On the Bookshelf

Lately Sookie's vampire boyfriend, Bill Compton, has been acting pretty distant. He has been completely absorbed in a secret project and things are starting to get tense between the couple. Then he gives a vague explanation about some trip he needs to take and Sookie know's that he is telling her lies. It's only a matter of time before his boss, Eric, shows up on Sookie's doorstep telling her that not only has Bill betrayed her but that he is missing and has probably been kidnapped.

Sookie heads off to Jackson, Mississipi. With the aid of a Were named Alcide Herveaux she mingles at Josephine's, or Club Dead as the non-vampire part of it's clientele call it, hoping to pick up on some clues on the whereabouts of Bill.

In this third installment in the Southern Vampire Mysteries, Bill most certainly did not earn himself any brownie points in my book. He also spends a large part of the book absent, being kidnapped and all, but I never find myself missing his presence in. I did, however, enjoy the moments when Eric got to step up into the spotlight. Then there is Alcide. Sookie's list of admirers sure does seem to be growing. Sure, we have been told that she is attractive, but it can get annoying when nearly every male character that the female main character encounters is interested in her. I wasn't really all that irritated though because I ended up really liking Alcide and found the way that their relationship played out to be quite interesting.

While still entertaining, the mysteries in Club Dead are not too hard to figure out. I thought this book to be more driven by the characters and their relationships, which, considering that I am quite a big fan of authors being sure to develop those, isn't at all a bad thing.

There were also some good moments of humour. Notably, El- I mean Bubba (he doesn't like being called you-know-what). It helps that Harris isn't afraid to make fun of her own work. Consider, for example, her take on vampire politics as we get to learn a little more about the vampire political and social structure in this book. The queen of Louisiana. Sound kind of funny? Sookie thought so too even though the vampires take it dead seriously. (No pun intended.)

Oh, and I finally managed to get my hands on the dvds of True Blood season one. I will post my thoughts and feelings on the television adaption at some stage but won't get into it in this review.

It may be a little while before I get around to the fourth book in the series, Dead to the World, as I have a considerably large pile of books stacked on my bedside table and overflowing down to the floor to read before I go and spend any more money on getting more books.

Terra