"Great supernatural novel with a touch of romance"

When the Japanese invented synthetic blood and made it available to the general public, vampires came out of the closet, proclaiming their existence on global television. Bon Temp, Louisiana waitress Sookie Stackhouse met vampire Bill in the bar and they became romantically involved. She was elated that she was unable to read his mind, but when he hurt her she dumped him and vowed never again to get involved in any way with a supernatural being.

When she sees Bill's boss Eric running around naked, kindhearted Sookie takes him into her home. She learns that a witch has placed a curse on Eric because he is in the way of their plan to take over the Shreveport supernatural community. They search for Eric while Sookie keeps him safe from the witches.

Meanwhile Sookie's brother negotiates a deal for Sookie's caretaker services but suddenly vanishes for no reason. Worried about her missing sibling, Sookie becomes frenzied when she learns that the witches are enhancing their power by drinking vampire blood. She must confront these dangerous deadly fiends if she is to rescue her sibling and keep Eric safe.

The more the heroine fights the witches the more she becomes part of the supernatural world. Even worse in her mind is that she has feelings for Eric. Fans will appreciate this endearing protagonist who combines vulnerability with a steely spine (kind of a supernatural Steel Magnolia) as for a change the woman is the heroic savior while the men are the perils of Paul. Fans will enjoy this offbeat read that combines elements of several genres to ensure that the world of Charlaine Harris seems real, one bite at a time.

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted September 25, 2005

"With the sure touch of a master" (Crescent Blues), Charlaine Harris delivers "the sort of vampire thrills that make Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake novels so popular" (Locus). In Sookie Stackhouse, Harris has created a heroine like few others and a series that puts the bite back in vampire fiction...

Summary

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-town cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty. She does her job well. She keeps to herself and has only a few close friends because not everyone appreciates Sookie's gift. She can read minds. Not exactly every man's idea of date bait. Unless they're undead. Vampires and the like can be tough to read—just the kind of guy Sookie's been looking for.

Maybe that's why, when she comes across a naked vampire on the road home from work, she doesn't just drive on by. Turns out he hasn't a clue as to who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric, still as scary and sexy—and dead—as the day she first met him. But now that he has amnesia, Eric is sweet, vulnerable, and in need of Sookie's help—because whoever took his memory now wants his life. Sookie's investigation into why leads straight into a dangerous battle among witches, vampires, and werewolves. But there could be a greater danger to Sookie's heart—because the kinder, gentler Eric is very difficult to resist...