Late last year, I decided to give vampires a try. Though most of the world was reading the wildly popular TWILIGHT books, I was hesitant to go that route. I don't normally read a book simply because its the 'in' thing to do and I really wasn't all that excited about the romantic dilemma between Bella and Edward. I was looking for something a little different, so I went with Harris' Southern Vampire Series and met Sookie Stackhouse. I was instantly a fan. Admittedly, I liked it more than I thought I would. For those who are unfamiliar, these are the books from which the HBO series True Blood is taken.
In the first book, DEAD UNTIL DARK, we get to meet the characters that we will be following in this series based in small town Bon Temps, Louisiana, including Sookie Stackhouse, the main character and Bill Compton, a local vampire who becomes her boyfriend. However, there's more to this series than just a budding romance between a human and a vamp. There's also murder. In LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS, Sookie uses her mind-reading ability to try to find out who killed Lafayette, her friend and co-worker at Merlottes Bar. As if that isn't enough to keep Sookie busy, Eric, the sexy and scary leader of the local nest of vampires has become privy to Sookie's 'special talent' and insists that she go to Dallas to find out about one of his missing vampires who was last seen there.
Feeling they have no choice but to do as Eric says, Bill and Sookie travel to Dallas and it doesn't take long to figure out that this is going to be a dangerous trip for both of them. They encounter some strange and scary characters along their journey and wonder if it's safe to trust anyone.
What I like about this series is the mystery element. It constantly keeps you guessing yet still manages to add just the right amount of romance to keep it sexy. The ever-growing cast of supporting characters are fun to get to know and I find myself liking them more and more as the pages turn. Another great plus is that Sookie continues to be a strong, independent woman with a vulnerable side that is very likable.
LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS was even more dangerous and exciting than the first book so I'm really looking forward to continuing with Book 3, which is CLUB DEAD. I honestly never thought I'd enjoy the vampire genre, but Charlaine Harris has created a series that I find completely entertaining. I enjoy taking a break from some of the more serious books I read and just lose myself in Sookie's adventures. I guess you could say this is my guilty pleasure!
Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace Publishing
Published: 2002
Pages: 320
Rating 4 Stars out of 5
