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Last Scene Alive (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries #7)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 5,932 ratings · 172 reviews

Aurora Teagarden has never forgotten her first case: a serial killer who terrorized suburban Lawrencetown. Now that story is about to hit the small screen. Even if she wanted to, Aurora can't help getting involved. Her ex, Robin, wrote the TV movie's screenplay and her stepson, Barrett, has a starring role. Then there's Celia--the catty actress portraying Roe--who, by the...more

Paperback, 248 pages

Published December 1st 2002 by Mira (first published August 3rd 2002)

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

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Best Books of 2002

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Sep 28, 2012 Jeff Cothern rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the first installment of the Aurora Teagarden series, Real Murders, the small town of Lawrenceton, Georgia, was beset by a series of horrific murders. Librarian Aurora "Roe" Teagarden teamed up with true crime writer Robin Crusoe to catch the killer, and the results of their investigation have gone down in Lawrenceton history.

Now Robin is back in town, set to begin filming the movie version of the terrible events of so many years ago. Of course he's not alone-he brings with him a cast and

...more

Now Robin is back in town, set to begin filming the movie version of the terrible events of so many years ago. Of course he's not alone-he brings with him a cast and crew the size of which nearly overwhelms the tiny excitement-starved town. Roe is disturbed to discover that the film's crew includes her stepson, who despises her, as well as an actress set to play her in the film. Everyone in Lawrenceton suddenly goes movie crazy, mentally composing awards-acceptance speeches while prancing around the fringes of the set awaiting discovery.

Roe's not so crazy about the whole thing...and neither is a secret, vicious murderer. When bodies start dropping, it's up to Roe to reprise her role as amateur sleuth and stop the carnage before it gets out of hand. It's no problem for the beloved small-town librarian in this wonderfully cozy installment in the adored Aurora Teagarden mystery series.

From Publishers Weekly

In her seventh cozy outing, librarian Aurora "Roe" Teagarden is back to form after the downbeat A Fool and His Honey (1999). Roe and her once-significant other, true-crime writer Robin Crusoe, team up to untangle the results of their first foray into detection, Real Murders (1990), in which they caught the killer who'd been terrorizing the sleepy town of Lawrenceton, Ga. Now Robin has capitalized on the experience to write a bestselling novel, which is being made into a TV movie. Of course, it will be shot in Lawrenceton, and the whole town is delighted and eager to be involved, except for Roe. Oh, she's glad to see Robin again after his years in Hollywood, but she's not pleased that the star of the film is Emmy winner Celia Shaw, her successor in Robin's affection, now also cast off. When Roe's unfriendly stepson, Barrett, turns up with a part in the film, she hardens her heart until the second morning of the shoot, when Barrett knocks on Celia's trailer door (after having spent the night there) to find Celia dead, her bloody Emmy beside her. Now Roe feels sorry for Barrett. The first investigator on the scene is another old flame, Detective Arthur Smith. Then Roe herself is threatened first by a venomous letter, later by a Robin Crusoe fan who tries to kill her. Harris's style is well suited to the material, frothy and fast-paced with a wealth of witty descriptions: "Her voice was as crisp as if it'd been in the vegetable drawer overnight." Take a well-earned rest, Roe, don't lose Robin and return soon.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

"Roe" Teagarden relives past history when a movie crew settles in town to make a film based on her first sleuthing adventure (Real Murders). The crew includes both Robin Crusoe, her former co-sleuth and a true-crime writer, and her hate-filled stepson. Before long, murder strikes again. A delightful series.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Nov 27, 2011 Chance rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this one better than the last one, glad Roe wasn't whining about a baby the whole time. It was nice to return to Lawrenceton too. I would have liked a little more of the townspeople and a little less of the movie people, but oh well. The book was slim and moved at a fast pace. That's all iI really wanted.

The revelations at the end were a little odd and out of left field, but I've come to expect that. The various culprits were completely obvious though, being telegraphed from dozens of pa...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Syrdarya rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

This was the first Aurora Teagarden book I read, and I thought reading the series would make me like the character more, but instead I pretty much detest her. The mystery itself is okay, but Aurora's internal monologue drove me crazy for the entire book. I also really noticed how she's always dressing in shades of yellow, orange, brown, or dark green, and the description of the clothes make her sound like she's twenty years older than she is. The other characters also seemed to dress in these co...more This was the first Aurora Teagarden book I read, and I thought reading the series would make me like the character more, but instead I pretty much detest her. The mystery itself is okay, but Aurora's internal monologue drove me crazy for the entire book. I also really noticed how she's always dressing in shades of yellow, orange, brown, or dark green, and the description of the clothes make her sound like she's twenty years older than she is. The other characters also seemed to dress in these colors. In the first or second book Aurora was rather plain and mousy, but now men notice her or come on to her like she's some great beauty. There's a little bit of the changing glasses for frames to fit her mood in this book, but luckily we no longer get the prattling on about how weird her name is.

The story begins with a movie crew coming to town to film a 2-part miniseries based on the book by Robin Crusoe about the serial murders from the first Aurora Teagarden mystery. Aurora spends a good chunk of the book acting all angry because the townspeople are happy to have Hollywood come to town, and acting like she's the major victim here. Really? What about the families of people who were actually killed, like your friend Lizanne who lost both of her parents?!

Aurora also spends a good chunk of the book being judgmental about her stepson Barrett because he didn't like her and he lived off money from her father. This coming from a woman who in the first book was living free in a property owned by her mother, who worked part-time at a library and quit that job as soon as she got a minor inheritance from a friend, even though it was clear she would have to go back to work in a couple years and since she wasn't going to move out of Lawrenceton and she wasn't going to work in realty, it was obvious she'd have to go back to the library... part-time. This coming from the woman who then ended up marrying that Martin guy who was so rich but other than sex they really had nothing in common. And then she goes back to work at the library because she's bored, and her marriage was pretty unhappy no matter how she tried to paint it after his death. When she's a widow she's living off the money her husband and that friend left her and working part-time at the library but missing work all the time. Whereas Barrett does try to get as many roles as he can, but in the in-between times he hurts for money and she begrudges him that. Earlier in the series she went on about how much money she would inherit from her mother, too, so basically Aurora lives off and will live off the hard work of three other adults, but Barrett is the one who needs to grow up. Yeah, right.

The grieving was understandable but too often took on a mean tone. Okay, she was in love with Martin even though he was a jerk, but to keep thinking things to herself along the lines that her loss and her relationship were greater than someone else's (in this case, Robin) is petty. Her "decision" to be rude now was silly, because all along Aurora has been rude, it's just more pronounced now. The funniest part is when she says something really rude to another character and then gets upset when they say something rude back. She even tries to get Patricia in trouble with their boss, but he sided with Patricia and Aurora tries to pull the seniority card, which is a joke because she quit the job for a few years in the middle and she's so unreliable to work.

One more book to go.

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May 08, 2011 Yolanda Sfetsos rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

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Jan 25, 2010 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars

Aurora Teagarden's past is back to haunt her, and this time it is preparing to go onto the small screen. Roe's first opportunity to deal with murder first-hand was when she was in the Real Murders group, a number of local residents of Lawrenceton, Georgia, with an interest in true crime. Things got a little out of hand when certain members decided to make true crime something more to read about. Those adventures made up the first book in this series, Real Murders.

Robin Crusoe, famed author and o...more Aurora Teagarden's past is back to haunt her, and this time it is preparing to go onto the small screen. Roe's first opportunity to deal with murder first-hand was when she was in the Real Murders group, a number of local residents of Lawrenceton, Georgia, with an interest in true crime. Things got a little out of hand when certain members decided to make true crime something more to read about. Those adventures made up the first book in this series, Real Murders.

Robin Crusoe, famed author and one-time boyfriend, helped in solving the crime as well as took an opportunity to write a bestselling book based on the events. Roe was less than pleased with the latter part, and is now going to be confronted not only with past events, but her ex-boyfriend, and she is not sure if she is ready for that even with her new status as a widow. In fact, she is still heavily grieving the loss of Martin in the last year.

Crusoe's book has been picked up to be made into a two-part television mini-series, and it is going to be filmed in Lawrenceton. To make things even more interesting, his new girlfriend Celia Shaw, a recent Emmy winner, will be taking on Roe's role. To make things even more difficult, Roe's stepson Barrett, who has never had a close relationship with her, also has a role in the movie.

Despite the fact that the film is based on some really rough times for the community, the whole town is caught up in celebrity fever, and they are hoping that Roe's connections will help them get on the set and meet stars. Before she knows it (and despite her best intentions), Roe finds herself on the set and mingling with those working there. Celia even tries to arrange a dinner with her so she can get a better sense of how to play Roe.

Things take a surprising turn when Barrett returns to visit Celia in her trailer after having a night of bliss with her. Upon entering, he finds her body on the floor with a clear head wound ... her Emmy had literally gone to her head.

The detective assigned to the case is Arthur Smith, another of Roe's old flame. He seems more than willing to put the past behind them, which is probably easier since he is the one who cheated on her, as he focuses on the case. It does not take long for him to start pulling clues together, but not before Roe gets a threatening letter herself.

As Roe is being forced to confront the past, both she and Robin find old feelings returning. Unfortunately, it is going to take everything in the repertoire to figure out who murdered Celia if they are going to find happiness together.

Harris definitely has no trouble with throwing red herrings in on this case as the reader is often misdirected as to the real killer's identity. In most cases, the distractions are tied to interesting subplots, and they help move the action along. It does take a while for the body to turn up, but once it does the reader needs to be ready for a quick-paced ride to the end.

I was a little disappointed to find that Aurora comes across bitter in the book. She sees so many people around her as being unhappy and persnickety. In the process, she ends up being the same. I figure I should give her a break, though, since she is still having a really rough time with Martin's death in the previous book. This was another great adventure for my favorite librarian detective.(less)

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Apr 07, 2013 Marianne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed-copy-returned

Last Scene Alive is the seventh novel in the Aurora Teagarden series by American author, Charlaine Harris. Almost a year after Martin’s death, Roe is going through the motions of life when Hollywood comes to town to shoot scenes for a two-part TV movie of Whimsical Death, Robin Crusoe’s novel about a serial killer in Lawrenceton (see Real Murders, the first Aurora Teagarden mystery). Roe has mixed feelings about Robin’s arrival, and is not at all happy about the movie, even though it is bound to...more

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Oct 09, 2009 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-suspense

Still grieving from the death of her husband, Aurora (Roe) Teagarden was taken a little by surprise with the arrival of Robin Crusoe, her former neighbor and a man she had once dated. Knowing that he had written a book based on the strange murders that had happened in her hometown several years ago didn‘t help, and now the tv movie was about to be filmed in the middle of downtown Lawrencetown. Everyone seemed to be excited about the movie industry being in town, except Roe. She knew that a lot o...more

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Nov 01, 2009 Deborah rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Jan 05, 2011 Arlene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-50-book-challenge, borrowed, female-detective, mystery, series

In the first book of this series we found small town librarian, Aurora Teagarden, going off to her club meeting, "Real Murders", where members discuss details of real murder cases from the past. To her horror, she finds one of the club members murdered in the kitchen. She is staged like the murder that Roe is scheduled to present that evening. She also meets the handsome writer, Robin Crusoe, who has just rented the townhouse next door while he teaches a creative writing class in near-by Atlanta...more

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Nov 29, 2010 Jeanette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another great book in the Aurora Teagarden series! Her first murder case, from Book 1, Real Murders, was about a serial killer who terrorized suburban Lawrencetown. Now that story which was made into a book by her ex, Robin, is being made for the small screen. Robin shows up back in town, along with her stepson, Barrett, who has a starring role. Then there's Celia -- the catty actress portraying Roe -- who, by the way, also happens to be Robin's latest squeeze. But when Celia is murdered and Bar...more

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May 24, 2009 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Jun 25, 2009 Michelle Wardhaugh added it · review of another edition

before: This is the reason I read books in a specific order. I might not ever open this one up if it weren't "next on the stack," even though I've had it for over two years. After #6, I'm not sure why the author decided to go forward with this character.
after: This was as good as #'s 1-5. I still cannot forgive the 6th book, but I'm not the forgiving type. I guess for some people grief is just another part of life and not the perminantly soul crushing experience I've always found it. Still, I re...more

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Aug 18, 2010 Mandy Beyers rated it 4 of 5 stars

In another enjoyable cozy mystery from Charlaine Harris, Aurora "Roe" Teagarden begins to recover from her husband's early death (in the previous book in the series) just as the movie crew arrives in town to film the true crime events she was involved in years earlier. As a murder is committed on-set, Roe finds herself once again at the scene of a crime and being targeted by a stalker and a murderer, as well as drawn back into the arms of a former flame. Once again, Ms. Harris writes a delightfu...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wasn't sure what would happen after the last book and don't want to go give away any spoilers, but it was nice to see Roe getting her life back on track. And it was nice to see Robin Crusoe again as well, a character I really liked from the first book. As always nothing goes easy for Aurora but she manages to make the best of it. Having a movie film in your town would be exciting.

It makes me miss my Collegedale Library, the descriptions of the small library there in Lawrencetown.

I still can't t...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Cathy DuPont rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: friends who need a quick read from serious stuff

Roe (Aurora) is delightful and funny. She even looks kindof funny with lots of style though.

How she gets into the stuff she gets into is something to gossip about. My girlfriend told me recently I should just make yo-yos (a quilting project) and stay out of trouble. That made me think of Roe. She should stay at home and make yo-yos but then we wouldn't have much fun reading about how life just smacks her in the face and she has to do something about it!

Sure wish that Harris would take time out t...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Mirah W rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm glad this book didn't pick up right where the last one left off....Aurora has had time to deal with some of the changes in her life and we miss some of the dark time in between. I like that Robin Crusoe is back. I like that Aurora's work at the library was integrated into the plot again. While I put some parts of the mystery together before the end it wasn't a complete giveaway. And I thought it was interesting the murder that anchored the plot didn't occur until about half way through the b...more

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Jun 15, 2009 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller

The last one available at this time, it's better than the rest, but I wouldn't suggest reading them out of order. You can, but there is a lot of history to catch up on. She did much better at creating a mystery & not just one, yet still kept the same style. It's not quite the same kind of candy book as the first of the series & certainly showed her maturing as a writer. It's still light & engaging, a fun read with no pretensions to be anything else. A good mystery with a bit more rom...more

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Aug 16, 2010 Brooke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's been more than a year since horrible events have left Roe without a husband, and she is still in mourning. Her huge home is like a tomb and all she wants is to be alone in it. A movie production company comes to town to film a movie based on books about murders that happened in Lawrenceton written by (her ex-sometimes lover) Robin Crusoe. The locals are thrilled to have the movie being shot in Lawrenceton, but Roe knows it will bring much unwanted attention. When the lead actress, the one p...more

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May 29, 2009 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, mysteries-thrillers-horror

Aurora is now widowed for almost a year. She is sad but ready to move on with her life. Suddenly, her long-gone love interest Robin Crusoe shows up in Lawrenceton for the filming of TV series based on his book about the murders narrated in the first Aurora Teagarden mystery "Real Murders." Martin's son Barrett appears in Roe's life too as he has a small role in the series. Filming goes on as scheduled; our heroine gets a taste of Hollywood; everything is exciting. That is until an actress who pl...more

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Jan 29, 2009 Cherie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the 7th book in the Aurora Teagarden cozy mystery series.

Several months have passed since the events of the previous book, A Fool and His Honey , and Aurora "Roe" is beginning to feel the weight of the world slowly being lifted from her shoulders. She's starting to accept her new life as a widow, albeit with the occasional emotional outbreak now and then.

But there's no time left for healing or contemplation as the little town of Lawrenceton, and Aurora herself, are pushed into the spotli...more This is the 7th book in the Aurora Teagarden cozy mystery series.

Several months have passed since the events of the previous book, A Fool and His Honey , and Aurora "Roe" is beginning to feel the weight of the world slowly being lifted from her shoulders. She's starting to accept her new life as a widow, albeit with the occasional emotional outbreak now and then.

But there's no time left for healing or contemplation as the little town of Lawrenceton, and Aurora herself, are pushed into the spotlight as by the movie crew that's moving into town for the on-location shoot of Whimsical Murders, the TV movie based on the grisly serial killings which took place in Lawrenceton ten years earlier. The book and screenplay were written by none other than Aurora's ex-love interest Robin Crusoe, who along with Aurora, was a major participant in the events that took place back then. Though Roe has already refused to allow her name to be used in the movie, Lawrenceton is a small town where everybody knows everyone else's business, and no one has forgotten the events which took place those so many years ago right here under their very noses.

So Robin comes pulling into town along with the movie crew and his supposed new flame, Celia Shaw, as reported by the tabloids. The seriously overdone Ms. Shaw is playing none other than the lead role in the movie, the part of Aurora herself. As if that weren't enough, Barrett, the cool and aloof son of her recently deceased husband, has a starring role as well! Aurora finds herself wondering if things can get any worse... just as she thought she was beginning to heal. *sigh*

The ensuing story has the usual elements longtime readers of the Aurora Teagarden series have come to know and love. Aurora is wonderfully quirky, and the small town folk are nosy but nice. But we are also starting to see a side of Roe that has only been briefly peeked at in past books. She's becoming older, wiser, and more introspective. And as I noted this subtle character shift, I picked up on it even further in the next book, Poppy Done to Death, the eighth and final book in the series, which I will also be reviewing in the next few days.

In terms of Roe's personality and emotional standpoint, this book is truly the Six of Cups of the Tarot. Roe is picking up the pieces after a major, heart wrenching upheaval, rebuilding, looking inward, and moving on. I realize not all my readers read the Tarot, but the imagery of the Six of Cups was so strong for me personally while I was reading that I just had to bring it up. I found myself really reaching out and relating to Roe on an emotional level that I haven't necessarily reached in past books, or if so, only briefly. But Tarot reader or no, this book definitely marks a major turning point in Roe's life which is probably all you need to realize.

But look at me! I've gone on and on about the emotional and interpersonal side of things and not said a thing about whatever murder or mystery is happening within these pages! LOL Well, with all the movie folk in town, you can bet there's gonna be trouble down at the OK Corral. ;) And it's none other than Ms. Celia Shaw who turns up dead. Going out with a bang! To the head that is... her recent Emmy all bloodied and lying next to her on the couch! But as it turns out, Celia and Robin haven't been an item for awhile now. And while Robin's been putting the moves on Aurora much to her delight, her stepson Barrett has been slipping it to the late star. Even though there are plenty of people who wouldn't have minded seeing Celia dead, Barrett is not one of them! But he's moved to the top of the suspect's list anyway. And no matter whether he likes her or not, Roe is going to do her damnedest to protect Martin's son and prove his innocence!

NOTE: Fans of Charlaine Harris who haven't yet read the Aurora Teagarden series will be happy to know that they are being re-released by Berkley. So they should no longer be so hard to find. Look for them at Amazon or wherever you buy or trade books.(less)

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Apr 07, 2012 Kristina Hoerner rated it 4 of 5 stars

This may be my favorite of the series so far. It was a quick read (took just about a day) which also helps. Aurora suffered a horrible loss at the end of the previous book. This one takes place a year later and sees the return of Robin Carusoe, a romance from the first book. Robin wrote a book about the murders from the first book in the series and it is now being turned into a movie. As you can imagine, someone is killed and Aurora gets knocked around a bit before it is all over.

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Sep 30, 2010 BJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Aurora Teagarden is a petite and likable part-time librarian with an amusing outlook. In Aurora I can see a little of the Sookie character. The books are a short evening read with limited complications or depth, but they were better than the Shakespeare and the Grave series. This appears to be the last of the series because "Roe's" story seems to be finished with a HEA at last. However, there were a couple of questions left unanswered, so maybe one day there will be a book to address those.

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Aug 25, 2010 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I gave this 4 stars because it was by far the best of the series.

A movie company comes to town to film the events from the first book that author Robin Crusoe (yeah, she really named a character that) turned into a bestseller. Robin returns along with Martin's jerky son Barrett and murder ensues. Along with some actual sex details instead of the usual "we ran upstairs" or "he made it up to me" like hints. The side mystery was also a good one so, all in all, I enjoyed this a lot.

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Apr 25, 2012 Julie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Perhaps I am just bitter that she killed the husband off in the last book, but this last Aurora Teagarden book really was a disappointment. Instead of a mystery, I felt like I was reading some steamy romance novel. I guess that is why the author killed off the husband. And too many characters! Many from the earliest of books and I kept wondering, am I supposed to know these people? I'll give the series one more chance. Hopefully the next book will be an improvement.

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Sep 25, 2009 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Of course Charlaine Harris is best known for the Sookie Stackhouse books, also known as the TruBlood series. But don't overlook her other series, she was a very talented and fun writer before she ever penned anything about vampires. These books about Aurora Teagarden are good, solid who-dunnits that continue the saga of the main characters life in each book. Harris' Lily Bard series and Harper (An Ice Cold Grave) are also amazingly well written and just fun to read.

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Feb 18, 2010 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another solid entry. I was delighted to see Robin return. Glad there wasn't much about Barrett -- he's never been a strong character, seems as if Harris doesn't really know what to do with him. The "Damsel in Distress" motif returns a bit, which is ok, but not my favorite resolution to the mystery. And the subplot was a bit weak, though well done. This seems like a lot of complaints, but really, it's a solid entry into the series. I was still reeling from events of the last book, and perhaps exp...more

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Oct 30, 2010 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

I started with book 3 and my second one was this one, book 7. Her husband has somehow died. (I'll go check out the other books) She is comfortably off , but lonely when an old boyfriend comes back. Actors are in town to make a movie that was written by the old boyfriend. Like I said in the last review. Even though she is extra ordinary, excited is always around her. A pleasant read.

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Sep 08, 2009 Terri rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

I'm not sure why, exactly, this bit of Aurora's life didn't sit with me as well as earlier installments...maybe because I know I nearing the end of the series? I dunno.....
It was good, just maybe a little too forced. I think what I liked about the previous books is that they just flowed, like I was getting a glimpse of an ordinary life, with crazy adventures thrown in at random. Perhaps Last Scene Alive was a bit too contrived?

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Feb 26, 2013 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Found Last Scene Alive in the new book section of my local library. I generally like Charlaine Harris novels and have read other books in the Aurora Teagarden series.

It was not a bad book – but the ‘but’ is, I didn’t find it thrilling , gripping, or something that I’d label as enjoyable to recommend to others. Last Scene Alive is a formulaic murder mystery.

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Mar 14, 2012 Christa rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed most of the books in this series, but was disappointed with this one. My big complaint is the abrupt change to graphic sexual description. The others have been very clean with just enough hint at sex. I felt the storyline wast thin, especially with the reintroduction of a character from the first couple of books. I probably won't read anymore in this series.

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About Charlaine Harris

Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over twenty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field. Now she lives in southern Arkansas with her husband, her three children, three dogs, and a duck. The duck stays outside.

Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Charlaine was wr...more Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over twenty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field. Now she lives in southern Arkansas with her husband, her three children, three dogs, and a duck. The duck stays outside.

Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Charlaine was writing poetry and plays. After holding down some low-level jobs, she had the opportunity to stay home and write, and the resulting two stand-alones were published by Houghton Mifflin. After a child-producing sabbatical, Charlaine latched on to the trend of writing mystery series, and soon had her own traditional books about a Georgia librarian, Aurora Teagarden. Her first Teagarden, Real Murders, garnered an Agatha nomination.

Soon Charlaine was looking for another challenge, and the result was the much darker Lily Bard series. The books, set in Shakespeare, Arkansas, feature a heroine who has survived a terrible attack and is learning to live with its consequences.

When Charlaine began to realize that neither of those series was ever going to set the literary world on fire, she regrouped and decided to write the book she’d always wanted to write. Not a traditional mystery, nor yet pure science fiction or romance, Dead Until Dark broke genre boundaries to appeal to a wide audience of people who just enjoy a good adventure. Each subsequent book about Sookie Stackhouse, telepathic Louisiana barmaid and friend to vampires, werewolves, and various other odd creatures, has drawn more readers. The Southern Vampire books are published in Japan, Great Britain, Greece, Germany, Thailand, Spain, France, and Russia.

In addition to Sookie, Charlaine has another heroine with a strange ability. Harper Connelly, lightning-struck and strange, can find corpses… and that’s how she makes her living.

In addition to her work as a writer, Charlaine is the past senior warden of St. James Episcopal Church, a board member of Mystery Writers of America, a past board member of Sisters in Crime, a member of the American Crime Writers League, and past president of the Arkansas Mystery Writers Alliance. She spends her "spare" time reading, watching her daughter play sports, traveling, and going to the movies. (less)

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Books by Charlaine Harris

Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse, #2)

Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse, #4)

Dead as a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse, #5)

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“As it was, I couldn't escape the feeling that I was out of my element. I found myself thinking of a book I'd left half-read at home and wishing I'd stuck it in my purse so I could pull it out now.” — 25 people liked it

“He looked like he'd just seen the Ghost of You Better Shut Your Mouth...” — 9 people liked it

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Last Scene Alive (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries #7)

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