Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead in the Family
Author: Charlaine Harris
Rating: ☆☆☆☆(☆)
4/5 Stars

I cannot even begin to express how long awaited the release of Dead in the Family was for me. Since I finished Dead and Gone, I have been counting down the days until the next Sookie Stackhouse book (not to mention Season 3 of True Blood, the television counterpart!).

This time around, I just couldn't give it full marks and it's for the same reasons as before. Harris seems to write these books in a pattern. She'll put out one, incredible, cliff-hanger of a novel that I have to give five stars, and next time, she'l put out a book that is great, but not quite as suspenseful. I feel like Dead in the Family was one of those not-quite-so suspenseful novels.

Sookie begins this book in what seems to be a healthy relationship with the vampire Eric. They are seeing each other regularly and really respecting each other. It seems like maybe Sookie's life as come back to normal. Even though it's taken many months for her to fully recover (emotionally and physically) from the bloodbath of the Faery War, she is finally happy. It's short-lived, however, because Eric receives surprising visitors: his maker and a new brother. They occupy all of Eric's time and become a huge liability to his thriving business in Shreveport.

It isn't surprising that the climax of the novel involves a final confrontation between Eric's controversial family and Sookie and her allies. I just found the ending somewhat predictable considering the story arch. I really enjoy these books so much more when there's a shocker at the end. If Harris follows the trend, however, it looks like the next one will have me on the edge of my seat once again!

ISBN: 978-0441018642
Price: $25.99, hardcover
Pages: 320