Definitely Dead

March 20, 2006
In bestseller Harris's perky sixth Southern Vampire novel to star Sookie Stackhouse (after 2005's Dead as a Doornail
), the telepathic waitress of Bon Temps, La., is off to (pre-hurricane) New Orleans to close out her dead cousin Hadley's apartment. Hadley's death six weeks earlier had been unexpected, since, as a vampire, she was already dead. Still, she'd led a lively existence as the main squeeze of the Queen of Louisiana, an omnisexual vampire, whose political marriage to the King of Arkansas occurred the night before Hadley's demise. Sookie and Amelia Broadway, Hadley's landlady and a pretty cool witch, immediately discover a mess of trouble left behind in Hadley's closet, and Sookie's soon neck-deep in even more. Though most of the intrigue doesn't come till halfway through, Harris keeps the action going nonstop in this bubbly brew of supernatural spice and whimsical whodunit that's more fun than a barrel of beignets. Alan Ball, the creator of HBO's Six Feet Under
, plans to shoot a TV pilot based on the series later this year. 12-city author tour.

Parker personifies Harris's perky Southern heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, the telepathic cocktail waitress of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Parker buoyantly and cheerfully reads this engaging but bizarre tale peopled with vampires, "were people," demons, and other supernaturals. Sookie travels to New Orleans to clear out the apartment of her dead cousin, where she finds an apparently dead body. The multitude of characters are well developed, and Parker easily differentiates them. The story uniquely blends mystery, humor, romance, and the supernatural, and Parker's clear, coherent delivery adds credibility and accents the subtlety of the humor and intrigue. Her easy reading style adds immensely to the listening experience. S.C.A. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine