Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris's Dead to the World is the fourth book in the Sookie Stackhouse southern vampire mystery series, a series that gets better and better. Sookie faces more obstacles in this novel, but mostly because there are new enemies in town -- witches -- and her brother has disappeared. These witches are stronger than the local Wiccans because they are shifters, possibly Weres, and drink vampire blood, which only makes them stronger.
Harris carefully weaves in the main plot and the subplot, while peppering her prose with ethical and emotional complications. All the while, readers are immersed in backwoods and old world atmosphere of Bon Temps. The dialogue between the characters is full of humor, and readers will enjoy the author's sense of fun with shape shifters like Debbie Pelt whose names resemble their two-natured state.
Bill, her former boyfriend and intimate vampire, has left town for Peru, leaving her to mull over their past relationship. Wallowing a bit in self pity, Sookie soon finds a a half-naked man by the side of the road, and it is none other than Eric, but he's not so much the Eric she knows. Their tentative friendship blossoms, but only in a surface kind of way.
Will Sookie find her brother? Will the vampires and the shape-shifters save Bon Temps and Shreveport from the more powerful intruders? You'll have to read Dead to the World to find out. Looking for a great summer read to kick back in the lounger with, Charlaine Harris is your author.
This is book four out of 10.
This is my 3rd book for the 2010 Vampire Series Challenge.