All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

[slowfox]

In this instalment, Sookie finds herself attending a vamp conference at a hotel in Rhodes, where all the various vamp 'royalty' are meeting up to settle scores, strike deals and be seen.

Unfortunately for The Sook, people and vamps keep dying, and it falls to her to work out what's going on, and how to minimise the fallout.

What's really notable about this instalment is, firstly, that the Louisiana vamps, who I'd sort of loosely felt affiliated to, are one cold-hearted bunch, and that secondly, as a result of this observation, you start to get a feeling for how unwilling Sookie is in all of this. The vamps have a hold over her, and Sophie-Anne (and Andre) know it and use it.

I was all Yay! about the Sookie/Eric stuff, and just wish that she would drop Quinn, because he's so monumentally dull even our author can't seem to face having him on the same page as Sookie for too long a stretch.

I've mentioned before that Sookie gets bashed about a bit in the books (physically and mentally), but this is the instalment where I really was saying to myself 'just get out of there' as we neared the conclusion.

Honestly, I don't see where the stories can go next, because it felt like Sookie had had Just About Enough by the end of this book (I'm figuring that dumping Quinn will perk her up a bit, though).

Anyway, it's From Dead to Worse, next. More Sam, more Eric, more Amelia, more Hotshot please...

Incidentally, I note from La Harris' website that the next original Sookie Stackhouse novel will be on sale in May 2010 :-). Just as long as they don't change the paperback cover design, I'm good (still miffed with JKR for redoing the adult HP series mid-stream).

Comments

[carolanne5]

Well I am still enjoying the series but my passion has waned during this book. The whole plot with the extra suitcases/coffins was so belaboured that I was just "can we have the BOOM already?".

Similarly the huge build up to Quinn's background was intriguing but the reveal disappointed, we already knew he was serious fighter. The final page reveal, Quinn's last encounter with Andre, left me flat too.

However on the upside the extra Eric time was most welcome, the more worldly Sookie rocked, I didn't guess the killer of Arkansas second in command so that reveal I loved (nice and sinister).

[slowfox]

Yes, there was definitely a mid-series dip to the books, but trust me, they return to form soon enough (From Dead to Worse is excellent!).

As I said in the post, the Louisiana Vamps really come across as cold and calculating in this instalment, and had me reconsidering my allegiances. I still like Eric and Pam, but I'm seriously wary of the rest of 'em.