Definitely Dead

Rating: 4.1* of five

The Publisher Says: As a person with so few living relatives, Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse really hated to lose one. But she never guessed that it would be her cousin Hadley—a consort of the Vampire Queen of New Orleans. After all, technically speaking, Hadley was already dead. And now, as unexpected heir to Hadley’s estate, Sookie discovers the inheritance definitely comes with a risk. Someone doesn’t want Sookie looking too deeply into Hadley’s past—or for that matter, Hadley’s possessions. And they’re prepared to do anything in their power to stop her. But who? The range of suspects runs from the Rogue Weres who reject Sookie as a friend of the Pack to the Vampire Queen herself, who could be working through a particularly vulnerable subject—Sookie’s first love, Bill.

Whoever it is, they’re definitely dangerous—and Sookie’s life is definitely on the line…

My Review: A bump in my rating for this entry in the series because I love Quinn, the weretiger we've just met in the last book, as Sookie's new suitor. Also love the ectoplasmic reconstruction of Hadley's murder. So cool.

Hadley, Sookie's cousin, dies the True Death and Sookie now needs to (what a surprise) clean up the loose ends of her worldly estate. You just know bad stuff will happen here...bad bad...and of course, it does. Sookie's never gonna catch a break. Well, there wouldn't be a series if she did, now would there?

And adding to the revels is the Big Reveal of Sookie's fascination for the supernatural community, which it damn near kills me not to spoiler. But I won't. Not that there are any Americans left who can read who haven't read these books already.

Okay, that's an exaggeration, but these are very much as popular as Twilight (thank the gods!) and its hell-spawn. It's just an older crowd. And, I suspect though I cannot prove this, a gayer crowd. There's a degree of identification with Sookie and her relationship problems that most gay guys and lesbians can expect to experience, because there are vocal and crazy-passionate groups hatin' on Sookie and her friends and lovers simply for existing and being themselves. All in the name of what's Good and Right, of course.

Hmm. Not like I've ever heard that line of shit aimed at me before.

So here we have a series that's made phenomenal success out of showing up hatred and intolerance, demonstrating the futility of trying to reason with the insanely hate-filled, and triumphing by refusing to accept anyone else's definition of your essential self.

No wonder I, and so many others, keep reading them.


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For some reason it took me a long time to read this book. It should've been a fast read, but I didn't make the time. I think this is also why I just liked it. I kept coming back to it, so sometimes the story was a little confusing. I'm definitely still continuing with the series though. ( )

I think it is incredibly stupid that the short story "One Word Answer" is not added as a prologue, or even MENTIONED, at the beginning of "Definitely Dead." It's easy enough to find online, but I would have had no idea it existed if it weren't for a friend who'd hit this installment before I did. If you don't read it, you will be so, so lost at first.

I enjoyed the story, aside from that annoyance. I am not a big Quinn fan, but that's because I keep imagining him as Vin Diesel and I am not really into Vin Diesel, ha. ( )

I love the Southern Vampire series so much. I have enjoyed every last book - to the hilt - and this one was no exception. What I love is how the books are heartwarming, heartbreaking, poignant, funny, suspenseful, romantic...all at once. The characters are amazingly well drawn and Sookie's evolution from book to book as she gains confidence, experience, and some hard knocks is so fascinating. That alone makes this installment worthwhile.

Sookie is definitely a bit snappish throughout the book, but she's also more confident, more sure of herself - more willing to take initiative. She's tired of being manipulated and she's trying, as hard as she can, to get control of her life. It's no surprise that she's on the bristly side.

Sookie visits New Orleans and learns more about how vampire society works - she meets the Queen, who wants to employ her directly. So the power relationship is obviously shifting a bit between Sookie and the Bon Temps supes. I think this is a Very Promising Development.

The romantic interest here is Quinn, a were-tiger who oozes machismo. I found him a little bit campy. Eric and Bill appear - not often, but enough. There are some *major* revelations in that department, which pleased me inordinately (And, not to give away too much, but I have loathed Bill since Dead Until Dark).

There's also more afoot on other fronts - the continuing drama of Debbie Pelt & the Fellowship of the Sun & Claudine's mysterious presence.

I always feel totally drenched in the physical environment of the Southern Vampire books - Harris writes about the south in such a vivid way it can make a die-hard California girl like myself want to visit Louisiana just to see the pollen or drive down a narrow country lane. New Orleans, however, gets a more-or-less minimal treatment: Sookie doesn't get much of a chance to explore.
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Glad to see I'm not the only one who thought they missed a book. I don't know, this book was kind of all over the place and she could have at least made a note in the introduction about what compilation the short story that comes before this is in. Not sure how in a rush I am to read the next book. ( )