Definitely Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 6) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Charlaine Harris (Author)
Key Phrases: fairy blood, new vamp, New Orleans, Bon Temps, Jake Purifoy (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In bestseller Harris's perky sixth Southern Vampire novel to star Sookie Stackhouse (after 2005's Dead as a Doornail), the telepathic waitress of Bon Temps, La., is off to (pre-hurricane) New Orleans to close out her dead cousin Hadley's apartment. Hadley's death six weeks earlier had been unexpected, since, as a vampire, she was already dead. Still, she'd led a lively existence as the main squeeze of the Queen of Louisiana, an omnisexual vampire, whose political marriage to the King of Arkansas occurred the night before Hadley's demise. Sookie and Amelia Broadway, Hadley's landlady and a pretty cool witch, immediately discover a mess of trouble left behind in Hadley's closet, and Sookie's soon neck-deep in even more. Though most of the intrigue doesn't come till halfway through, Harris keeps the action going nonstop in this bubbly brew of supernatural spice and whimsical whodunit that's more fun than a barrel of beignets. Alan Ball, the creator of HBO's Six Feet Under, plans to shoot a TV pilot based on the series later this year.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Sookie Stackhouse once tried to keep her mind-reading capabilities secret, but the word is definitely out in Bon Temps, Louisiana, her hometown, leading local police to call on her to help find a missing child. There's a new man, were-tiger Quinn, in the picture, too, but on their first date, two were-people attack them. Sookie isn't sure whether she or Quinn was the target but is soon distracted by a more pressing problem. Cousin Hadley, a vampire, has been murdered, and Sookie has inherited her apartment, meaning she has to go to New Orleans to uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death and meet with Hadley's lover, the Vampire Queen herself. Though not quite as driven as past entries in Harris' Southern Vampire series--Sookie doesn't get to New Orleans until a third of the way in--this is a gratifying read for Sookie's fans because of a major surprise for Sookie about one of her old lovers. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 342 pages
• Publisher: Ace (March 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441014917
• ISBN-13: 978-0441014910
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (182 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #449 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 6 in The Southern Vampire Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Dull, November 9, 2008

By	David Cady (Jersey City, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was such a bizarre entry in what has become one of my favorite mystery series. First of all, starting this book will be totally confusing for anyone who hasn't read "One Word Answer," a short Sookie Stackhouse story that Harris wrote for an anthology. How do I know? Because I hadn't read it by the time I began "Definitely Dead," and I was definitely confused. Sookie's cousin was murdered in New Orleans, and the Vampire Queen of Louisiana sent an emissary to visit Sookie in Bon Temps? When? Not in any of the previous books I'd read. I knew I couldn't be crazy, so I did some online research, found the short story, and was able to download it for free. Then the beginning of the book made sense to me. But how unfair is that to readers who either don't know about the story or have access to the internet? At least publish the short story in the paperback edition of "Definitely Dead" so that readers aren't completely lost. Or include a note at the beginning of the book that directs readers to the anthology. Something, anything.

Second of all, the story involving Sookie's dead vampire cousin, the core of the book, doesn't really get rolling again until around page 130. Before then, the book is strictly filler, with unimportant subplots, one involving Jason and his werepanther girlfriend, the other about a missing child, who Sookie helps find. Those aren't spoilers, folks, because these side stories have NOTHING to do with the book's actual plot. So why are they even there? Who knows? Maybe Harris is setting things up for future entries, but that doesn't make for an involving reading experience this time around.

Thirdly, I wish Sookie would settle on a boyfriend. Bill, Eric, Sam, Quinn...On the one hand, I've always enjoyed Harris's ability to keep readers on their toes and defy expectations, but Sookie is starting to look like a right little pop tart. And was it really necessary for Harris to give us a plot twist that makes us detest and reevaluate a favorite character? Again, Harris likes to pull the rug out from under Sookie (and us, vicariously), but it seemed excessive and very mean-spirited. Harris hasn't seemed to know what to do with this character for a few books now, and it shows. Fourthly, when Sookie does make it to New Orleans and the book's real story actually begins, it turns out to be an uninteresting, overcomplicated one, with a plot element that was corny when Dumas used it in "The Three Musketeers."

Lastly, Harris throws us all a curve and gives us a hint about Sookie's family background that's completely inconsistent with the rest of the series, and made for a lot of backtracking. What, is Harris making this stuff up as she goes along? Sure sounds like it. Every writer should take a page out of JK Rowling's playbook and plan a series in advance. It goes a LONG way towards avoiding this kind of sloppy plotting. And if Sookie is a -- well, I don't want to give it away -- then it means she's not a normal woman in abnormal circumstances. Which means she's not us, the reader, and that's a shame.

And did it bother anyone else that Quinn took Sookie to see "The Producers?" Why couldn't Harris just say "the theater?" There have never been other references to present day movies or TV shows -- not that I remember -- and I found it very bizarre. Maybe I just don't see Sookie liking or getting that particular show. "Rent," yes -- "The Producers," no. Maybe it's just me.

All in all, if you're following Sookie's story, you're going to want to read this one as well, but prepare to put the book down, as I did, every few days. It's that dull.

109 of 115 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Delightful, May 4, 2006

By	mlle. x (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Definitely Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 6) (Hardcover)

I love the Southern Vampire series so much. I have enjoyed every last book - to the hilt - and this one was no exception. What I love is how the books are heartwarming, heartbreaking, poignant, funny, suspenseful, romantic...all at once. The characters are amazingly well drawn and Sookie's evolution from book to book as she gains confidence, experience, and some hard knocks is so fascinating. That alone makes this installment worthwhile.

Sookie is definitely a bit snappish throughout the book, but she's also more confident, more sure of herself - more willing to take initiative. She's tired of being manipulated and she's trying, as hard as she can, to get control of her life. It's no surprise that she's on the bristly side.

Sookie visits New Orleans and learns more about how vampire society works - she meets the Queen, who wants to employ her directly. So the power relationship is obviously shifting a bit between Sookie and the Bon Temps supes. I think this is a Very Promising Development.

The romantic interest here is Quinn, a were-tiger who oozes machismo. I found him a little bit campy. Eric and Bill appear - not often, but enough. There are some *major* revelations in that department, which pleased me inordinately (And, not to give away too much, but I have loathed Bill since Dead Until Dark).

There's also more afoot on other fronts - the continuing drama of Debbie Pelt & the Fellowship of the Sun & Claudine's mysterious presence.

I always feel totally drenched in the physical environment of the Southern Vampire books - Harris writes about the south in such a vivid way it can make a die-hard California girl like myself want to visit Louisiana just to see the pollen or drive down a narrow country lane. New Orleans, however, gets a more-or-less minimal treatment: Sookie doesn't get much of a chance to explore.

Alas. A year until the next one comes out.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Definately a bit more serious, November 10, 2006

By	S. B. Dupre "navaar70" (Shadowland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Definitely Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 6) (Hardcover)

I've liked about everything I've read from Ms. Harris, but the Sookie Stackhouse (or Southern Vampire) series is my favorite. All of these Sookie storys have featured a very likable lead whose supernatural talents have made her valuable to the vampire population.

In this latest, which certainly isn't my favorite, Sookie has to take care of her late cousins personal effects. It would have been interesting if she could have met Hadley before the murder. I think it would have made a good story. The Queen of Louisana was surprisingly likable. I'll be glad to see her again.

Ok -- now regardless of the climate of the storys we might still agree Louisiana and surrounding states are still part of America and therefore should be bound to the same laws. When Sookie asked the Queen did she still HAVE to go to a big summit, the Queen tells her yes she does. Why not go home, inform the police she is being menaced by certain vampires and tell 'em all to get stuffed? The vamps in this series are trying very hard to be "mainstream" (whatever in heck that means) and stay in good with the human population/lawmakers/legal system/etc. Tell Eric she doesn't owe him a #@$!! thing and to stay out of her life, along with his henchmen.

I can understand Sookie falling in love with Vamp Bill and I can understand why he showed up in the first place. He could have been a bit more honest, but he isn't human and he doesn't pretend to be. So they have sex. And she has sex with Eric. Now she is dating Quinn. Can we see a trend beginning to develope here?

Along with many, many others I have this horrible idea that Sookie is in danger of going the way of that former kick-a** Anita Blake (now turned whiney valley girl nympho [...]). Please Ms. Harris -- don't go there. I like Sookie now as much as I USED to like Anita Blake. Keep her the good girl she is, doing the best she can with what life has given her. I don't care what you do with Bill or Eric. I like both characters, but I can live without 'em. I kind of like Pam, too, and would appreciate it if you didn't kill her off.

But please. Keep Sookie just the way she is. Stay away from the dark road Ms. Hamilton insists on traveling.


Not as good as the previous, but good enough to buy or borrow.