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130 of 141 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Southern Fried Supernatural, June 14, 2002
The last thing Sookie wanted was to find Lafayette Reynold's body in the back Andy Bellefleur's car. Lafayette was the cook at Merlotte's Bar, where Sookie waited on tables. Andy was a police detective who left his car at the bar because he was too drunk to drive it home. Now Bon Temps, Louisiana is a small rural town, where murders are mercifully rare. However, anything like this is bound to be a major headache for Sookie, who is telepathic, and whose boyfriend is Vampire Bill, the town's major predator. Make that ex-predator; Bill is one of the good people, getting his nourishment from artificial blood these days. As does any vampire who wants to fit into the mainstream world.But a simple murder case is not enough. Before Sookie and Bill can look into Lafayette's death, Eric, the local vampire leader, summons them to Shreveport. Eric has agreed to send them to Dallas, where Sookie's telepathic talents are needed to solve a disappearing vampire problem. Even before they get to Shreveport, stuff happens. Sookie has a run in with a maenad, who wants tribute from Eric, and decides to write him a note about it on Sookie's back. Bill barely gets Sookie to Eric's lair, where she can be healed. Don't expect Dallas to be any better. There, Sookie finds herself in conflict the local anti-vampire club, 'The Fellowship of the Sun,' and scheduled for sacrifice. That, in two paragraphs, is just a hint of all the contents of Charlaine Harris's latest thriller about Sookie Stackhouse, northern Louisiana's answer to Anita Blake. And a very good answer she is. It's unfair to make a direct comparison, since the authors have different intentions, but Sookie is a near total contrast with Laurell Hamilton's heroine. Now no one who is a telepath and dates a vampire is 'normal,' but Sookie manages to come across as mostly 'just folks.' As do many of the other characters in the book. There is plenty of serious action, but Sookie's narration includes plenty of humor and wry insights as well. There's quite a bit of sex as well, in case that's an issue for you. However, it's much less complex than what Anita Blake gets into. Harris has given Sookie's narration a straightforward, no non-sense style that will quickly make you a believer. If you haven't read the first volume in this series, 'Dead Until Dark,' by all means do so. Charlaine Harris has created a new kind of vampire story, part thriller, part detective story, part parody, and part romance. And just plain fun.
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36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly enjoyable vampire mystery/romance, May 21, 2002
Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire novels (Dead Until Dark and LIving Dead in Dallas)are reminiscent of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series,(a series I thoroughly enjoy reading over and over) but Sookie, the heroine of Ms. Harris's novels is less like Anita Blake and more like Stephanie Plum, Janet Evanovich's bounty Hunter ( another thoroughly enjoyable and re-readable series) Anita Blake is more polished and experienced, more at ease with her supernatural abilities than Sookie. Sookie is more human and fallible, kind of a Calamity Jane, but very likable. Her budding romance with a newly arrived vampire is fraught with misunderstandings between species, but they manage to communicate very well anyway. The vampires in this series make no excuses for what they are, predators, but still have a not so nasty side, especially since they are trying to "mainstream" and live with humans. Ms Harris throws in a few shapeshifters, colorful local residents, and reprehensible villains, both human and supernatural. Prepare to sit yourself down for a wonderful read. The plots were well thought out and equally well written. I am eagerly looking forward to her the next book in this series.
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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You Have Got to Love Sookie!, April 8, 2002
I normally expect my heroines to be tough, women who can coolly assess a situation then kick butt. What I got in Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris, is a heroine who is kind of kooky, reads minds, dates a vampire, and isn't afraid to yell for help when she's in a situation way over her head. While this sounds like a turn off from what I normally expect, believe me, it isn't. There is no way not to like cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse. She's got a figure to kill for, the uncanny ability to read minds, doesn't care about conventional society, and is pretty content with her life until she is reminded she is on loan out to help the vampires. It seems that Sookie and her vampire boyfriend Bill have agreed for Sookie to help the vampires when they need help. The leader of the local nest of vampires, Eric is sending Sookie to Dallas to look for a missing vampire. For those of you who have read the first book in this series, take heart, the gorgeous Eric plays a larger role. Now take a backwater gal out of her little hometown and send her by plane to Dallas with her boyfriend traveling in a coffin and see what happens! Sookie ends up way over her head dealing with vampires, werewolves, and fanatics who want to end the existence of all supernatural beings. There is also a subplot with Sookie dealing with the death of one of her friends who just happened to be a member of a sex club. Use your imagination and you can pretty well guess what happens with this plot! Charlaine Harris has taken Sookie to another level. While she is still the ditsy waitress we were first introduced to in Dead Until Dark, she has managed to develop into a likeable heroine, who while still unconventional, captivates our attention and makes us root for her throughout the book. Like everyone else, I can't wait until the next book to see what new mess Sookie manages to get into.
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