Club Dead. - Charlaine Harris

Synopsis: There's only one vampire Sookie Stackhouse is involved with - at least voluntarily - and that's Bill. But recently he's been a little distant - in another state distant. His sinister and sexy boss Eric has an idea where to find him, and next thing Sookie knows she's off to Jackson, Mississippi, to mingle with the underworld at Club Dead. It's a dangerous little haunt where the elusive vampire society can go to chill out and suck down some Type O - but when Sookie finally finds Bill caught in an act of serious betrayal she's not sure whether to save him, or to sharpen some stakes. The Sookie Stackhouse books are delightful Southern Gothic supernatural mysteries, starring Sookie, the telepathic cocktail waitress, and a cast of increasingly colourful characters, including vampires, werewolves and things that really do go bump in the night.

Review

Well, I'm certainly flying through this series, as the third book in the Sookie Stackhouse comes to an end, and I think this has been my favourite so far. I'm unsure why, but the action was even higher, the danger even greater, and the tension throughout was so strong it just poured through the pages.

This time Sookie faces a different dilemma to her previous excursions, as this time she doesn't have Bill. In the past weeks he's been cold and distant, and he finally leaves without really telling her why; a betrayal that hits hard when she is told by Eric. Next minute Sookie is travelling again, this time to Mississippi and to the kingdom of vampire Russel Edgington. The danger is high, and vampire bar Club Dead holds more dangers than she's ever faced before. Despite the moral dilemma, Sookie knows she needs to talk to Bill no matter what; she must save him, even if he has betrayed her.

Tortured and alone, Bill suffers with regret and pain; the betrayer betrayed. Sookie is on her way though, however, and although it costs her greatly she finds information that leads the vampires to Bill. Penetrating the compound, Sookie must use every talent she's used so far, and a little more, to try save the first person she's truly loved; no matter what. She's had the help of werewolf Alicide throughout, but this time she's alone; but she's dangerous, and always down for the fight.

Throughout this novel, I felt the character development from the previous two novels. We found out more about Bill's past, and I feel Sookie had finally learned to deal a little with her telepathy, exploring it more than ever to help her investigations. The book was just as engaging as the last two in the series, perhaps even more so, and the action didn't let up for even a moment, despite the underlying questions of morality that played such an important part in the book.

Overall, a strong addition to the series and I'll certainly be attacking the rest with gusto; these novels really are great, fast-paced reads which pass away the hours quickly without complaint. Enjoyable to both young adults and adults alike, if you haven't snapped them up (no vampire puns intended) yet, do so; you're missing out.

5/5.