Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 1) by Charlaine Harris (2001)

Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 1) by Charlaine Harris (2001)

Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress at a bar in her hometown of Bon Temps, LA. After years of keeping her own telepathic ability a secret, making most close relationships impossible, Sookie is excited to learn the arrival of vampire Bill Compton. Bill's mind is a blank slate to Sookie, a welcome relief to her. He has moved to Bon Temps because it is his hometown as well, although from a different century. While their relationship blooms, other young women begin to die and suspicion volleys between the new resident and Sookie's brother. With a surprising blend of supernatural happenings and beings, Harris has created an interesting mystery series with unlikely detectives. ( )

I don’t read paranormal romance novels. This isn’t due to any snobbery against the genre, I just have too much else on my shelf to be getting on with, and don’t need another area of fictional enthusiasm, so I have avoided it. True Blood, however – The HBO series which is based upon Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse books – has proved to be such exquisite entertainment that I couldn’t resist the temptation to pick up Dead Until Dark. It transpires that this first book is exactly as amusing, raunchy, mysterious, American South atmospheric, spit-in-your-eye rebellious about the whole vampire credo as the show, and I am instantly hooked. Move aside, everything else on my shelf. Vampire romance books, coming through. ( )

Delightful. Got a little sluggish in the middle with mind reading that seemed to be of no consequence to the plot, but it ended with a bang and I felt thoroughly satisfied ( )