DEAD RECKONING by Charlaine Harris

Book 11 in The Sookie Stackhouse series
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date published: May 2011
ISBN: 9780575096523
Urban Fantasy/Mystery
Hardback
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained via: library


The latest installment in Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series, DEAD RECKONING, is a witty combination of horror, humor and fantasy.

In DEAD RECKONING, Sookie is at Merlotte’s bar as it is firebombed. With the anti-shifter movement picking up momentum, suspicion falls on the shifter haters. But Sookie thinks otherwise, and she and Sam work to get to the bottom of this mystery. At the same time, her vampire lover, Eric Northman’s maker Victor, is determined to get rid of Eric, and Sookie is only too eager help Eric & Pam kill him before he finds a way to kill Eric. And then Eric tells Sookie that he has been given as mate to a new vampire Queen on the scene and if he can’t find a way out, he will have to set Sookie aside.

DEAD RECKONING is just that for these characters. Victor has been appointed Regent and he has no intention of keeping Eric on as Sheriff. Things come to a head in this story and the result is both monstrous and somewhat surprising. Sookie has a lot of thinking to do in the time before the next book comes out and it is anyone’s guess how things are going to turn out.

Harris’ humor once again creeps in among the horror in amusing ways. The scene where Pam steps aside so Sookie can see what her elfin relatives have brought home has to be one of the best scenes in the book. Of course, the scene with a naked Sookie hiding in Bill’s house from the bad guys also rates, but Bill’s dialogue so belonged to Eric and not Bill that this scene must be taken out of the running for most amusing scene. And that isn’t the only time Ms. Harris seems to have given Bill an Eric personality transplant. Bill commenting on the desirability of Sookie’s breasts - really?

Still, if you enjoy the antics of the lovely Ms. Stackhouse and her non-human friends as much as this reader does, you have to pick up a copy of the latest installment, DEAD RECKONING. While there were some moments that had me shaking my head, you just can’t beat Charlaine Harris for Southern charm and wit blended seamlessly with monsters and horror. As always, this reader cannot wait for the next installment.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.