Book Review - Dead as a Doornail

Dead as a Doornail

BY: Charlaine Harris

PUBLISHED BY: Ace

PUBLISHED IN: 2005

ISBN: 978-0-441-01333-3

Pages: 310
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

After finishing Dead to the World and watching the current season of True Blood, I realize that I an addicted to Sookie Stackhouse mysteries and was eager to jump into the next installment, Dead as a Doornail, picking up the previous plotlines. Sookie’s bother, Jason, is now a werepanther, by force, and joins the other werepanther Hotshots. As Jason learns to be a panther, Sookie’s boss, Sam, is shot by a mysterious sniper. But Sam isn’t the only victim, there are others and they are all shape-shifters. This has Sookie fearing for Jason’s life.

Now for a twist, Sam asks Sookie for a favor - for her to ask the vampire Eric if Sam could borrow one of his vampire bartenders. Eric can never say no to Sookie, therefore the vampire pirate Charles joins Merlotte’s in Sam’s absence. Meanwhile, Tara is now in the control of the dangerous vampire Mickey.

Dead as a Doornail focuses more on the weres and shape-shifters than it does vampires. If you are watching the current season, you’ll realize that some of the plot elements in Dead as a Doornail are in it, mainly with Jason. Vampire favorites Bill, Eric and Pam have very little to do with the novel, and involves more of the Hotshots and werewolf clans. The death of Debbie Pelt is coming back to bite Sookie in the you-know-what, as private investigators are looking into her disappearance. I liked that the author laid out more of the werewolf mythology into the modern world. Sookie’s fairy-godmother, Claudine, is a riot and fun character unlike the fairy plot from True Blood. The fifth book in the series is great read.