BOOK REVIEW DEAD RECKONING BY CHARLAINE HARRIS
Written by OBS Staff Member Rose
Charlaine Harris’ new installment of the Sookie Stackhouse Series “Dead Reckoning” has restored the level of my faith in the series. But Harris has her work cut out for her because however better this book was, even more quality storylines are needed in the next. After the disappointment of “Dead in the Family”, which seemed merely like an amuse-bouche to a greater meal to come, readers were let down in realizing the meal was to be skipped. Dead Reckoning is the aspertif, which definitely stimulates the appetite for her next installment. Harris has once again opened paths to huge plots that have been left unaddressed. The plots are quite juicy.
Sookie’s life is in danger for most of the story, for if it weren’t, it just wouldn’t be Sookie. Old enemies come forth, more supernatural creatures are introduced and there is not a lack of battles to be fought.
One such predicament Sookie finds herself in is at Bill’s home. Here is a tiny excerpt:
Finally I located Bill over in a corner. He was still dead, of course. Somewhat more to my astonishment, my fingers informed me that he was naked, too. Certainly that was practical. Why get your clothes dirty?
I crouched by him, gripping the screwdriver, listening with every nerve to catch whatever sound I could.
Strange as this is to say for a die-hard Eric fan, yes, Bill makes an appearance and it is quite welcoming. Don’t worry, Eric once again plays a major role, but something is amiss and it comes as a major turning point in their relationship. While they have a lot of “print” time, they never quite connect and one might find this disappointing.
The book opens with a bang, as Merlotte’s is fire bombed one night while Sookie is working and she narrowly escapes being singed to death. Charlaine wastes no time in adding excitement and intrigue right from the start. Sookie being who she is must try and find out who did this.
For most of the book she is trying to figure out who did what and why and in a way, this takes away from other more intriguing storylines. Sookie seems more put off by certain things that she has in the past and her sarcasm seemed to escalate. She’s has 10 books to realize how vampires are, yet she reacts at times with such astonishment. It was a different Sookie in many ways.
Dead Reckoning is both fun and a bit nail biting at times, a fantastic mix and a great precursor of what is to come in Harris’ next installment. Fans will be pleased this book is much better than her last and we must realize Sookie and her quandaries can never be wrapped in a velvet bow and be presently neatly and completely. Where is the fun in that?
