Dead as a Doornail is the fifth in the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Series. Depending on where you are in the series, you might want to read my reviews of Club Dead (book 3) and Dead to the World (book 4). This review does not contain spoilers for Dead as a Doornail, but it's a little hard not to reveal things that happened in the first four books. You might want to at least skip down to the last two paragraphs.

All Sookie Stackhouse wants to do is live peacefully and to be left alone by the supernatural beings who live in northern Louisiana. But the impending full moon will be Jason's first experience as a were-panther, and Sookie is a little worried about how her brother will handle the change. Before the night is out, a were has been shot dead, and the local police turn to one of their favorite suspects, Jason Stackhouse.

When Sam Merlotte, her boss and friend, is shot in the leg, Sookie goes to Eric for help. Eric agrees to loan Sam a vampire bar tender, and Sookie is forced to give the vamp a place to wait out the daylight. Meanwhile, the were-political scene is heating up: Despite the shootings, a new leader must be chosen, and Sookie is involved because of her relationship with Alcide Herveaux.

And as if Sookie didn't have enough to deal with, her best friend, Tara, has gotten herself involved with the wrong kind of vampire. Before anyone can figure out who's behind the shootings, Sookie gets a deeper look into the supernatural world than she ever wanted to have.

This entry in the Southern Vampire Series is full of action and politics. And here Sookie begins to feel a bit stretched as she attempts to remain friendly with an ever-growing variety of beings who live in this world. She has the street smarts to realize that her allegiance should not be given freely or even publicly, and she recognizes that she could easily become a victim if she lets down her guard.

Dead as a Doornail lets us see the inner workings of the were/shape-shifter world and gives us some hints about another type of supernatural: fairies. Harris's characters and creatures are true to themselves and to their species. At the same time, people grow and change, so there is room for surprises, evolving relationships, and interesting plot lines.

Sookie Stackhouse continues to stand up for herself and to try to do the right thing by others. She is not completely enamored of vampires, like many of her peers, and she's pretty sure she doesn't want to involve herself too deeply with the were-people. Unfortunately for Sookie, she seems to be a voice of reason in the wilderness, and her self-assuredness and her telepathic talents are attractive to all kinds of beings.

I listened to this audiobook read by Johanna Parker. She does a brilliant job capturing the unique combination of cute and tough that characterizes Sookie. I highly recommend this series in either print or audio (or both?). ( )

I actually don’t remember anything outstanding about this one. Maybe it’s because I just speed-read through this one. Maybe it’s because I’m not as interested in the were-animal storyline. The whole sniper who’s out to get all the shape-shifters was yawn-worthy, and the pirate bar-tender was just too far-fetched. This was one of the weaker books of the series. ( )

The fifth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I’m not sure if anything can beat book 4 but I’m sure that will happen. I did really enjoy this adventure of Sookie’s.

With Eric out of her house, Sookie is all alone again , except when a sniper begins shooting shifters Sookie soon finds herself a new temporary roommate and a fairy godmother to help rescue her from danger, which she finds herself in many times without even realizing.

This book makes the reader start to question who they really want Sookie to be with, when Harris begins to thrown men from all directions vying for her attention. It also adds in a new element for Sookie’s brother, Jason, as he begins a transformation that will change their lives forever, and may cost him his life.

Ms. Harris never ceases to amaze and mystify me. Just when I thought I knew the direction she was going to take Sookie, she throws me for a loop with book five. I am still undecided if I truly like the direction in which she is going. Call me a traditionalist, but I enjoyed Sookie's interactions with the vampires more than I am her interactions with the shifters. The shifter community seems to have too many rules, too many quid pro quo situations. Granted, the vampires have those stipulations as well but at least they are open and honest about it. Also, I still haven't recovered from my shock at the demise of her relationship with Bill and am STILL hoping for her to get back together with him. Even Eric seems a better choice than Alcide turns out to be or any other shifter interested in her. Sookie may not be jealous (or willing to admit to her jealousy), but I certainly am.

I will admit that the fantasy world Ms. Harris has created goes beyond my wildest dreams. At one point in time during the book, during the introduction of Quinn, I really started questioning whether there weren't more magical creatures in her world than normal humans. Then I started wondering why it has taken Sookie so long to get to know this supernatural world, being supernatural in her own rights. I soon realize that I'm contemplating a fictional world, but I believe that is part of her draw. Ms. Harris has created a world so fun, so realistic in its own right, that it is easy to get lost in it.

In all, Dead as a Doornail lived up to what I would expect from this series. Fun, fast-paced, Sookie again faces challenges, emotional, physical and mental, that would severely test a normal human. The fact that she remains so innocent and trusting is part of her appeal. I would definitely recommend this to anyone as caught up in the series as I am. A word of warning - Ms. Harris definitely refers to situations that occurred in previous books, so I've come to the conclusion that they should not be read out of order. Other than that, enjoy!

P.S. I finally started watching the HBO series, True Blood, based upon this series. I am NOT happy with the portrayal of Bill. He is just not that attractive to me. I'm scared to see what they did with Eric's portrayal. However, I was impressed with the one episode I've seen. For one, I was never scared for Sookie's safety when reading any book in the series. The fact that they are on book nine makes me pretty sure that she survives everything thrown at her. Watching the first episode, however, I was fearful, even though I knew what was going to happen. Bill is a lot scarier than I have ever considered him to be. I actually like that. After all, he IS a vampire, and vampires in the truest sense of the word are supposed to be frightening creatures. I can't wait to watch more episodes to see if it remains as compelling! ( )

This is the 5th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and I have truly enjoyed reading them! I planned on taking a break before starting this one (I have all the books!) but I couldn't keep myself from picking this one up right away! If you are new to these books please start with book one and I promise you will be hooked! ( )