Dead Until Dark

Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #1

By: Charlaine Harris

Narrated by: Johanna Parker

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Vampires have officially "come out of the coffin", and Miss Sookie can't wait for one to come her way.

Anthony Award-winner Charlaine Harris' New York Times and USA Today best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels entice countless fans with an irresistible mixture of vampire romance, beguiling mystery, and old-fashioned Southern charm.

Listen to more titles in the Sookie Stackhouse series.

©2007 Charlaine Harris (P)2007 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"An author of rare talents." ( Publishers Weekly)

Aexceptional character, Sookie is truly different.

Unique character, Sookie is uneducated simple girl who is really complex and insightful, using self-educated wisdom in wonderful ways.

Very good

Would you listen to Dead Until Dark again? Why?

Have already listened to more than once.

Have you listened to any of Johanna Parker’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first one.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were some funny parts.

Impressed

Would you consider the audio edition of Dead Until Dark to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version but I have watched all of the HBO series episodes . The Audible version had me hooked as much as the HBO series of True Blood*

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes it did ....I was very impressed with the narrator and her ability to be as infectious as the HBO series .

What about Johanna Parker’s performance did you like?

The narrator Johanna Parker had me thinking this was actually happening to her ; her attention to detail was brilliant and her accent made this story even more interesting and inviting .

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

It was early on in the beginning when Sookie first saw the Vampire when he walked in . Sookie 's description of how handsome the Vampire and Sam both are . She mentioned their looks and with the details of their looks I felt like Sookie really cared for them .

Any additional comments?

I am planning to collect the whole Sookie Stackhouse* collection .

I feel like an ADDICT!!!! :)

When it comes to Charlaine Harris' series books, I feel like a true addict!!! I can never read just 1 and with so many well written and narrated stories, I read and listen to them over and over again. So if you can't tell, I absolutely LOVE the series and I highly recommend all of the books!

Pretty good start to the series :)

3.5-4 stars

This was a pretty good story. I liked Sookie and Bill. Their story was good and I enjoyed it although it did seem bit slow at times.

Sookie is a waitress at a bar & grill in a small town in Louisiana where she grew up. Her parents were killed when she was very young and she and her brother were raised by her grandmother (whom she still lives with in order to look after her). Sookie has the ability to read minds (even when she doesn't want to) but sees it as more of a curse than a blessing. Because of her telepathy and how she has to play it off at times, the people in town tend to think she's a bit slow or crazy.

Bill is a Vampire. He's over 150 years old, having fought in the civil war when he was still human. He came back to his hometown to live when his family land reverted back to him (now that Vampires are "out of the coffin") and he's trying to learn how to live a more normal life surrounded by humans.

Sookie has always wanted to meet a Vampire so she's excited when the first Vampire shows up in the Bar and Grill she works in. The Vampire, Bill, ends up getting into some trouble with some nasty locals that try to drain him for his blood (because Vampire blood can be sold for a lot of money) in the parking lot. Sookie's abilities enabled her to "overhear" their plans for Bill so she goes after them to help and ends up saving Bill from being drained and probably killed for good. Sookie finds that she can't hear Bill's thoughts and that's a great comfort for her since she has to actively work at not hearing everyone else's thoughts and it's tiring. She likes the fact that she can relax around him. Bill realizes there's something special about Sookie as well although he's not sure what it is at first.

There's an attraction between Bill and Sookie and they quickly start associating with each other. Their relationship is a bit slow at the start but once it begins, they quickly fall into something serious. There are some issues going on though as women in the area are being killed and people seem to think that the new Vampire in town might be responsible. Sookie is sure Bill's no responsible but getting others to believe that isn't so easy. Even when it becomes apparent that a Vampire wasn't responsible, the trouble still plagues them since Sookie's brother becomes one of the possible suspects and Sookie seems to be an intended victim. There are additional difficulties because of another Vampire in the area (Eric) that seems to want Sookie (and her abilities) for himself. Sookie and Bill have to deal with some issues and danger but do end the story starting what seems to be a HEA together (but since it's a long series we'll have to see).

This was a pretty enjoyable story. I liked Sookie and Bill. They were likable and worked pretty well as a couple. The story itself was very good but there were a few times when I thought it lagged slightly...not to the point of being boring but sometimes I wish the pace was a bit quicker. Still, I liked the story overall and I'd recommend it. :)

All these stories are great

This series is the best. I have listened to all of them and they are excellent. The narrator is awesome. I recommend all of them.

Worth a listen

I watch True Blood and really like the TV series. The TV show stayed very close to the book, but as it was a few years since I saw season 1 it was a nice refresher. I will continue with book 2, but hope the TV show deviated a little and I get more story out of the book series.

Love Sookie's Character and Humor!

What made the experience of listening to Dead Until Dark the most enjoyable?

The narrator does an excellent job reading Sookie's part. The other parts are well read also. The humor is infectious.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sookie, of course. She is a no-nonsense girl that doesn't realize she is funny.

What about Johanna Parker’s performance did you like?

She was able to read each characters part with incredible differentiation.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Several come to mind. Here "fresh" comments while having a vampire staked to death right on top of her. She describes herself as "disabled", this is funny, since most people would describe her as "gifted".

Any additional comments?

I just purchased the rest of the series, since it is on sale this weekend. Looking forward to them all. Incidentally, I mostly listen to non-fiction and comedy. This story is not one I would normally like, but it is so humorous I am hooked!

5 star perfection

I loved the way that the narrator interpreted Charlaine Harris’s writing.

The town and life that these characters live is believable, with the small town mentality and reels you in wanting to know more. I give Charlaine 5 stars for writing.

The narrator was perfect. Absolutely fantastic and believable, she put so much emotion into the narration of this book. I give the narrator 5 stars for the narrating.

I recommend this book, and I will definitely be listening to the rest of the Sookie Stackhouse series.

Fun read.

I had seen the first few episodes of the show "True Blood" and was intrigued by this plot line. Also, I am a big fan of series books and Audible.com had a sale on first books in many series. I did enjoy the book. The narrator was awesome. The story was good, but the ending was a bit disappointing. I am not sure I will read the next in the series. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but I was not disappointed that I listened to this book.