A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #4.1, 4.3, 5.1, 7.1 & 8.1)

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A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #4.1, 4.3, 5.1, 7.1 & 8.1)

by Charlaine Harris

3.77 · rating details · 17,430 ratings · 1,270 reviews

Every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written—in one special volume—from the New York Times bestselling author.

New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her “spunky” (Tampa Tribune) Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackho...more

Hardcover, 192 pages

Published October 6th 2009 by Ace Books (first published 2009)

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Dec 22, 2011

Maree rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: vampire, 2011-read

This was a lovely little addition to my Sookie Stackhouse collection. Although I had read most of the books before reading these short stories and could see where they would fit on the timeline you really don't need to read them in order. The only disappointing thing - I finished them way to quickly. There are a total of five stories which are all very good:

Fairy Dust
This is a miniature mystery as Sookie is asked by her fairy godmother to investigate the death of her sister. Along...more

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Oct 26, 2009

Bettynz rated it

Yippee!!!!
The library finally has 4 copies, at least, and I've dropped to #3 on the waiting list :):)

Oh yeah
oh yeah
oh yeah!
I've had the email
It's sitting waiting for me.
Just in time for the long weekend :) :)

Oh dear. It's too quick to read!
Read one before I went to sleep last night. Another one in the middle of the night when I was awake and bored. Arrrgggh.
If I let myself pick it up again I'll be finished it today!
...more

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Jan 16, 2012

Richard rated it

Rating: three smiley stars of five

How fun. Sookie Stackhouse in short tales that are placed within the Sookieverse in gaps between the books. I think Harris has a superb grasp of what her readers expect and so has made her fortune with this clever, amusing set of tales. She delivers consistent and coherent world-building entries into the developing canon of stories. She makes certain her books have all the elements that have caused these otherwise slight stories to rocket to the top ...more

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Nov 03, 2011

Debora rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ♠ceduti-venduti♠

Un tocco di notte è una graziosa chicca, edita Fazi, che raccoglie alcuni racconti (o spin off) sulla saga di Sookie Stackhouse. Se non sbaglio dovrebbe corrispondere al decimo libro, in ordine di pubblicazione, ma i racconti contenuti possono essere collocati in “momenti” diversi dell’intera saga.

Sono in tutto 5 racconti e devo ammettere che, soprattutto i primi due, li ho trovati assolutamente squisiti e geniali. Sookie è sempre la solita finta-svampita che, da apparentemente bionda/tonta, sfo...moreUn tocco di notte è una graziosa chicca, edita Fazi, che raccoglie alcuni racconti (o spin off) sulla saga di Sookie Stackhouse. Se non sbaglio dovrebbe corrispondere al decimo libro, in ordine di pubblicazione, ma i racconti contenuti possono essere collocati in “momenti” diversi dell’intera saga.

Sono in tutto 5 racconti e devo ammettere che, soprattutto i primi due, li ho trovati assolutamente squisiti e geniali. Sookie è sempre la solita finta-svampita che, da apparentemente bionda/tonta, sfodera gli artigli spesso e volentieri sorprendendo perfino il lettore anche se, ormai, conosce la nostra eroina.

Eric mostra un lato… infantile?… che mai ci saremmo aspettati! In definitiva questi cinque racconti ci fanno ridere e sono assolutamente piacevoli. E che dire delle illustrazioni? Non c’è che dire, l’intero libretto ha “classe”.

Ci sono però due aspetti negativi, a mio avviso, da non sottovalutare. Prima di tutto, ma questo è negativo solo un pochino e non per me, per i lettori della saga che seguono la collana della Fazi questa raccolta è magari un po’ prematura. Alcuni dei racconti presenti si riferiscono a situazioni non ancora conosciute dai lettori della saga edita Fazi. Per i lettori della Delos non ci sarà nessun problema ma per noi magari qualche piccolo attimo di smarrimento ci potrebbe essere. Francamente, in qualità di lettrice della saga con la Fazi, io non ho riscontrato problemi. Ho segnalato questo aspetto per correttezza ma, state pure tranquilli, si comprende tutto benissimo e ci si spoliera giusto qualche aspetto minimo!

Secondo punto negativo? Il prezzo. Il prezzo, per 150 pagine scritte (170 con le illustrazioni e indice) sono troppi. Il libro di per sé è una chicca, davvero, e la Fazi merita TUTTI i miei complimenti. E’ carino, sfizioso, piacevole e, come ho già detto, è semplicemente una “chicca”. Peccato che, da quello che ho potuto leggere in giro e origliare in libreria, pochi vorrebbero spendere 16€ in un libricino del genere. Un po’ come il libro di Bree Tanner della Meyer che ha scatenato lo scetticismo dei lettori e recensori nel web nel giro di una settimana giudicando la pubblicazione del romanzo come una “trovata commerciale”. Il che è un peccato, i lettori partono prevenuti.

Il problema è, per me, che alla fine finiscono per comprarlo solamente gli “amanti patiti della saga” mentre invece merita di essere letto visto che la Harris scrive molto bene e il volume si presenta molto bene.

Il miglior racconto? Tanti auguri, Dracula. Senza dubbio!(less)

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Feb 09, 2009

Jason rated it

Here's a fun joke you can play on someone! Loan them your copies of the Twilight books. Now, if you've chosen to play this joke on someone capable of experiencing love, wait for them to breathlessly return them to you. Then, when they ask you what other books you like, loan them the Sookie Stackhouse novels. Check in with them periodically. Smile and nod when they compare Bill to Edward. Bide your time. Wait until they've gotten through the first three books, and then ask them what they t...more

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Oct 13, 2011

Harmonybites rated it

Recommends it for: Sookie Fans

Recommended to Harmonybites by: Christy

Shelves: contemporary, fantasy, fiction, horror, humor-and-comedy, mystery, short-stories

This included every Sookie Stackhouse story to date up until October of 2009. It makes for a slim volume, since these really are short stories, none longer than about 8,000 words, so all five stories makes altogether the length of a very short novel--more a novella. To quote the introduction, in "the order in which they occur in Sookie's life, the stories are "Fairy Dust" (from Powers of Detection), "Dracula Night" (from Many Bloody Returns,) "One Word Answer" ...moreThis included every Sookie Stackhouse story to date up until October of 2009. It makes for a slim volume, since these really are short stories, none longer than about 8,000 words, so all five stories makes altogether the length of a very short novel--more a novella. To quote the introduction, in "the order in which they occur in Sookie's life, the stories are "Fairy Dust" (from Powers of Detection), "Dracula Night" (from Many Bloody Returns,) "One Word Answer" (from Bite) "Lucky" (from Unusual Suspects), and "Gift Wrap" (from Wolfsbane and Mistletoe)." Except for the end of "Gift Wrap" all of them, like the series novels, are told in Sookie's own folksy voice with plenty of wit and humor.

I'd say "One Word Answer" and "Gift Wrap" are the weakest, although enjoyable if you're a fan--especially since "One Word Answer" fills in a missing gap between the fifth and sixth book. It tells the story of how Sookie was informed of her cousin Hadley's death and how she first met the half-demon Mr Cataliades and the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq. "Gift Wrap" is a rather sweet and fluffy Christmas tale about an unusual gift... (Well, unless you find the twist creepy--and I could understand why some do.) "Lucky" and "Fairy Dust" are both short mysteries. "Lucky" features insurance salesman and witch Greg Aubert who boasts an unusual talent. And features as well one of my favorite characters in the series, Sookie's roommate, the witch Amelia Broadway--with a cameo from Bob the cat. "Fairy Dust" deals with the murder of Claude and Claudine's triplet, Claudia. (Yes, all three are fairies.) Even though Sookie uses her telepathic talents in the tale, the solution actually involves a neat bit of deduction on her part, and the story is my second favorite in the book.

That leaves "Dracula Night." Harris says in the introduction she couldn't quite make it fit neatly into the Stackhouse canon, but I have to admit I have a huge soft spot for this story. It was my introduction to Sookie, and I found myself completely charmed by it. See, in it there's this vampire legend that on Halloween Night Dracula himself might come to visit, and Eric Northman, Viking vampire, is definitely a fan. Sookie compares his excitement to Charlie Brown awaiting the Great Pumpkin. If I'd rate "One Word" and "Gift Wrap" three stars, and "Fairy Dust" and "Lucky" four, well I'd give "Dracula Night" a firm five for charm. Taken all together though, this seems a rather slight offering for the price.(less)

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Aug 04, 2011

Amanda rated it

Unlike many others here, I was fortunate enough to discover that this was not the next book in the Sookie Stackhouse series before reading it. Despite this, I decided to check it out from the library just to see what it was. I admit that I'm not a big fan of short stories, but I figured it would be an easy, quick read.

A Touch of Dead brings together five previously published short stories about Charlaine Harris' Louisiana barmaid Sookie Stackhouse: "Fairy Dust," "One Wor...more

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Apr 01, 2011

Kristy rated it

· review of another edition

I don't know how to rate these novels - my husband told me to start a 'guilty pleasures' book shelf and put them on there and rate them accordingly, but I'm not ready to start making separate shelves yet! They're totally trashy & when I read the first one I originally thought "this is so poorly written & trashy, who reads these?" Quickly I was sucked in and read every single last page of every single book in the series along with a short stories book. (I mean, it only take a brief even...more

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Jan 01, 2011

Yolanda Sfetsos rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampire, anthology

This gorgeous and sleek book contains five short stories by Charlaine Harris that up until now were included in other anthologies. They're all about Sookie Stackhouse and take place between certain books in the series. I think the UK/Australian cover is absolutely gorgeous. This is the US cover, which is really cute too. And the inside is just as stunning. There's an introduction by Charlaine herself, and a two-page illustration at the beginning of every story.

Now, here's a little a...more

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Dec 30, 2010

Karissa Eckert rated it

This is collection of 5 short stories featuring Sookie; "Fairy Dust," "One Word Answer," "Dracula Night," "Lucky," and "Giftwrap." If you are someone who faithfully reads all of the Sookie Stackhouse short stories in previously released anthologies; then you can skip this book completely. I personally had only read "Dracula Night" which was released in the "Many Bloody Returns" anthology. This book was okay and a super quick r...more

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Dec 05, 2010

Jenni Lou rated it

First off, let me say that Charlaine Harris‘s A Touch of Dead is a bit too expensive since it is only slightly longer than 200 pages and printed in a larger font that you typically find in other books. But I won’t feel too guilty about the purchase because I got it at 30% off with an additional $5 off with a coupon. :D That said, I certainly felt compelled to buy it anyway because completes my Sookie Stackhouse collection. And it’s a nice little piece of material to help bridge the time we have ...moreFirst off, let me say that Charlaine Harris‘s A Touch of Dead is a bit too expensive since it is only slightly longer than 200 pages and printed in a larger font that you typically find in other books. But I won’t feel too guilty about the purchase because I got it at 30% off with an additional $5 off with a coupon. :D That said, I certainly felt compelled to buy it anyway because completes my Sookie Stackhouse collection. And it’s a nice little piece of material to help bridge the time we have to wait for the 10th Sookie Book (Dead in the Family) and True Blood season 3, which won’t be airing until June.

Harris writes a brief foreword to this collection of short stories that confirms just where each one fits into the chronology of the Sookie novels. The stories are also arranged in order of that chronology. A brief blurb from me on each story:

Fairy Dust. This wasn’t was what I was expecting. It is essentially one long scene and there’s nothing wrong with that, I guess I just thought that we would learn more about the third of the fairy triplets. Instead it was Sookie using her telepathy to draw out Claudette’s killer. Still, it was an interesting backstory as to how Claude and Claudine came to own the strip joint, Houlihan’s, as well as a good introduction to Claude.

Dracula Night. I had read this one before. And I read it again because it’s the only short story that features Eric. And Eric, of course, is always a treat to read! Especially when he is as giddy as schoolgirl! :lol: This is an unusual Eric to experience, indeed, as he readies Fangtasia for an unlikely visit from the Prince of Darkness himself, the infamous Dracula. This is a fun, little one-shot that treats us to a spunky, disinterested Pam and an ever-clever Sookie.

One Word Answer. The lost story! The one that bridges books 5 and 6. When I started book 6, Definitely Dead, I had to jump online and see if I had skipped a book. It was clear I was missing some vital information. That information is this short story in which Sookie learns of her cousin Hadley’s death. It’s also the first peek at Queen Sophie-Anne. Of all the short stories, it seems to be the most serious and dramatic. As well it should be, I suppose, when dealing with the (final) death of a loved one. Of course, this features Sookie being clever once again. I really enjoyed this one and if you are a fan of the books and not so interested in the one-shot stories, you should at least give this one a read. It fits directly into the Sookie books.

Lucky. I also read this one before. And I didn’t feel like reading it again. It’s a nice one-shot with some good Amelia action and a central mystery element. But I just didn’t feel compelled to give it another read. I don’t have much more to add to that.

Gift Wrap. I was pretty spoiled for this story and so it didn’t come as quite a shock to me. Still, I don’t understand the controversy surrounding it. It’s not that out of the realm of possibility. And in any case it shines a light on Sookie’s deep loneliness, something that tends to get sidelined in the novels because she’s always involved in some strange supernatural or another. And on Christmas of all days! And ltet’s face it, Sookie is rather empathetic and likes to help others. There’s no reason she would not have done so here. I’ll admit that this “relationship” was fast and hasty but the ending explains it all, AND manages to give us more insight into the elusive Niall. He has done a good thing, in his own mind. Perhaps our morality differs from ours is all. And when you take into account the Sookie was essentially stripped of her free will, how can you really be annoyed by her behavior?

So, that’s it. Recommended for Sookie Stackhouse Series fans. But if you’re not a fan of those, these are certainly still accessible and easy to follow.(less)

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Aug 15, 2010

Scarlett rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Mature teens

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really enjoyed the short stories that Charlaine Harris created and put in this book. Personally I think it's marketing genius that you leave a couple of unnoticeable gaps in the stories to fit in the actual plot line with little short stories. I mean, come on, lots of true fans will have bought this book just for a little extra Sookie Stackhouse. I know I did.

Well, in my opinion it is genius for making money but not good the continuity of stories. I had been very annoyed that she ...moreI really enjoyed the short stories that Charlaine Harris created and put in this book. Personally I think it's marketing genius that you leave a couple of unnoticeable gaps in the stories to fit in the actual plot line with little short stories. I mean, come on, lots of true fans will have bought this book just for a little extra Sookie Stackhouse. I know I did.

Well, in my opinion it is genius for making money but not good the continuity of stories. I had been very annoyed that she had started off the story of Definitely Dead with Hadley suddenly being dead and Sookie suddenly having to go to New Orleans to deal with everything. I made a big enough point of this in my review for Definitely Dead but even so, it really annoyed me. Never mind the fact we only find out that Sookie had the opportunity to kill Waldo and he was actually killed by Bill and Bubba towards the end of Definitely Dead but we apparently would have known it all along with this little short story. Okay, it was still a pretty good story line even if it did annoy me greatly that it was left out of one of the main books.

I think everyone would have to agree that Eric waiting for the Great Pumpkin-- I mean Count Dracula was a fantastic story. And it was great and so adorable but I didn't exactly enjoy the messed up way the Count was killed. It was awkward. I completely expected Sookie to be in some kind of danger and even more so when she stated she was the only human there. But I suppose it is just that tad bit awkward when you attempt to kill a Prince. Hah. I still enjoyed Eric’s mannerisms, how he got so excited like every year and how cynical Pam was about the whole thing. And the way he looked so sadly down at the fake Count’s remains and said “Maybe next year.” He even liked Sookie enough to help in killing his hero and Pam cared about Sookie enough to give her the stake. So it was a smushy, wonderful story all around.

After Dracula Night my second favorite story is of course Gift Wrap. It's sad - predictably sad - that Sookie is alone at Christmas. But when most of your closest friends are the undead, what do you expect? But it was very sweet that Sookie wasn't alone. I mean, I know, I know there are all these massive dangers about helping people you don't know when you find them in that kind of situation and it’s unlikely to ever happen in real life but it was just great. It was probably most women's fantasy. An unusual but attractive guy appears from nowhere, he's hurt so you get to play the caring women and then he shows his appreciation in very satisfying ways. And even if he does leave at the end of the night, big deal, at least the night didn't get tainted with his bad habits or the fact he likes to strangle cats! I do admit it was a little weird it was her great grandfather Niall who set it up. I doubt many people would ask their folks for a set up like that. But Niall is hardly your run of the mill Great Grandfather. I’m quite sure that Sookie kicked herself for not going outside sooner to investigate the sound to have more fun!

I enjoyed all the stories and the way Claude and Claudine made their less impersonal appearance in Sookie's life. I think Charlaine Harris intended that to be a surprise because whenever Claudette is mentioned in the main stories, Sookie never talks about how she solved the murder. But I did wonder how she and Claudine suddenly became such good friends. It explains a lot.

I also enjoyed the little side story about Greg Aubert and his good luck spells and Amelia and Sookie playing detective.

This was a really great set of short stories that will accompany the books very well. Now, I'm off to read all the books again!
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Aug 05, 2010

Cornerofmadness rated it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This is an anthology of Sookie Stackhouse stories. I liked that Harris said that a) she made them short stories because they just didn’t fit into the flow of the novels b) that they didn’t always work. I can understand that feeling.

Fairy Dust –The Fairy twins Claudine and Claude need Sookie’s help to solve a mystery. I liked this one.

Dracula Night – The legend has it that on his birthday Dracula will grace one birthday party for him somewhere in the world and Eric prays ...more

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Jul 26, 2010

Ana rated it

Shelves: 2010

Excellent short stories, the collection itself is really a 5-star set. I read these where they belong in the chronology along with the full-length Sookie Stackhouse books, once I realized I should. It makes a few things a lot more understandable, especially as concerns Hadley.

The only reason I give it four stars instead of five is because it is kind of required for a full understanding of the normal books, and that kind of thing kind of galls me. You couldn't have understood the H...more

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Jun 11, 2010

jennifer rated it

This book was passed to me by my older sister, who is not a reader. That I know of, she had read two books in her life, and then Sookie Stackhouse and the HBO TrueBlood series came along and for the first time in her life she was anxiously waiting for a book release and asking for books for Christmas. So when she finished this one she brought it to me because she wanted me to love it too. That's sweet.
I hadn't read any of Harris' books but figured there must be some fantastic writing for h...more

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May 22, 2010

Emily rated it

Shelves: reviewed-books

All of these stories were published in other anthologies, so it's possible they can be rereads; I know I'd encountered at least one before reading this volume.

The story arcs and timelines of the full length Sookie novels are pretty tight; as a result, the stories aren't a part of the timeline, and with one exception, don't contain information that's pertinent to the rest of the books. Some of the stories I definitely liked more than others; hell, in the introduction, Charlaine Harris...moreAll of these stories were published in other anthologies, so it's possible they can be rereads; I know I'd encountered at least one before reading this volume.

The story arcs and timelines of the full length Sookie novels are pretty tight; as a result, the stories aren't a part of the timeline, and with one exception, don't contain information that's pertinent to the rest of the books. Some of the stories I definitely liked more than others; hell, in the introduction, Charlaine Harris tells us that she likes some of the stories better than others, so I guess the rest of us can as well.

Round 1: Fairy Dust details Sookie's attempt to find out who murdered the third of a set of fairy triplets; Claudine, her fairy godmother, and Claude, the self-obsessed stripper, being the other two. It's a quick story but does give some insight into the viciousness of the fairies that populate Sookieland. These ain't no Tinkerbells, people.

Round 2: Dracula Night is about the vampire version of Christmas, New Year's, and your birthday all wrapped up: Dracula's Birthday. Eric is a complete fanboy in this story and it reminds you of why Eric seems like a nice guy sometimes. Oh, and Sookie is completely kick ass.

Round 3: One Word Answer is the one story in this collection that adds something to the rest of the Sookie novels. Here's where we first meet Mr. Cataliades (one of my FAVORITE side characters ever, by the way) and find out what really happened to Sookie's cousin Hadley, which lays the groundwork for her going to New Orleans and getting messed up in even more shady vampire business. She also meets Quinn as a result of the events in this story. Sookie uses her brain to triumph over supernatural assholes in this story, which is always fun.

Round 4: Lucky is the most left-field of the stories and is about Sookie and Amelia-the-witch's attempts to find out who's making life miserable for Sookie's insurance agent, who happens to use magic to extra-insure his clients. It's an interesting story and is the perfect length for what it entails; the lesson that using magic has consequences is pertinent.

Round 5: Gift Wrap is the story of a particularly lonely Christmas Eve for Sookie and her great-grandfather's attempt to liven things up. It's a fun story that introduces some interesting one-time (I think?) characters. Sookie gets some from a dude that doesn't have treacherous ulterior motives, which is admittedly a nice change. Poor Sookie.

Anyway, the collection as a whole is fun, but I have to admit, I'm glad I didn't pay hardcover price for the book, which is on the short side. If it comes out in paperback it might be a fun book to have, even just for bragging rights for having all the Sookie books, but otherwise it's a great candidate to get from the library.

Overall Grade: B

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May 21, 2010

Elizabeth rated it

A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris (pp. 192)

This is a collection of short stories previously published as one-offs that fall in line with the plots of the fourth through eighth books of the Sookie Stackhouse series. It reads like Sookie-lite (if that’s possible) or deleted scenes on a DVD. The stories are faster and fluffy than the series books.

There are some details of the Stackhouse world in these stories that help make some of the leaps of background information...more

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Feb 26, 2010

Kandice rated it

Fairy Dust

This story is about Claude and Claudine. I never knew they were actually 2 of a set of triplets. That's one of the joys of short stories slipped between novels in a series. You get little glimpses and facts that just aren't neccesary to canon, but are sure fun to read. My favorite line in the story is at the end when Claudine says "Fair is only part of Fairy as letters of the alphabet." It sounds so menacing, and since I picture Claudine as Liv Tyler in my head, I...more

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Jan 29, 2010

Jlaurenmc rated it

Charlaine Harris's short story compilation A Touch of Dead is nothing new-- new stories, that is. All of these Sookie Stackhouse stories have been published elsewhere before, but never together in one volume. It is a short collection of only five stories -- it took me maybe an hour or two to complete it. But it offers some deeper meaning to both the character that is Sookie and to other characters introduced into the series in various Southern Vampire novels.

In "Lucky", we ...more

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Nov 23, 2009

Aaron rated it

Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series has really hit it big. Besides being a nice mix of the occult and humor, everyone is diving into the long-popular series since it has been converted into a television show on HBO. This volume collects a number of stories that have been written over the years and included in collections of vampire tales from popular writers in the genre.

In "Fairy Dust," readers got their first chance to meet Claude AND Claudine, two twin fairies that eventual...more

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Nov 01, 2009

Larissa rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: own

A Touch Of Dead is a collection of five short stories from the Sookie Stackhouse series that has been published here together for the first time.

"Fairy Dust" takes place after Dead To The World.
Claudine enlists Sookie's help to find a murderer. A fairy has been murdered and only Sookie has the skills to discover who murdered the fairy, and why? But will she be able to discover the truth before the fairies decide to take matters into their own hands?

"Dracul...moreA Touch Of Dead is a collection of five short stories from the Sookie Stackhouse series that has been published here together for the first time.

"Fairy Dust" takes place after Dead To The World.
Claudine enlists Sookie's help to find a murderer. A fairy has been murdered and only Sookie has the skills to discover who murdered the fairy, and why? But will she be able to discover the truth before the fairies decide to take matters into their own hands?

"Dracula Night" takes place before Dead As A Doornail.
Eric is excited, it's his favourite time of the year, and a huge party has been planed for the event. Sookie has received an invitation to a birthday at Fangtasia, but it is not Eric's, its Dracula's, and rumour has it this year he just might show up...

"One Word Answer" takes place after Dead As A Doornail.
News of Sookie's cousin Hadley arrives in the form of a demonic lawyer, and he's not alone; he comes with vampires. Sookie is about to discover what has become of Hadley, she is also set a task that seems almost impossible to her. But is this one offer she can't refuse?

"Lucky" takes place after All Together Dead.
A mystery has landed on Sookie's doorstep in the form of an insurance agent with magical powers. It's a simple case, or so detective Stackhouse and her partner inspector Broadway thought. But even with a telepath and a witch on the case, they are going to have to be more then good to crack this mystery, they are going to have to be lucky.

"Gift Wrap" takes place before Dead And Gone.
Sookie has accepted the fact that this year she is spending Christmas alone; or so she thought. Someone has gone to a great deal of trouble to make this Christmas one Sookie will never forget; but will it be the killer Were on her doorstep, the naked man in her living room, or the surprise guest for dinner that is the most memorable this Christmas?

This book is invaluable to any Sookie Stackhouse fan, and if you're not a fan you should be. So many hidden gems from the Sookie Stackhouse universe are revealed as we learn all those glorious bits of inconsequential snippets of the lives affecting our heroin, Sookie. These are the background stories that enrich the series, a must read.(less)

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Oct 17, 2009

Megan rated it

Shelves: not-mine-library, vampires, urban-fantasy

I felt cheated by this one. Somehow, these stories left me with the feeling that I just read a short advertisement for the Sookie Stackhouse series. I mean, Harris spends so much time explaining every single stinking detail of Sookie, her life, her friends in Bon Temps and the surrounding area, that very little story is left for the actual ... well, the actual story itself. And the stories don't really hold up well on their own. I mean, they fit nicely into the context of the larger series ~ if ...more

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Oct 13, 2009

Jody rated it

Shelves: digital

A Touch of Dead consists of 5 short stories that fall in various places in the Southern Vampire Series, featuring heroine Sookie Stackhouse. I absolutely love that Harris has collected up all of the Sookie short stories into one volume. Now I really wish all the other series that I read would do the same thing!

The stories in A Touch of Dead fall in various places throughout the Sookie novels, and are thoughtfully put in chronological order in the collection. Some give us a little m...moreA Touch of Dead consists of 5 short stories that fall in various places in the Southern Vampire Series, featuring heroine Sookie Stackhouse. I absolutely love that Harris has collected up all of the Sookie short stories into one volume. Now I really wish all the other series that I read would do the same thing!

The stories in A Touch of Dead fall in various places throughout the Sookie novels, and are thoughtfully put in chronological order in the collection. Some give us a little more back-story about events that we’ve read about in the series, while others just tell a fun little Sookie side-story.

The stories in the order the occur in Sookie’s life are “Fairy Dust” (from Powers of Detection), “Dracula Night” (from Many Bloody Returns), “One Word Answer” (from Bite), “Lucky” (from Unusual Suspects), and “Gift Wrap” (from Wolfsbane and Mistletoe). I’m assuming these stories were also written in that same order because they get better and better as they go along.

“Fairy Dust” tells the story of how Fairies Claudine and Claudette lost their triplet Claudette. While I enjoyed getting back-story on the Fairy twins, I found the mystery to be a bit confusing. I was tired when I read this story, so that could have something to do with it, but this was my least favourite of the bunch.

“Dracula Night” is a fun little story that has Sookie joining Eric and Pam at Fangtasia to celebrate Dracula’s birthday. No real information in relation to the series, but a cute story nonetheless.

“One Word Answer” gives us much-wanted back-story on how Sookie learned of her cousin Hadley’s death. I was thrilled to finally learn how Hadley’s death fit into the greater story told in the Southern Vampire novels.

“Lucky” is another cute story that doesn’t have much bearing in the series, but is still a very enjoyable read. Featuring Sookie and her new housemate Amelia, “Lucky” has the two ladies playing a little supernatural detective as they try to uncover who has been messing with the local insurance agents. Fun stuff that had me wishing Sookie played detective more often!

“Gift Wrap”, the final story in the collection tells the story of Sookie’s most recent Christmas. A great little story that had me smiling, “Gift Wrap” features a new character that I’d love to see more of (despite the fact that that doesn’t seem likely to happen), and a bit of twist that made for a great ending.

Overall, A Touch of Dead is a very enjoyable read, and a must have for any Sookie lover!

This review was originally posted at http://withagoodbook.com/(less)

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Mar 17, 2011

Hilda rated it

Shelves: sookie-stackhouse-series, werewolf-or-any-kind-of-weres, vampire, magic, let-s-play-detective

Untuk semua pembaca yang menginginkan Sookie hingga tetes terakhir.

A Touch of Dead dibuka dengan kata pengantar dari sang pengarang, Charlaine Harris. Miss Harris menjelaskan dengan singkat cerita-cerita pendek di buku ini. Kita diajak untuk menyelami sisi lain dari diri Sookie Stackhouse, juga tokoh-tokoh lain di sekeliling Sookie, seperti Eric, Bill, Amanda.

DEBU PERI
Cerita pertama dari buku A Touch of Dead, menceritakan Sookie yang sedang butuh uang dan memutuskan...more

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Dec 29, 2010

Katie Jones rated it

Even for short stories these stories are really short, don't let the size of the book fool you, the print is ginormous! Fairy Dust a story about the fairy triplets explains why they are now only two and how they acquired the strip club, not particularly interesting. One Word Answer is the back story to Hadley's death; when I read Definitely Dead I felt like I was missing out on a lot of details of Hadley's death so I was really looking forward to reading this one but it consists of only one scen...more

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Oct 29, 2009

Mrs N rated it

Recommends it for: No one

Shelves: 2009, fantasy

Wow. This book was lame. No new story, just five stories already published in other short story collections. Two-page illustrations in front of each story and really big font to make you feel like you actually read a book instead of a glorified Sookie Stackhouse brochure.

I'd only read one of the stories before, unfortunately for me it was apparently the best of the bunch. "Gift Wrap" was plain awful. "Fairy Dust" is unimpressive (ooh, Sookie's so clever and...more

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Feb 09, 2012

karen rated it

· review of another edition

The short stories in A Touch of Dead would be okay as stand-alone stories set in the world of Sookie Stackhouse, but I just can't get past my irritation that it's NOTICEABLE that you've missed something if you don't know about these stories and only read the novels. Harris acknowledges this in the introduction to this collection, so maybe she realizes it's annoying.

I read some of these stories earlier, when I first noticed the gaps, and I had to hunt each one down online since I didn't...more

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Mar 09, 2011

Mermaidrain rated it

This was a much quicker read than I thought it would be. Bummer. I was hoping it would keep me busy for longer than a day! BUT this is a very thin short story anthology with only 5 short stories in it (one of which I've read before in its original publication). I'm glad I only paid $3.99 for it at a used bookstore too, because these are NOT the greatest things I've seen from Charlaine Harris. In fact, I think she's a better novel writer than a short story writer. These were odd little assi...moreThis was a much quicker read than I thought it would be. Bummer. I was hoping it would keep me busy for longer than a day! BUT this is a very thin short story anthology with only 5 short stories in it (one of which I've read before in its original publication). I'm glad I only paid $3.99 for it at a used bookstore too, because these are NOT the greatest things I've seen from Charlaine Harris. In fact, I think she's a better novel writer than a short story writer. These were odd little assignments she didn't quite carry off, and the last one disturbed the heck out of me.

SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT FORWARD.

"Fairy Dust" sets the stage for Claude, Claudine's twin brother. I always thought that his introduction in the novel series seemed so "here he is again" and I couldn't figure out why. This short story is why. He was introduced here outside of the novel series first. I hate it when stuff like that happens. Minor little spin-off stories with the characters that don't mean anything to the major novels, sure. But NOT major character introductions or major plot points! Good grief. The story itself was all right. Nothing fantastic, but it also explained who Claudette was and what happened to her (there was actually a triplet at one point that was NEVER seen).

"Dracula Night" was the story I'd read before. It's funny to think of a vampire series set in modern day referring to Dracula when he's not really a part of the cannon, though it is SO overdone in EVERY series that has ever had vampires. This story appeared in an anthology featuring vampires and birthdays as themes, so CH wrote a story with Sookie and Eric getting ready to celebrate the birthday of the most famous vampire of all. Naturally. It's a bit meh.

"One Word Answer" suffers from the lamest title ever (and it gets hammered to death by the end of the story). However, when I was reading the novels and I got to "Definitely Dead" I mentioned missing a major piece of the puzzle with the plot. This story was the reason why. It's the precursor to the novel! WHY would you do that?! It sets up how Sookie finds out about her cousin Hadley's death, and her introduction to the Vampire Queen and her demon lawyer, Mr. Cataliades. This was the best short story in this set and I have NO clue why it was separated from the novel when it so clearly served as a set piece for that book. Just wrong!

"Lucky" was the best stand alone short story in the book. It has Sookie and Amelia working together to try and solve a mystery in perhaps the only time we will ever get to see the two team up together. And they were investigating a case for Sookie's insurance agent, Greg Aubert. He's the one who sets spells to help keep his clients safe, etc. Interesting twist to that little tidbit planted in the novels in this story.

Finally, "Gift Wrap" was the last story in this anthology and I would have been happier if I had NEVER read it. The premise is clunky and the end result is incredibly disturbing. As it was originally published in the short story anthology "Wolfsbane and Mistletoe" I'm guessing the theme assignment was "werewolf" and "Christmas" (which it does cover). HOWEVER, CH's interpretation of that is to give Sookie a one-night-stand with some character created JUST for this story in what she terms a "satisfying gift." The truly disturbing part is that it was all arranged by her fairy great grandfather, Niall. YUP!! Grandpa wanted to make sure she got laid! WHAT THE CRAP?!?!?! And the werewolf in question wasn't even a werewolf! He was a fairy posing as a werewolf! UGH! WHY?! Awful, awful, awful note to end the anthology on. I was much happier when I knew Sookie had 3 lovers, not 4. This was just SO very pointless!(less)

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Oct 15, 2009

Robin rated it

Shelves: 75-in-2009, supernatural

A collection of Sookie Stackhouse short stories.

If you've ever picked up a Sookie Stackhouse book and wondered who were those characters, and where did they come from, and why don't I remember a single thing about them (see also: Have I lost my mind and bought in the wrong series?!), this is the book for you.

Actually, these were helpful, and did explain a lot. It's not completely necessary to read them in chronological order, as they should appear between the books, but...more

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Jan 07, 2012

Jim rated it

Shelves: paranormal-urban

Another fun read. If you haven't read any Sookie Stackhouse before, this isn't a great introduction. Harris relies on the books for the world setting, but does fill in enough details to keep the chronology within the series correct.

“Fairy Dust” is after the events in "Dead to the World" & is pretty good. It's a murder mystery with Claudine & Claude in it.

“Dracula Night” happens before "Dead as a Doornail" & was probably my least favorite story of ...more

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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) Char...moreCharlaine 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)

More about Charlaine Harris...

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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“Eric followed Vlad Tepes’s stubby finger, identifying me as the future Happy Meal. Then he stared at Dracula, looking up from his kneeling position. I couldn’t read his face at all, and I felt a stirring of fear. What would Charlie Brown have done if the Great Pumpkin wanted to eat the little red-haired girl?” — 16 people liked it

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A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #4.1, 4.3, 5.1, 7.1 & 8.1)

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