Waking The Witch by Kelley Armstrong

No. of pages: 325
Rating: 10/10
Series: Women Of The Otherworld (Book 11)

Synopsis: The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at 21 she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town as a favor to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Review: Paige and Lucas have gone on holiday, so when someone comes to the agency with a job, Savannah decides to take it on alone to prove she's ready to do it. But as she delves into the secrets in the small town where three women have been killed, Savannah uncovers a lot more than she bargained for, and it takes everything she has to find the killer...

First off, I have to say, I absolutely love this series, and I always eagerly await new installments, however, my favourite characters are the wolves, and my least favourite are the witches. That's not to say I don't enjoy the books with the witches in, because I do, but there's just something about the characters I don't connect with so much. So I was a little apprehensive about reading Waking The Witch, because not only was it the witches, but it was from a new perspective too, so I wasn't sure I was going to like it as much as I did Frostbitten, which I absolutely loved. However, I was so pleased to find I really enjoyed Waking The Witch, and I could barely put it down once I started it. Savannah has fast become one of my favourite women, and I cannot wait for the next book which is also from her point of view. It was nice to see the transition from Savannah being Paige's young ward, to Savannah being a woman in her own right, capable of looking after herself. The plot was great as well, I loved all the little twists and turns, although I did suspect about half way through who the killer was, and I was kind of right, but again there was a great twist that I wasn't expecting and that's why I love these books. I'd definitely recommend this series, it's one of the best I've read about supernaturals, and Kelley Armstrong is a fantastic writer.

Dead In The Family by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 238
Rating: 6/10
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (Book 10)

Synopsis: Sookie Stackhouse has finally settled into a relationship with the Viking vampire Eric, and her errant brother Jason seems to have his life in order, too. But all the other people in Sookie’s life – Eric himself, her former lover Bill, her friend and boss Sam – are having family problems. Eric’s maker shows up with Eric’s ‘brother’ in tow, the ailing Bill can only be healed by a blood sibling, and Sam’s brother’s marriage is about to take place... or will it? The furor raised by the coming out of the two-natured has yet to settle; some people are just not ready to sit down to dinner with a man who turns into a dog. And Sookie herself is still recovering from her last ordeal. She’s definitely improving, physically and mentally, but she’s always going to have some dark moments now. The werewolves tell her that there have been strange and ominous passers-by in the Stackhouse woods; now Sookie is about to come face-to-face with one of her more distant relatives...

Review: Sookie is slowly recoving from the Fae war, and has now settled into a relationship with Eric Northman. But of course the peace can't last forever, especially when Eric's maker turns up, and brings with him an awful lot of problems. That coupled with the strange happenings in Sookie's wood mean that as usual there's a big mess that Sookie has to clean up...

I've been looking forward to this book for months, but sadly found it to be such a disappointment. Compared to previous books in the series, Dead In The Family was too slow paced which just made it boring. I thought Sookie and Eric would finally get some quality time together, but Eric was barely a part of the storyline, and when they were together, it was just not what I expected it to be like. Another thing that really bothered me, was the random snippets on other people, almost as though it was shoved in just to fill out the already very short book. It just seemed hurried and pointless, and appeared so out of place. The only thing I really enjoyed with this book was getting to know Claude a bit more. I really hope the next book really picks back up like previous books as this just wasn't up to par, which is a shame.

Tales Of The Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

No. of pages: 547
Rating: 10/10
Series: Women Of The Otherworld (Short Stories)

Synopsis: Have you ever wondered how lone wolf Clayton Danvers finally got bitten by the last thing he ever expected: love? Or how the hot-blooded bad-girl witch Eve Levine managed to ensnare the cold, ruthless corporate sorcerer, Kristof Nast in one of the Otherworld’s most unlikely pairings? Would you like to be a fly on the wall at the wedding of Lucas Cortez and Paige Winterbourne, as their eminently practical plans are gradually upended by their well-meaning friends? Or tag along with Lucas and Paige as they investigate a rather gruesome case that looks to be the result of a rogue vampire? Tales Of The Otherworld contains the short stories: Rebirth, Bewitched, Birthright, Beginnings, Expectations, Ghosts, Wedding Bell Hell, and The Case of El Chupacabra.

Review: A collection of 8 short stories set in the Otherworld series. Rebirth: How Aaron becomes a vampire. Bewitched: A young Eve Levine meets Kristof Nast. Birthright: Logan becomes a member of the Pack. Beginnings: How Elena meets Clay, and their relationship development. Expectations: Lucas Cortez gets a case against Eve Levine. Ghosts: Jeremy reminisces about Clay and Elena at Stonehaven. Wedding Bell Hell: Lucas and Paige plan their wedding. The Case of El Chupacabra: Lucas and Paige receive a case that looks like a vampire kill.

An enjoyable book that fills in some of the gaps of the series, with things that are alluded too but not explained. Most of the stories are very short, but Beginnings and The Case of El Chupacabra are around 200 pages long, and I enjoyed them being a bit longer, it meant they had more depth than the others could go into. My favourite short story was Beginnings as it was really interesting to learn about how Clay and Elena met, as they are my favourite characters after all. I also really liked Ghosts and Bewitched, it was fun to read about Eve as she doesn't really crop up in the series too much, so even though the story was short, it was enough to learn a lot about the character. My least favourites were the stories with Paige and Lucas in as I don't really like the characters very much. Overall it's a great book for learning more about the characters, and the money spent buying the book all goes to charity, so what more could you ask for?!

Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 306
Rating: 10/10
Series: Harper Connelly (Book 4)

Synopsis: Lightning-struck sleuth Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver take a break from looking for the dead to visit the two little girls they both think of as sisters. But, as always happens when they travel to Texas, memories of their horrible childhood resurface. To make matters worse, Tolliver learns from his older brother that their father is out of jail and trying to reestablish contact with other family members. Tolliver wants no part of the man - but he may not have a choice in the matter.

Soon, family secrets ensnare them both, and what Harper finds out will change her world forever.

Review: Harper and Tolliver decide to go to Texas and spend some time with their little sisters, but stop to do a quick grave reading on the way. What in theory was just a quick job, turns into something much more sinister, and reveals things Harper and Tolliver would never have expected...

As I was expecting, this book was great! I love the characters of Harper and Tolliver and I like the supernatural aspect of the series, which is really interesting to read about. The story was gripping throughout, as are the other books in this series, but this had a shocker of an ending that I didn't see coming at all! I was really glad to see Manfred, what a fantastic character he is, and I'm so glad he played a pivotal role in the final story. I'm so sad this is the last book to be written about them though, I felt there was still plenty of stories left to be told about their adventures but I'm glad it was wrapped up in a good way. To anyone who hasn't read this series, I'd definitely recommend it, infact I'd just recommend anything by Charlaine Harris, that lady sure can write!

A Touch Of Dead by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 192
Rating: 8/10
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (short stories collection)

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written—together in one volume. Stories include “Fairy Dust,” “One Word Answer,” “Dracula Night,” “Lucky,” and “Giftwrap.”

Review: Five short stories featuring the characters of the Sookie Stackhouse series. The stories are ~ Fairy Dust: Sookie helps Claude and Claudine find out how Claudette died. Dracula Night: Sookie is invited to Fangtasia for a party to celebrate the birthday of Dracula. One Word Answer: Sookie is informed of Hadley's demise. Lucky: Sookie and Amelia need to find out who's sabotaging the town's insurance agents. Gift Wrap: Sookie gets an unexpected christmas gift. Each of the short stories are set at different points throughout the main series, but are in chronological order in the book.

Sadly this wasn't as good as I was expecting, but it was still really nice to read something new from the Sookie universe. Of the five stories, my favourite by far was Dracula Night, I thought Eric was being his usual hilarious self, and that made it much better than the other stories. My least favourite was Gift Wrap, I thought the premise behind the whole thing was just creepy and rather disgusting! I thought Lucky was pretty boring and pointless, and the same with One Word Answer, but I quite enjoyed Fairy Dust, as I like the characters of Claudine and Claude and so it's always nice to read about them. Overall, this is a nice interlude whilst waiting for the next novel in the series, but is nowhere near as good as the series books.

Bareback by Kit Whitfield

No. of pages: 368
Rating: 6/10

Synopsis: It is a world much like our own, with one deadly difference: ninety-nine percent of the population is lycanthropic. When the full moon rises, humans transform into lunes, blood thirsty beasts who cannot be reasoned with or tamed. Those few born unable to change are disparagingly known as barebacks, and live as victims of prejudice and oppression. All too often, they are targets of savage mauling and death by lunes who break the law to roam free on full-moon nights.

Twenty something bareback Lola Galley is already a veteran of the Department for the Ongoing Regulation of Lycanthropic Activities. When her friend loses a hand to a marauding lune, then is murdered before the attacker is brought to trial, Lola is desperate to see justice prevail. But the truth is seldom simple–and Lola may not like the shocking answers she uncovers.

Review: 99% of the population are werewolves, and for the very few that are born as 'barebacks', they are considered to have a disability, and are looked down upon by the rest of society. Being 'bareback' means that on a full moon night, they stay human and do not change into wolves, and so they have no choice by to join DORLA and hunt down rogue wolves who do not lock down, but instead roam outside illegally. When a friend of Lolas is mauled on a full-moon night by a rogue wolf and then later killed, she is determined to find out who it was. But along the way she find out some things that she would have never imagined...

This was a fairly enjoyable storyline, nothing particularly exciting or thrilling, but rather a slow paced story with a few twists. The characters are well written, but none are particularly endearing or likeable, although I really felt sorry for Lola at times. The world that is created is realistic and easily imaginable. The story was just generally a tad too slow going for my tastes, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading to find out what happened next. I'd say read it if you have nothing better, or can borrow it, but not a book to rush out and buy.

Night's Edge by Maggie Shayne/Barbara Hambly/Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 377
Rating: 8/10

Synopsis: Three new stories in one delicious volume of horror and romance.

Her Best Enemy by Maggie Shayne
Kiley Brigham refuses to believe there's a ghost in her house, but when an unseen hand leaves a bloody message on her bathroom mirror, she's forced to turn to local psychic Jack McCain. As the two work to uncover a long-buried secret, Kiley finds that she's haunted not by spirits, but by thoughts of Jack...

Someone Else's Shadow by Barbara Hambly
Maddie Laveau worries about her young roommate, Tessa, when she stays late to practice ballet in the old Glendower Building...and when Tessa goes missing, Maddie enlists mysterious tenant Phil Anderson to help. But is Phil the white knight she needs, or the predator she fears?

Dancers In The Dark by Charlaine Harris
Layla LaRue LeMay is no ordinary dancer - her partner, Sean McClendon, is a three-hundred-year-old redheaded vampire. So when Layla Rue acquires a stalker, she's forced to face the music...and wonder if this will finally be her last dance.

Review: Night's Edge is a book of 3 short stories about supernatural romance. I really enjoyed Her Best Enemy and Dancers In The Dark, but didn't really think much of Someone Else's Shadow. Her Best Enemy was pretty creepy, and I really enjoyed the ghost aspect of the story, but the romance aspect was predictable as they always are in romance books. Dancers In The Dark was about vampires, so I knew I would love it, the fact it's set in the Sookie universe made it that much better, as I already knew the references to such things as The Fellowship Of The Sun. The story itself was enjoyable, I liked the characters and thought she wrote them really well. I found Someone Else's Shadow pretty boring though, I felt like it was dragging on even though it was only a short story. I didn't much care for the characters and thought it was silly how they loved each other after only a handful of meetings. The ghost aspect of the story was the best bit about it, although I didn't much like that either. I probably wouldn't bother reading anything by Barbara Hambly again if this short story is anything to go on. I'll certainly be looking into reading more by Maggie Shayne though, and would recommend this book to fans of Charlaine's if only to read her short story!

Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong

No. of pages: 339
Rating: 10/10
Series: Women Of The Otherworld (Book 10)

Synopsis: The Alaskan wilderness is a harsh landscape in the best of conditions, but with a pack of rogue werewolves on the loose, it's downright deadly. Elena Michaels, the American Werewolf Pack's chief enforcer, knows all too well the havoc "mutts" can wreak. When the Pack learns of a series of gruesome maulings and murders outside of Anchorage, Elena and her partner Clay travel to Alaska in the dead of winter, expecting to hunt down a pack of dangerous werewolves. But, trapped in a savage, frozen realm, it is their own untamed nature - and their werewolf heritage - they have to confront...

Review: When several bodies are mauled in what looks like wolf attacks in Alaska, Elena and Clay are sent to investigate. But what they discover when they get there, isn't going to be as easy to stop as they thought...

I absolutely love this series, and the wolves are my favourite, so I had no doubt that I would love this book. Armstrong is on top form with a book full of action that keeps you gripped right up to the last page. I just couldn't put it down once I'd started, and read the whole thing through in one sitting. If you haven't read this series, then I'd heartily recommend it! And for fans of the series who haven't read this yet, you should definitely make it a priority. A fantastic addition to the series, which as you can see I thoroughly enjoyed. I can't wait for the next book now, shame it's so far away!

Dracula: The-Undead by Dacre Stoker

No. of pages: 389
Rating: 9/10
Series: Dracula (Book 2)

Synopsis: The official sequel to Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula, written by his direct descendent and endorsed by the Stoker family. The story begins in 1912, twenty-five years after the events described in the original novel. Dr. Jack Seward, now a disgraced morphine addict, hunts vampires across Europe with the help of a mysterious benefactor. Meanwhile, Quincey Harker, the grown son of Jonathan and Mina, leaves law school to pursue a career in stage at London's famous Lyceum Theatre. The production of Dracula at the Lyceum, directed and produced by Bram Stoker, has recently lost its star. Luckily, Quincey knows how to contact the famed Hungarian actor Basarab, who agrees to take the lead role. Quincey soon discovers that the play features his parents and their former friends as characters, and seems to reveal much about the terrible secrets he's always suspected them of harbouring.

Review: When Quincey defies his parents and becomes an actor, he comes across a play about his parents and Dracula, and finds out all about the secrets his parents have been hiding from him. Then when people start getting attacked by what looks like animal bites to the neck, it appears it's not over and Quincey has to step up and relive his parents past.

I love vampire stories, and this one was everything that I expected. I haven't actually read the original Dracula story, but I've seen the film and know lots about the tale, but that doesn't matter, Dacre did a great job of recapping the previous book without making it boring and repetative, and I never felt like I was missing any plot lines as it was always explained. I adored the inclusion of Jack the Ripper, who is another subject I find fascinating, and I thought Dacre's take on it was really interesting, and it fit in well with the story he was telling. My only dislike about this book was that it took me forever to read, and it sometimes felt disheartening that I didn't seem to be making progress very fast. Recommended to any vampire or Dracula fans, or to anyone who likes old gothic horror tales.

Dead And Gone by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 288
Rating: 10/10
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (Book 9)

Synopsis: Except for Sookie Stackhouse, folks in Bon Temps, Louisiana, know little about vamps—and nothing about weres. Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to reveal their existence to the ordinary world. At first all goes well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found near the bar where Sookie works—and she feels compelled to discover who, human or otherwise, did it. But there’s a far greater danger threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings—older, more powerful, and more secretive than vampires or werewolves—is preparing for war. And Sookie finds herself an all-too human pawn in their battle.

Review: Being that the world hasn't gone crazy over the vampires revealing themselves, the weres and shifters decide they're going to come out to the human public too, and of course it doesn't go well. Within days a mutilated were-panther body is found hung on a cross outside Merlotte's, and with her brother being accused - yet again - of the murder, Sookie takes it upon herself to find out who the real murderer is. On top of that, her newly revealed relative brings an awful lot of trouble Sookie's way.

I really liked finding out about Eric's human life and how he was turned in this book, and it was also nice to see a lot more of him, being that he's my favourite character. Of course Bill has to be all noble and stand in to protect Sookie, and I wonder how that will play out in the future, I really hope she doesn't go back to him. Of course there's another war, this time between the Fairies and it doesn't end well, in fact I was very upset that one of my favourite characters was killed. I kind of feel a bit like Charlaine is just recycling storylines now, there have been 3 wars in the past two books, she's just changing the race of the creatures it's between. I'm more than ready to see something fresh from book 10, and I'm curious to see where she'll take us next in this series.

From Dead To Worse by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 340
Rating: 10/10
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (Book 8)

Synopsis: After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the fight at the vampire summit, everyone - human and otherwise - is stressed, including Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is trying to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Quinn has gone missing. It's clear that things are changing - whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie - Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community - is caught up in the changes. In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death, and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered.

Review: After surviving the trouble at the vampire summit, Sookie just wants peace, but with the weres going to war and other vampires trying to take over Louisiana, peace is out of the question. So again Sookie gets caught up in the supernatural fights, but will she manage to get out unscathed?

I think Charlaine used this book to wrap up several plot points because I found it a little too busy with so many different things happening one after another. But that's not to say it wasn't fun to read, or unenjoyable, it just probably would have made a little more sense for her to have staggered it over two books rather than just shove it all in this one so she could start something new with the next book. It was very action packed with all the fighting though and was really quick to read because there's so much to keep you immersed. A couple of the plot points ended quite obviously, for example the result of the were war, I had guessed that was coming for quite a while. Still loving this series though, it's completely gripped me, and I can't seem to put the books down!

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 342
Rating: 10/10
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (Book 7)

Synopsis: Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has her hands full dealing with every sort of undead and paranormal creature imaginable. And after being betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Sookie must not only deal with a new man in her life-the shapeshifter Quinn-but also contend with the long-planned vampire summit. The summit is a tense situation. The vampire queen of Louisiana is in a precarious position, her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans. And there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. Soon, Sookie must decide what side she'll stand with. And her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe.

Review: Sookie is summoned to attend the vampire summit alongside the Queen of Louisiana, to help get her out of a spot of bother and also to use to her mind reading abilities to find out what is happening with the others at the summit. Nothing really goes to plan though, and they all find themselves in an awful lot of trouble...

The ending to this one was brilliant, and not what I was expecting at all. There's lots of tension throughout the book, especially between Sookie, Eric and Quinn. I enjoyed the story about the summit and having an insight into what vampire life behind the scenes is like. I'm still really loving the series, and I'm curious to see where Charlaine will take things in the next few books. Here's to hoping Sookie will finally settle down!

Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 324
Rating: 10/10
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (Book 6)

Synopsis: Sookie doesn't have that many relations, so she hated to lose one - but of all the people to do, she didn't expect it to be her cousin Hadley, a consort of New Orleans' vampire queen - after all, Hadley was technically already dead. But she is gone, beyond recall, and she's left Sookie an inheritance - one that comes with a bit of a risk - not least because someone doesn't want Sookie digging too deep into Hadley's past - or her possessions. Sookie's life is once again on the line, and this time the suspects range from the rogue weres who reject Sookie as a friend of the pack to her first love, the vampire Bill. Sookie's got a lot to do if she's going to keep herself alive...

Review: When Sookie's vampire cousin Hadley is murdered, Sookie finds out she has left her an inheritance. So she travels to New Orleans to sort everything out, but what she doesn't realise is that her cousin left her an awful lot of trouble as well...

I was glad to see this book didn't have the missing something that the last one did. Sookie is back to being a trouble magnet and this book is full of action and mystery. Quinn was an interesting addition to the characters, and I was glad to see Eric pop up for a moment or two. He's still the funniest character in the series, and still my favourite. The end of this book links in with the next book, so I'm eager to read on and see how it all continues. Still a fantastic series, and I'm really enjoying it.

Dead As A Doornail by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 295
Rating: 9/10
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (Book 5)

Synopsis: Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in a little bar in a small town deep in Louisiana. She's funny and pretty and well-mannered, but she doesn't have that many close friends - mind you, that's not so surprising when you consider how few people can appreciate her abilities as a mind-reader. It's not a quality that has the guys beating down her door - well, unless they're vampires or werewolves or the like . . . but they're not just supernatural freaks, some of them are friends, even family . . . And much as Sookie might want a quiet life, when she's around, things just seem to happen . . . like someone trying to wipe out the shape-changing population, and that means Sookie's got just a month, before the next full moon, to find out who wants the shapeshifters dead, and stop the fiend.

Review: When someone starts shooting the shapeshifting population of Bon Temps, Sookie feels obliged to find out what is happening before the next full moon and shapeshifter change. What she doesn't realise is just how much trouble she's getting herself into yet again...

I have to admit, I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the previous books, the story just didn't grip me this time for some reason. It's also starting to annoy me slightly how every single supernatural male she comes across falls madly in lust with her, it's a tad unrealistic. The story this time was really predictable, I guessed almost immediately who the shooter was, and was correct in the end. Other than the bits I disliked it was still very easy to read, like coming back to an old trusted friend. I'm hoping the story picks up a bit in the next book, as this one was a bit repetative.

Dead To The World by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 321
Rating: 10/10
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (Book 4)

Synopsis: Dead to the World continues the story of psychic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who has fallen out with her undead lover, Bill. Bill has no sooner departed for Peru, than Sookie finds the head vampire, Eric, running naked and terrified through the rural night. She helps Eric, and discovers his memory has been destroyed by a coven of unscrupulous, astonishingly powerful witches, newly arrived in her small Louisiana town, and offering a huge reward for Eric. Sookie tries to hide Eric, but her brother sees him - and immediately disappears. And Sookie finds herself caught in a war among witches, vampires, and werewolves.

Review: Sookie on her way home from a night shift at Merlotte's, finds a topless Eric running down a dark road, with his memory somehow missing. Taking him home to protect him, once again Sookie finds herself drawn into a bad situation. But when Jason disappears, Sookie knows she'll do whatever it takes to find him again...

I really enjoyed the fact Eric was the main focus in this book, he's one of my favourite characters but is usually in the background. I loved how different he was without his memory, and how he and Sookie took care of each other. Again, I loved the appearance of Bubba, such a fantastic character! I thought what happened to Jason was a little weird, but I'm sure we'll see how that progresses in the future books. I love this series so much, they're amazingly written, Charlaine Harris has such fantastic talent for writing and she's fast become one of my favourite authors! I would recommend this series to everyone!

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 274
Rating: 10/10
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (Book 3)

Synopsis: They know how to make a great cocktail in Club Dead - a twist of lemon, a dash of pepper and a shot of Blood Group O. There's only one vampire Sookie Stackhouse is involved with (at least voluntarily) and that's Bill. But recently he's been kind of distant - like in another state distant. Bill's sinister and sexy boss Eric has an idea where to find him, which is why Sookie ends up in Jackson, Mississippi, mingling with the under-underworld at Club Dead. It's a dangerous little haunt where the elitist vamps can go chill and chow on some prime flesh. But when Sookie finally finds Bill - caught in an act of serious betrayal - she's not sure whether to save him, or sharpen some stakes.

Review: When Bill disappears, it's down to Sookie to find out what's happened to him. So with the help of Eric and Alcide, she travels to Jackson, Mississippi to hunt him down, but nothing is as she expected...

This series gets better and better with every book. I loved the new characters in this book, Alcide especially, he was such a sweetheart! Eric just gets funnier and funnier and I love him more as the series goes on. I could actually see him and Sookie as couple, but I doubt that will happen sadly. This is definately becoming one of my favourite series of books, and Charlaine a favourite author.

Living Dead In Dallas by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 279
Rating: 10/10
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (Book 2)

Synopsis: Waiting tables, sweeping floors, reading minds and solving mysteries for the undead. It's all in a day's work for Sookie...
Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is on a streak of real bad luck. First, her co-worker gets murdered and no one seems to care. Then Sookie is attacked - and poisoned - late one night by some weird and apparently mythical beast. She only survives because the local vampires roll up and graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn't enjoy it). But in return the blood-suckers need a favour. Which is why Sookie ends up in Dallas, using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire, on the condition that her undead friends don't do anything, well, vampiric while she's there. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly...

Review: When Sookie finds her co-worker dead in the parking lot of the bar she works at, she's horrified. Then she's attacked as a message to the vampires she surrounds herself with. She's starting to think she has a lot of bad luck until she gets summoned to Dallas, and then she really realises what it's like to have bad luck, and a whole lot of trouble coming right at you...

There was a lot more action in this book as the characters had already been established in Dead Until Dark, so Charlaine could focus on the plot rather than the characters this time around. The story is great, gripping right from the first chapter and full of action right until the very end. I loved that we saw more of Eric in this book, he's so funny and had me laughing aloud quite a few times throughout. You get to see a bit more about Sookie and Bill's dysfunctional relationship and also more about the people of Bon Temps, who aren't quite what they seem.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 326
Rating: 10/10
Series: Sookie Stackhouse (Book 1)

Synopsis: Welcome to Bon Temps. It's just your average sleepy backwater town. You know the kind of place... a dime store, a trailer park, a diner, and a gang of newly 'out of the coffin' undead.
Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of 'disability' - she can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. But then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome - and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life.
But Bill has a problem of his own: he's a vampire. With a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of - big surprise - murder. And when one of Sookie's co-workers is killed, she fears she's next...

Review: Great start to what will be a fantastic series. Sookie Stackhouse is a southern girl with a special talent - she's telepathic. She's pretty much a loner though because the awful thoughts she hears in other people's minds just make her dislike them. So when Vampire Bill comes into the bar where she works, she's immediately attracted to the silence - she cannot read his mind, and she loves it. But when women start dying in Bon Temps, Sookie gets very worried that she may be next...

Great start to the series, introducing you to the main characters, but with a bit of action thrown in too. I already knew the plot of this book from watching the television series, True Blood, which is based on this book. So I already knew who the killer would be and who would die, but it didn't ruin it at all, the book is so well written it just sucks you in completely. I adore Charlaine Harris' style of writing, it's so easy to read, and she sure knows how to write a great story!

An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 280
Rating: 10/10
Series: Harper Connelly (Book 3)

Synopsis: In her third case, Harper and Tolliver, her stepbrother, are hired to find a missing grandson. But the truth is far worse than a single dead child, for numerous teenage boys, all unlikely runaways, have disappeared from Doraville, North Carolina. Harper soon finds the eight bodies, buried in the half-frozen ground, but then, still reeling from coming into contact with her first serial killer, she is attacked and injured. Now she and Tolliver have no choice but to stay in Doraville while she recovers, and as she reluctantly becomes part of the investigation, she learns more than she cares to about the dark mysteries and long-hidden secrets of the town: knowledge that makes her the most likely person to be next to end up in an ice-cold grave.

Review: I really enjoyed the third installment of the Harper series, and think this is definitely the best so far. Harper is hired to search for a missing grandson that is feared dead, but when she finds him, along with 7 other young boys, she realises she has stumbled into her first serial killer case. When she is attacked as they're about to leave town, she realises someone in this town is playing deadly games, and they've set their sights on her...

This book has the best storyline in this series yet, and it kept me gripped throughout. With regards to the murder aspect of the book, it's much darker and quite horrific to read, but it's still written so well. I thought the relationship developments within the story were interesting, although pretty obvious from what was said in Grave Surprise. Charlaine Harris really knows how to weave a story around you and keep you captivated until the very last page, her writing is fantastic and I'll definitely be looking into her other books.

Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

No. of pages: 295
Rating: 9/10
Series: Harper Connelly (Book 2)

Synopsis: Harper is summoned to Memphis to demonstrate her unique talent, but there are still plenty of sceptics, even as Harper stands atop a grave and announces there are two bodies buried there. The police are convinced there's something fishy going on when the grave is opened to reveal the centuries-dead remains of a man, which they'd expected (that being his grave, after all) and a dead girl, which no one expected - except Harper, of course. And suspicions are raised even further because Harper had failed to find eleven-year-old Tabitha Morgenstern when she was abducted two years before. Harper and Tolliver need to find the real killer to prove Harper's innocence, especially after their nocturnal visit to the cemetery in hopes that Harper can sense something more is followed by the discovery, the following morning, of a third dead body in the grave . . .

Review: I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I did Grave Sight, but it was still very good. Harper and Tolliver go to Memphis to show a University class her talent in an old graveyard, but when she steps onto a grave and finds not one, but two bodies buried there she's confused. Then she realises that the newer body is that of 11 year old Tabitha Morgenstern, an abducted girl who she failed to find the year before and she becomes suspicious. It couldn't possibly be a coincidence...could it?

The story was a little slower going in this book I felt, and so that's why I gave it a 4.5/5, but it was still really enjoyable to read. It was interesting to watch Harper and Tolliver's relationship develop and change, and I'm curious to see where that goes futher in the series. I enjoyed trying to guess who the murderer was, and thought the ending was written well even though I had figured most of it out. If you enjoyed the first book, you'll definitely enjoy this one too, it's a great series to read.