(4.5 stars) A girlfriend turned me onto these books and I absolutely loved the first! The idea of vampires going "mainstream" and seeking a publicly acknowledged place in the world seemed so unique, and it's all told through the eyes of a sassy little Louisiana waitress named Sookie, who happens to have the gift of reading other people's minds. It's a wonderfully fun concept and Charlaine Harris does a great job of storytelling.

I had a little trouble getting into "Living Dead in Dallas" because one of my favorite supporting characters was found murdered in the first few pages. But once I decided to take the ride, I buckled up with Sookie and went on the hunt for the murderer.

The story veers mightily from that first mystery since Sookie gets swept up in vampire politics, not to mention having her life threatened by a mystical creature in the woods. Once she hits Dallas, though, the story zooms! I was so caught up in the suspense that I expected the book to end mid-way through, but then I remembered that she had to go back to Bon Temps, Louisiana to solve the first mystery that had started the whole thing! Once back home, Sookie asks the head vampire Eric to help her do some under-cover work to find her coworker's murderer. Well, let me tell you, read carefully through here because I almost missed who did it! But boy, what a BIG FINISH! A bit gory and shellshocky, but it is a novel of both "horror and humor" after all. Can't wait to read the next one!

I read the first book of this popular series several years ago, but was underwhelmed. But so many people who usually share my reading tastes love this series, that I thought I'd give the series a second chance.

Sookie Stackhouse is a telepathic cocktail waitress. There's a lot going on in this book. Her friend and coworker is murdered; she's sent to Dallas to help solve the disappearance of a vampire (by telepathically reading the human witnesses); she's attacked by a maenad with a message for the local vampire boss; she's imprisoned by a group of anti-vampire fanatics; befriends some shapeshifters; and attends a kinky sex party.

The politics of the various preternatural communities was interesting, and I enjoyed the intrigue and solving the mysteries, but there was just too much unrelated stuff going on. I'd have liked it better if the various threads connected more, or if a couple of them were saved for the next book.

More than that, though, is that I wasn't really involved in the story--it was interesting, from a distance. That's it: I was as interested in the book itself as I would have been if someone had simply related the plot to me. In other words, I didn't connect with the characters.

Some of that is because of the character of Sookie herself. I don't like her. She seems kind of dumb, and proud of being dumb, and in addition to that, she's self-pitying. On top of that, she's opinionated and bossy.

But at least I gave the series another shot. I won't be looking for the next book--I've got too much in the TBR pile and on the must-buy list as it is.

Sookie, telepathic Louisiana barmaid dating Vampire Bill and first seen in Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse), has a really bad day at work when she discovers a murdered coworker in Merlotte's parking lot. Then, an angry maenad turns her into a human messageboard for Eric, ancient Viking vampire, almost killing her in the process. Sookie and Bill are then assigned to work with the Dallas vampires. A member of their nest has gone missing, and there are strong suspicions that kidnapping and treason are at play.

Sookie, a lifelong telepath, is gradually coming to grips with acknowledging her "disability" and uses it to a greater effect in this book. Harris's descriptions of Sookie's abilities are fascinating. Unfortunately, Sookie's hot romance with the undead Bill goes from sizzle to fizzle for a large part of the book. Sookie's faithfulness to Bill is tested as she is approached by her shapeshifting boss Sam, the gorgeous vampire elder Eric, and a Bill who seems to have left her for Portia Bellefleur.

The second book in the Southern Vampires series, this one seemed more disjointed and held less erotic thrills than the first. There are at least two major stories happening, but one is largely ignored until the last chapter or two, and it felt out of place, as though it should have been developed into a separate book. There are also several improbable shootouts and run-ins with crazy cults (one plot point in particular mirrored vampire detective show Blood Ties episode Heart of Fire almost point-by-point). Also, Sookie frequently states that she is "uneducated," but at times her character comes off sounding like a university professor, implausible given her background.

It was still an enjoyable read, but lacked some of the magic of Dead Until Dark, where Harris explored in greater detail her brand of vampire lore, shapeshifters, and vampire culture. Living Dead In Dallas seemed designed to shock rather than titillate; there were numerous graphic sex scenes, near-rape, and several violent scenes. I didn't enjoy it as much as Dead Until Dark, but at least it was entertaining in parts (and set in my state of Texas!).

This book was so much better than the first one. I began to really care about the characters in this installment and Sookie didn't seem as detached (emotionally) when upsetting events happened. Her mind reading skills have been sharpened. The mystery was also more exciting in this book than the last one and I loved the introduction of the Fellowship. The story lay out did seem a little strange however-in the beginning we are introduced to one mystery - the resolution of which is thrown in at the end of the book - and the middle of the book consists of a completely different story line. But all in all it was very entertaining and I am looking forward to reading the next book.

Bloodless boyfriend intrigue.


The limitations of a small town (how many people can you kill and have one left?) means some city adventuring is in store here, due to the undead connections of her shag, and her own unique abilities.

Somewhat risky when they are superstrong and can rip you to pieces, too.

Basically the same quality as the first though, with the same sort of bad cover.

As always, reading about Sookie's adventures is a delight. She's a down to earth, southern girl with an unusual ability that makes her desirable to all supernatural creatures. Her relationship with Bill is still sweet to this point, with them having a minor obstacle and jealousy running supreme. My hormones speed up again with Eric's scenes, as his humorous flirting and determined seduction is my favorite area of the books. There's a vampire I wouldn't turn away!

Nothing much left to say except that if you're not reading this series, you're missing out on a wonderful world of supernatural creatures determined to worm their way into your head.

There will be some spoilers in this review.

I really enjohyed the first Sookie Stackhouse book, but have to admit that the second was a bit of a let down.

First, the plot was disjointed. There are two seperate mysteries in two separate locales, and they have very little to do with each other. Furthermore, Sookie is not really essential to unraveling either mystery. In Dallas, she does save a missing vampire's "life", but if she had not been there, the cult would have still exposed themselves the following morning, generating lots of good PR for the vampires, and all the people who were killed in the Vampire den would still be alive, so on balance, Sookie's presence in Dallas was a minus for the Vampires who hired her. In Bon Temps, we seem to be getting a "Cabot Cove" effect where one small community has an extrodinary amount of crime, for no better reason than that the protagonist lives there. In this case, we're supposed to believe that a) there is a local orgy fellowship b) they are willing to casually kill people & c) that they are dumb enough to dump their victim in the back of a police car! Once again, Sookie's presence is almost without consequence. Yes she solves the mystery, but apparently all those people were about to be killed anyway, an event which probably would have happened even without her showing up.

Second, the author through Sookie starts showing a degree of judgementalism which rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps this the difference between "Supernatural Romance" & "Urban Fantasy". I had put the first Sookie book in the UF camp, but this one seems more like SR. My problem is the way the whole 'orgy' issue is handled. The author seems to have decided that, as in a horror movie, anyone who has sex has to die, at least as it applies to the orgy party. Apparently as far as Sookie is concerned anyone going to an orgy is degraded and disgusting. The author stacks the deck by making several of the particpants murderers, but nobody is innocent. The funeral home director is singled out because apparently no one with such a job should be allowed to have fun, ever, and indeed, nobody seems to be there just to have fun. Logically given the circumstances of Bon Temps there should be a "spring break" crowd who can't actually go to college given their circumstances, but the author sets things up so that everybody deserves to die,and Sookie basically approves. I find this very problematical because, Sookie liked Lafyette. It was OK for him to be gay and go to orgies and have fun, but somehow everyone he actually went with him deserved to die. Also, Sookie feels so superior because she is true to her boyfriend? Hello! She is dating outside of her _species_, and sex with her boyfriend involves his sucking her blood! She doesn't have room to decide that everyone at the party was a bunch of perverts. Her outrage is rather selective and convienient. Shall we mention that she was OK with giving a bunch of vamps (both sexes) carte blanche to suck her blood? That she feels lust for both Eric and Sam? Anyway, it was a holier-than-though side of Sookie that I felt was very unappealing.

I still plan to read the next book, but I hope that it a) has a more cohesive plot, b) hews more towards UF than SR and c) gets Sookie off her high horse.

There will be some spoilers in this review.

I really enjohyed the first Sookie Stackhouse book, but have to admit that the second was a bit of a let down.

First, the plot was disjointed. There are two seperate mysteries in two separate locales, and they have very little to do with each other. Furthermore, Sookie is not really essential to unraveling either mystery. In Dallas, she does save a missing vampire's "life", but if she had not been there, the cult would have still exposed themselves the following morning, generating lots of good PR for the vampires, and all the people who were killed in the Vampire den would still be alive, so on balance, Sookie's presence in Dallas was a minus for the Vampires who hired her. In Bon Temps, we seem to be getting a "Cabot Cove" effect where one small community has an extrodinary amount of crime, for no better reason than that the protagonist lives there. In this case, we're supposed to believe that a) there is a local orgy fellowship b) they are willing to casually kill people & c) that they are dumb enough to dump their victim in the back of a police car! Once again, Sookie's presence is almost without consequence. Yes she solves the mystery, but apparently all those people were about to be killed anyway, an event which probably would have happened even without her showing up.

Second, the author through Sookie starts showing a degree of judgementalism which rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps this the difference between "Supernatural Romance" & "Urban Fantasy". I had put the first Sookie book in the UF camp, but this one seems more like SR. My problem is the way the whole 'orgy' issue is handled. The author seems to have decided that, as in a horror movie, anyone who has sex has to die, at least as it applies to the orgy party. Apparently as far as Sookie is concerned anyone going to an orgy is degraded and disgusting. The author stacks the deck by making several of the particpants murderers, but nobody is innocent. The funeral home director is singled out because apparently no one with such a job should be allowed to have fun, ever, and indeed, nobody seems to be there just to have fun. Logically given the circumstances of Bon Temps there should be a "spring break" crowd who can't actually go to college given their circumstances, but the author sets things up so that everybody deserves to die,and Sookie basically approves. I find this very problematical because, Sookie liked Lafyette. It was OK for him to be gay and go to orgies and have fun, but somehow everyone he actually went with him deserved to die. Also, Sookie feels so superior because she is true to her boyfriend? Hello! She is dating outside of her _species_, and sex with her boyfriend involves his sucking her blood! She doesn't have room to decide that everyone at the party was a bunch of perverts. Her outrage is rather selective and convienient. Shall we mention that she was OK with giving a bunch of vamps (both sexes) carte blanche to suck her blood? That she feels lust for both Eric and Sam? Anyway, it was a holier-than-though side of Sookie that I felt was very unappealing.

I still plan to read the next book, but I hope that it a) has a more cohesive plot, b) hews more towards UF than SR and c) gets Sookie off her high horse.

There will be some spoilers in this review.

I really enjohyed the first Sookie Stackhouse book, but have to admit that the second was a bit of a let down.

First, the plot was disjointed. There are two seperate mysteries in two separate locales, and they have very little to do with each other. Furthermore, Sookie is not really essential to unraveling either mystery. In Dallas, she does save a missing vampire's "life", but if she had not been there, the cult would have still exposed themselves the following morning, generating lots of good PR for the vampires, and all the people who were killed in the Vampire den would still be alive, so on balance, Sookie's presence in Dallas was a minus for the Vampires who hired her. In Bon Temps, we seem to be getting a "Cabot Cove" effect where one small community has an extrodinary amount of crime, for no better reason than that the protagonist lives there. In this case, we're supposed to believe that a) there is a local orgy fellowship b) they are willing to casually kill people & c) that they are dumb enough to dump their victim in the back of a police car! Once again, Sookie's presence is almost without consequence. Yes she solves the mystery, but apparently all those people were about to be killed anyway, an event which probably would have happened even without her showing up.

Second, the author through Sookie starts showing a degree of judgementalism which rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps this the difference between "Supernatural Romance" & "Urban Fantasy". I had put the first Sookie book in the UF camp, but this one seems more like SR. My problem is the way the whole 'orgy' issue is handled. The author seems to have decided that, as in a horror movie, anyone who has sex has to die, at least as it applies to the orgy party. Apparently as far as Sookie is concerned anyone going to an orgy is degraded and disgusting. The author stacks the deck by making several of the particpants murderers, but nobody is innocent. The funeral home director is singled out because apparently no one with such a job should be allowed to have fun, ever, and indeed, nobody seems to be there just to have fun. Logically given the circumstances of Bon Temps there should be a "spring break" crowd who can't actually go to college given their circumstances, but the author sets things up so that everybody deserves to die,and Sookie basically approves. I find this very problematical because, Sookie liked Lafyette. It was OK for him to be gay and go to orgies and have fun, but somehow everyone he actually went with him deserved to die. Also, Sookie feels so superior because she is true to her boyfriend? Hello! She is dating outside of her _species_, and sex with her boyfriend involves his sucking her blood! She doesn't have room to decide that everyone at the party was a bunch of perverts. Her outrage is rather selective and convienient. Shall we mention that she was OK with giving a bunch of vamps (both sexes) carte blanche to suck her blood? That she feels lust for both Eric and Sam? Anyway, it was a holier-than-though side of Sookie that I felt was very unappealing.

I still plan to read the next book, but I hope that it a) has a more cohesive plot, b) hews more towards UF than SR and c) gets Sookie off her high horse.

Sometimes, after the first book in a series, any series, the quality seems to drop. In a vampire series the standards are very HARD to keep up. In most vampire series the second is always kind of weak when compared to the first or even the third.
Not here. Living Dead In Dallas by Charlaine Harris is great. Why? Not only does she draw in new material, new characters, new settings and a couple of plots but she also is daring enough to make her characters feel real, with flaws, merits and desires.
Sookie Stackhouse is a real person with real needs and real fears. You can understand what she wants, what she is feeling and what she wants. You can't help but cheer her on and get upset when bad things happen to her.
I WILL be buying the next book.

"Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackehouse is on a streak of bad luck. First, her coworker is murdered and no one to care. Than she's face-to-face with a beastly creatures that gives her a painful and poisonous lashing. Enter the vampires, who graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn't enjoy it).

Point is, they saved her life. So when one of the blood-suckers asks for a favor, she complies. And soon, Sookie's in Dallas using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire. She's suppose to interview certain humans involved. There's just one condition. The vampires must promise to behave and let the humans go unharmed. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blond and one small mistake for things to turn deadly... "

"Dead in Dallas" is book two in Charline Harris's Southern vampire novels.
Just as the first book (Dead Until Dark) , this was an absolute treat....
Lafayette, Sookie's coworker, has been murdered and left in a truck to be found. Sookie is of course highly upset and wants to find the killer. But doesn't really get the chance to begin her investigation, as she is being sent to Dallas with Bill to find a missing vampire... She is going to find Lafayette's killer when (if) they get back from Dallas.

The book is amazingly entertaining. You will of course meet almost all of the characters from the first book and be introduced to new ones. But even if you haven't read the first book (which I would VERY much recommend),you will very easily and smoothly be led into the story and will be introduced to all the characters gradually... Sookie's trip to Dallas is very exciting, disturbing and of course life-threatening. Not only she is trying to do her job and stay alive at the same time, she is also struggling with her relationship with Bill. And Eric ..... yeah, well , Eric .... You just have to read and find out for yourself how the story evolves, how these amazing characters learn to live with each other, light and darkness, trying their hardest to make it work.
I am reading This series for the second time now, and surprise , surprise .... it just doesn't get boring at any point. I absolutely love these books and highly recommend them. Paranormal romance/mystery lovers, get this book. You are going to fall in love ^_^

The second book in the Southern Vampire series written by Charlaine Harris, Living Dead in Dallas, opens with yet another murder of an employee of Merlotte's Bar in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie Stackhouse, barmaid and telepath, discovers the body of cook Lafayette, but she scarcely has time to look for clues to his murder because she once again finds herself at the employ of the vampire community to which her boyfriend, Bill, belongs. So what's a vampire-lover to do? If it's Sookie, she's going to get herself involved in a strange Fellowship, a nest of vampires with its own sense of justice, and have a fight with her boyfriend before returning to the original issue of poor Lafayette.

Living Dead in Dallas is an interesting sequel; while Sookie and Bill are still hot and heavy, you do get the sense from time to time that things are not always peachy in paradise. In addition, Harris throws in a couple more supernatural beings (maenads and werewolves) to keep things intriguing. Sookie is brave and sometimes foolhardy as usual, and Bill often is there to pull her out of danger. The secondary characters, including brother Jason, Sam the bar owner, and Eric the vampire, all return, and their portrayals receive more development throughout the book. Still, the story is chaotic and rambling at times; it veers off into almost a totally different book before returning to the central plot. There are plenty of loose threads that will lead into the next book and one can only hope that poor Sookie doesn't find herself so physically abused in the third endeavor. Overall this is a good read that will leave you ready for the next one. Recommended for the relationships, the mystery, and, of course, the vampires.

The second book in the Southern Vampire series written by Charlaine Harris, Living Dead in Dallas, opens with yet another murder of an employee of Merlotte's Bar in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie Stackhouse, barmaid and telepath, discovers the body of cook Lafayette, but she scarcely has time to look for clues to his murder because she once again finds herself at the employ of the vampire community to which her boyfriend, Bill, belongs. So what's a vampire-lover to do? If it's Sookie, she's going to get herself involved in a strange Fellowship, a nest of vampires with its own sense of justice, and have a fight with her boyfriend before returning to the original issue of poor Lafayette.

Living Dead in Dallas is an interesting sequel; while Sookie and Bill are still hot and heavy, you do get the sense from time to time that things are not always peachy in paradise. In addition, Harris throws in a couple more supernatural beings (maenads and werewolves) to keep things intriguing. Sookie is brave and sometimes foolhardy as usual, and Bill often is there to pull her out of danger. The secondary characters, including brother Jason, Sam the bar owner, and Eric the vampire, all return, and their portrayals receive more development throughout the book. Still, the story is chaotic and rambling at times; it veers off into almost a totally different book before returning to the central plot. There are plenty of loose threads that will lead into the next book and one can only hope that poor Sookie doesn't find herself so physically abused in the third endeavor. Overall this is a good read that will leave you ready for the next one. Recommended for the relationships, the mystery, and, of course, the vampires.

Our favorite little mindreader is back...with a bang. But this little tale begins with the death of Merlotte's cook and Sookie's friend...the flamboyantly gay Lafayette Reynolds, who is found very dead in the back of Andy Bellefleure's car in the parking lot of Merlotte's. Worse yet, Eric, the gorgeous boss of her boyfriend, vampire Bill, has requested her paranormal assistance to his vampire brethren in Shreveport. There is a vampire missing there, and all of the undead want know what has happened to him. Sookie agrees to help, as long as no humans are harmed by any information that she uncovers; and uncover she does. It doesn't take Sookie long to find out what has befallen the missing vamp...and her murdered friend.
With its fair share of mystery, fun and a healthy dose of lust, the Sookie Stackhouse series is not to be missed. It's not often that a literary heroine comes along with the spunk and smarts of our Miss Sookie.


DYB

Ms. Sookie, a dead body, a crazy maenad, religious fanatics not to mention that kinky sex party...Girl Watch Out!
The second installment to the Southern Vampire Mystery Series...it's enough to make me blush and keep reading of course.

Living Dead in Dallas (2002) is the second Rural Fantasy in the Southern Vampire series, following Dead Until Dark. In the previous volume, Jason Stackhouse was released on bail and then was ashamed to face his sister Sookie. Later, Sookie was cornered by the murderer, but proved to be stronger than he thought. This thoroughly irritated him and he wrestled her to the ground. While he reached for his strangle cords, Sookie slipped his knife out of the belt sheath and gouged his wrist.

Jason visited her in the hospital and he seemed more angry with himself than ashamed of his sex life. His sister shouldn't have to do the fighting for him; he should have been there to fight for himself. Brothers!

In this novel, Andy Bellefleur is three sheets to the wind at Merlotte's Bar and Grill. Since he doesn't often get drunk, Sookie listens to his thoughts and regrets it. Andy had to arrest a man for assaulting a ten year old neighbor; now the girl is in the hospital, the man in jail, and Andy is drowning his memories. Sookie gives him a free drink and calls his sister Portia.

Andy leaves his car in the parking lot and the next morning Sookie discovers a body in it when she comes to work. Lafayette Reynold, the bar's late shift cook, is sprawled dead in the back seat. Since the seat is not soaked in blood, the county police assume that he had been killed elsewhere and then placed in the car.

That night, Bill Compton informs Sookie that they have been summoned to the Fangtasia bar for an assignment. Sookie has agreed to work for the Vampire Area 5 Sheriff, Eric Northman, and he has temporarily traded their services to the Area 6 Sheriff. Sookie and Bill are to fly to Dallas so that she can read the minds of some humans; Bill is going along as her manager and bodyguard.

Sookie takes her first airplane ride on a commercial jet to Dallas and Bill is shipped in his coffin on Anubis Air. While Bill's coffin is being unloaded, a priest comes up to Sookie and talks to her. She responds politely, but something makes her suspicious. Then he grabs her and tries to drag her through a door, but Bill rescues her.

After Sookie and Bill reach their hotel, Sookie notices that the bellboy is telepathic, at about the same level of development that she had reached as a teenager. She doesn't mention her discovery to Bill, for Barry is obviously uncomfortable around vampires. Sookie wonders why he is working in a vampire hotel.

Later, Sookie meets the Area 6 Sheriff, a nerdy-looking vampire with very cold eyes. She investigates the disappearance of a nestmate and learns that an unknown vampire had been involved in the incident. Bill uses a spare computer to access his database and finds the identity of the strange vampire.

In this story, Sookie encounters a group of anti-vampire fanatics -- the Fellowship of the Sun -- and is imprisoned on their property. She escapes with the assistance of a shapeshifter, is provided with medical care, and then is transported back to the hotel. Meanwhile, the vampires are raiding the Fellowship building looking for her.

Sookie also encounters Callisto, a maenad, in the woods near Bon Temps and is used to send a message in blood to Eric. The vampires provide a healer to treat her wounds, but her back will retain the scars for the rest of her life. Callisto wants tribute from the vampires, for her powers are overwhelming, particularly to overly proud individuals such as the typical vampire.

This story is full of sex, violence and sheer excitement. Sookie has several moments when she questions her involvement with vampires, shapeshifters, maenads and other such supernaturals. She wonders whether she should be loving Bill, especially when he starts hanging out with Portia Bellefleur, but he always convinces her to resume their relationship.

Highly recommended for Harris fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of preternatural creatures, anti-vampire fanatics and a gutsy waitress.

-Arthur W. Jordin

This is the second book in the Southern Vampire/Sookie Stackhouse series.

Right from Chapter one this book will keep you enthralled. Sookie Stackhouse, the telepath waitress and her vampire boyfriend, Bill, have a lot going on in this story. Sookie first discovers a dead body, she is attacked, saved, and then she travels to Dallas where she finds more danger. The book summary pretty much tells you all you need to know any more and you'd have zero surprises. After coming home from Dallas there are some surprisingly real and heartfelt emotions and issues between Sookie and Bill. Ms. Harris does such an excellent job of writing what Sookie is feeling, that you feel it, too. While there is a lot going on in this story, it is woven together, seamlessly, and flows beautifully.

Eric the vampire makes another appearance and all I can say is... yum! He is an excellent character and adds a lot of chemistry and humor to this story. There is also an introduction of another Vampire leader, while his character was important to this story I didn't get the feeling he'd be a major player in future stories. Sookie meets another Shape shifter in Dallas and I have the feeling I will be reading more about her in coming books, I am looking forward to that.

Living Dead in Dallas is an outstanding follow-up to the first book, Dead Until Dark. The story moves fast and has a little bit of everything in it; love, sex, action, sadness, life, death, laughs and drama. I loved it and would highly recommend it, but if you haven't read the first book, I suggest you start there and read this series in order.

This book is actually my favorite in the series b/c it's a little different. There is a lot of action, and the story seems chaotic at times. But it all combines to make a great story. This book might actually hit a nerve with some people b/c it delves into fanatical Christian views of vampires (I would also add the supernatural, in general). I'm so glad that Mrs. Harris has stayed true to the South and brought up this point of view. The story revolves around The Fellowship of the Sun, which is an organization aimed at "killing" vampires to save their souls, but the story is told with such a tone that there never seems to be any judgement, which is nice. I was really impressed that Mrs. Harris chose to write a book on this topic b/c, being from the South, I always knew it had to come up to be a genuine series.

*She also does the same thing in her Harper series (though to a lesser extent). Mrs. Harris is an authentic southern writer.

This book is actually my favorite in the series b/c it's a little different. There is a lot of action, and the story seems chaotic at times. But it all combines to make a great story. This book might actually hit a nerve with some people b/c it delves into fanatical Christian views of vampires (I would also add the supernatural, in general). I'm so glad that Mrs. Harris has stayed true to the South and brought up this point of view. The story revolves around The Fellowship of the Sun, which is an organization aimed at "killing" vampires to save their souls, but the story is told with such a tone that there never seems to be any judgement, which is nice. I was really impressed that Mrs. Harris chose to write a book on this topic b/c, being from the South, I always knew it had to come up to be a genuine series.

*She also does the same thing in her Harper series (though to a lesser extent). Mrs. Harris is an authentic southern writer.

I have two good points on these books: One, they're a quick read, and two, a friend lent me a couple, so I didn't waste any money.
The first and second ones were kind of fun reads, but I would have enjoyed these more when I was 15, when I didn't have any mileage on me.
As for the mysteries, the killers weren't totally obvious, but I can't say I'd give credit to Harris' ability to craft a mystery. For me, I didn't really care what happened to any of the characters; I just found them sort of disposable.
The lead character, Sookie Stackhouse (yeah, she's got a big rack and vampires and other supernatural beasties, just like most mortal men, can't resist a good pair of melons), has a "disability," which is basically the ability to read minds -- not always a good thing, if you've got all that static to tune out and haven't developed a filter. Sookie isn't that well educated, as in going to college, because she was only good at homework, so she works as a bar maid and prides herself on being book learned and loves to use words from her word-a-day calendar. To her great relief she meets a vampire, Bill, whose mind she can't read, and they begin to date.
In her world, vampires are now legal, with clubs and "fang-bangers" who sleep with vampires, and the Japanese have developed a synthetic blood, making it unneccessary for vamps to feed on humans (not that it's totally stopped them).
But Sookie starts to date Bill, loses her virginity to him (setting up for sex scenes, a big part of the series, which probably are exciting for a virgin to read -- there's no titilation or intriguing detail or seduction here).
In the meantime, Sookie meets more vampires and other supernatural creatures, and ends up using her power to try and solve assorted murders and missing-beings cases. She also gets recruited by vampire Eric (someone who has more power than Bill, and who wants Sookie for more than her telepathy) to help solve various mysteries, and Sookie gets into scrapes along the way. This description, by the way is not plot specific to Book 2, or even Book 1, but that's kind of the pattern that's emerging in the series. It's basically the misadventures of a busty telepath among the supernatural world.
These books are the literary equivalent of potato chips: A couple taste good, but the whole bag isn't going to do much for you except give you fat and empty calories and a stomach ache. At best they are a guilty pleasure, though I give Harris credit for injecting a bit of humor in the books; there are a couple of good laughs (intended ones).

... are a fun Vampire romp, just what you need when you want a pick-me-up on a cold winter day/night. Something to make you LOL and smile a while. Read and enjoy the whole series. These are real keepers.

These are definitely beach reading - but the books are fast paced and very very funny.

I am so fond of Sookie -- she's tough, but really vulnerable, too. I liked her in this mystery as she tries to negotiate various factions and find a missing person with the least amount of bloodshed. Harris expands on the vampire world and how they live and travel in a wonderfully funny, exciting story.

I love this series and this book. It is fun and fast-paced. An easy read for summer!

Book 2 in the Southern Vampire mystery series, is a satisfying if not quite fulfilling book. Sookie the barmaid is very entertaining and smart. Bill, her vampire boyfriend, is helpful and dumb (he finally buys her a present when she gets really pissed off at him), but he is her boss (yeah really!) for vampire investigations. Her friend Lafayette is found dead in the Andy Lafluer's car, (he's the deputy who thought Sookie's brother was a serial murderer). Lafeyette was the cook in book 1 and a real friend in book 1, but he was gay and not well recieved in small town Bon Temp, Louisana. Eric, Bill's real vampiric boss, and a rival for Sookie's affection, has a job for Sookie to help out the vampires of Dallas. Oh, did I mention that Sookie is a telepath and Bill is her boyfriend because she can't read his mind?

This really is an addictive read, I gave up 6 hours of sleep to read it after work, and I didn't miss the sleep. Is it a deep book? No, but it is a relief after spending the weekend reading the first half of Zelazny's Amber books (a five star classic). Ms. Harris has created a very satisfying universe where vampires are not only real, but citizen's of the USA. Ms. Harris also has a real feel for small town life in Louisiana, and the last names of the characters are great. Sookie's name is Stackhouse and is she ever! The Lafluers are obviuosly stuck up arristocrats and you have Loudmouths and other great names as well. I am going to my local bookstore to get books 3 and 4 right now. Kim Harrison is who introduced me to this new sub-genre of Sci-Fi fantasy, and her novels are great, but they are not as addictive as the first 2 books of this series, even if they are more satisfying. Lynsay Sands is lighter and funnier than Ms. Harris, but this makes a good lunch where as Ms. Sands provides desert.

I am absolutely loving this series, it's taking over the other ones that I have started. Sookie one morning at work goes outside and finds her friend's (Lafayette) brutally murdered body in a car. From then on, she wants to find out who killed him and why was he planted in a cop's car.

Eric (the vampire from the first book) calls for Sookie, needing her telepathic skills. As she is on her way, with her beau Bill, she gets attacked by a maenad. She scratches her back up pretty bad and, as a result, poisons her, now vamps must remove her infected blood.

They called her because they want her to find out what happened to one of their vampires. At the same time, she is trying to figure out who killed Lafayette and why. So she starts reading people's minds and finding out stuff about everybody. At one point, when she is with vamps, they get shot at and a lot of human's end up dying. Another hectic scene is when she is in a cult-type of religion church, where she is trying to find the missing vampire, yet, they find out her identity and it is a race against time to get out before they kill her.

A lot of action, a lot of hot scenes (I especially liked the one after the football game after Bill and Sookie break up), and a lot of new information that will help with the development of the rest of the series. I can't wait for Club Dead.

Sookie is a hoot. A real down to earth heroine, with real life problems.
Charlaine Harris does a great job of creating a "fantasy world" that mirrors our own, and does make your question whether vampires and other "Supes" make actually exist.
In the character of Sookie she creates such an endearing and lovable character that you can't wait to turn the page. You share her pain, and joy.
These books and such fun, you'll find that you can't put them down. I bought the first book, based on the reviews on Amazon, and then halfway through promptly ordered the rest, and cannot wait for the next.
I wasn't disapointed and I don't you will be either.

This is one of the few books that I have truly enjoyed. I enjoyed it so much I have read it twice. Not only are the characters "real" but Charlaine Harris draws you into the book itself, as if you are really there. Her ability to entertwine all of the characters is rare. She writes like the old style writers who also could entertwine their characters. Any more books she writes I will be sure to buy.

In the second of Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series, heroine Sookie Stackhouse finds herself falling ever deeper in love with Vampire Bill in spite of his disturbing cohorts, and increasingly obligated to Eric, the undead owner of Fangtasia: a nightclub devoted to vampires and fangbangers. When Eric lends Sookie and her telepathic skills to the vampire constabulary in Dallas, all hell breaks loose. As she reads minds in an attempt to find a missing vampire, all sorts of things go kerflooky. Sookie finds herself on the wrong end of the attentions of the Fellowship of the Sun: an evangelical anti-vamp cult hell bent on killing as many vampires as possible. Will she escape with her life, or be lashed to a captive vampire to be left out for the sunrise to immolate?

Harris loses none of the momentum of her first Sookie Stackhouse novel. Skillfully blending horror with humor, she has produced another pageturner that will keep you up all night long. This one should not be missed.

I've started reading the Sookie Stackhouse books and have found them to be my guilty pleasure. I enjoy the characters and the world they're set in, but there are just too many logic flaws for my continued enjoyment. It started in me in the first book, when Sookie is being stalked by a serial killer. Her friends all know about her predicament, but seem alright with letting her babysit. I've met plenty of stupid people in my life, but non dumb enough to leave their kids with a woman who is admittedly being stalked by a murder. Also, in the third book, she learns that werewolves or shape shifter can only have one werewolf/shifter child when two mate. This means that the werewolf/shifter population is cut in half each generation, and if they have been around for hundreds, or maybe thousands of years, there should be practically none left at all, yet they're everywhere in the story. I enjoy the characters and the plot lines, but there are just too many flaws, unexplained foolish decisions by characters, and general inconsistencies with the fictional world they live in to get through to completely enjoy this series. Where as Ann Rice seriously needs an editor to cut, Harris needs an editor to critique.

Harris also has a vary limited bag of tricks to drive the action forwards. In between times of action or intrigue, there is almost always a sex scene, or description of a rock hard body Sookie wants. The writing is fun, but not crafted well enough to hold the readers attention without this. Some say it's a blend of several genres, but the romance is lacking, the mystery is full of illogic plots and character motivation, which in turn makes it very hard to suspend disbelief for the fantasy. My recommendation for anyone looking to crack into this series is look elsewhere.

Sookie Stackhouse can read minds. It's a talent, or disability as she says, she has had all of her life. As entertaining and useful as her gift may appear, Sookie has always found it to be vexing, especially in the love department. When Sookie met her current boyfriend, a vampire named Bill, her problem was solved. She can't read the mind of the undead. That doesn't stop the undead from using her though.

Owing a debt to a nest of vampires, Sookie is rented out by them and sent to Dallas. There, she rendezvous with Stan, the head of the Dallas vampire nest. He wants Sookie to find out if there is a traitor in their midst. A traitor of the human variety. Sookie's mission brings her into head-on conflict with a group of radical fundamentalists who believe all vampires, and their human consorts, should die.

I liked this book. I read Harris' first installment, "Dead Until Dark" a long while ago and positively hated it. I swore I wouldn't read another. But so many people I know recommended this series to me that I decided to give it another chance. Thankfully, the second installment was better. Sookie is a likeable character, but she often comes across as ditzy and inept. Bill is a tad flavorless. All of her characters could use a little punching up. They are still one dimensional and flat. Some writing skills can only come with practice and I think Harris is the type of writer that will get progressively better, the more she writes.

"Living Dead in Dallas" follows the continuing adventures of a telepathic waitress, S., who has a vampire boyfriend, B. A vampire disappears and S. is obliged to use her rare telepathic ability to investigate. The storyline is fast paced and lively, focused on S and her frequent forays into peril. Plot elements include racist attacks against vampires, but it is rather hard not to sympathize with the attackers, since vampires are shown to mistreat and murder people.

I've two main problems with this book. First, everyone engages in casual sex, and this is a frequent topic of conversation. Rather like prime time TV, no one is allowed to be happily married. The author gives lip service to marriage as a desirable institution, but no married couples exist - well, okay, two of the nastiest people in the book are a married couple, but they hardly count as a positive role model for marriage. I can't even identify a fully committed serially monogamous couple. Second, the villains are seriously under powered when compared to the vampires whom they threaten. This brings into question S's involvement occasionally, but that flaw is easily overlooked in the midst of the excitement.

I had been hearing great reviews on many paranormal romance boards I go on about this series of books. I picked up the first, and my husband, who is NO romance reader, thought it looked interesting so he read it first. He loved it and so we bought all of the current books.

I thought the first was great but the second is even better. It gets into more detail of the lifestyle of the now publicly known vampires-who are legal-but who must now follow certain laws in our society.
As a southerner-I love these books. I like the fact that were not all portayed as rich, but redneck. Sookie-the main character-is a working stiff like the rest of us. What's different about Sookie is she is a telepath. Ms Harris writes about all the pros and cons of that gift with a lot of class and fun. I would never want to "read minds" after reading about some truly awful and embarrassing things Sookie sees in peoples thoughts.

The vampires are uniquely written-the main vampires in this book are average joes-who, besiding drinking blood, of course-like some of the things we all do-fast cars, traveling, making love-and Bill's favorite-the internet:)

Ms Harris introduces a few new characters that we'll hopefully see in future books, as well as going more into existing characters, and introducing more conflict into the love triangle of Sookie, Bill, and Eric-as well, as Sam, the shapeshifter. Shapeshifters-another supernatural, but underground class, are featured heavily in this short, fast paced and fun book.

Violence is mild to medium, sex is much more predominant in this book, as well as the idea of a "religious right" who hate vampires. If any of these things are sensitive to you, then you may want to skip it. Otherwise 5 stars!

Not my usual cup of tea, but I couldn't put it down, it was unique to what I have read, but good!

I just finished Dead Until Dark and had to RUSH to the bookstore to pick up Living Dead In Dallas because I didn't want one day to pass by without being able to read about Sookie and the gang!! This book is funny AND scary! I loved it. I am a huge Laurell Hamilton fan, as well as Anne Rice and Jeanne Kalogridis, however, vamp fans should be forewarned that if you're not into humor in your vamp stories, this series is NOT for you! It is a very easy read, very entertaining, with outstanding supernatural elements from every genre! As far as the reader who was "offended" by what they ASSUMED to be racial slurs, you need to remember that this book is staged in the deep South. I have lived there and this is still the way it is, even in 2005!! Ms. Harris is just trying to stay true to the persona of the Southern people, no matter what ethnicity! Believe me, the "minorities" there have the same thoughts about whites!! Anyway, don't read this if you're expecting glamour and extreme eroticism (as in Hamilton and Rice's books). But if you're up for something that is just light-hearted and funny, with a GREAT plot and fantastic story that will keep you guessing until the end "who dunnit"..........read this series, you'll love it!

I was put off by some of the descriptions and references to some of the characters in the book..."bristly haired Hispanic man;" the Asian vampire that Sookie "didn't really know what extraction he was;" the "stocky Hispanic woman;" when at the Fellowship she describes people as average Americans and "even a few who were non-Caucasian;" the black detective being so black that his white shirt gleamed; gay people being a disgrace to the "black community." Good grief! The way she writes descriptions of non-white people one would think she has never met a real live non-white person.

Sookie is getting more comfortable using her telepathic powers, discovering more about them, and freeing herself to use them properly.

She is hired out to a Dallas Nest of Vamps to find out who is responsible for kidnapping one of their own. She's starting to maneuver her way around vamp politics in every nest finding her own spot in each. Her talents are what she is initially called upon for, but she brings an element of humanity to the "monsters" she comes in contact with.

While in Dallas, she sheds a tear when someone chooses to meet the dawn and she is forced to call upon all her strengths, mentally and physically in order to survive. Can she continue to stay true to who she is?

I picked up this series based on the reviews here, and although less than impressed with "Dead Until Dark" went ahead and struggled through this one too. I don't think I can stomach the third. There are so many reasons why I hardly know where to start.

First off, Harris tries WAY to hard to make her protaganist likeable. I spent the whole of both books wanting to smack the inconsistent Sookie. I say inconsistent because sometimes she seems like a ditz, other times a brilliant deductor; sometimes a prude, other times sex-obsessed. She's also all-over unconvincing and false sounding in her speech. Also, maybe this is some Southern thing I'm not understanding, but Sookie Stackhouse is the most unbelievable name I've ever come across.

Secondly, I didn't pick this series up expecting Laurell Hamilton or Anne Rice, but I've never read a book with less sensual or intruiging vampires. If there weren't so much sexual content it wouldn't matter, but there's an overlay of supposed sensuality that has no back-up in the descriptions. The sex scenes are very grating and obnoxious.

Thirdly, and speaking of LKH, there are so many similarities it made me grind my teeth. From big things (heroine: pretty, toughish, big-busted with supernatural powers she's not fully comfortable with. love triangle: shapeshifter/heroine/vamp/others working in later) to small (supernatural creature of Asian descent, covered in tattoos; dead and/or absent parents; use of "heap big" as in Anita Blake's "heap big vampire executioner"), it's like Harris looked at the Anita Blake series and thought, "I'll just take out most of the sex and change the location, and voila!".

Lastly, for the purposes of this review, is how utterly unengaging the plots of these books are. After two books I still don't give a darn what happens to Sookie, or Bill, or anyone else. The plots are weak, hurried, and envelope-pushing, the characters are contrived and flat, and the writing doesn't rise above either.

To sum it up: you're better off with Laurell Hamilton or Anne Rice for your vamp fix--or Katie MacAlister for your vamp romance fix. I wouldn't recommend touching the Southern Vampire series with a ten foot pole.

I enjoy the "dead" series. This installment however was just a little bit too hoaky for me. The ending seemed somewhat ridiculous and that town orgy or whatever was unbelievable to some degree. I felt a little "lost" near the end as to exactly what happened. I still keep buying the books in this series though. It is fun light reading that should not be overly analyzed nor taken too seriously. Ridiculous but lots of fun for the imagination anyway!

Although I liked the first book, something about this one was smoother. I'm still not fond of first person, but it worked better here. The twists & turns of the plot heightened the suspense, although there were some too coincidental or too predictable moments. This one provided a number of interesting insights into Bill & his relationship with Sookie -- things that nicely set up future conflicts. Nicely done; fewer annoying and unimportant minor details to wade through, more action. Eric becomes ever more intriguing as well.

Part of me really wants to like these novels. They are a refreshing mix of mystery and horror in the vein of the Anita Blake novels (back before Anita became obsessed with nothing but sex, sex, sex). I'm really drawn to the two main characters, Sookie and Bill. In Sookie we have a great heroine who is reluctant to be a heroine. In Bill we have an interesting vampire with a history that dates back to the Civil War. With this novel we finally get to learn a little more about Bill's family -- his human family -- and what happened to their descendants. What really irks me about these novels is the writing. At times it is very immature and annoying. Be that as it may, I've really enjoyed these novels and their Southern setting. If you're looking for a new take on the vampire/mystery genre, check out these novels.

to discover who was responsible for the death of a friend?

"Living Dead in Dallas" continues to follow the developing relationship between Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic barmaid from Bon Temps, Louisiana, and her centuries-old vampire boyfriend, Bill Compton. When Sookie's friend is discovered murdered and a local cop is blamed for his death, Sookie and Bill must find a way to clear the cop's name while also finding their way out of the increasingly complicated vampire political scene. Can Sookie find justice for her murdered friend while also saving a member of a Dallas-based vampire nest from certain death at the hands of the cultish "Fellowship of the Sun"? And, will her relationship with Bill survive the journey into Bon Temps' seedy underground?

"Living Dead in Dallas" is a fast-paced novel with thrills and chills at every corner. Full of witty humor, unforgettable characters, and a labyrinthine plot filled with twists and turns, the second installment of the Southern Vampire series is destined to become a fiction classic.

in a cop car's trunk?

"Living Dead in Dallas" heroine Sookie Stackhouse didn't think so until Eric summoned her and her boyfriend, Vampire Bill, to Shreveport. He's committed the two of them to investigate disappearing vampires in Dallas, TX.

Though vampires are now legal and many feeding on synthetic blood, Sookie quickly discovers that not everyone approves. "The Fellowship of the SUn" wants the vamps and Sookie dead.

"Dead in Dallas" is my least favorite of the "Southern Vampire" series. It's still fast paced, suspenseful and witty. I highly recommend the whole series.

Sookie Stackhouse, the attractive, telepathic barmaid from Bon Temps, LA, is back in "Living Dead In Dallas," Book 2 of Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series. Sookie's heretofore lonely life as a single is no more. She is in love and the feeling is reciprocated. Folks in her backwater northern Louisiana town always treated her as if she had a disability. They made her feel ashamed of her "gift," the ability to read other people's minds. What were they thinking?? The major disadvantages to her telepathy are her inability to keep the voices at bay, even though she has learned to shield herself somewhat. She had also been unable to have a relationship until recently. How can you fall in love when you know everything your boyfriend is thinking? Boyfriend Bill is just what she needed...almost. Tall, dark and very handsome, albeit very pale, Bill Compton is a vampire who lived, and died, during the Civil War. Sookie had always wanted to meet a vampire, since vampirism became legal a few years before the novel begins. I don't think she envisioned herself coming home to one at night though. The two met in Merlotte's Bar, while she was working. She served him bottled synthesized Type O Positive, and it was love at first sight. (Did you think I'd actually write, 'love at 1st bite?'). There is another important element in the couple's relationship - one which definitely makes for success. Sookie cannot hear Bill's thoughts, which he thoughtfully blocks from her. Peace and quiet at last!

Bill is doing his best to assimilate into the general human population. He dines on bottled blood rather than hunt, and is making human friends in Bon Temps, especially among the town's Descendants of the Glorious Dead Society. After all, he is a war vet. He even involves himself with the local vampire self-governing body in Shreveport, to gain their protection for Sookie and himself. Bill has been made Vampire Investigator of Area 5 - their general neighborhood. In the politically complex vampire society, Sookie, as Bill's girlfriend, is now obligated to utilize her telepathic powers for Area 5 Nest's purposes.

One early morning, while she is on day shift, Sookie finds a dead friend's body in a cop car outside of Merlotte's. A few evenings later, on the way to Shreveport with Bill, she is attacked and almost killed by a murderous Maenad accompanied by a feral razorback. Bill rushes her to the Fangtasia, a vampire bar, owned by Eric, Master Vampire and kingpin of the local power structure. Sookie has been poisoned by the Maenad and is dying. The only way to save her is to drain her blood and replace it with a human-blood transfusion. Eric and his gang happily suck out the bad blood and inject the new. Eric then expects Sookie and Bill to do a job for him, quid pro quo. It seems that the vampires of Area 6, (Dallas), have a problem they are unable to resolve on their own. One of their number has gone missing, and the Dallas leader thinks a fanatic cult, a quasi-religious group of vampire haters, The Fellowship of the Sun Center, might have kidnapped him. Eric wants to loan Sookie to the Dallas vampires as a consultant. They could use her telepathic gifts about now. Sookie does not relish the idea, and refuses to travel without Bill. So it's plane tickets to Dallas for two - Sookie's first flight, and a suite at the luxurious Silent Shore Hotel, which caters to the undead - coffin space in the cellar and everything!

The story turns into a roller-coaster ride of an adventure from this point, with one surprise after another and much action of the preternatural sort. Sookie is almost kidnapped from the moment she steps off the plane - and that is only the beginning. She also discovers and interacts with supernatural beings she had thought only mythical...and some of these critters are downright nasty.

"Living Dead In Dallas" is plotted like a mystery novel, in spite of the other-worldly elements. There's a corpse. Then there's a missing undead person. Lots of investigation takes place, along with too many mishaps and adventures to count. And finally, almost all is pulled together and resolved. Sookie's development as a person takes center stage in the storyline, along with the development of her relationship with Bill. And it looks like sexy Master Eric is going to play a greater role in future novels. Yummy!

Author Charlaine Harris's writing is excellent, as is her sense of humor. There are few unnecessary elements or ploys here. The characters are wonderful and well developed. Sookie Stockhouse is a real sweetie, though somewhat naive. She is a smalltown gal, after all. However, she is growing fast and I look forward to watching her develop. Her adventures are dark, but her self-deprecating manner helps to lighten things up. Unlike some, I preferred "Dead Until Dark," Book One to this one. The writing seemed tighter and the pace was more consistent. This is not as much of a page-turner. Don't get me wrong though. It is just the difference between a 4 and 5 stars rating. I enjoyed the novel - and if you like Sookie, you will also.
JANA

"Living Dead in Dallas" was a fantastic read. At this point, I am DEEPLY wrapped up in the lives of Miss Sookie and her Vampire friends. I have to say, I adore Bill, but OMG... I am LOVING, LOVING, LOVING Eric. Truly, I am.
Charlaine Harris has such a clever writing style and some of the dialogue(Sookie's especially)is just so surprising and funny.
I can say for sure that the moment I finish with this review that I am diving into the next installment...how could I not? These books are just so fun! "Living Dead In Dallas" is another keeper for sure. Read it.

Having read and loved Dead Until Dark, I decided to continue reading this series. I love it thus far. This vampire series set in rural Louisiana is full of action, romantica and humor. Living Dead in Dallas is another adventure starring Sookie Stackhouse and her undead boyfriend Bill. Sookie seems to have found some normalcy. The hometown folk are still shaken by her telepathic abilities, not to mention her bloodsucking significant other, but she has begun to deal with the criticism by defending herself and her relationship with Bill. So, things have been fairly peaceful for a while. That is until she is attacked by a supernatural creature seeking tribute from the local vamps. The vampires are more than happy to save Sookie's life (after all, it involves drinking her blood), but in return she has to help them find a kidnapped vampire. So she travels to Dallas to use her mind-reading "disability" to full advantage. To make matters worse, a co-worker of Sookie's is found dead inside a policeman's car, an anti-vampire organization is out to get Bill's friends, and it appears that Bill's master Eric has a thing for Sookie. There are various twists throughout the novel.

Charlaine Harris has once again written a rather entertaining novel. The characters and situations are a fun treat. And I like the intelligent and realistic portrayal of southern life. The characters have become all the more compelling in this installment. I love Bill, but I've begun to like Eric a lot. Not only does he sound delicious, his flirtatious ways make me laugh. I'd like to read more on him in future books. Also, Sookie Stackhouse is a great heroine. I see that she is often compared with Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake. Anita is a tough and independent heroine, whereas Sookie, in my opinion, is independent too, but far more grounded. She is not gun crazy and self-sufficient like Anita, but she is also not high maintenance like the aforementioned character either. Anyway, I think Sookie is quite a compelling character in her own right. And the romantica here is excellent. The scenes between Sookie and Bill are very sexy. All in all, Living Dead in Dallas is another awesome Southern Vampire novel. I look forward to reading the other two. In the meantime, I highly recommend this one. Though I suggest you start with Dead Until Dark.

I enjoyed this second "Southern Vampire Novel" more than the first. I think it's because I was now familiar with the down home narration of Sookie Stackhouse, and the characters are really beginning to grow in interesting directions, particularly Vampire Eric. Comparisons have been made to Anne Rice for the obvious reason, but the heroine of this series comes across more like a sassy Southern version of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone, than any of the tourtured souls in the Anne Rice world.

In this second installment of the "Southern Vampire" series, Sookie discovers there are many other supernatural beings besides vampires. Well, she already knew of one such, close to home, but she thought he was an anomaly. Wrong!

The story: Our intrepid heroine takes her first plane trip to Dallas to fulfill an obligation to Eric, the regional head honcho vampire, who needs to fulfill an obligation to the head honcho vampire of Dallas. (Love those vampire politics.) Bill, her vampire boyfriend accompanies her. As a result of their investigation into the disappearance of another vampire, they wind up entangled with a reactionary religious organization known as the Fellowship Of The Sun, which is dedicated to the extermination of vampires. Shapeshifters and another telepath have supporting roles in the events that occur.

Charlaine Harris further develops her mythology here, although I noted a major inconsistency from volume I, Dead Until Dark. In the first book, Harris stated the vampires had "come out of the coffin" four years previously. In this one, she said it was two years. Maybe I'm just picky, but there's a big difference between the two time frames. Two years seems like barely enough time for humans to have become relatively accustomed to the existence of vampires, much less to have made the kind of accommodations (special hotels, airlines and other services) prominently featured in this novel.

Also in this novel, I notice the potential beginnings of a romantic triangle, or perhaps even a quadrangle. Shades of Laurell K. Hamilton. [shudder]

An utterly predictable marshmallow fluff of a novel. Enjoyable despite its flaws.

I thought Ms. Harris had lots of potential. In this book I really feel she's living up to it!

It's