Not 'DEAD' YET

Within the first 60 pages of the latest Sookie Stackhouse release, shape-shifters make their existence known, a person is shot, another crucified, federal investigators show up and the resident telepath/barmaid finds she may have unwittingly married a vampire.

And that's just a warm-up in this ninth addition to the series by Arkansas-based writer Charlaine Harris.

"Dead and Gone" takes a delightful step up from the last installment, with the main character maturing and finding peace and possibly love in her sometimes violent and unfair world.

The author gets back to basics by keeping the story in sleepy Bon Temps, La., and focusing mostly on characters introduced in earlier novels.

As with Harris' previous books, Sookie reads the thoughts of others as she gets wrapped up in solving a mystery while trying to unwrap her tangled life, which has included vampires and were-animals among her suitors.

The series is the basis for HBO's "True Blood," which has taken some liberties in the portrayal of characters and story lines. Harris writes her books to be read in sequence. She does a fine job of including enough background to jog the memory of the Sookie Stackhouse faithful, but to truly understand and appreciate the developments, a reader needs to dive into the past titles.

Harris is a master at taking several paranormal worlds and plunging them into our reality with humor. Sookie hasn't lost her wit, as when she ponders whether fairy parents told their fairy children human stories at bedtime.

The dialogue is sharp and realistic, and action is swift, especially considering most of "Dead and Gone" takes place in one day.

The outing of the shape-shifters adds a fun dimension full of possibilities. As with "The Great Revelation" of vampires years earlier, Harris uses this as a mechanism for examining prejudices and the limits of societal acceptance.

Harris gives more insight into the character of vampire sheriff Eric and addresses Sookie's questionable family lineage and details of her parents' deaths.

Sookie says goodbye to some she has grown to love and care about, closing a chapter on what could have become an outlandish plot line. The sadness and even trauma she experiences is somewhat offset by the calm she finds within herself and the loyalty of a sweetly rekindled old flame and longtime friends.

If you enjoy Charlaine Harris

With paranormal stories all the rage, readers interested in the Sookie Stackhouse series may want to check out these authors. Many of these books are listed in different genres, including mystery, science fiction, romance and paranormal romance. For a good introduction to new writers, seek out short story anthologies with these and other authors, such as “My Big, Fat, Supernatural Wedding,” “Wolfsbane and Mistletoe,” “Blood Lite” and “Many Bloody Returns.”

Laurell K. Hamilton

The Anita Blake series centers around an extra-tough vampire executioner, who also has the ability to raise zombies and could eat television’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer for a snack. The first half of the 17-book series is more about action and solving mysteries. In recent years, the books have turned more to erotica.

Rachel Caine

The Morganville Vampire series takes place in a Texas college town, where vampires have taken control. The teenagers and college students find ways to fight injustices brought upon them while dealing with their own growing emotions.

Jim Butcher

The Dresden Files were made into a shortlived series on the Sci-Fi channel in 2007, featuring the Chicago-based wizard Harry Dresden, who makes his living as a private investigator of the paranormal. For fans of the WB channel’s “Reaper” and “Supernatural,” the books have a similar pacing and sense of humor.

L.A. Banks

The Vampire Huntress series follows Damali Richards, one of the few black protagonists in the paranormal genres. The first book may be the weakest and leaves a cliffhanger. The later novels are more interesting with plot complexity and extra-heavy romance.

Sherrilyn Kenyon

The Dark Hunter series is based on Greek mythology, with gods and goddesses warring with each other as the Dark Hunters work to protect humankind. The series has 28 books and short stories, some of which have fallen into a formula. But even formulaic, the characters have a charm and honor with addictive plots.

P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast

The Tulsa-based writers recently made the top spot on the New York Times Bestseller List with the latest in their House of Night series. Vampirism is a biological disorder, which means marked teenagers must attend specialized schools. The authors incorporate Tulsa landmarks and history as the story unfolds around Zoey Redbird, an American Indian teenager from Broken Arrow.

Ginnie Graham, 581-8376
ginnie.graham@tulsaworld.com

Harris continues to find new fictional life in her paranormal series.