The resulting two stand-alones were published by Houghton Mifflin. After holding down some low-level jobs, her husband Hal gave her the opportunity to stay home and write. Though her early output consisted largely of ghost stories, by the time she hit college (Rhodes, in Memphis) Charlaine was writing poetry and plays.

Charlaine lives in Texas now, and all of her children and grandchildren are within easy driving distance. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she grew up in the middle of a cotton field.

The problem, though, is that you don't get to know the other characters well enough to care about them.Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over thirty-five years. While Ball dedicates more time to the development of secondary characters, Harris keeps her books focused on Sookie's perspective. Your best bet would be to pick up, 'Dead Until Dark,' the first novel in the series and the basis of HBO's surprise hit series, 'True Blood,' produced by 'Six Feet Under,' creator Alan Ball. After drinking vampire blood, which is highly restorative, she recovers to fight another day.įor those who haven't read the previous Sookie Stackhouse novels, 'Dead and Gone' is not the place to start. Armed with water pistols filled with lemon juice, and a gardening tool, she manages to battle her more powerful fairy enemies. The constant theme in these Southern vampire novels is Sookie's aptitude for self-preservation. Then, both men 'up and went.' What was the point? Another former lover happens along and a fight ensues. Some colorful characters from previous Harris vampire books get scant mention in 'Dead and Gone,' leaving you to wonder, 'Where did they go?' An unexpected visit from Sookie's former weretiger lover amounts to only a few words. But Harris hides this mysterious world from the reader, which makes for an even more convoluted narrative. A war is brewing between Niall and his nephew, and Sookie becomes a target.

He's a powerful prince who shows up occasionally and mostly puts Sookie at risk. Instead, Harris focuses on the fairy world and the struggles of Sookie's great-grandfather, Niall Brigant, within his fairy kingdom. Lesson learned: If you're planning to tell your spouse that you're a little different, hide the weapons first. The only consequence is told in a third-person account by Sookie's boss, Sam Merlotte, whose mother, also a shape shifter, is shot by her husband. The subsequent backlash could have made a good story line, but author Charlaine Harris doesn't go there.

Dead and gone sookie stackhouse