Customer Reviews

Dead as a Doornail (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 5)

5 star:		(153)
4 star:		(78)
3 star:		(37)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Dead as a Doornail is the fifth installment in Charlaine Harris' dynamic Sookie Stackhouse series. Sookie, the buxom, blond, barmaid from Bon Temps is once again thrust into things that she should not be. Her psychic abilities make her a magnet for the supernatural world.

At the conclusion of the Dead to the World, Eric has regained his self, but remembers nothing of his time with Sookie. Jason, Sookie's brother has been found, but is now a werepanther. Dead as a Doornail opens with Jason experiencing his first full moon as a werepanther. Amazingly enough, Jason embraces his new life and enjoys shifting. As much of a relief as this is for Sookie, trouble is looming. Someone is killing shifters and Jason is the prime suspect. To add to Sookie's turmoil, Eric does not remember his time with Sookie, but knows something important happened. In another twist, Debbie's family is desperately searching for her. This search finds its way to Sookie's doorstep once again.

In Dead as a Doornail we get a much clearer picture of the shifter communities - the werewolves and werepanthers. Sookie is drawn into the political struggles within the werewolf pack structure. The outcome is not a happy ending for Sookie or werewolves. Calvin Norris, the head of the werepanthers in Hot Shot continues to attempt to woo Sookie. Another love interest is most certainly not something Sookie needs in her already complicated love life.

I enjoyed reading Dead as a Doornail immensely. Sookie and her adventures are always a treat. The only drawback to this book is that Sookie and the reader become very disappointed when knowledge of certain character defects becomes evident within those close to Sookie. All of the characters, old and new, add flavor to the series and make Sookie's madcap adventures even more entertaining. On the whole, Dead as a Doornail is a fun read.

Charlaine Harris is the author of four previous Sookie Stackhouse novels; Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, Club Dead, and Dead to the World. She is also the author of two popular mystery novel series, the Aurora Tegarden series and the Lily Bard Shakespeare series. Dead as a Doornail will be published May 3, 2005.

The action doesn't let up in this one. Another major character's in the hospital before the previous one leaves. And pretty much every male in the book except Claude the gay fairy (no, that's not redundant) makes some sort of romantic overture to Sookie, and even he asks her for a personal favor!

If you haven't read the previous book in this series, you should do that. I'll wait while you order "Dead to the World" (ISBN: 0441012183). There, back? OK, once you've caught up, you'll know that in that episode, Eric the vampire lost his memory, stayed at Sookie's place, and got real close. When he regained his memory, however, he did not remember any details of his interlude with Sookie. So...

Sam's has a new cook - seems to happen almost every volume. Tara has a new boyfriend - also seems to happen regularly. But then the shooting starts:
*Calvin Norris gets shot, seriously injured.
*Sam gets shot, in the leg.
*Sookie gets shot, a shoulder graze.
*Dawson, a Were bodyguard, gets shot, seriously injured.

And then, in terms of who's who vis a vis Sookie:
*Calvin Norris is still interested in Sookie, and in fact they do get in a serious kiss, which surprises Sookie.
*Claudine kisses Sookie a couple times, though, since she's Sookie's fairy godmother, what that might mean is ambiguous. Claudine certainly plays up a hint to others that it might be serious, when such a suggestion is useful.
*Charles Twining, the new bartender at Fangtasia, is intensely interested in Sookie, although respectful.
*Eric is still interested in Sookie, though he's not sure why, and he wants to find out what went on, and he does kiss Sookie again in this book.
*Even good ol' Vampire Bill gets in a few licks, including sharing (innocently, this time) Sookie's hospital bed.
*Alcide Herveax, the Were, attempts to continue his courtship of Sookie, sort of, escorting her to the sort of thing where other people will assume one's intentions are serious. (If you recall, they were once engaged for 10 minutes.)
*And the one we've been waiting for - Sam kisses Sookie, and it might have gone further... yes, admit it, you've been expecting Sookie to finally realize that Sam more than just admires her as a barmaid for several volumes now!!

Perhaps the biggest surprise for me what the sudden intersection with one of Harris's other series, a straightforward mystery series which has heretofore had no hints of fantasy. Lily Bard, who lives in Shakespeare, Arkansas, has been the heroine of such books as "Shakespeare's Christmas" and "Shakespeare's Trollop" and in this book she pops up, having finally married Jack Leeds (isn't that a great name for a PI? Leeds?) as they are investigating Debbie Pelt's disappearance. It's odd seeing Lily referred to as Lily Leeds, after years of seeing her as Lily Bard. Anyway, for those who have only been reading Harris's vampire books, now you are informed that those two characters, who pop up for a couple of chapters here, are actually a whole 'nother series, one I recommend to those who read non-fantasy as well as fantasy.

Other fun bits to watch for - how Greg Aubert's insurance customers stay so lucky; Andy Bellefleur and Sookie finally air some things out; Quinn, who doesn't exactly... kiss... Sookie, and what kind of shifter he turns out to be.

That should be enough teasers to get you all busy!

And, for those just finding out about this series, a few notes on how it compares to the overall vampire genre, a/k/a BunRab's Standard Vampire Classification: What is the vampires' position in the world; do they stand as an allegory for women's sexual fears; what powers do the vampires have; are there other supernatural characters; is the author dead serious, if you'll pardon the pun, or have a sense of humor? The answers, in this case: The vampires in this series can be either good or bad guys. Most of them have jobs; they don't exist merely to be evil and brooding, unlike some series which shall remain unnamed. They do have extra powers; in general these powers include the usual super strength, and once undead, they live very long lives; they can sorta force people to do their will; they need invitations to enter a house; there's no turning into bats. They are good at sneaking off silently, sorta melting away, but no invisibility or seeping like smoke between walls. These vampires' taking of blood frequently involves sex, but doesn't have to; they do need human blood to survive, unlike some (P.N. Elrod's vampires can survive quite well on animal blood, for example) except for Bubba, who gets by on cats' blood - but then, Bubba is... different. There are many other species of supernaturals besides vampires, the most common of which are the Were and shifters. In this universe, Were is reserved for those who turn into wolves, and everyone else is a "shape-shifter" - except for the werepanthers in the tiny hamlet of Hotshot, who are a special and peculiar case. And yes, there's a lot of humor in this series. It's not farce; it's that the characters themselves have senses of humor.

One of the things that I like about this series is that we get a fairly strong sense of "place" - it's very clear that we're in semi-rural Louisiana; we wouldn't mistake the setting for Cincinnati or Chicago if the author forgot to give us a name. There is a community and a background here, that have a life of their own even when the characters aren't doing much. I like that better than series such as Hamilton's, set in what is nominally St. Louis, but could be anywhere, since we never learn a single street name, a single detail about the social life other than our characters, or any idea of what else happens in that city. That's a personal preference - you may not care whether the setting is as fully realized as the characters. I feel it affects my opinion of how "realisticallly" the characters behave, at least within the degree of suspension of disbelief that we have to accept the fantasy at all.

In short: a must if you're following the series, a good series to try if you like vampire novels that don't stick to evil, brooding creee-chures of ze niiiight, and it's also a good murder mystery.

Sookie Stackhouse is a telepathic waitress in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Her ability to read minds keeps the normal people away from her. They fear her ability, even those who claim not to believe in it. However, the vampires and other supernatural beings flock to her.

Her brother, Jason, has recently been bitten by a werepanther. Once he makes his first shift, Jason finds that he enjoys his new ability. Problem is that a sniper has begun shooting the local shifters and Jason's new brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Sookie and her friends have until the next full moon to find out who the real sniper is.

Sam, Sookie's boss, is one of the shifters who has been shot. Unable to tend his bar, Sam has Sookie go to Eric for a temporary bar tender. Charles, a vampire, begins work the very next night. Charles is soon protecting Sookie. Seems someone is trying to kill her for simply associating with supernatural beings. If all this is not enough, the local packleader has died. Sookie must attend the funeral, as well as, witness the competition that will select the new packleader.

**** The vampires Bill and Eric take a back seat and play only secondary roles in this installment of the series. Focus is kept mainly on the shifters and the sniper. Author Charlaine Harris has a winning series with this cast of characters! Harris makes the night come alive with her imaginative, supernatural, and dark shrouded community. As usual, I find myself longing for Sookie's next adventure. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I am finding the Sookie Stackhouse novels to be very entertaining and amusing. They are a hybrid cross between romance and the supernatural. This book brings some of the other secondary characters from previous novels back in and then some. Sookie is dealing with Eric who still doesn't remember their tryst, but seems to be figuring it out. Bill seems concerned, but knows he's pretty much out the door. Sam is shot which brings in Eric's bartender as a sub. Alcide the werewolf is flirting around with Sookie and visiting now and then. Entertaining and light hearted.

This the 5th Sookie Stackhouse book in the Southern Vampire Series seems to be nothing much more than a place holder in the series.

I was rather disappointed by the fact that every supernatural male seems to want Sookie. Its getting a bit old, really, doesn't some male want to kill her? Several females have tried, but no males have been serious about it, rather they seem to be appologetic. Even the villain who is supposed to kill her doesn't really want to, its more of a matter of honor for him to finish the job!

I was disappointed about the lack of resolution over the Sookie, defending herself in the last book, the theme drags on through the entire book and is never resolved.

My last issue is what looks like the lead into the Bill/Sookie/Eric love triangle, or some other combination including one of Sookie's vamps and maybe some were. This is getting a bit annoying really. These last two sentences lead me to my chief complaint... I felt bored. I wasn't engaged, the story didn't suck me and make me want to keep reading. I felt I did have to keep reading, after all I did buy the book. Wish I'd waited till it was on paperback, not that it's a bad book, its just not worth hardcover price to me.

On the other hand the book is seemingly error free but I read it while dealing with frequent interruptions. On the whole its not a bad story just a boring one that doesn't inspire a 2nd read.

"I have read all the books in this series and loved every one. I particularly like the way the character of Sookie Stackhouse matures and becomes increasingly self confident and self reliant in each book. And the books get better with each one. I don't need sex scenes in a book to enjoy it, and quite frankly, that's one reason I only read about 20 pages of one Anita Blake book-then never read another. That particular series is an insult to intelligence. I read for enjoyable characterizations, wit, and charm."

This was one of the reviews from a reviewer and I have to say, I totally agree.

I perfer Charlain over LKH in many ways. The characters are much more vibrant and likable. Another excellent author that just as good as Ms. Harris is D.N. Simmons, fans should check her out, i'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Sookie Stackhouse is a telepathic barmaid in rural Bon Temps, Louisiana. She has been shunned by her community for her seeming "otherness" but when she meets a vampire named Bill, she is ushered into a semi-secret supernatural community in a very big way. Dead as a Doornail is the fifth book in the series. Basically, it ties up several loose ends from the fourth book (Dead to the World), addresses some interesting current events, and sets the stage for book number six. I won't try to recap the plot, as it has been done more than adequately by Publisher's Weekly (see above) and by other reviewers.

By the time I got about one-third of the way through the book, I decided that plot-wise, Dead as a Doornail was perhaps not as strong as the previous four books in the series. However, I soon understood that the plot is actually quite strong, and in addition, this book covered some material that made the previous books all the richer and paved the way for new developments. Some might call this a "bridge" book; I personally don't think that's a bad thing. There was more than plenty going on, much character development, and it was a whole lot of fun. I do think the next book in the series will be all the better for it.

I agree with the reviewer who cautions readers to take Sookie on her own terms. Despite the plethora of handsome and available men, Sookie isn't Anita. And I am grateful for that. It is true that as the series has unfolded, we have seen that Sookie is a very fine person but that her abilities have put her at odds with her fellow humans, so wouldn't she look to the supernatural community for love? With regard to the lack of sex in this book: isn't that a good thing? It seems to me that Sookie is waiting for the right man to come along. Sure, she has plenty of suitors, but she's basically a good girl who wants lasting love and a family, and unfortunately, she hasn't found Mr. Right yet.

I would like to take issue with one thing: in Dead to the World, the possibility of a romance between Kevin and Kenya was brought up, and then ignored in Dead as a Doornail. Now, is that nice? :)

This is the latest in a series of vampire mystery romances (using the term loosely). Sookie Stackhouse is a blonde, lowly-educated, telepathic barmaid. She's also reluctantly involved with the werewolves, shifters, fairies, witches and vampires near her rural Southern home. Her brother has been turned into a werepanther and is suspected of being a serial killer, so Sookie has to find the real killer before her brother is falsely accused. Meanwhile, a sniper is out to kill the shifters, people close to her are injured, her house needs extensive repairs, and all she really wants to do is pay her bills. Oh, and there's a were succession fight, several new vampires, and her first love vampire Bill shows up again...

Some reviewers have expressed a dislike of the paranormal men who seem to be attracted to Sookie. To me it all seemed very logical. We know Sookie is pretty, blonde and attractively built. However, normal human men shun her because she's "crazy". The paranormal men know she's very, very special and that's what's so attractive about her. Alcide (werewolf) and Calvin (werepanther) don't want to marry another werewolf and regional werepanther, respectively. They're both attracted to Sookie because she's not from their communities, yet she knows about them (not to mention she's nice and smells good...) Bill and Eric (vampires) both want her, Bill as her ex and Eric because there's something about Sookie he just can't resist (perhaps because she resists him?). Quinn (can't tell you what he is, it'd be a spoiler) likes her because she's smart, brave and tastes good. Sam (shifter) has worked with her for more than 3 years, and he's always been attracted to her. So to me, it seems like of logical. She's really pretty, she knows that werewolves, shifters, etc. exist, her blood tastes special, she's valiant and loyal, and she's special in her own way.

By the way, Sookie doesn't get tangled up with any of her admirers in this book, she's nice and single.

A friend recommended the Sookie Stackhouse books a year ago and I only got around to them this spring. I knocked through all of them in about 4 weeks along side a few of another vampire series. I totally enjoyed the universe Charlaine Harris has skilly created. Her blending of reality and paranormal fits well enough that you have little trouble believing in it. I found Sookie charming and quirky and the vampires and other-worldly creatures interesting and compelling.

"Dead as a Doornail" easily rates up there with the others. I found NO disappointment in it and rather enjoyed the digression away from the vampire-focus and into the weres and shifters. I was particularly glad to see Alcide again (yummy), though I was less than satisfied with how their relationship was left hanging. Then again, if she resolves it we don't get to see him again! What's the saying? Leave 'em wanting more? Well I want more!

A truly enjoyable read with non-graphic violence that I appreciate!

Charlaine Harris has developed such a unique twist on the vampire genre that she has already begun to attract imitators, but she owns the vampire/back country/chick lit storyline completely. I read her first several years ago for laughs, but now I keep coming back to her stories of dought Sookie Stackhouse - waitress, vampire date, and telepath. What makes Sookie special is her attitude and brand of courage. Anyone who has had a vampire lover or two, hangs out with weres, and braves the slings and arrows of a Louisiana country town like Bon Temps deserves plenty of respect.

Now that vampire Bill is her ex-boyfriend, and temporary lover Eric is at arms length you would expect Sookie to have a few moments of peaces, but no such luck. Her brother Jason has been bitten by a were panther and, come full moon, he crosses into the world of the shapeshifters. He adapts well, but someone is hunting the weres of Bon Temps, and the panther clan suspects that Jason might be hiding resentments behind his winsome smile.

Sookie tries to go to the rescue, but in the process winds up enmeshed in a power struggle in the nearby werewolf pack. Alcide invites her to the funeral of the pack leader in an effort to influence members to favor his father, but the idea nearly backfires, leaving Sookie deeply disgusted with the whole thing. And one top of that, someone tries to burn down her house with Sookie in it. Possibly as revenge for the woman she had to kill in the last book, but it's hard to tell.

As you can see, a lot happens here. It would be a dark and serious tale, but Sookie, as narrator has a way of pushing back the darkness. Almost making the story a Southern cozy until you remember that a quarter of her friends bite other people on a regular basis. Don't fall for the marketing ploy that compares Harris with Laurell Hamilton. Even when the story gets a bit spicy, it never approaches the steamy scenes of recent Hamilton writing, and Sookie has shown no interest in SM or corpse raising. Sookie doesn't have a cause, she really just wants a normal life, but there doesn't seem to be one available.

This isn't great literature, but enjoyable entertainment. A pleasant pastime in the occult world of the rural South in a world where vampires are legal. Heck! Why not?