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 Hadley story without having gotten the original publication of the short story that goes with it, which, if you weren't really into the Sookie books, you wouldn't have known. Sookie's familiarity with Claude is also confusing if you haven't read the short story he's introduced in, though the events of the stories, except for of course Hadley's background, aren't necessary to the main books, which is as it should be.

I do like the fact that the short stories are really set in the Sookie chronology and universe, but I am annoyed that they are integral rather than supplemental. Four stars for you!