Dead and Gone: Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #9

By: Charlaine Harris

Narrated by: Johanna Parker

Charlaine Harris' Anthony Award-winning Sookie Stackhouse mysteries have become a fixture on the New York Times best-seller list and have inspired the acclaimed HBO series True Blood.

In her ninth adventure, Sookie has just tied on her cocktail waitress apron for a night's work when a special report comes on the television. The time has come. The wereanimals have revealed themselves.

But there's an even greater danger threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings - older, more powerful, and more secretive than vampires or werewolves - is preparing for war. And Sookie finds herself an all-too human pawn in their battle.

Listen to more titles in the Sookie Stackhouse series.©2009 Charlaine Schultz Harris (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

SOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!

I thought we would have to wait until May 19 to get this on audio, as Amazon.com had that as the release date for the audiobook. So I'm so excited that I came by the site today and saw that it was available! I can't wait to start listening to it!

Great storyline between Sookie and Eric!

I absolutely loved this book. Tried to read in small doses, just at the gym but like a true addict I just couldn't stop. I ended up gobbling all 7+ hours over a 3 day period because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. The storyline between Eric and Sookie is very satisfying, lots of lust and intrigue. I also liked the fairie war. As some others have noted, it is a bit darker in tone but I found that to be necessary to carry the story along. I cannot WAIT until October when the next book comes out!

Awesome

Out of the collection of 10 Sookie Stackhouse books, this book is pretty much one of the best in the series.

One of the best so far in the series!

When I first started this series, I just wanted it as something light to listen to while I did chores. Now, several books in, I find myself welling up with tears over the death of a character. I'm fully invested!

Also, the narrator is exceptional! She's a one woman show as she emotionally acts out (quite convincingly!) every character, from young to old, male to female, fairy to vampire. Truly a treat for the ears!

Dead and Gone

This is a book I've read over and over. I what's going to happen and I still get lost in the story.

Thrilling

I love this series! This one kept me at the seat of my chair. Not as predictable as you might think! Lots of twists and full of emotions

Another too-short installment

I was reluctant to get started with this series at all. Vampires? I had just finished listening to the Twilight series and wasn't quite ready for another one. My husband kept nagging me "did you start it yet"? So I finally did and I managed to listen to the entire series (all 9 books) in less than 5 weeks. I found listening to all 9 books close together and without other interloping books to be a great way to enjoy the series and unlike most series I could hardly put this one down. Can hardly wait for the next one!

Loved It!!

To begin with I am a big fan of Charlaine Harris. I have read all her sookie novels and this one is just as great..I am so happy that sookie and eric are somewhat of an item now..I think they are so meant to be together..I also loved the cliffhanger at the end..Cant wait for the next one to come out..

Weres and shapeshifteres and faeries revealed

If you could sum up Dead and Gone: Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #9 in three words, what would they be?

Happy, shocking, grief

What other book might you compare Dead and Gone: Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #9 to and why?

All the prior entries in the Sookie Stackhouse series would need to be taken in total to make a decent comparison. Each one has shown growth in the characters and the author's writing and the narrator's telling.I’m a big fan of Sookie Stackhouse and the series based on her character by Charlaine Harris. She’s not even 30 years old, but she has lived many extra lifetimes by now.As DEAD AND GONE opens, a public announcement is being broadcast over all TV, radio, cable, and internet waves letting the world know of the existence of the “weres” and shapeshifters. At just the right moment, all these creatures turned from human to their respective animal forms. It seemed to go quite well. It was waitress Arlene who freaked out at Sam’s bar and went running from the building.I would imagine that had the first book started before "The Great Revelation" of vampires, it might have read similarly, but been much more socially upsetting.

Which scene was your favorite?

I felt Sookie's confidence grow when Sam had to leave Merlotte's and return "home" following the revelation of shape shifters to tend to his mother whom his father shot when she "changed." Sam left Sookie in charge of the bar as he rushed to his family, and then life began to change.

Sookie wondered about the faerie part of Jason and her genetic makeup. As it turns out, Adele Stackhouse had had a secret of her own – not that she was a shapeshifter but that she’d had an affair with a faerie, almost to the exclusion of her time and affection for her children and husband. While the genetic lineage Sookie learned from the royal prince and head of her family, her great grandfather Nayall, she wished she understood how the genetic marker passed down and who it skipped. She knew it had passed along to her nephew, Hadley’s son Hunter, who is now living with his father not all that far from Bon Temps.

Nayall spent most of his time in Fae, literally battling another royal prince over the principal of whether Fae should stay open to let faeries pass between the two worlds or if the openings should be shut for good. He did not want to be seen with Sookie in public so as to endanger her. Her grandfather had kept them apart all these years, but now that he’d passed away, Nayall knew he could take the opportunity to meet Sookie. Sookie was delighted that she had more family, but was also sad that they didn’t seem to have much in common.

Eric used the opportunity of transporting Sookie and/or Nayall to see each other to give Sookie a knife used in ceremonies and that in accepting would signify that she was “his.” She did take the knife, but that was as far as things went. Her desire for him is strong throughout this book, while Bill dates no one because he loves Sookie and wants to be available if she needs him. Eric is up to something by calling Sookie his wife, and it probably has nothing to do with matrimony and has everything to do with the new king of Louisiana.

Sookie could have used some help when yet another dead body showed up at Merlotte’s following an event Jason orchestrated. Sookie isn't sure who did the killing, but she was resentful of Jason's poor judgment since she had to give out the punishment for it according to his wedding vows. Jason finds out he is the object of another’s affection, leaving the were-panther community up in arms.

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

I had a stronger reaction to this book than prior books in the series. With so many species inhabiting the world, now that we know about them (or do we?), things start to go wrong even with the lovely, nice, and sweet fairies. Sookie felt it too, and found herself checking on a friendly werewolf who said he would keep watch over her, along with Bubba, the vampire. Someone had approached Trey Dawson and given him some poisoned vampire blood, and Sookie had promised to stop by his home, where she sent him, on her way home from work. As she pulled into her own driveway, she remembered that Amelia, Sookie’s roomie from New Orleans, had said she’d wait for Sookie at her boyfriend Trey’s house. Sookie quickly pulled out of the drive to arrive at Trey’s empty house. Fearful and spooked, Sookie called Bill for help. He was there within ten minutes and followed Sookie home. Only she made it through a traffic light when Bill had not, so she arrived home and headed for the back door anyway. She didn’t make it.As I begin to feel Sookie's physical pain, realized its source and further meaning, I think I cried through the remainder of the book. Sookie was not the only being in overwhelming physical pain, which was even more distressing. This book ended on a much sharper cliffhanger than ever.

Any additional comments?

Certainly not everything has been nice in this series. Moments of joy and sadness and kindness and malice bounce around each other and in and out of dimensions. Never have I seen such gruesome behavior come so close to Sookie, leaving so many inside and at the foot of death’s door in the sleepy town of Bon Temps. Who will live to see the next book? And who really loves Sookie and will stand by her? Will Sookie ever marry "for real" or remain a lone telepath who cannot and will not be controlled by others, human or otherwise. I can't wait to find out, so I'm glad I have Sookie #10, DEAD IN THE FAMILY, already purchased!

Fantastic!

My favorite books in the series will always be 6&7 but, this one really delves into Sookie's family tree and clears up some some long running mysteries in the saga!