sookie roughly translates to '[...]' from Russian, but I do realize that Ms. Harris had no way of knowing that. Oh my was I disappointed with this book, first names aside. Everyone in town thought that Sookie was crazy due to her rumored 'disability', but I really can't blame them after her odd behavior. She laughs for no reason, acts like a complete airhead most of the time (being called naive is too mild a word), doesn't seem to possess any depth and even when she tries to show compassion it only goes so far, doesn't think through a single action, and completely embraces her own stupidity. Based on her descriptions, it really appears that the towns people got it right, and she is not entirely there most of the time. It's also mentioned that she is well read, but I don't remember her ever picking up a single book while getting a tan or whatever she did all day. Also she mentioned that she only lived with her elderly grandmother to help her out, but the poor lady cooked and cleaned while the lazy 25 year old lounged around the house. How's that helping?

And then there is Bill. I realize that Ms. Harris tried to make a joke out of the name, but it fell completely flat. I still don't know what he is, since his character is not well developed. Is he a monster? Is he a sweet guy next door? Or is he just completely boring and uninteresting by nature? I don't know (although I'm leaning towards the last) and the writer didn't seem fit to fill us in on his personality traits. One of the reviewers wrote that all the characters in this book are two-dimensional and I couldn't agree more. There is no substance to any of them. I admit that I know very little of Southern behaviors being from the East Coast, but a lot of the stereotypes mentioned in this book came out offensive in my opinion.

Whomever compared this book to any of Hamilton's works got it completely wrong. I agree that Ms. Hamilton has gone overly x-rated in her latest books, but she is still a wonderful writer and every one of her characters is amazingly well developed. In comparison, 'Dead Until Dark' reads like the diary ramblings of a mentally challenged 16 year old girl (I upped the age from 12 since almost every other word out of Sookie's mouth was about sex).

So...I had been eyeing this series of books in the scifi section for a while. I read the first few pages, but never committed to buying them. When I received almost the whole series as a gift, I was pretty excited.

I read this one, and probably will never read the others.

Almost the entire book is spent describing the wardrobe of the characters, in which I took no interest (expecially as this wardrobe apparently came from an 80's time warp). The remaining parts of the novel were almost exclusively wasted on gratuitous sex scenes. Now, I don't object to a sex scene with a point, but there was no point in any of these.

As for the writing, I've seen better from angst-ridden teenagers. The dialogue was flat and boring. She used the phrase "pleased as punch" twice in as many pages. When she described a character as "looking like a promise" my brain recoiled in horror. This is possibly the worst metaphor I have ever heard, and I can't even tell what the hell it is supposed to mean.

This is just proof that some people will read anything, encouraging companies to publish even more of the same old drivel.

Sookie Stackhouse isn't your ordinary Louisiana waitress ... she's telepathic, but to the small-minded townsfolk, that's a disability that makes her "crazy Sookie" to most of the locals. In Harris's alternate universe, vampires "came out of the coffin" four years ago and are a common fixture in New Orleans, although not as common in Sookie's small town. Sookie's dying to actually meet one of the undead, but when a vampire does come to Merlotte's, she gets more than she bargained for.

Bill Compton lived through the Civil War before being turned into a vampire in 1870, a fact which endears him to Sookie's grandmother and her club Descendants of the Glorious Dead, where he discusses his acquaintance with various members' relatives during the Civil War.

However, Bill's life is jeopardized by vampire drainers, who make money by capturing vampires and selling their blood, which has druglike qualities. This either results in a two-decade painful recovery for the vamps, or death at the hands of the drainers. Bill is indebted to Sookie for saving him, and returns the favor more than once.

The town is rocked by a series of brutal killings of women who dated vampires ("fang bangers"), and Sookie and Bill race against the clock trying to find the murderer. Other complications arise, including Sookie's romantic involvement will Bill, her introduction into the brutal world of vampires, and her boss Sam showing a romantic interest in her (Sam's hiding a pretty big secret of his own).

Harris writes with a tongue-in-cheek humor drenched in Southern sweetness that has strong links to Southern Chick Lit a la Ya Ya Sisterhood. Sookie's Louisiana is peppered with Cajun expressions and flashes of antebellum grandeur. She creates a likeable protagonist who may not be book-schooled, but who is intelligent, down-to-earth and strong-willed. Sookie's gift of telepathy is gradually explored (and employed) in greater detail as the story progresses. Harris's breed of vampires draws on many common features of vampire lore (sleeping in the ground during daylight hours, death by sunlight or staking, allergy to silver, the ability to hypnotize), but in Bill she's created a fresh voice that has much more in common with humanity.

I greatly enjoyed Dead Until Dark, the first in a series of Southern Vampire Novels, and can't wait to see the HBO adaptation True Blood starring Anna Paquin as Sookie and Stephen Moyer as Bill. I look forward to reading the continuing adventures of Sookie and Bill in Harris's other Southern Vampire novels. If you're a fan of vampire fiction, you'll find a lot to sink your teeth into in Dead Until Dark.

It's great to see and read a book that has so much imagination! To go along with the commonly held views on vampires and to see a nice southern girl who was raised right, fall in love with one of them, it was just the best!
Sookie says and thinks a lot like most women, she just doesn't have the self esteem, yet, to put it forward. She is endearing to us and we can't wait to see what awaits her next. Bill, though a cool customer, is what we hope for in our vampires. Tender and loving when he needs to be and cruel and deadly when he has to be. Let's hope this romance can stand the test of time! I sure hope so!

I never imagined myself really going for vampire fiction, but Charlaine Harris has changed my mind. Her vampires have such interesting personalities, but the real star of the show is Sookie Stackhouse, one of the most interesting heroines imaginable. I wait eagerly for each successive book in the series, and only wish Ms. Harris could write them faster!

Telepathic waitress, bloodsuckers, and a pretty decent burger joint.


Or, I'd eat there if I didn't know about the supernatural scary stuff. The setting is pretty well done, even if the mystery and vampire bits aren't that interesting.

The just a normal girl character is quite well drawn though, and is certainly the best part of this book (and series).

The covers are pretty bad though, and indicate none of that local small town feel it has going.

I loved this book and have just ordered all of the rest in the series. The main character, Sookie, is quirky and interesting. The little world the story takes you into is both charming and funny. The book made me laugh, gasp, and even get the chills! Highly recommended.

I read in one review that this series is a lighter, fluffier version of Anita Blake. That was a good description that set proper expectations for this book. This is a pretty light read-dare I say kind of cute (thinking about the last scene especially) but there are some surprisingly dark moments. Most of them are treated with humor, however, and Sookie seems to get over some major events within a few pages. While in no way does this measure up to early Anita Blake, I will probably continue with the series if only because I am interested in what happens to the characters.

This is a great book, but keep reading the series gets better in other books. I love the southern twist.

Sookie is a delight to read about, as she's young and fiesty, holding a cute curiosity about the 'dark side', cursed with a bad reputation of being a freak. Weighed down by the small town's perception of her, she lives at home with her Grandmother and works at a local bar. Not your traditional heroine so far, it's even odder when she can read minds, but hates the ability as it only brings her trouble. Bill the vampire is the typical irresistible type, yet thankfully speaks in normal dialogue and not old-world fancy Vampire lingo. Eric the vampire appealed to me strongly, and I hope to see more of him in upcoming books. The same goes for Sam the bartender. You have to love series where you fall in love with all the main players :) There is also the introduction of a 'bodyguard' that's so over the top it's borderline ridiculous.

If you can't already tell, I loved this story. Addictive characters gave a much-needed boost to a dying sub-genre that needs more exploration before it's buried. Paired with a clever mystery, the relationships are as addictive as the villains unveiling.

I liked Harris' style of writing. She moves the story well and tries to keep the reader engaged. Unfortunately, the story itself fell flat. Sookie, the main character, is described as being intelligent, but naive. Unfortunately, her small town experience is taken to the extreme that she comes across as anything but intelligent.

The mystery portion of the novel is well done, but as is often the case when one is done well the other, the relationships in this case, are stiff and poorly developed. I didn't like Bill and wondered why Sookie would allow herself to be used by him, however much he professed to love her.

Much more interesting to me was the shape shifter whom she almost completely ignores.

Overall it was a quick read, but one that never did quite pull me into the story and make me care about the characters.

A Vampire named Bill? Hey why not! He's a bone fide American after all. At long last a vampire for the common woman. DEAD UNTIL DARK is set in the town of Bon Temps in rural northern Louisiana, four years after vampires have "come out of the coffin', so to speak, and have been acknowledged as legal citizens. These undead must answer to, and are protected by, the same laws that govern humans. Acknowledged yes, but not widely accepted, and like the living they come in all varieties.

Most folk kept their distance from them, but there were always groupies who got their thrills from dangerous and deadly pastimes. For the most part the vampires tended to congregate in large cities like New Orleans, where their activities went mostly unremarked.

Sookie Stackhouse, had waited a long time to see her first vampire in Bon Temps, and now here he was sitting in one of her booths. This is a special treat for Sookie, a bar waitress, who is 'disabled' and doesn't have much of a social life. Sookie's actually very pretty, but intimacy took on a whole other meaning when you could read your suitor's minds. True she spent most of her energy shielding her mind from the din of other's thoughts, for sanity's sake and an innate sense of politeness, but that wasn't possible when she was touching someone. Most folks weren't willing to admit to her disability. They just said she was crazy. Those that believed simply avoided her.

Sookie's joy is deflated when she notices the seedy Rattray couple insinuating themselves into her vampire's company. She doesn't like them and knows they've spent time in jail. Opening her mind she learns the reason. They're vampire drainers! Illegal but very profitable. When the vampire leaves with the couple, she is sure he's in trouble, and she's right. Fortunately she is able to rescue him. He isn't terribly gracious about it though, so Sookie attempts to read him. Nothing! How marvelous. Here is a handsome, interesting man, and she can't hear what he's thinking. Someone is murdered that night however a female convenience store clerk with a taste for vampires. She'd had bite marks on her thighs, but the cause of death was strangulation. Was the killer a vampire or human?

Three night's later Bill Compton, the vampire, returns Sookie's favor when the Rattrays return to revenge themselves on her. She's fatally wounded when he arrives. In an ironic twist, Bill donates his blood to save her. Sookie's more than a little glad he's stuck around. She really likes him, an when she learns he'd served in the Civil War she invites him to address her grandmother's club, The Descendants of the Glorious Dead. Bill comes over to meet Sookie's grandmother who is thrilled that she's finally captured the interest of a man. Afterwards they go for a walk and it is clear that there is interest on both of their parts. Sound good? Well then all heck breaks loose.

Several of Bill's vampire acquaintances show up and their awful behavior reminds Sookie of what Bill really is. It scares her a lot. Still he seems different and when another woman is murdered (same M.O.) and both Bill and Sookie's handsome, promiscuous, brother are considered suspects, she braves a vampire hot spot to try to acquit them of blame. Unfortunately she draws the interest of another handsome vampire who has seniority over Bill. Yikes. Then the murders hits home and Sookie realizes that she had been the intended victim. She does fit the profile after all. Now she must discover the identity of the killer before it is too late for all of them. Sometimes a disability can come in handy .

Wow, this was a great tale. You have murder, mayhem, mystery, three paranormal elements (the third is a surprise), romance, and humor. It is wonderfully well written. I doubt anyone will guess the identity of the killer until it is revealed. I recommend a second reading to truly appreciate the subtlety of the clues Ms. Harris weaves into the story. I just love stories that are written in the first person, this was an added bonus. It was narrated by Sookie and this lent to much of the humor. It is not a traditional romance in the sense that, yes Sookie and Bill care a great deal for each other, and yes they are definitely intimate, but there are still lots of problems to be worked out. The story is left open ended, rather like J.D. Robb's IN DEATH novels. I can't wait to find out what happens next in the continuation, LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS. -- Reviewed for PNR Reviews

This Is greate. relly nice. I truelly enjoy this. i recomond to buy every one.

Very mediocre writing. The story itself was predictable and uninspired. Does not provoke a reader to continue into the series. Does not hold the readers attention as book of this genre should.

I didn't want to read these books at first because of Sookie. Seriously, Sookie? It seems a little too cutesy for my taste but these books were recommended to me so I thought I might as well try.

From my four stars you can see I've become a fan of sweet Sookie (who is a bit cutesy but I can forgive her that because she's also no dummy). She's a psychic barmaid who has become the towns crazy lady due to her curse, atleast she views it as a curse.

Instead of opening the world for Sookie, her curse has cut her off from it - would you want to know what people are REALLY thinking about you all the time? Sookie doesn't and has lived a sheltered life to escape the constant noise of peoples thoughts. Until Bill.

Bill is Sookie's fantasy man, well if you ignore the fangs and dead until dawn part. She can't read his mind and that is what is important. Being with Bill also puts a big target on this small town girl. Suddenly the preternatural community is eyeing Sookie like a gift from above and they all seem to want a piece of her.

Her gift opens a whole new world for Sookie and we get to travel along with her as she discovers it. It's a fun trip that skims along the surface. Nothing too deep or dark but good for a laugh and a sigh.

I started reading this with a completly open mind to a new writer and a new style, but I really just could not get into this book. It felt rushed, dry and a little messy.

The plot was moving along so fast I could not keep up with it. The characters weren't introduced well and I didn't really feel anything for them. The romance did not seem real to me and the sex scenes were about as dry as the characters themselves. The story bounced around so much I really just could not get myself sucked into it.

Overall I certainly did not care for this book, but in no way am I saying this to disrespect the writer. I have only the utmost respect for any author, no matter what I think about the book. And this in no way turns me off from reading one of her other books if one catches my eye.

This was a great read. I enjoyed the characters and I look forward to reading the next Sookie adventure.

I love anything vampire. This was a new twist for me, a little bit of humor, romance, and adventure. Plus the whole murder mystery aspect. This book delivered entertainment on several levels, very multi-faceted. I can't wait to read the other books in the series. How can you not love a book where the vampire/male-hero is named "Bill"?

I went into this novel with very low expectations, and as such, it exceeded them. It isn't Pulitzer Prize winning material; but, it's a fast, fun read.

Ms. Harris is a seasoned mystery writer; but when her more mainstream novels didn't sell as well as she would have liked, she decided to write a more profitable series; namely, one that could be marketed as fantasy and/or horror. She took what she knew and threw in a telepathic waitress, a humanistic vampire and a charmingly modest shape shifter. That may not sound like a recipe for success; but, Harris managed to pull it off - with only a few minor mechanical flaws.

Sookie, in blatant contrast to her genre equivalents - cynical, hardened, magic wielding detectives - is rather quiet and almost painfully naive. Though her voice is mostly entertaining, she sometimes slips into the vocabulary and cadence of a woman Charlaine Harris' age (who will be fifty-seven this year), rather than the twenty-five that she is supposed to be. She also flip-flops between confident virgin by choice and self-doubting sexual outcast. The latter narrative flaw is easier to overlook than the former; but both put a nasty kink into Harris' narrative flow.

The story itself is fairly solid - with all of the genre requirements being met:

supernatural beings - check
death w/subtle gore - check
open ending meant to facilitate a potentially never-ending series - check

Working against it is the fact that it is yet another Louisiana vampire story. I'm beginning to wonder if anyone can resurrect the pre-Anne Rice vampire myths; allowing their undead characters to live anywhere they damned well please. At least Harris isn't writing about New Orleans. I have to give her credit for that.

I will admit, I was sucked in by Charlaine Harris' story. I even missed a few favorite television shows in order to continue reading; but, I'm not sure that I loved it. If you're a fan of the recently inundated dark fantasy detective novels, I would recommend it - but I would also suggest buying it used if at all possible.

I've read various contemporary vampire series and figured I'd give this a try. I suppose I could call it kind of cute at times. But that doesn't seem right for a vampire book. But that's it. I think the cover really says it all. The vampire, Bill, has no personality whatsoever. I know he's a vampire, but he could have a little more depth. He's kind of boring. And Sookie... well, I can think of several words to describe her, none of which are very flattering. But, she reminds me of a bad actress. Know how when you see a movie with a character that just clearly can't act? And you want to like her but it's just bad...? That's what Sookie reminds me of. And she spends half the novel crying. I don't know. It was different, so I will probably give the second one a shot.

I'll admit that I'm obsessed with vampire romance novels. I haven't been able to find anything to read in between Black Dagger Brotherhood novels. It was actually getting quiet irritating reading 50 pages of a book and putting it down forever. Thank goodness for Sookie Stackhouse. Being from the South has its full advantages when reading this series. The "War of Southern Aggression..." come on...thats just hilarious. This book takes a little getting used to reading, but after the first couple of chapters, you have to know what happens. It is also good to read if you are just getting into romance novels because the love scenes are not quiet as graphic as some other series. All in all, a light, humourous read. Plus, the second and third books are even better!

Although I should know better than to judge a book by its cover, for the longest time I refused to read this series because the cover just didn't seem to fit a vampire book, however I was running low on books to read, and I've seen Charlaine Harris's name on reviews of several books I adore so I figured I'd go ahead and give it a try. It was well worth the money I spent for the book, and I have a new author to read now.

The characterizations are wonderful and Harris puts a new spin on many of things. Sookie, is a wonderful light hearted main female character and pretty unique in the genera as she seems more down to earth--despite her disability [the ability to read minds]. The vampires in the book cross a wide varieties of spectrums-- from Bill a vampire trying to mainstream it, to Bubba whose drug problem when he was human affected his turning and unlife, as well as the more stereotypical vampires. The plot was also quite solid, with enough twists to keep you entertained.

I am looking forward to reading the other novels in this series.

" Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quite, 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...."

This was the introduction of the story on the back cover. But I honestly do think that it is very easy to underestimate the story just by reading that intro. The story is much more intriguing, really catchy and very well written. I have actually started reading the series for the second time and it's as good and as "contagious" as it was the first time I read the books.
I definitely recommend these series to those who love paranormal romances/mysteries !!!

Sookie Stackhouse is a great character and this series of books is just fantastic. It's southern fried vampire stories at their best. If you like your horror tongue-in-cheek, then these books are definitely for you.

If you enjoy either murder mysteries or Anne Rice and would like to keep something on the shelf for the beach, a plane ride, or a sick day, I would *highly* recommend "Dead Until Dark." It is light reading, to be sure, not high literature, but I firmly support the role of both in any genre--lit is about entertainment, not just enlightenment, after all--and this book was highly entertaining in a manner that also managed to satisfy most of my "well written" expectations, even though it wasn't profound.

For a frame of reference, I found Rice's "Interview With A Vampire" to be literary as well as entertaining; the rest of her work to be more or less entertaining (particularly high ratings for "Queen of the Damned" entertainment-wise) but basically beach reads. I haven't read any Hamilton, etc., for comparison.

Harris-wise, this first novel in a prolific series is better written than I expected and more than sufficiently entertaining for what it is. Before I sound like I'm damning it with faint praise (OK, maybe too late, but bear with me), let me say that--lit-oriented as I usually am--I definitely plan on picking up Book 2 to have around for my next not-totally-brainy day.

Too, as a South Carolinian born-and-bred, the Louisiana Southernisms rang very true and not at all campy--although the novel as a whole does very momentarily stray into this domain, overall, it gave me a rosy, nostalgic and down-home feeling instead, even though I've chosen to be an expat from the South for most of my adult life.

I think this series may be a personal taste choice: check out this first novel from the library to see if it suits you, then--if it does--purchase back-ups so you can have them on hand for random-reader days. I think you'll find yourself drawn into this very-close-to-reality (with several notable but internally consistent exceptions) world, but you should try it out before you indulge fully.

I thought this book was great. Sookie is an absolute hoot! Granted, there are a few descriptive (and some nasty!) sex scenes, but the beauty of reading is you don't have to read them! Even after skipping the most intimate details of sookie's relationship, (and other vampire's nasty habits) I loved this book.

I have to admit the story line sounded interesting enough but this book only gets worse with each chapter. There is an attempt at a plot but there is no point to the book besides Sookie going from from one smutty scene to the next. If you like descriptive sex scenes, this is the book for you. But if you are fooled into thinking that this is a book of true love with a heroine solving a good mystery, it isn't.

In the beginning it started out with what seemed like wit and humor... and slowly went further and further downhill. I never want to read another book by this author ever again. I only suggest reading this if you want a fluffy book made for lovers of romance novels. This will not appeal to people at all interested in horror books or vampires. It has far too much sex and attempts to have an interesting plot but fails badly. The inclusion of Bubba was the stupidest thing I have ever heard.

It took a few pages to get used to the authors unorthadox style of writing in the first person, but I ended up loving it and will buy the others in the series. The vampires are pretty cool.

I was impressed by this book and some of the innovations of it. Usually I don't read vampire books but a friend convinced me to try this author. It's excellent writing with interesting characters (although I was getting a trifle confused at times by who was who).

The author can really wring the emotion out of a scene and I used entirely too much Kleenex for this book. But about halfway through I thought, "Gee, that's a little like Laurell K. Hamilton." (In character interactions and changes in the protagonist, I mean.) But I kept reading, secure in this author's originality -- until about 3/4 of the way through when all the Anita Blake character pieces fell into place.

I was sorry to see it. Up until then I'd been struck by the originality of some of the concepts. I hope the author can get away from trying to be a Hamilton clone because she does write so very, very well and doesn't need the crutch. Of course if you've never read Laurell K. Hamilton, you've got a treat coming by reading this book.

Sookie Stackhouse has a lot going for her; she's cute, she's blonde, and she's got a great build. But she's also a barmaid at Merlotte's with very little money living with her grandmother. And best yet, she's been saddled with the unfortunate(?) ability of being able to read the minds of those around her. For this attribute, she's been labeled "weird" by most folk in her hometown of Bon Temps, Louisiana; and cute though she may be, most men don't find her cuteness worth the risk of entertaining her "craziness." The one day into Merlotte's walks Bill the vampire...and he's really hot...although a bit pale. Better yet, Sookie discovers that she is completely unable to read his mind. When she rescues him from two of the town's resident Drainers (people who capture vampires to drain their blood and sell it on the blackmarket), Bill is grateful...and Bill returns that favor to Sookie many times over in the days to come. With the arrival of the first vampire in Bon Temps, the town is a little on edge. And when young women begin being killed at an alarming rate, Bill the vampire is of course the suspect of choice....until the real killer eventually comes after Sookie herself....
A true mystery with more than it's share of comedic relief, romantic interludes, and just plain drama this is a supernatural series that just can't miss. A really fun read.


DYB

This was a fun and quick read. The story is engaging, and keeps you guessing until the end

I can't say I really enjoyed this book. Yeah, the premise of a telepath and a vampire held a lot of promise for fun, and so I got it out of the library. But the book was far too dark, with far too many unpleasant people in it, to qualify as "fun".

And the author didn't really seem to come up with anything new. Viewing telepathy as a curse isn't new (although I admit it isn't common). And vampire bars just seemed an obvious extrapolation of other minority meeting places, such as gay bars. And even so, I wouldn't call the bar a fun place; the people there made it a place I wouldn't want to hang out in.

It was OK enough to finish (I'm quite capable of putting a book down partway through), but it didn't leave me with any inclination to read any more in the series.

The opening book in Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries, Dead Until Dark is a wonderfully fun, dark, and emotional beginning to a paranormal series filled with vampires, mind readers, and a myriad of other creatures, including, possibly, Elvis.

Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress in Bon Temps, afflicted with a unique "disability"--she can read others' minds. While many people would love to have this problem, Sookie sees it as only an annoyance until she finally meets Bill, a vampire who strolls into the restaurant. Unfortunately, as the two get to know one another, murders of fellow waitresses begin, and Sookie finds herself drawn into the dark world of vampires as she searches for clues to the deaths of the girls and that of her beloved grandmother. Bill and his vampire acquaintances are taken with Sookie and soon, amid the turmoil of thoughts and danger, Sookie finds herself in love with him, further complicating matters.

This is a truly interesting initial book in a series with lots of dark characters and a mystery that, if not particularly elaborate, is captivating. You will enjoy Sookie's frenetic style and Bill's vampiric demeanor, and the atmosphere is just gothic enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. I stayed up late to finish this one, and I think that speaks to its appeal. Recommended reading, especially for those (like me) who are lovers of the paranormal genre.

This is an enjoyable introduction to Sookie Stackhouse and her main squeeze, Vampire Bill. Sookie's idiosyncrasies, combined with the local flavor, make for good fun.

In this hoot of a book, the intrepid and (ultimately) unsinkable Sookie Stackhouse, a barmaid in Bon Temps, Louisiana, zeros in on the handsome stranger who has pulled up a chair in her section. She rapidly identifies him as the town's first vampire, and asks him his name. It's Bill. "Bill? I thought vampires were all named Alphonse or Langford," Sookie objects. It goes on from there. Whether it's our heroine getting Bill the Vamp to lecture on his service in the Civil War to her grandmother's chapter of Descendants of the Glorious Dead, or the practical issues of romance with someone who has to be underground at daybreak, there's a lot of good stuff here. This may be my favorite vampire story yet. It's the only one I've read that has a were-collie character, too.

Ms. Sookie, I know you've been looking for a normal life. Know you been looking for a good man to treat you right. Sweetie, there's vamps out there! Honey, you're a babe in the Louisiana woods!
The first in the Southern Vampire Mystery Series...what a treat!!!

I love almost everything vampire and this book does not disappoint. It is a great, fun, sexy story about 'modern day vampires.' I plan on ordering many more books from this series.

After listening to and enjoying Charlaine Harris's Grave Sights on audiotape, I headed to my library to check out her other books. I'd read good reviews here of the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series, so I began with Dead Until Dark. I must say that I found this book's prose stilted and the dialogue and plot somewhat juvenile. I found Sookie and her vampire boyfriend, Bill to be shallow characters and the plot vapid compared to those of Harper Connelly and her brother, Tolliver in Grave Sights. In the future, if I want to read about vampires I'll stick with Laurell Hamilton's edgy and well written Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels.

This book has been popping up in my recommended for you list, forever. I read some reviews and the plot summary and thought it sounded good; but not good enough to make me want to buy it immediately. I added it to my wish list where it got ignored for a long time. Every once in awhile it would pop back up in my recommendation list and I would think about ordering it soon. Then another reviewer, Tom Knapp/Rambles (.net), recommended it to me, so I finally decided to see what this book was all about. I can't believe I waited so long to read this book, I absolutely loved it.

Sookie Stackhouse looks like a normal, pretty woman. However, she's a beauty with a special gift that allows her to hear other's thoughts. Because of this gift, she is looked upon by others with wonder or as some sort of freak. Sookie works as a waitress in the local bar, for a boss who, for some reason, she has trouble reading his thoughts. She doesn't date, has a Small circle of friends and still lives at home with her Grandma. Then one night she saves the new local vampire from some undesirables and her life changes. Then there are murders happening in this small town; Sookie tries to listen to thoughts to see who the killer is.

The difference between this book and other vampire books I have read is that the vampires are not in hiding. Everyone knows there are vampires and restaurants are even serving synthetic blood to their local vampires. I thought it was a unique approach, it gave the story a lot more character and depth, and it leaves the possibilities endless. In this small town people are fascinated with the vampire, are afraid of them and some people just see them as another type of person. It was exciting to watch the vampires integrate with 'normal' society.

Sookie and her vampire, Bill, turn out to be a charming couple. In a lot of ways he is the stereotypical vampire; he is blood thirsty, really pale, cold and extremely strong. Then the writer creates an atypical side to this vampire, he longs to be part of a town and home and he is surprisingly tender and loving with Sookie, her friends and family.

The supporting characters are just as captivating as Sookie and Bill. One of the more surprising and clever parts of the story is the identity of a vampire bodyguard that is hired by Bill to watch over Sookie. I can't say anymore as I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I laughed and laughed, and I am not quite certain if it isn't true! If this was a brand new book, there would be no doubt that a sequel was coming. The author leaves us looking forward to hearing more about Sookie, Bill and the rest of the crew. I can't think of any part of the story that didn't work or flow for me. It was an enjoyable and entertaining read and I am getting the rest of the books in the series, ASAP.