Dead Ever After

A Sookie Stackhouse Novel, Book 13

By: Charlaine Harris

Narrated by: Johanna Parker

Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Number-one New York Times best-selling author Charlaine Harris has won numerous awards for her Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series, which has been adapted into the hit HBO show True Blood. In this 13th and final book, a murder rocks the town of Bon Temps and Sookie is arrested for the crime. After making bail, she sets out to clear her name - but her investigation only leads to more deaths.

©2013 Charlaine Harris, Inc. (P)2013 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"The Sookie Stackhouse series seamlessly mixes sensuality, violence, and humor." ( Boulder Weekly)

"Harris’s creation offers a magical and mysterious twist on traditional vampire stories." ( Houston Chronicle)

"What sucked me in? Definitely the books’ oddly charming, often funny mix of the mundane and the absurd. And the chills and thrills in boudoirs and various locales around the South aren’t too bad either." ( The Seattle Times)

A rushed and contrived ending for a good series.

Is there anything you would change about this book?
The motivations of the bad guys out to get the main character were total garbage, and so were all the convenient inconsistencies that helped the story along. There have been some inconsistencies in the writing of these books before, but it's never been a big enough road block for me to begin to dismiss the story completely. This addition felt rushed and poorly thought out.

What does Johanna Parker bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The narrator does a good job with the voice and accent of the main character, bringing the sultry and traditional elements of the south out pretty convincingly, though the voices and mannerisms she used for many of the other characters sounded unrealistic and stereotypical. Sam always sounded like a goofy little boy with a crush on the main character, not a grown man from Louisiana. She didn't hit every note perfectly, but she was pretty close, and I appreciated her consistency and general talent as a voice actor.

I'm NOT disappointed!

Wow...what a journey it has been. Sookie...you will be missed, especially as read by Miss Johanna Parker who has done such an incredible job bringing her and all the crazy characters of BonTemps to life all these years.
I was not disappointed by the ending. I felt like the last several books have been preparing us readers for what happens in this book. I think people who just really wanted to see a SPECIFIC HEA with a certain love interest are hollering about being disappointed. Which I really feel is too bad, and unfair. If you stop and see who Sookie is, what she loves, what she hopes for and dreams to have one day...what transpires makes sense.
Ms. Harris had a lot to cover in this book, and a lot of characters were brought in that have touched Sookie's life over the years. She handles it with aplumb. Again, people have complained about mundane details...but those little snippets of ordinary life have always been a part of the series, as much as some amazing sex and unforgettable get out of a jam sequences! It was all there for book number 13. Not sure it was lucky 13... there are probably other books that will remain my personal favorite but it is for varying reasons.
But overall, I thought this was a good book. I listened to it almost straight through. Partially, because I wanted to know HOW it all ended, but also I was caught up in the story. Thanks Charlaine!!

Not Unexpected

I almost did not purchase this book because so many people did not like it. I decided i might as well see the series to its conculsion. I would like to say that if you remove Sookie's love life from the story that it's almost as good as most of the earlier books. I think if you listened to or read the others don't skip it.

Good Book

Would you listen to Dead Ever After again? Why?

Yes, I love this series.

What other book might you compare Dead Ever After to and why?

All the other books in the series.

Which character – as performed by Johanna Parker – was your favorite?

I like Sam.

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

I am glad how it ends, it means she can have a somewhat normal life.

Any additional comments?

This is a great series and I am sad it has to end.

Sookie's Right of Passage

Heavy sigh, the end of the series. But, this last chapter in Sookie Stackhouse's fantastic life, answers our questions and presents Sookie as an older and wiser young woman, comfortable with herself and her disability/talent while maintaining all of her humor and spirit. If you've enjoyed the series, this one is a must listen. Thank you Charlaine Harris for this creative, well written, funny, charming and open-hearted series. Also, kudos to Johanna Parker whose delightful narration completed a most enjoyable experience.

The Ending Disappointed - ****SPOILER ALERT****

Sookie is Ms. Harris's creation and she can end the series as she see fit. However, while Sookie is still Sookie, and Johanna Parker is wonderful, as usual, I don't see Sookie with Sam. Where were the fireworks between the two??? Regardless, I've truly enjoyed this entire series.

By the way, Ms. Harris has some equally charming characters in her other series, Check them out.

This is the End??.... Feeling Cheated.

Really??? Im so disappointed after reading a series Ive always looked forward to each new installment and enjoyed them so much to having them end this way. I can compare the feeling to expecting Fourth of July Fireworks that only result in firecrackers and sparklers.

I was hoping for a bittersweet farewell to an old friend Sookie Stackhouse and all the characters introduced in the series Ive loved so much and vested so much time to, this was a very long series but was left with complete strangers instead.

Was Harris bored by the end of the series?

Johanna Parker's performance was the most redeeming factor of this book.

A Very Satisfying Ending to an Amazing Series!

First, Johanna Parker does an incredible job narrating this wonderful story. I highly recommend the audio versions of this series just for the pleasure listening to Dianatha's speech patterns as portrayed by Ms. Parker. She always makes me laugh out loud.

Second, I am surprised to see that Audible has listed all the negative reviews before the positive ones. Why not mix them up a bit?

Third, I am very happy with the way the stories are wrapped up. True, a few "strings" are left hanging, but I hope that means that Ms. Harris may be considering writing other stories based in the Sookieverse, but not including her. A burning question I have that goes completely unanswered - unless I lost concentration and missed it - how did Hunter get his mind-reading abilities?

Be aware that the Prologue is very dark. The rest of the book lightens up a bit. Without giving away any spoilers I love the way we are weaned away from some characters and toward other characters, which is the way I would expect life to go if supernatural beings inhabited in our universe. There is no way Ms. Harris could write this story and make everyone happy. Even though I think many of the endings are exactly what they need to be, it is still bittersweet. This series takes a very innocent Sookie from her first love with visions of happily ever after, to a woman beaten down by life, betrayal, and the loss of innocence, even though she is able to maintain a modicum of the life-long values she was taught by her Grandmother. At the end of the series Sookie grows into a strong woman who knows her own worth and won't be swayed by the demands of others. Sookie is far from perfect, but aren't we all? But in the end she seems to live by the motto "to thine own self be true". Well done, Ms. Harris and thank you for this.

I loved the reappearance of many characters in this story. I did not expect or dream of some of the characters that made appearances in this book. Some of the story endings may have been wrapped up too tidily? This is the point that made me rate the story as a 4 instead of a 5. While I love the book and wouldn't change it, I know this made me raise an eyebrow. I can only assume the very critical readers among us are very unhappy about this.

Finally, thanks Ms. Harris. This series has been worth every minute I have spent on it. As a reader of your Aurora Teegarden series and the ending of this wonderful series, I look forward to whatever you throw our way next. I'm sure it'll be a great treat.

Excuse me while I re-read the book now...

End of a wonderful era!

What made the experience of listening to Dead Ever After the most enjoyable?

All the loose ends were neatly tied up. I like that in a series.

What other book might you compare Dead Ever After to and why?

Sookie stands alone. No one comes close.

What does Johanna Parker bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She has the most amazing tones and inflections. You can literally "see" what she is talking about!

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

Totally satisfied with the ending, and the man of Sookie's choice. I had kind of expected it, I knew they were perfect for each other.

Any additional comments?

lFun story!

Unacceptable!!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Yeah - the writer. I saw nothing wrong with the idea or the story but the way it was written was completely lacking and without charm or style.

Has Dead Ever After turned you off from other books in this genre?

No - I love mysteries, paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

Did Johanna Parker do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I guess - She sounded like a older woman putting on a southern accent... *shrug*

Could you see Dead Ever After being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

LOL yeah I used to think the books were better now I prefer the tv show

Any additional comments?

It is completely unacceptable for a "PROFESSIONAL" author and publisher to put out a book of this low standard. It felt unpolished and underwritten. I honestly think Harris should have hired a ghost writer to write this last book if she was so damned unhappy and bored with writing the series. But hey, I'm sure she's not unhappy with the profits she's making off this pathetic excuse for a book.