Deadlocked

A Sookie Stackhouse Novel, Book 12

By: Charlaine Harris

Narrated by: Johanna Parker

Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's Summary

It’s vampire politics as usual around the town of Bon Temps, but never before have they hit so close to Sookie’s heart….

Growing up with telepathic abilities, Sookie Stackhouse realized early on there were things she'd rather not know. And now that she's an adult, she also realizes that some things that she knows about, she'd rather not see—like Eric Northman feeding off another woman. A younger one.

There's a thing or two she'd like to say about that, but she has to keep quiet—Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), is in town. It’s the worst possible time for a human body to show up in Eric's front yard—especially the body of the woman whose blood he just drank.

Now, it's up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl's fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who's set out to make Sookie's world come crashing down.

©2012 Charlaine Harris, Inc. (P)2012 Recorded Books, LLC

It's time to end this . . .

I loved Sookie and her friends in the earlier books, but this book was so disappointing. I kept waiting for the story to get going and then realized that there was only 2 hours left. Clearly, Ms. Harris is tired of the character which is not not fair to the readers. I believe the next book will be the last in the series and it should be. As usual Johanna Parker does a marvelous job of narrating.

Underwhelmed

Somehow I thought there would be more story to the story. There was only the one major focus for the entire book and then, as a side plot, Sookie and Eric. I have to agree with others that a lot of this book seemed like filler fluff. Sookie runs errands. Sookie visits friends. Sookie has lunch. Sookie daydreams about this and that. But, again, little story. And the story that was the focus did nothing to further this book series. I guess that since the book series is supposed to be completed within another book or two, this wraps up some of the characters, but it just didn't further any of the major characters stories. It just took some of the smaller characters out of the picture. It was like a book designed to tidy up some loose ends and get them out of the way for the big finale. Hopefully the big finale is more satisfying than this was. The end was really just like someone quit typing at the end of their sentence without bothering to finish a paragraph.

Who, What, and Why

First, I have been a huge fan of this series since the first book. Charlaine Harris and Johanna Parker are both brilliant! That said, this was not the most interesting book of the series.

Who: There were plenty of characters, both old and new. A few were simply cameo appearances or memories with no other plot purpose than nostalgia. I could not figure out the significance of Quinn's brief appearance.

What: There was a significant shortage of Sookie/Eric alone time. There was a lot of activity with Sookie running around taking care of her life and friends, but a lot of the ???action??? was uninteresting and unnecessary for the story. We already know that Sookie is just a regular gal with trips to the library and grocery store. The daily activities do provide time for her to think about what's happening around her, but not much was going on for large chunks of this book. Johanna Parker's narration saved all the seemingly pointless errands and introspection from being boring. There were some fights and chase scenes, so I was not completely wanting.

Why: Motivation was never clear to me. Long-held assumptions were turned upside down with hardly any explanation. Friends and foes acted in ways that were never explained to my satisfaction. The end came much too soon, not because I was hanging on every word and hoping for more, but because Harris ended the book before resolving important issues. I admit that I like more story resolution, even in a series.

Overall I did like this book (I am still a fan), but I wanted more. Hopefully the next book will deliver.

The worst one in the series...

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I have loved this series since the beginning, but the last two books have really left me disappointed. I feel like Charlaine is done with the series, but keeps putting out a new book because the fan base is so big. Know when to end a good thing, before it goes downhill.

So DIsappointing

Nothing happens in this book - absolutely nothing. Hunter, Bubba and Quinn are mentioned for about 45 seconds each, and the mentions do not further the story. Dribs and drabs of the Fae, Weres and Vamps come up, but not in any coherent manner. No plot, no hot vampire sex scenes - nothing that led me to enjoy the series was in this book. I don't buy these to hear about Sookie going to Taco Bell!!I have loved the series, but Ms. Harris just phoned this one in. Save your credit - I wish I had. Narration was wonderful though - Johanna Parker is perfect for these books.

A series in decline.

Would you try another book from Charlaine Harris and/or Johanna Parker?

This is going to be the last Sookie Stackhouse novel I bother to read. When I began the series, it was nothing for me to listen to the entire audiobook within one to three days max. It's taken me a week to finish Deadlocked because it's boring. Of course there is action because Sookie cannot stay out of trouble, but it's written in such a going through the motions way that I just didn't care. There is a pretty good "OMG" moment at the end of the novel, but you have to wade through 7.5 hours of blah blah blah to get to it.

What do you think your next listen will be?

A Clash of Kings

Which scene was your favorite?

The end.

What character would you cut from Deadlocked?

What in the spoiler heck is up with this question? There was no need to have random characters that we haven't heard from in a few books call to say "Happy Birthday" in the name of fan fodder.

Harris Forgot to Make Things Happen In This Book

(I would say this contains very minor spoilers, but there is really nothing to spoil)


It must be make things so much easier for Harris to give Sookie avoidance tendencies in this book. I can imagine it must be far more difficult and time consuming to think up and write characters actually doing something of substance, pertaining to the overall storyline. Adding the humor, intrigue and sexiness these books were full of in the past must be even more tricky, because this book had none of these things.

I can't figure out if Harris is just no longer interested in the story or if she simply did not know how to write this book without giving away the end. Either way, this was really terrible. Almost nothing happened in this book, and one or two things that did happen were so poorly told, it was like reading fan fiction written by a teenager.

I see some people are happy that she is wrapping up the stories of the more minor characters, but really she hasn't. The characters all suddenly have lost any dimension. Their endings are flowery and nice, and rather boring,

(here are those minor spoilers)
Speaking of boring, I can only wonder how many actual pages were full of nothing but Sookie going to Taco Bell or Dairy Queen, cooking meals, and shopping for food. Not to mention an investigator that asked the same useless questions over and over. And over and over. And over again.

I will read the last book because I loved the series, but I have lost any kind of hope that it will be any good. That is so disappointing. It is my opinion that the second to last book in a series should leave you anxious for the last book, while giving you enough to ponder and guess as to what it all might mean, how things will work out. This book leaves you with nothing but perhaps the knowledge of how to make sweet potato pie.

very disappointed what happened

Any additional comments?

i am very disappointed i loved the series but this one was a very terrible book . i just hope the last book is better than this one. i was looking forward to this book . maybe its good that the there only going to one more book.

What a disappointment!

Well...that was not the book I had hoped for. I love this series and have been a fan from the beginning. This one just didn't hold up. About 90% of the book is Sookie going over and over and over things in her head. Just when you think she's really in some action/adventure... nope all alone and back in her head.

boredlocked, or how many times Sookie goes to work

Would you try another book from Charlaine Harris and/or Johanna Parker?

Yes, unfortunately, the series has gone down hill, the characters are stiff, but naturally I want to know how the story ends. I did not care for the narrator as Sookie, she was great for the supporting chsracters, but she would lose her southern accent at times and her voice a bit raspy for the character of Sookie.

What was most disappointing about Charlaine Harris’s story?

The flat characters that used to have so much life. Also it took 3/4s of the book to have any real action start. She even made fun of Pam and Bill rather than embracing them she made them into caricatures. Sookie whined and complained the whole story.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Her southern accent made her voice raspy, which made it sound like Sookie was a smoker, when she would do Tara's on the other hand it sounded great, as well as most of the supporting characters.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Deadlocked?

The first 3/4of the book where most of it rehashes old stuff, and doesn't have much action.

Any additional comments?

Kill Sookie, or turn her. I know that lovers angst is what keeps readers interested but Eric is just an oaf, compared to the Viking God he was. Give them a happy few moments, let them go, and move on this stringing the relationship along for a couple of books with no emotion is flat and uncomfortable and boring.

Enjoyed it but not as much

The Sookie novels were my saviour after reading Twilight and thinking I would never find anything else to read again. Usually I cannot put a Sookie book down but this one I did 2 or 3 times. Not sure why just did not capture me