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Sookie Stackhouse #2
Living Dead in Dallas
The second Sookie Stackhouse novel from the New York Times bestselling author-and the basis for the HBO series True Blood.
For years, Charlaine Harris has delighted fans with her mystery series featuring small-town waitress-turned- paranormal sleuth Sookie Stackhouse. Now, Ace is pleased to republish her second novel in the series in hardcover. In this book, Sookie is pursued by a very sexy vampire-and a very deadly monster. With HBO and Alan Ball, creator of Six Feet Under, launching an all-new series, True Blood, based on the Southern Vampire novels, the demand for Charlaine Harris and Sookie Stackhouse is going to be bigger than ever.
8 pages, Audiobook
First published March 26, 2002
2882 people are currently reading
30858 people want to read
About the author
Charlaine Harris
190 books37.1k followersCharlaine Harris has been a published writer for over forty years. Her first two books were standalones, followed by a long sabbatical when she was having children. Then she began the Aurora Teagarden book, mysteries featuring a short librarian (eventually adapted for Hallmark movies). The darker Lily Bard books came next, about a house cleaner with a dark past and considerable fighting skills.
Tired of abiding by the mystery rules, Harris wrote a novel about a telepathic barmaid that took at least two years to sell. When the book was published, it turned into a best seller, and DEAD UNTIL DARK and the subsequent Sookie books were adapted in Alan Ball's "True Blood" series. At the same time, Harris began the Harper Connelly books. Harper can find the bones of the dead and see their last minute.
When those two series wound to a close, the next three books were about a mysterious town in Texas, called Midnight.
A change in publisher and editor led to Harris's novels about a female gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth Rose. The Gunnie Rose books concluded with the sixth novel.
She's thinking about what to write next.
Tired of abiding by the mystery rules, Harris wrote a novel about a telepathic barmaid that took at least two years to sell. When the book was published, it turned into a best seller, and DEAD UNTIL DARK and the subsequent Sookie books were adapted in Alan Ball's "True Blood" series. At the same time, Harris began the Harper Connelly books. Harper can find the bones of the dead and see their last minute.
When those two series wound to a close, the next three books were about a mysterious town in Texas, called Midnight.
A change in publisher and editor led to Harris's novels about a female gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth Rose. The Gunnie Rose books concluded with the sixth novel.
She's thinking about what to write next.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,105 reviews
June 9, 2021
(B-) 71% | Satisfactory
Notes: A fun first two-thirds, it's spoiled by a gratuitously salacious subplot, ending the book a deflated, disorganized mess.
Notes: A fun first two-thirds, it's spoiled by a gratuitously salacious subplot, ending the book a deflated, disorganized mess.
November 14, 2025
(B-) 71% | Satisfactory
Notes: Expanding out, more lore about, a lot of spice and sauce, though I've no gut for romance smut—I nearly cried no más.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:
Notes: Expanding out, more lore about, a lot of spice and sauce, though I've no gut for romance smut—I nearly cried no más.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:
April 22, 2022
True Blood book 2: Sookie and Bill have a mission, and it's to do with the Vampire nest in Dallas; although they also might be spending some time doing...
And we have to ask, is there a Maenad in Bom Temps? More Southern fried fantasy drama from this little series! 5 out of 12, not reading as well as the TV show at all!
2010 read
And we have to ask, is there a Maenad in Bom Temps? More Southern fried fantasy drama from this little series! 5 out of 12, not reading as well as the TV show at all!
2010 read
November 21, 2020
A bit up and down as far as exciting plot points. The Dallas trip was very interesting, but the entire church debacle could easily have been avoided. I’m sure there will be more encounters with activists throughout the series. Sookie annoys me with how she acts with Eric, she is way too physical with him considering she’s supposed to be dating Bill! I’m hoping to learn much more about the other types of species like shapeshifters and werewolves as the series continues. I do also wish Tara was more involved like she is on the show!
November 17, 2014
It was extremely hard thinking of Eric Northman, 6'4", blonde with blue eyes, need I mention a super gorgeous hunk, a vampire, and Sheriff of Louisiana Area 5, an entrepreneur (owner of bar Fangtasia) in a PINK LYCRA especially when I pictured him as Alexander Skarsgård who looks like this
But imagining the bulge his would form, Eric Northman in a pink lycra doesn't seem like a bad idea. I think I'm pro pink lycras. Especially if someone this hot would wear them. I even think I should advocate the wearing of lycras on men. *drool* Hmm, well maybe not in pink, but in more manly colors :))
___
Dead in Dallas, the second installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, is an entertaining quick read. I'm not a big fan of Charlaine Harris' writing style, but I have to admit, the lady has a great imagination.
This book, practically covers up the entire second season of True Blood. But don't think that it's basically the same, because it's not. It's different in a way the the TV series has more drama. But still, as I said, the book was very entertaining.
Sookie Stackhouse is attacked by a maenad, a worshiper of the God of wine and all things crazy, as a message to Eric Northman. After Sookie being healed, she is lent to the Dallas vampire sheriff, to read the humans who might have seen the missing vampire Farrell. But the search becomes complicated as they end up searching at the religious group, Fellowship of the Sun with a century old suicidal vampire as an ally. After fixing the Dallas affair, Sookie goes off with Eric Northman (yes, in a pink Lycra) to an orgy, to find LaFayette's murderer. But, not only do they find LaFayette's murderer, they also manage to be in the middle of the maenad's frenzy.
The main reason why I'm reading this, is because it's agonizing to wait for every season of True Blood in HBO to come, since it's painstakingly long. It's pure torture.
I'm not a big fan of the books, but, if Charlaine Harris makes me imagine men in more pink Lycras, I think this will soon be my favorite series :))
But imagining the bulge his would form, Eric Northman in a pink lycra doesn't seem like a bad idea. I think I'm pro pink lycras. Especially if someone this hot would wear them. I even think I should advocate the wearing of lycras on men. *drool* Hmm, well maybe not in pink, but in more manly colors :))
___
Dead in Dallas, the second installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, is an entertaining quick read. I'm not a big fan of Charlaine Harris' writing style, but I have to admit, the lady has a great imagination.
This book, practically covers up the entire second season of True Blood. But don't think that it's basically the same, because it's not. It's different in a way the the TV series has more drama. But still, as I said, the book was very entertaining.
Sookie Stackhouse is attacked by a maenad, a worshiper of the God of wine and all things crazy, as a message to Eric Northman. After Sookie being healed, she is lent to the Dallas vampire sheriff, to read the humans who might have seen the missing vampire Farrell. But the search becomes complicated as they end up searching at the religious group, Fellowship of the Sun with a century old suicidal vampire as an ally. After fixing the Dallas affair, Sookie goes off with Eric Northman (yes, in a pink Lycra) to an orgy, to find LaFayette's murderer. But, not only do they find LaFayette's murderer, they also manage to be in the middle of the maenad's frenzy.
The main reason why I'm reading this, is because it's agonizing to wait for every season of True Blood in HBO to come, since it's painstakingly long. It's pure torture.
I'm not a big fan of the books, but, if Charlaine Harris makes me imagine men in more pink Lycras, I think this will soon be my favorite series :))
December 4, 2008
Vampire Bill is a dud.
But otherwise I really enjoyed this book, it was better than the first. I was dying laughing during most of the orgy scene...who knew Eric was so funny?
Perfect vacation reading. Added bonus, I read this on the plane last night from Minneapolis to the Dallas/Fort Worth airport. Very appropriate. :)
But otherwise I really enjoyed this book, it was better than the first. I was dying laughing during most of the orgy scene...who knew Eric was so funny?
Perfect vacation reading. Added bonus, I read this on the plane last night from Minneapolis to the Dallas/Fort Worth airport. Very appropriate. :)
September 23, 2015
2.5 Stars
Sookie fucking Stackhouse!!
I’ll let you know a little secret, ladies: No matter how great with a capital "G" your boobs are, you will never attract every man and woman who ever meets you UNLESS you are Sookie fucking Stackhouse!! If you are Sookie fucking Stackhouse no one, and I mean NO ONE, will be able to resist you... *eyeroll*
Easily my least favourite part of this story is the main character, I just cannot relate to Sookie at all. She bothers me. And whilst an element of that is simple stupidity ( I don't care how many times you TELL me she is smart…. I require that you SHOW me a character has a brain in her head to believe it, Harris) a larger part is that she reads very "ist" to me. By that I mean sexist, ageist, racist…. And homophobic – not an "ist", I know – and that bothers me! Okay, okay... yes this is set in the South, yes I understand there is still a great deal of all of the above there (even today), yes I do get that it would read very utopian to avoid all such behavior.. BUT I don’t give a shit, I don't like it, mmkay. I especially don't like that she is made out to seem so understanding – and even calls her brother out on being a homophobe – when she herself is a bigot! Just because you are dating a vampire doesn't make you less of a judgemental fuck, Sookie!
Once again Bill drove me batshit. He’s a lousy love interest.
Once again the writing was poor at best, prudish and boring at worst.
Once again the secondary characters were one dimensional and stereotypical.
Once again the plotline was a thinly veiled "murder-mystery" designed to throw love interests together.
All new grievance: I HATED the way Godric was represented in the book. I find myself unbelievably pleased that the show went a different way with him. (Although minor, he is one of my favourite characters in the show)
However, I did genuinely laugh at a few scenes (Especially THAT scene, Sh3lly, you know what I’m talking about! Lol). And while I have to say that I do believe show Eric will always usurp book Eric I did find enjoyment in his character here.
Good night, Sookie. I am glad you weren’t raped or killed
Sookie fucking Stackhouse!!
I’ll let you know a little secret, ladies: No matter how great with a capital "G" your boobs are, you will never attract every man and woman who ever meets you UNLESS you are Sookie fucking Stackhouse!! If you are Sookie fucking Stackhouse no one, and I mean NO ONE, will be able to resist you... *eyeroll*
Easily my least favourite part of this story is the main character, I just cannot relate to Sookie at all. She bothers me. And whilst an element of that is simple stupidity ( I don't care how many times you TELL me she is smart…. I require that you SHOW me a character has a brain in her head to believe it, Harris) a larger part is that she reads very "ist" to me. By that I mean sexist, ageist, racist…. And homophobic – not an "ist", I know – and that bothers me! Okay, okay... yes this is set in the South, yes I understand there is still a great deal of all of the above there (even today), yes I do get that it would read very utopian to avoid all such behavior.. BUT I don’t give a shit, I don't like it, mmkay. I especially don't like that she is made out to seem so understanding – and even calls her brother out on being a homophobe – when she herself is a bigot! Just because you are dating a vampire doesn't make you less of a judgemental fuck, Sookie!
Once again Bill drove me batshit. He’s a lousy love interest.
Once again the writing was poor at best, prudish and boring at worst.
Once again the secondary characters were one dimensional and stereotypical.
Once again the plotline was a thinly veiled "murder-mystery" designed to throw love interests together.
All new grievance: I HATED the way Godric was represented in the book. I find myself unbelievably pleased that the show went a different way with him. (Although minor, he is one of my favourite characters in the show)
However, I did genuinely laugh at a few scenes (Especially THAT scene, Sh3lly, you know what I’m talking about! Lol). And while I have to say that I do believe show Eric will always usurp book Eric I did find enjoyment in his character here.
Good night, Sookie. I am glad you weren’t raped or killed
April 30, 2011
I almost forgot what an uptight bore Bill is. But I surely remember the glory that is Eric Northman...
August 1, 2008
Another wonderful Sookie Stackhouse outing, fast-paced and never flagging. This one sees Sookie and Bill sent by Eric to Dallas because he's "rented" her out to the nest leader there, Stan, so she can use her telepathic gift to find out what happened to a missing vampire. This leads to the Fellowship, a truly scary psuedo-Christian cult that's very anti-vampire. There's also a scary Maenad hanging around the woods at home, demanding tribute, and poor Lafayette, the flamboyantly gay cook from the bar where Sookie works, turns up dead in Andy Bellefleur's car and Sookie's determined to find out who killed him.
Mystery, excitement, a bit of violence, some steamy make-up sex and new additions to the eccentric and ecclectic cast don't throw Sookie off her stride. As a character she's great, not the least bit annoying and totally understandable, despite being in an alien situation. As long as Sookie keeps it up, I can't see myself getting bored with these books.
Mystery, excitement, a bit of violence, some steamy make-up sex and new additions to the eccentric and ecclectic cast don't throw Sookie off her stride. As a character she's great, not the least bit annoying and totally understandable, despite being in an alien situation. As long as Sookie keeps it up, I can't see myself getting bored with these books.
February 2, 2020
Despite having a solid story that ends with one huge massacre, a theme that explores radical groups and the evil of humanity (not of the monsters) there are still a hundred pages left to talk about the new types of myths that are roaming the earth... Sookie's world is suddenly getting stuffy, but with each new development, the reader understands that the books will take liberties that will truly surprise. The adventures are becoming less structured... episodic. I am pretty excited to continue reading about this heroine who is becoming surprisingly less shy & actually almost slutty at times. If your boyfriend was some overly attractive megasexy vampire, wouldn't you be?
January 16, 2018
*** 3.44 ***
A buddy read with the folks at FBR! There is a vampire thing going on... :)
Let's start with the obvious - these books are not written with the aim to turn into classics one day, nor are they pretentious or climbing the genre's most memorable ladder to fame. They do not claim literary breakthroughs nor are they intended as a learning tool of how to make it in life. They are what they are - a silly, at times humorous and always just at the edge of ridiculous portrayal of a hick Southern small town, full of the prerequisite caricatures of the culture and using them to set the most unlikely place for vampire and other supernatural creatures drama, thus making it a comedy from start to finish. With all the murders, gore and violence, this series manages to be light, make you laugh and I consider it one of the lightest reads I have on my TBR these days. A book where one of the strongest and scariest vampires goes to a town party “where there were all kinds of sex hi-jinks going on", wearing "a pink tank top and Lycra leggings which were pink and aqua", with the Barbie-Doll lookalike country-bar waitress with the big boobs and a tan, you know this is either going to be a satire, or a fun and light read... It is not a satire.
"... “Glass shattered, vampires roared, humans screamed. The noise battered at me, just as the tidal wave of scores of brains at high gear washed over me. When it began to taper off, I looked up into Eric's eyes. Incredibly, he was excited. He smiled at me. "I knew I'd get on top of you somehow," he said.
Are you trying to make me mad so I'll forget how scared I am?"
No, I'm just opportunistic."
I wiggled, trying to get out from under him, and he said, "Oh, do that again. It felt great.”..."
This was a very fun and quick read, absolutely perfect for when you just want to let your hair down and be entertained for an afternoon! I love that the author, in all of her wisdom, has made the stories compact enough that you have no time to get tired of them and her timing with the pacing is just on the spot. Sookie, Bill, Eric and Sam are very likable characters in different ways, and there is some empathy even for those who do not fall under the "good guys" category. I am very glad I do not have the TV show knowledge to compare it to and get to appreciate the books for what they are. I think every fan of the Urban Fantasy genre should at least try this series on for size, and if it is too silly for you, you can always stop reading it. Otherwise you might enjoy the comedy which comes with the newly awakened to her sexuality southern bell and her trying to deal with having a vampire for a boyfriend and all the complications that come with that. Remember, this is just for fun and no one is making life-changing statements or writing a moral codex. So I hope you can enjoy the misadventures of Sookie the way they are intended to be enjoyed:):):)
"... “Angelic Sookie, vision of love and beauty, I am prostrate that the wicked evil maenad violated your smooth and voluptuous body, in an attempt to deliver a message to me. -Eric”..."
Now I wish you Happy Reading and my you always find what you need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
A buddy read with the folks at FBR! There is a vampire thing going on... :)
Let's start with the obvious - these books are not written with the aim to turn into classics one day, nor are they pretentious or climbing the genre's most memorable ladder to fame. They do not claim literary breakthroughs nor are they intended as a learning tool of how to make it in life. They are what they are - a silly, at times humorous and always just at the edge of ridiculous portrayal of a hick Southern small town, full of the prerequisite caricatures of the culture and using them to set the most unlikely place for vampire and other supernatural creatures drama, thus making it a comedy from start to finish. With all the murders, gore and violence, this series manages to be light, make you laugh and I consider it one of the lightest reads I have on my TBR these days. A book where one of the strongest and scariest vampires goes to a town party “where there were all kinds of sex hi-jinks going on", wearing "a pink tank top and Lycra leggings which were pink and aqua", with the Barbie-Doll lookalike country-bar waitress with the big boobs and a tan, you know this is either going to be a satire, or a fun and light read... It is not a satire.
"... “Glass shattered, vampires roared, humans screamed. The noise battered at me, just as the tidal wave of scores of brains at high gear washed over me. When it began to taper off, I looked up into Eric's eyes. Incredibly, he was excited. He smiled at me. "I knew I'd get on top of you somehow," he said.
Are you trying to make me mad so I'll forget how scared I am?"
No, I'm just opportunistic."
I wiggled, trying to get out from under him, and he said, "Oh, do that again. It felt great.”..."
This was a very fun and quick read, absolutely perfect for when you just want to let your hair down and be entertained for an afternoon! I love that the author, in all of her wisdom, has made the stories compact enough that you have no time to get tired of them and her timing with the pacing is just on the spot. Sookie, Bill, Eric and Sam are very likable characters in different ways, and there is some empathy even for those who do not fall under the "good guys" category. I am very glad I do not have the TV show knowledge to compare it to and get to appreciate the books for what they are. I think every fan of the Urban Fantasy genre should at least try this series on for size, and if it is too silly for you, you can always stop reading it. Otherwise you might enjoy the comedy which comes with the newly awakened to her sexuality southern bell and her trying to deal with having a vampire for a boyfriend and all the complications that come with that. Remember, this is just for fun and no one is making life-changing statements or writing a moral codex. So I hope you can enjoy the misadventures of Sookie the way they are intended to be enjoyed:):):)
"... “Angelic Sookie, vision of love and beauty, I am prostrate that the wicked evil maenad violated your smooth and voluptuous body, in an attempt to deliver a message to me. -Eric”..."
Now I wish you Happy Reading and my you always find what you need in the pages of a Good Book!!!
May 17, 2018
Two books in this series down.
A hundred to go.
Just kidding but there are a lot books in the Southern Vampire (better known as True Blood) series. I don't know if I'll read them all, my attention span is not the best, but I'm loving these books so far.
In Living Dead In Dallas we once again spend time with our heroine Sookie Stackhouse and her "interesting" friends. Sookie is a bit grating, Bill is still boring, but thankfully we finally get more Eric.
I hope in future books we get to know more about how & why vampires decided to come out of the shadows. I also want to learn more about the vampire society. I also won't mind if Sookie & Bill broke up(can you tell I'm not a fan of Bill?).
I really need to watch the show.
Around the Year in 52 Books: A book where the MC or Author is a different ethnic origin, religion, or sexual identity than my own.
Read-A-Thin May Challenge: A book with a MC that is opposite of you.
A hundred to go.
Just kidding but there are a lot books in the Southern Vampire (better known as True Blood) series. I don't know if I'll read them all, my attention span is not the best, but I'm loving these books so far.
In Living Dead In Dallas we once again spend time with our heroine Sookie Stackhouse and her "interesting" friends. Sookie is a bit grating, Bill is still boring, but thankfully we finally get more Eric.
I hope in future books we get to know more about how & why vampires decided to come out of the shadows. I also want to learn more about the vampire society. I also won't mind if Sookie & Bill broke up(can you tell I'm not a fan of Bill?).
I really need to watch the show.
Around the Year in 52 Books: A book where the MC or Author is a different ethnic origin, religion, or sexual identity than my own.
Read-A-Thin May Challenge: A book with a MC that is opposite of you.
December 12, 2022
#1 Dead Until Dark ★★★.5
#2 Living Dead in Dallas ★★★★
#3 Club Dead ★★★★★
“Angelic Sookie, vision of love and beauty, I am prostrate that the wicked evil maenad violated your smooth and voluptuous body, in an attempt to deliver a message to me.”
Let me just take back anything negative or lackluster I ever said about Eric Northman in my life, because wow, I have joined the fan club and I am happy to be here, folks.
This installment was SO MUCH BETTER than the first one, I don’t even have words to describe it! The plot’s much more interesting (and set at a better pace), the characters are more varied and fun, we get to meet new faces and learn a little more about some mysterious beings from the first book (again, enter Eric Northman), and Sookie comes into her own a little more as the feisty little firecracker she’s capable of being.
I don’t know why this still wasn’t quite a 5-star read for me—maybe because Bill’s in it too much, and he’s grown to bore me tremendously—but it was such a vast improvement that I can’t wait to pick up the third installment and see if it continues this upward trend.
November 25, 2018
This year I made a New Year's Resolution that I would read more books that I enjoy....and revisit books that I loved. From Trixie Belden to Sookie Stackhouse, I have enjoyed my year of reading whatever I wanted to read -- with no guilt or book shaming allowed. When you get right down to it, reading is great for learning and exercising the grey matter, but it can also be a wonderful, joyful, fun experience. I have enjoyed this year of free-range reading so much that I have already decided to make the same resolution again. I'm going to read what I want....review it all....and just spend the year loving books. All sorts of books. :)
I started reading the Southern Vampire Series BTHS (Before the HBO Series) and even got my husband to read the novels with me. We watched the TV show faithfully each week and discussed what we thought about the book vs show, characters, etc. It was FUN! When the series ended....and the show ended....I missed our book chats. The books have sat on my keeper shelf since the final book published in 2013. I have fondly gazed at their colorful spines many, many times and promised to revisit the entire story....but never actually did it. Until now. I'm listening to the audio book versions of this series and loving it! So nice to revisit the characters and places that made me love this series!
Now....on to my review of this Charlaine Harris novel.... I do have a point. Really. Promise.
I normally don't read supernatural romance-y books. Most vampire fiction tends to delve down into weird sex, weird vibes and lots of spurting blood. I just don't enjoy the stories. But.....this series, for me, is an exception. The Southern Vampire series mixes Louisiana easy southern manners with humor and supernatural creatures of all sorts. I like the vibe of the series. I can see why they made an HBO series based on these books.
Dead in Dallas is book 2 in the series. After meeting Vampire Bill in book 1 and making a deal with the vampires to use her mind reading powers to help them on occasion, book 2 starts to heat up the clash between humans and vamps. Some groups just don't think vamps should be allowed to live....and are willing to do anything to wipe them off the face of the earth. At the same time, all the supernatural creatures coming out into the open is coaxing some ancient, powerful beings to come out of the shadows. It makes for a dangerous, volatile mix of emotions and violent actions on all sides.....
Dead in Dallas has some great character and setting development and lots of action. A very old vampire has disappeared....and Sookie is called in to help find him. At the same time, an ancient creature called a maenad comes to Bon Temps, loosening the inhibitions, morals and judgement of most of the humans in the area. Sookie finds herself searching for a missing vampire and investigating a murder....makes for an interesting book!
This book is where the HBO show and the books reallly started to veer apart. A minor character in the book series -- Lafayette -- dies in Book 2. Murdered. In the HBO show Lafayette is a main character....and someone else was murdered. Characters and the plot of the show and books were vastly different...so I enjoyed each as different versions of the same story. Lafayette was my favorite character in the show...the actor brought a vibrancy and life to the character that was never in the book version. The short lived character never got a chance to shine in the books. He was murdered at the speed of plot to start the maenad story line.
I am very much enjoying my return to Bon Temps. It's making me want to rewatch the show too!
This series has a lot of sexual references and some adult themes....I would recommend some parental guidance before letting those under 16 read these books. Adults who don't like sexual content might also want to pass on this series. There are some pretty hot and heavy moments in this book because of the maenad...nothing graphic or gross. Just a lot of Bacchus approved moments. Bow-chickie-bow wow. lol The sex is mixed in with the humor and southern charm of the characters.....so it isn't just gratuitous boinking, but part of the plot.
On to book 3! Club Dead.
Just an aside -- but luckily I bought my box set of the first few paperbacks before the HBO series came about and became popular. Most of my books don't have a huge red splotch on the front with "Now an HBO series'' in big letters. I really HATE IT when publishers do that. I get it -- there's a show and they want people to watch it. But I don't like having the covers of my books ruined by advertising. And I don't like it when the covers get changed to pictures of the characters from show/movie versions either. The book version comes first -- leave the cover art alone. By all means include a postcard or bookmark advertising the show -- but don't F with my book! lol Anybody else feel this way? Or am I a book curmudgeon?
I started reading the Southern Vampire Series BTHS (Before the HBO Series) and even got my husband to read the novels with me. We watched the TV show faithfully each week and discussed what we thought about the book vs show, characters, etc. It was FUN! When the series ended....and the show ended....I missed our book chats. The books have sat on my keeper shelf since the final book published in 2013. I have fondly gazed at their colorful spines many, many times and promised to revisit the entire story....but never actually did it. Until now. I'm listening to the audio book versions of this series and loving it! So nice to revisit the characters and places that made me love this series!
Now....on to my review of this Charlaine Harris novel.... I do have a point. Really. Promise.
I normally don't read supernatural romance-y books. Most vampire fiction tends to delve down into weird sex, weird vibes and lots of spurting blood. I just don't enjoy the stories. But.....this series, for me, is an exception. The Southern Vampire series mixes Louisiana easy southern manners with humor and supernatural creatures of all sorts. I like the vibe of the series. I can see why they made an HBO series based on these books.
Dead in Dallas is book 2 in the series. After meeting Vampire Bill in book 1 and making a deal with the vampires to use her mind reading powers to help them on occasion, book 2 starts to heat up the clash between humans and vamps. Some groups just don't think vamps should be allowed to live....and are willing to do anything to wipe them off the face of the earth. At the same time, all the supernatural creatures coming out into the open is coaxing some ancient, powerful beings to come out of the shadows. It makes for a dangerous, volatile mix of emotions and violent actions on all sides.....
Dead in Dallas has some great character and setting development and lots of action. A very old vampire has disappeared....and Sookie is called in to help find him. At the same time, an ancient creature called a maenad comes to Bon Temps, loosening the inhibitions, morals and judgement of most of the humans in the area. Sookie finds herself searching for a missing vampire and investigating a murder....makes for an interesting book!
This book is where the HBO show and the books reallly started to veer apart. A minor character in the book series -- Lafayette -- dies in Book 2. Murdered. In the HBO show Lafayette is a main character....and someone else was murdered. Characters and the plot of the show and books were vastly different...so I enjoyed each as different versions of the same story. Lafayette was my favorite character in the show...the actor brought a vibrancy and life to the character that was never in the book version. The short lived character never got a chance to shine in the books. He was murdered at the speed of plot to start the maenad story line.
I am very much enjoying my return to Bon Temps. It's making me want to rewatch the show too!
This series has a lot of sexual references and some adult themes....I would recommend some parental guidance before letting those under 16 read these books. Adults who don't like sexual content might also want to pass on this series. There are some pretty hot and heavy moments in this book because of the maenad...nothing graphic or gross. Just a lot of Bacchus approved moments. Bow-chickie-bow wow. lol The sex is mixed in with the humor and southern charm of the characters.....so it isn't just gratuitous boinking, but part of the plot.
On to book 3! Club Dead.
Just an aside -- but luckily I bought my box set of the first few paperbacks before the HBO series came about and became popular. Most of my books don't have a huge red splotch on the front with "Now an HBO series'' in big letters. I really HATE IT when publishers do that. I get it -- there's a show and they want people to watch it. But I don't like having the covers of my books ruined by advertising. And I don't like it when the covers get changed to pictures of the characters from show/movie versions either. The book version comes first -- leave the cover art alone. By all means include a postcard or bookmark advertising the show -- but don't F with my book! lol Anybody else feel this way? Or am I a book curmudgeon?
April 23, 2015
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
Most people who have read this series, at the very least, like portions of it.
They like the first 3 or 4 installments, but then they get bored, or after the 3rd or 4th book, the series really started picking up for them.
I’m weird, I guess. I pretty much liked the entire series right up until the end. Sure, how much I liked each book varied—for example, except for the last book, this one is my LEAST favorite, but that’s not uncommon, what with this being book 2 and all. It definitely has its good moments (like when Eric gets shot and that thing happens that is hilarious and awesome), but overall . . . MEH.
Living Dead in Dallas begins with Sookie finding a dead Lafayette in Andy Bellefleur’s car in the parking lot of Merlotte’s one morning. What do you mean, “a dead Lafayette?!” you ask. “Lafayette can’t be DEAD, he’s still going strong in season 6 of True Blood!”
Let me introduce you to a little game I like to play called “Same and NOT the Same.”
SO. Andy’s been drinking, ’cause you know, being a cop is hard, and Sookie has to call Portia (his sister) to come and pick him up.
Leaving his car at the bar.
For persons unknown to leave a dead body in.
But why would someone want to kill Lafayette? He’s so much fun!
Yeah, well, he’s also got a BIG mouth. A BIG mouth that he’s apparently been running about a house he’d been going to, “where there were all kinds of sex hi-jinks going on,” and someone didn’t like that. Someone didn’t like that a lot.
So poor Sook’s stressed out about that.
Then when she gets home from work that night, Bill tells her that she’s been “summoned” by Eric.
Better and better.
The next evening they drive to Shreveport, where Eric informs her that she’s been LOANED out to vampires in Dallas who could use some assistance of the telepathic variety. AND while Sookie’s understandably upset about Eric’s high-handedness, there’s really not much she can do about it—she did, after all, agree to help him any time he wanted, in exchange for turning over human culprits to human authorities, rather than taking matters into their vampire hands. I suppose it’s her own fault for not specifying she wouldn’t stand for being loaned out. You live and you learn, I guess.
Freakin’ vampires.
And that is how Bill and Sookie wind up on an airplane bound for Dallas.
I’ve already said that this is probably my least favorite book in the series until you get to end, and that is b/c . . . while I don’t have a problem with kink, I do have a problem with gross, middle-aged, pervy kink. And this group is just . . . blech.
I also have a problem with centuries-old, pedophile vampires. Actually, I have a problem with ALL types of pedophiles, so even contemplating one that has been doing what they do FOR SO FREAKING LONG<——well, clearly, it’s upsetting.
AND all of the Bill and Sookie relationship angst from book 1 grows and flourishes in book 2 (and relationship angst is not something you want growing and flourishing). This is also the book where you get your first glimpse of how self-absorbed Bill can be.
This book is also where you get your first glimpse of how attentive someone-not-Bill can be.
*winks*
And that’s really the only sell point for this installment. Well, that, and it’s necessary to read this one to get to the good ones. BOTTOMLINE—too much perv for one book. Read it b/c you can’t move forward without it, but go into it knowing that there is some seriously disturbing stuff going on. That is all.
My other reviews for this series:
Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1)
Most people who have read this series, at the very least, like portions of it.
They like the first 3 or 4 installments, but then they get bored, or after the 3rd or 4th book, the series really started picking up for them.
I’m weird, I guess. I pretty much liked the entire series right up until the end. Sure, how much I liked each book varied—for example, except for the last book, this one is my LEAST favorite, but that’s not uncommon, what with this being book 2 and all. It definitely has its good moments (like when Eric gets shot and that thing happens that is hilarious and awesome), but overall . . . MEH.
Living Dead in Dallas begins with Sookie finding a dead Lafayette in Andy Bellefleur’s car in the parking lot of Merlotte’s one morning. What do you mean, “a dead Lafayette?!” you ask. “Lafayette can’t be DEAD, he’s still going strong in season 6 of True Blood!”
Let me introduce you to a little game I like to play called “Same and NOT the Same.”
SO. Andy’s been drinking, ’cause you know, being a cop is hard, and Sookie has to call Portia (his sister) to come and pick him up.
Leaving his car at the bar.
For persons unknown to leave a dead body in.
But why would someone want to kill Lafayette? He’s so much fun!
Yeah, well, he’s also got a BIG mouth. A BIG mouth that he’s apparently been running about a house he’d been going to, “where there were all kinds of sex hi-jinks going on,” and someone didn’t like that. Someone didn’t like that a lot.
So poor Sook’s stressed out about that.
Then when she gets home from work that night, Bill tells her that she’s been “summoned” by Eric.
Better and better.
The next evening they drive to Shreveport, where Eric informs her that she’s been LOANED out to vampires in Dallas who could use some assistance of the telepathic variety. AND while Sookie’s understandably upset about Eric’s high-handedness, there’s really not much she can do about it—she did, after all, agree to help him any time he wanted, in exchange for turning over human culprits to human authorities, rather than taking matters into their vampire hands. I suppose it’s her own fault for not specifying she wouldn’t stand for being loaned out. You live and you learn, I guess.
Freakin’ vampires.
And that is how Bill and Sookie wind up on an airplane bound for Dallas.
I’ve already said that this is probably my least favorite book in the series until you get to end, and that is b/c . . . while I don’t have a problem with kink, I do have a problem with gross, middle-aged, pervy kink. And this group is just . . . blech.
I also have a problem with centuries-old, pedophile vampires. Actually, I have a problem with ALL types of pedophiles, so even contemplating one that has been doing what they do FOR SO FREAKING LONG<——well, clearly, it’s upsetting.
AND all of the Bill and Sookie relationship angst from book 1 grows and flourishes in book 2 (and relationship angst is not something you want growing and flourishing). This is also the book where you get your first glimpse of how self-absorbed Bill can be.
This book is also where you get your first glimpse of how attentive someone-not-Bill can be.
*winks*
And that’s really the only sell point for this installment. Well, that, and it’s necessary to read this one to get to the good ones. BOTTOMLINE—too much perv for one book. Read it b/c you can’t move forward without it, but go into it knowing that there is some seriously disturbing stuff going on. That is all.
My other reviews for this series:
Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1)
January 10, 2012
Equally as terrible as the first book, if not worse. Sookie continues to have as little personality as previously, alternating between lusting cheaply after anyone male who crosses her path, indulging herself in weeping sessions over the pain of her unasked- for super-abilities and talking about clothes. Luckily her vampire boyfriend, despite being 150+ years old, is dumbstruck by the sight of a blonde in a thong and therefore continues to have regular unpleasant sex with her, whilst pimping her mind-reading abilities out to his boss. The only notable thing this book achieves is to include one of most awful sex scenes ever written. If you don't see summat wrong with this then there's some part of your mind or soul missing:
"He cleaned me below; he kissed me above.
"You smell like him" was the only thing he said. He proceeded to erase that smell and replace it with his own."
This same scene begins with Bill, who has spent the last few weeks being deliberately seen with another woman, suddenly assaulting Sookie in her home. He then proceeds to tell Sookie to open her legs for him, and dismisses her request that he be gentle as impossible. Luckily for him Sookie has never heard of rape, and spends the scene being pleased that the bedsheets are nice and clean.
Outside of this unpleasantness are two plots, one clumsily wedged inside the other. The first, split between the first and last quarters of the book, is a lazy murder plot with an obvious solution, which occasions Sookie having to attend an orgy. Having obtained an invitation by standing around doing nowt until someone asks her, she then trots along in the company of Eric the Vampire, who is dressed as an outdated gay stereotype for plot reasons and in order that Sookie can comment on various parts of his body repeatedly. Sookie makes a few comments on the underwear of various participants, and then the Deus ex Machina arives. As her "character" and "motivation" were totally explained in Chapter 2, at a point before it was physically possible to have any interest in her, this completely dispenses with any suspense or interest whatsoever.
The middle section of the book is taken up with some more descriptions of Sookie’s clothes and a dull kidnap plot featuring a self-hating vampire whose ramblings on the nature of good and evil, innocence and guilt and whether Sookie or anyone else “deserves” life or death are brought up short by the following:
"I am not evil, and I don't want to die."
"When was the last time you were in church?" He was issuing me a challenge.
"About a week ago. And I took Communion, too." I was never happier to be a churchgoer, because I couldn't have lied about that.
"Oh." Godfrey looked dumbfounded.
"See?"
Godfrey does indeed see. Presumably if Sookie had not been a regular church-goer he would’ve been happy to see her burn at the stake. Which I can only assume Harris would consider reasonable, since she sees no need for further debate.
The high-point of the drama comes when, having escaped from what even she realised was a rape and survived a massive car crash, Sookie discovers that her hair has become disarranged during her travails. Her mortification knows no bounds:
"Oh, no," I said, absolutely horrified. "Oh, no." My hair had been flattened by the wig, and then combed out with my fingers, so it was a disaster. My hands went up to it, helplessly and painfully, and my mouth shook with suppressed tears.
Luckily the man she is currently nearest to and therefore lusting after forgives her this social faux pas. After this horror she returns to Bon Temps to conclude the abovementioned murder mystery.
I will say this for Sookie. If nothing else, her shallowness runs deep.
"He cleaned me below; he kissed me above.
"You smell like him" was the only thing he said. He proceeded to erase that smell and replace it with his own."
This same scene begins with Bill, who has spent the last few weeks being deliberately seen with another woman, suddenly assaulting Sookie in her home. He then proceeds to tell Sookie to open her legs for him, and dismisses her request that he be gentle as impossible. Luckily for him Sookie has never heard of rape, and spends the scene being pleased that the bedsheets are nice and clean.
Outside of this unpleasantness are two plots, one clumsily wedged inside the other. The first, split between the first and last quarters of the book, is a lazy murder plot with an obvious solution, which occasions Sookie having to attend an orgy. Having obtained an invitation by standing around doing nowt until someone asks her, she then trots along in the company of Eric the Vampire, who is dressed as an outdated gay stereotype for plot reasons and in order that Sookie can comment on various parts of his body repeatedly. Sookie makes a few comments on the underwear of various participants, and then the Deus ex Machina arives. As her "character" and "motivation" were totally explained in Chapter 2, at a point before it was physically possible to have any interest in her, this completely dispenses with any suspense or interest whatsoever.
The middle section of the book is taken up with some more descriptions of Sookie’s clothes and a dull kidnap plot featuring a self-hating vampire whose ramblings on the nature of good and evil, innocence and guilt and whether Sookie or anyone else “deserves” life or death are brought up short by the following:
"I am not evil, and I don't want to die."
"When was the last time you were in church?" He was issuing me a challenge.
"About a week ago. And I took Communion, too." I was never happier to be a churchgoer, because I couldn't have lied about that.
"Oh." Godfrey looked dumbfounded.
"See?"
Godfrey does indeed see. Presumably if Sookie had not been a regular church-goer he would’ve been happy to see her burn at the stake. Which I can only assume Harris would consider reasonable, since she sees no need for further debate.
The high-point of the drama comes when, having escaped from what even she realised was a rape and survived a massive car crash, Sookie discovers that her hair has become disarranged during her travails. Her mortification knows no bounds:
"Oh, no," I said, absolutely horrified. "Oh, no." My hair had been flattened by the wig, and then combed out with my fingers, so it was a disaster. My hands went up to it, helplessly and painfully, and my mouth shook with suppressed tears.
Luckily the man she is currently nearest to and therefore lusting after forgives her this social faux pas. After this horror she returns to Bon Temps to conclude the abovementioned murder mystery.
I will say this for Sookie. If nothing else, her shallowness runs deep.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2020
Me gustó tanto o más que el primero. Si bien la primera entrega se centraba en cómo nace la atracción entre Bill y Sookie, en este segundo libro vemos cómo se va consolidando su relación, con todos los problemas que esto conlleva. Puede ser mi impresión, pero por parte de ambos me parece que lo que sienten no es tan fuerte como ellos mismos quisieran, lo que hace la lectura mucho más interesante y no tan “acaramelada”.
La novela mantiene ese estilo sarcástico y mordaz, que entretiene tanto. Además, entran en juego más personajes y componentes sobrenaturales, que hacen que la parte de intriga sea mucho más sólida y con algunas escenas realmente de infarto.
La serie me tiene muy enganchada, así que ya voy por el tercero.
Reto #47 PopSugar 2019: Un libro ambientado en la misma estación en que lo estas leyendo
Respecto del reto, la accion transcurre en Dallas en pleno verano, igual que mi calurosa lectura.
La novela mantiene ese estilo sarcástico y mordaz, que entretiene tanto. Además, entran en juego más personajes y componentes sobrenaturales, que hacen que la parte de intriga sea mucho más sólida y con algunas escenas realmente de infarto.
La serie me tiene muy enganchada, así que ya voy por el tercero.
Reto #47 PopSugar 2019: Un libro ambientado en la misma estación en que lo estas leyendo
Respecto del reto, la accion transcurre en Dallas en pleno verano, igual que mi calurosa lectura.
August 24, 2009
Reading this again taught me how much better a writer Charlaine Harris is than the writers of the "True Blood" series on HBO. In the TV series, Bill's sheriff vampire, tall blond Eric, cries out to Sookie that he has two silver bullets in him and they must be removed immediately. They're in his shoulder and chest, and she had no surgical devices or tweezers, so she ends up sucking them out, getting Eric's blood in her mouth (which was his point). One of them is in Eric's breast, near the nipple, which is what Sookie's doing when Bill arrives. In the book, Eric has only one bullet; Sookie gets a little blood in her mouth; it doesn't turn into a Roman carnival.
The same with the maenad's arrival. The show turns it into days' worth of carousing by the entire population of Bontemps. In the book, it's an affair for Sam, the vampires (who owe her tribute), and a small, nasty sex club.
It's nice to re-read the books along with the series to remind myself how sensible the characters really are. As for the show . . . I can't help myself. I'm so ashamed.
The same with the maenad's arrival. The show turns it into days' worth of carousing by the entire population of Bontemps. In the book, it's an affair for Sam, the vampires (who owe her tribute), and a small, nasty sex club.
It's nice to re-read the books along with the series to remind myself how sensible the characters really are. As for the show . . . I can't help myself. I'm so ashamed.
June 30, 2015
These books are strange. Unique. Whenever I thought of urban fantasy before reading this series, I thought of cities and, well, urban life that would include crazy magical creatures. This is the only series I have seen that is set in the South, and it is a lot of fun. The "Southiness" of it cracks me up because I have lived in Texas for the past 18 years and can appreciate the references.
Here are some of my favorite Southernisms:
The expressions. Southerners are super expressive in their language. They have little sayings for everything and it can take a bit to get what they mean. It is also funny to ask your Southern friend what the hell they are talking about and having them not really know why it's a saying, but that their granny used it and they picked it up.
He'd been around for donkey's years... a long time - duh!
my pride had risen up and whopped me in the face...getting "whopped" is a thing. So is "opening a can of whoop-ass...
This didn't seem like a very dignified or meaningful place to die. This was no Alamo! Remember the Alamo!!! (as a Texan, I am obligated to say this.)
buzzed like bees in a jar...this one, I haven't heard before. I need to live here another 18 years or so...
It was as hot as six shades of hell in Dallas... (it's also hotter than hell in Houston, where I live. And the mosquito is our state bird)
"I'm just as tasty as a big eclair... though at the moment I feel more like boudain"...(boudin is a cajun sausage in Louisiana that is made with pig and dirty rice. Sometimes it will include blood, but I've never seen it that way. I'm not a fan, personally.)
Bless his heart... (as mentioned earlier, this expression gives you license to say any horrible thing you want as long as you utter it before or after saying it.)
The other thing I liked in this book was Eric. He is getting pretty awesome as a character. I don't get why Sookie wants boring Bill when she can have Eric the Viking. Doesn't the name itself even say "Choose me"? Cuz, when I think Viking, I think Thor. And, when I think Thor, I think Chris Hemsworth - obviously! (no, I do not mention Chris Hemsworth too often in my reviews. Shut up!) So, there really is no choice involved here.
But, the guy who plays Erik on the television show will do as well.
yeah, he'll do...
Some of my favorite Erik moments:
When he apologized to Sookie for her getting hurt by the fairie: "Angelic Sookie, vision of love and beauty, I am prostrate that the wicked evil maenad violated your smooth and voluptuous body, in an attempt to deliver a message to me."
When Sookie asked him to play a gay man to help her at the "party": he wore a pink tank top and Lycra leggings. They were pink and aqua... "Wow," I said, since it was all I could think of to say. "Wow. That's some outfit..." He fluttered his eyelashes at me. Eric was definitely enjoying this...
"Hey, our hair's the same color," I said...
"Sure is, girlfriend." Eric grinned at me...
So, the actual story, in this book is that Eric needs Sookie and Bill to travel to Dallas and find one of his vampires that has gone missing. They end up getting mixed up with a crazy, anti-vampire cult that uses a mixture of religious fanaticism and fear to try and eradicate vampires. They are hate-mongers to the extreme. There is also a murder of one of Sookie's co-workers, and an angry maenad - which is fae or some other mystic creature that feeds off of pride and drunkenness. There is a good amount of action and murder - important for these kinds of books. There is also a lot of blood. Which makes sense, really. The hate-cult was a lot of fun to read because of the level of insanity. It made me think of those idiots with the anti-gay signs who say that God hates gays. If only we had a bunch of vampires to take those guys out, huh?
Here are some of my favorite Southernisms:
The expressions. Southerners are super expressive in their language. They have little sayings for everything and it can take a bit to get what they mean. It is also funny to ask your Southern friend what the hell they are talking about and having them not really know why it's a saying, but that their granny used it and they picked it up.
He'd been around for donkey's years... a long time - duh!
my pride had risen up and whopped me in the face...getting "whopped" is a thing. So is "opening a can of whoop-ass...
This didn't seem like a very dignified or meaningful place to die. This was no Alamo! Remember the Alamo!!! (as a Texan, I am obligated to say this.)
buzzed like bees in a jar...this one, I haven't heard before. I need to live here another 18 years or so...
It was as hot as six shades of hell in Dallas... (it's also hotter than hell in Houston, where I live. And the mosquito is our state bird)
"I'm just as tasty as a big eclair... though at the moment I feel more like boudain"...(boudin is a cajun sausage in Louisiana that is made with pig and dirty rice. Sometimes it will include blood, but I've never seen it that way. I'm not a fan, personally.)
Bless his heart... (as mentioned earlier, this expression gives you license to say any horrible thing you want as long as you utter it before or after saying it.)
The other thing I liked in this book was Eric. He is getting pretty awesome as a character. I don't get why Sookie wants boring Bill when she can have Eric the Viking. Doesn't the name itself even say "Choose me"? Cuz, when I think Viking, I think Thor. And, when I think Thor, I think Chris Hemsworth - obviously! (no, I do not mention Chris Hemsworth too often in my reviews. Shut up!) So, there really is no choice involved here.
But, the guy who plays Erik on the television show will do as well.
yeah, he'll do...
Some of my favorite Erik moments:
When he apologized to Sookie for her getting hurt by the fairie: "Angelic Sookie, vision of love and beauty, I am prostrate that the wicked evil maenad violated your smooth and voluptuous body, in an attempt to deliver a message to me."
When Sookie asked him to play a gay man to help her at the "party": he wore a pink tank top and Lycra leggings. They were pink and aqua... "Wow," I said, since it was all I could think of to say. "Wow. That's some outfit..." He fluttered his eyelashes at me. Eric was definitely enjoying this...
"Hey, our hair's the same color," I said...
"Sure is, girlfriend." Eric grinned at me...
So, the actual story, in this book is that Eric needs Sookie and Bill to travel to Dallas and find one of his vampires that has gone missing. They end up getting mixed up with a crazy, anti-vampire cult that uses a mixture of religious fanaticism and fear to try and eradicate vampires. They are hate-mongers to the extreme. There is also a murder of one of Sookie's co-workers, and an angry maenad - which is fae or some other mystic creature that feeds off of pride and drunkenness. There is a good amount of action and murder - important for these kinds of books. There is also a lot of blood. Which makes sense, really. The hate-cult was a lot of fun to read because of the level of insanity. It made me think of those idiots with the anti-gay signs who say that God hates gays. If only we had a bunch of vampires to take those guys out, huh?
February 8, 2022
Amazing!
Charlaine is an amazing author! She is surprising me every time.
After I finished the first book I didn’t thought that the next one would be as good. But I was wrong. The next one was way better than the first one.
The relationship between Bill and Sookie is getting closer to a normal human relationship. They have fights, they buy gifts, they do human things together.
Eric is a much important character in the second book, being more active on this book. He has an intense atraction for Sookie, which is good for me, bcs I love him so muchhhh, and I really hope there will be something between them.
New characters are making an entrance, each other in a different way.
Not many things to say, but just this book, it’s worth it! It’s amazing and short and way better than the first!
Charlaine is an amazing author! She is surprising me every time.
After I finished the first book I didn’t thought that the next one would be as good. But I was wrong. The next one was way better than the first one.
The relationship between Bill and Sookie is getting closer to a normal human relationship. They have fights, they buy gifts, they do human things together.
Eric is a much important character in the second book, being more active on this book. He has an intense atraction for Sookie, which is good for me, bcs I love him so muchhhh, and I really hope there will be something between them.
New characters are making an entrance, each other in a different way.
Not many things to say, but just this book, it’s worth it! It’s amazing and short and way better than the first!
January 27, 2025
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Fantasy
Living Dead in Dallas is the second installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series. In this book, Sookie is devastated by the murder of one of her colleagues and a close friend in the restaurant (I didn’t expect this character to die this early in the book because, in the TV show, he is one of the main characters). Eric Northman asks Sookie to go to Dallas and help him find a missing vampire with her telepathic abilities.
Once in Dallas, Sookie finds herself in danger from both vampires and her fellow humans. Also, to complete her mission successfully, she will have to mix up with a secretive anti-vampire religious group called the Fellowship of the Sun.
This installment introduces new characters like Steve and Sarah Newlin, Godfrey, Stan Davis, and Hugo Ayres. If you have watched the TV show, you know who they are and what their roles are in the story.
Since I watched the TV show, I can’t stop comparing it to the book. The first thing I didn’t like was that this particular character was killed. In the TV show, Jason has a significant part in the Fellowship of the Sun plot, but not in the book! Jason is almost a side character who does not have much appearance. He’s just there for the Bon Temps subplot rather than the primary Dallas narrative.
I enjoyed reading this installment, but I liked the first book much more. The book retains the Southern charm and humor along with character development, especially for Sookie, Bill, and Eric. However, the murder subplot in Bon Temps felt rushed to me compared to the main events in Dallas, which is why I’m going with a 3.5 out of 5-star rating rather than 4.
Genre: Fantasy
Living Dead in Dallas is the second installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series. In this book, Sookie is devastated by the murder of one of her colleagues and a close friend in the restaurant (I didn’t expect this character to die this early in the book because, in the TV show, he is one of the main characters). Eric Northman asks Sookie to go to Dallas and help him find a missing vampire with her telepathic abilities.
Once in Dallas, Sookie finds herself in danger from both vampires and her fellow humans. Also, to complete her mission successfully, she will have to mix up with a secretive anti-vampire religious group called the Fellowship of the Sun.
This installment introduces new characters like Steve and Sarah Newlin, Godfrey, Stan Davis, and Hugo Ayres. If you have watched the TV show, you know who they are and what their roles are in the story.
Since I watched the TV show, I can’t stop comparing it to the book. The first thing I didn’t like was that this particular character was killed. In the TV show, Jason has a significant part in the Fellowship of the Sun plot, but not in the book! Jason is almost a side character who does not have much appearance. He’s just there for the Bon Temps subplot rather than the primary Dallas narrative.
I enjoyed reading this installment, but I liked the first book much more. The book retains the Southern charm and humor along with character development, especially for Sookie, Bill, and Eric. However, the murder subplot in Bon Temps felt rushed to me compared to the main events in Dallas, which is why I’m going with a 3.5 out of 5-star rating rather than 4.
September 15, 2009
Perseverance pays off, especially when reading this series. After I completed Dead Until Dark, I was hesitant to continue on with the second installment. However, I had made a promise to a friend to stick it out, and I had already purchased the book, so I got comfortable and braced myself for the impending doom. At first, my fears were realized. Sookie was still dingy, annoying, and cried at least four times in the first 30 pages. My outlook was grim, but I prevailed on in hopes that the small glimpse of Eric provided within the first few chapters would escalate into a consistent presence and that Dallas would prove to be a more intriguing setting than Bon Temps. I got my wish.
Living Dead in Dallas was a drastic improvement over its predecessor for a few reasons. First, Sookie was much less grating in this installment. She is still prone to emotional breakdowns (crying), false and borderline obnoxious displays of sarcasm, bravado and wit. Moreover, she is unfortunately still attached to the creepy and condescending Bill Compton. However, I admire her ability to stand her ground against the supernatural forces that surround her and she can be funny at times, though I tend to laugh at her as opposed to laughing with her. If she could only refrain from mentioning her boobs and long blonde hair, I just might be able to stand her.
Second, Harris must have recognized what a gem she had in Eric as he has a commanding presence and quite a large role in Living Dead in Dallas. He continues to steal every scene he is in and is worth reading this series for. He is absolutely hilarious and sultry and just all together drool worthy. His only flaw being that he, like every other guy in this series, is lusting after Sookie.
Lastly, the plot improved by leaps and bounds, though it is still lacking. I was kinda bored with the mainstreaming vampires in Dead Until Dark. I like my supernatural beings to cause a little mayhem, not rely on insane humans to create their havoc for them. Harris didn’t disappoint. In addition to Vampires, readers are introduced to Shape shifters, Werewolves and a Maenad. Throw in a cult of radical Vampire haters and a few Bon Tempers with uh; eclectic tastes and you’ve got Living Dead in Dallas. I am now looking forward to see what Sookie is in for next. I’m crossing my fingers that it has something to do with Eric ,that Bill will meet an unfortunate end, and that Sookie will develop a personality outside of her primal urges, breasts, and hair.
Living Dead in Dallas was a drastic improvement over its predecessor for a few reasons. First, Sookie was much less grating in this installment. She is still prone to emotional breakdowns (crying), false and borderline obnoxious displays of sarcasm, bravado and wit. Moreover, she is unfortunately still attached to the creepy and condescending Bill Compton. However, I admire her ability to stand her ground against the supernatural forces that surround her and she can be funny at times, though I tend to laugh at her as opposed to laughing with her. If she could only refrain from mentioning her boobs and long blonde hair, I just might be able to stand her.
Second, Harris must have recognized what a gem she had in Eric as he has a commanding presence and quite a large role in Living Dead in Dallas. He continues to steal every scene he is in and is worth reading this series for. He is absolutely hilarious and sultry and just all together drool worthy. His only flaw being that he, like every other guy in this series, is lusting after Sookie.
Lastly, the plot improved by leaps and bounds, though it is still lacking. I was kinda bored with the mainstreaming vampires in Dead Until Dark. I like my supernatural beings to cause a little mayhem, not rely on insane humans to create their havoc for them. Harris didn’t disappoint. In addition to Vampires, readers are introduced to Shape shifters, Werewolves and a Maenad. Throw in a cult of radical Vampire haters and a few Bon Tempers with uh; eclectic tastes and you’ve got Living Dead in Dallas. I am now looking forward to see what Sookie is in for next. I’m crossing my fingers that it has something to do with Eric ,that Bill will meet an unfortunate end, and that Sookie will develop a personality outside of her primal urges, breasts, and hair.
March 25, 2017
2.5 stars
WHY WHY WHY did I feel the need to buy this entire series of books? Now I have to read all of them, and this is only book 2. And honestly, I read this 8 months ago and cannot remember much about it at all. But since I cannot leave books unreviewed (any time I have a book with unreviewed space, it glares at me and glares at me until I cave), I need to figure out how to review this thing. So here goes:
TRUTHS ABOUT LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS
Truth #1: Dead Until Dark is better.
I did not love Harris' first installment of the Sookie Stackhouse mysteries, but it was better than this one. I read that one years ago and still remember it more than I remember what happened in this one. And I think that says more than words can, doesn't it? The mystery plot of the first one was better and more interesting. It had that home town Bon Temps feel to it. Plus it had more Sam.
And Lafayette was still alive.
Truth #2: The TV show is better.
Not only is there some amazing eye candy in the TV show, the writing is better, the plot is tighter, and the characters are not only less contrived, they are really intricate, detailed, dynamic, interesting, and loads of fun. Not only did the show make the decision to keep Lafayette alive, but they turned him into one of my favorite television characters ever. Godric/Godfrey, another favorite character on the show, was lackluster and dull in this installment. Even the vampires were stupid. The second season of the show is actually my favorite. Because that whole maenad/Marianne plotline was SO. WELL. DONE. It was NOT in this. We meet Tara in this installment, as well as Eggs. But if you are expecting Tara and Eggs from the show you will be sorely disappointed. It is almost as if the creators of the show thought to themselves "hey, this series may be hokey and contrived, but lets revamp it a bit and make it shine." And that's exactly what it looks like. Characters in the book are stripped down to their cores and made way more interesting. Plotlines are flipped upside down and reanimated. While reading this, I was definitely reminded of the show, but in a bare bones kinda way. The book just seemed boring and shallow in comparison. Even the whole Fellowship of the Sun plotline was so much better in the show with the addition of Jason (who has next to no real-estate in either book). In this it just seemed stupid and contrived.
Truth #3: I still don't get the whole "Eric Northman is hot" thing.
Sorry Shelly and my other Viking acolytes. I think he's a dick. There's nothing sexy about him in this book. Alexander makes him kinda enticing on the show, but when you compare this
with this
The wolf is going to win in my book. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Truth #4: Sookie still sucks.
Oh god could we get a more horrible heroine? Maybe that's ultimately why I don't like this series. You're supposed to care about the heroine and hope she doesn't die. I found myself not caring. Because she is a shallow, dumb, self-absorbed, and utterly clueless speshul snowflake. In fact, I don't think I've ever met a snowflake more fucking speshul than Sookie fucking Stackhouse.
Truth #5: I still hate Sookie and Bill.
Like so much. Their sex scenes suck and are completely robotic. So I can't even get into the smexy times of this book. Confession: I actually enjoyed Bill on the show. I actually enjoyed Sookie and Bill on the show. Because Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer did a great job of making their characters likeable. And they had some really steamy chemistry (they are married after all) that made me get behind them as a couple. But Bill in the book? Yawn. Sookie in the book? Rage. Sookie and Bill in the book: Eye roll. Maybe that part will be better in subsequent books since I know they break up in book 3. And though I know she eventually gets with the second most boring character, Mr. Eric Northman, perhaps their sex scenes will be hotter. Maybe? I mean, Sookie will pretty much fuck anything with fangs, right?
Yes, Miss Stackhouse. Yes I do.
I gave this a 2.5 for the simple fact that its readable. I breezed through it quickly, and though there isn't anything to make my gears turn, there are some fun parts. I'll read book 3 eventually because I own it. And I enjoyed Russell Edgington and Sophie-Anne immensely.
And of course, my homegirl Jessica.
And the wolf himself.
June 4, 2016
Qué voy a decir, salvo que me ha gustado? Y, aunque me ha parecido que no estaba al nivel del primero, me ha conquistado! A por el tercero...!!!
February 5, 2011
Opening Line: Andy Bellefleur was drunk as a skunk."
This was another super entertaining read; combining fantasy, action, romance and mystery that you’ll find difficult to put down. With book #2 we return to small town Louisiana and telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who's still slinging beers for shapeshifter Sam and spending time with boyfriend Bill the vampire. Their relationship continues to evolve with anger and jealousies surfacing here, and even though for the most part Bill is still sweet to Sookie his undisputed predator tendencies also make an appearance.
It doesn’t take long for Sookie’s adventures start up again when a co-worker with ties to a sex club is murdered. (This sub plot then takes a back seat returning later in the book) Soon after Sookie gets attacked by a mystical female creature which requires the assistance of Eric (and others) to suck the poison from her body. Eric then ‘loans’ Sookie out to the Dallas Vampires to aid in the search for a missing vamp. Sookie feels obligated to comply, taking Bill along as her bodyguard. (He flies as cargo in a coffin) And that’s when things get really crazy. With a new nest of vampires to deal with as well as assorted religious fanatics and several aggressive werewolves Dallas isn’t going to be any vacation. Sexy and cheeky Eric makes a welcome appearance here and I really enjoyed getting to know him better. I’m very curious to see how this immerging love triangle plays out.
Despite the progression of Sookie into the supernatural world, which at times made her feel like a clumsy super hero I still found her relatable enough that I was able to discover everything right along with her. Sookie does get injured a lot in this book however and I kept wondering why she refused to take Vampire blood. I mean if she’s going to continue playing in the vampire world she's going to need all the strength she can get so its a no-brainer really as it speeds up healing and gives humans increased power.
As much as I’m enjoying this series I guess I should have taken a closer look at the spine of this book because with this instalment Charlaine Harris switches from paranormal romance to more urban fantasy, which was a real disappointment to me. I always struggle with UF, preferring my romance front and center, without the now present fade-to-black love scenes (I want in on the steamy action) I also tend to glaze over when too many fantastical creatures are introduced and this worried me early on here with the introduction of the 'maenad' and her razorback pig companion. Luckily Harris keeps it to a minimum. Now this is not to say that I didn’t enjoy LDID, I did and plan to continue on with the series I was just thrown off by the abrupt genre switch from book#1.
It also felt to me like Harris wrote the first and last parts of this book together and then inserted the middle (Dallas) section afterwards. I mention this because as soon as Sookie returns home to Bon Temps from her Dallas adventure we start getting back-story information dumps again, as we’d had in the beginning chapters, rehashing Harris’s vampire world rules and events that took place in Dead Until Dark. This felt very strange to me especially in the last quarter of the book. The Dallas section also felt removed from the rest of the story and in all honesty except for the scenes with Eric I didn’t enjoy it very much. Anyways I’m ranting here.
This was another super entertaining read; combining fantasy, action, romance and mystery that you’ll find difficult to put down. With book #2 we return to small town Louisiana and telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who's still slinging beers for shapeshifter Sam and spending time with boyfriend Bill the vampire. Their relationship continues to evolve with anger and jealousies surfacing here, and even though for the most part Bill is still sweet to Sookie his undisputed predator tendencies also make an appearance.
It doesn’t take long for Sookie’s adventures start up again when a co-worker with ties to a sex club is murdered. (This sub plot then takes a back seat returning later in the book) Soon after Sookie gets attacked by a mystical female creature which requires the assistance of Eric (and others) to suck the poison from her body. Eric then ‘loans’ Sookie out to the Dallas Vampires to aid in the search for a missing vamp. Sookie feels obligated to comply, taking Bill along as her bodyguard. (He flies as cargo in a coffin) And that’s when things get really crazy. With a new nest of vampires to deal with as well as assorted religious fanatics and several aggressive werewolves Dallas isn’t going to be any vacation. Sexy and cheeky Eric makes a welcome appearance here and I really enjoyed getting to know him better. I’m very curious to see how this immerging love triangle plays out.
Despite the progression of Sookie into the supernatural world, which at times made her feel like a clumsy super hero I still found her relatable enough that I was able to discover everything right along with her. Sookie does get injured a lot in this book however and I kept wondering why she refused to take Vampire blood. I mean if she’s going to continue playing in the vampire world she's going to need all the strength she can get so its a no-brainer really as it speeds up healing and gives humans increased power.
As much as I’m enjoying this series I guess I should have taken a closer look at the spine of this book because with this instalment Charlaine Harris switches from paranormal romance to more urban fantasy, which was a real disappointment to me. I always struggle with UF, preferring my romance front and center, without the now present fade-to-black love scenes (I want in on the steamy action) I also tend to glaze over when too many fantastical creatures are introduced and this worried me early on here with the introduction of the 'maenad' and her razorback pig companion. Luckily Harris keeps it to a minimum. Now this is not to say that I didn’t enjoy LDID, I did and plan to continue on with the series I was just thrown off by the abrupt genre switch from book#1.
It also felt to me like Harris wrote the first and last parts of this book together and then inserted the middle (Dallas) section afterwards. I mention this because as soon as Sookie returns home to Bon Temps from her Dallas adventure we start getting back-story information dumps again, as we’d had in the beginning chapters, rehashing Harris’s vampire world rules and events that took place in Dead Until Dark. This felt very strange to me especially in the last quarter of the book. The Dallas section also felt removed from the rest of the story and in all honesty except for the scenes with Eric I didn’t enjoy it very much. Anyways I’m ranting here.
March 27, 2019
2019 Re-Read
Just as telepath Sookie enjoys resting her mind around Vampire Bill, whose thoughts she can’t hear, I enjoy resting myself in this series that I’ve read and enjoyed before.
I find myself really curious about Charlaine Harris’ writing practices—did she have this series planned out well in advance or did she just sit down at her desk each day to see where the characters took her? Maybe a hybrid somewhere in between? I feel like the general arc of the story must have been laid out in advance, but then some characters (the maenad, for example) just seem to appear without warning or explanation.
But Harris delivers some on-the-nose commentary about American society, despite the supernatural elements. Take for example the lawyer Hugo that Sookie is teamed-up with to investigate the Fellowship of the Sun:
I’ve made assumptions like this—that life is safe and that bad things won’t happen. It’s these little observations that make this series more than just fluff. Just as Agatha Christie’s Jane Marple could gauge people from her village experience, Sookie has good psychological experience from being a woman, a telepath, and a bar maid in a small town. It’s true what they say, that everybody knows your business in a small town and this gives anyone who is paying attention a chance to educate themselves in the field of human behaviour!
****
Original review
The second installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series, and a bit of a struggle for the author, I think, to figure out exactly which way she was headed with the series.
Sookie and Bill start to have a few more misunderstandings and a major row and have to decide whether they will continue their relationship. It’s unclear to me whether vampires in this series have emotions or are just possessive—maybe book 3 will clear that up for me. The fact that she is “loaned out” to the Dallas vampires to help them solve a missing-vampire case rather emphasizes the human-as-chattel idea, making me question Bill’s motivations.
Meanwhile, we get to know Bill’s vampire boss, Eric, a little better and frankly I’m starting to wonder why Sookie chooses Bill over Eric. Yet another reason to read book three. By book’s end, we see Bill being forcibly reminded of his human past and genetic ties to the living, and at that moment, I understand Sookie’s attraction to him.
Also introduced is the anti-vampire Fellowship of the Sun association. Sookie gets a lot of physical abuse in this installment (much of it at the Fellowship’s hands), and it seems to me that her vampiric associates should be doing a much better job of protecting their investment! The Fellowship of the Sun has great potential, which I hope to see realized in upcoming books.
Despite (or many even because of) my doubts and reservations, I look forward to having time to read the next book.
Just as telepath Sookie enjoys resting her mind around Vampire Bill, whose thoughts she can’t hear, I enjoy resting myself in this series that I’ve read and enjoyed before.
I find myself really curious about Charlaine Harris’ writing practices—did she have this series planned out well in advance or did she just sit down at her desk each day to see where the characters took her? Maybe a hybrid somewhere in between? I feel like the general arc of the story must have been laid out in advance, but then some characters (the maenad, for example) just seem to appear without warning or explanation.
But Harris delivers some on-the-nose commentary about American society, despite the supernatural elements. Take for example the lawyer Hugo that Sookie is teamed-up with to investigate the Fellowship of the Sun:
I could tell Hugo was convinced that he would get to walk back up these stairs: after all, he was a civilized person. These were all civilized people.
Hugo really couldn't imagine that anything irreparable could happen to him, because he was a middle-class white American with a college education, as were all the people on the stairs with us.
I had no such conviction. I was not a wholly civilized person.
I’ve made assumptions like this—that life is safe and that bad things won’t happen. It’s these little observations that make this series more than just fluff. Just as Agatha Christie’s Jane Marple could gauge people from her village experience, Sookie has good psychological experience from being a woman, a telepath, and a bar maid in a small town. It’s true what they say, that everybody knows your business in a small town and this gives anyone who is paying attention a chance to educate themselves in the field of human behaviour!
****
Original review
The second installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series, and a bit of a struggle for the author, I think, to figure out exactly which way she was headed with the series.
Sookie and Bill start to have a few more misunderstandings and a major row and have to decide whether they will continue their relationship. It’s unclear to me whether vampires in this series have emotions or are just possessive—maybe book 3 will clear that up for me. The fact that she is “loaned out” to the Dallas vampires to help them solve a missing-vampire case rather emphasizes the human-as-chattel idea, making me question Bill’s motivations.
Meanwhile, we get to know Bill’s vampire boss, Eric, a little better and frankly I’m starting to wonder why Sookie chooses Bill over Eric. Yet another reason to read book three. By book’s end, we see Bill being forcibly reminded of his human past and genetic ties to the living, and at that moment, I understand Sookie’s attraction to him.
Also introduced is the anti-vampire Fellowship of the Sun association. Sookie gets a lot of physical abuse in this installment (much of it at the Fellowship’s hands), and it seems to me that her vampiric associates should be doing a much better job of protecting their investment! The Fellowship of the Sun has great potential, which I hope to see realized in upcoming books.
Despite (or many even because of) my doubts and reservations, I look forward to having time to read the next book.
March 18, 2017
I liked the first book in this series, but with this book did I rally start to love the series. The Sookie Stackhouse series is such a fantastic series, at least until the last book that ruined it all.
Living Dead in Dallas is a terrific book. I love the humor, the action and of course, Eric Northman. Yup, not a Bill fan at all! ;)
I do recommend this series, however, the last book is very, very bad. But until that one is the books great!
Living Dead in Dallas is a terrific book. I love the humor, the action and of course, Eric Northman. Yup, not a Bill fan at all! ;)
I do recommend this series, however, the last book is very, very bad. But until that one is the books great!
December 31, 2019
Living Dead In Dallas by Charlaine Harris is book 2 in the Sookie Stackhouse series.
It's continues to be humorous and scary at the same time but it also drags in places (a bit like the TV series at this point too 😬)
But it's definitely worth sticking with because the whole Sookie,Bill and Eric's (what a bad vamp he is) love triangle is only getting started 😉
It's continues to be humorous and scary at the same time but it also drags in places (a bit like the TV series at this point too 😬)
But it's definitely worth sticking with because the whole Sookie,Bill and Eric's (what a bad vamp he is) love triangle is only getting started 😉
August 29, 2018
Light smutty entertainment.
September 25, 2019
Review to come!
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