Club Dead

By Charlaine Harris

Place: Publisher & Year: New York: Ace Books, 2003

Genres: Mystery, fantasy, dark fantasy, contemporary fantasy, paranormal, romance, paranormal romance, vampire

Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries (Sookie Stackhouse); 3

ISBN: 9780441010516

Intended audience: Adult

Number of pages: 292

Setting: Bon Temps, Louisiana and Jackson, Mississippi

Time period: Contemporary

Plot summary: When Bill tells Sookie that he will be away for some time on a secret assignment in Seattle, Sookie tries not to get too upset.  She does fairly well until someone tries to attack her for reasons unbeknownst to her.  Next, Bill’s boss, the vampire Eric, tells Sookie that Bill has been taken captive – possibly by his former vampire lover, Lorena.  Sookie isn’t sure whether she wants to rescue Bill or stake him.  To do either, she has to find him first and that requires a trip to Jackson, Mississippi.

Appeal factors:

Pacing: The third book in the series continues to be very fast paced – like the first two.  Sookie barely has time to catch her breath before encountering some new problem.

Characterization: The series continues to be told by Sookie.  Bill does not have as large a role in this story, since he is missing for most of it.  Sookie seriously examines her relationship with Bill and a new character, a werewolf named Alcide Herveaux, is introduced.

Frame: The title of the book comes from the werewolf nickname of a vampire bar in Jackson.  “It’s for Supes [supernatural beings] and their dates only.  No tourists” (p. 62).  The title frames the book quite well since most of the characters in this story are Supes.

Story line: While Sookie may have spent most of her life feeling alienated and alone, she is definitely becoming more comfortable with her skills and more at ease with herself.

Subject headings:

From PCPL:

Vampires — Fiction.

Stackhouse, Sookie (Fictitious character) — Fiction.

Mystery fiction.

Fantasy fiction.

From NoveList:

Women psychics

Kidnapping — Jackson, Mississippi

Vampires

Werewolves

Kidnapping investigation

Murder — Mississippi

Telepathy in women

Kidnap victims

Supernatural

Betrayal

Stackhouse, Sookie

Louisiana

Jackson, Mississippi

Mystery stories, American

Fantasy fiction, American

Similar authors: Charlie Huston, Laurell K. Hamilton, Marjorie Lui, Kim Harrison, Patricia Briggs, Jeaniene Frost, Sherrilyn Kenyon

Personal notes: This is my favorite book in the series so far.  I loved the ending!  I had a great laugh from it.  I’m glad Sookie’s character is growing with the series and I really enjoyed Alcide in this story.

Other (themes, diversity): Diversity – telepath, vampires, shape shifters, werewolves, gay vampires and “fangbangers”

Since the series has grown quite long and complex, the author recommends reading the series in order.

Charlaine Harris’ website.