It is with a bit of sadness that I write this blog and talk about the final Sookie Stackhouse novel. Dead Ever After is the thirteenth novel in the series by Charlaine Harris and it ties up many loose ends. I have enjoyed watching Sookie develop and grow into the strong woman character that she is now, and I will enjoy going back to the beginning and re-reading the first one, Dead Until Dark, in a few months. Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress at Merlotte's, in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps. She is a telepath, and has spent her life trying to deal with her special ability, until vampires start "coming out" and co-existing with humans and paving the way for other supernatural beings (such as shapeshifters, werepanthers, werewolves, demons and fairies) to share their existence too. Sookie dates a vampire and is introduced into this interesting world where her ability is appreciated by most supernatural beings. The events of Dead Ever After begin a few weeks after Deadlocked, the previous book, ends. Sookie and her boss, Sam Merlotte, are trying to cope after Sookie brought Sam back to life, and life is bumpily moving along until Sookie's old waitress friend (who tried to murder her) is suddenly released from jail. When she turns up dead after asking Sookie for her old job back, Sookie becomes the prime suspect in the murder. Her group of friends bands together to help clear her name, while encountering twists and turns along the way. Does Sookie end up with her past vampire flame, Bill Compton, her current vampire lover Sheriff Eric, werewolf Alcide or shapeshifter Sam? I encourage you to read the book and discover for yourself! Although the HBO series TrueBlood is based on these books, the books are much different than the television show. Visit Charlaine Harris at www.charlaineharris.com and on facebook.com/Charlaine Harris to learn more about her writings. I had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Harris at a Mississippi Library Association Conference several years ago and enjoyed spending my evening talking to her and discussing what would happen if HBO decided to bring her characters to life. I wish her good luck as we say goodbye to Sookie Stackhouse--you will be missed!
In the words of Charlaine Harris from the dedication page of Dead Ever After :
This book is dedicated to the loyalreaders who have followed this series from beginning to end. Some of you were reading the books before True Blood, and some came after, but you were all amazingly generous with your ideas, speculations, and votes on Sookie's future. There isn't a way I could make all of you happy with the ending of the series, so I've followed my own plan, the one I've had all along, and I hope you agree that it's fitting.
Creole Belle is James Lee Burke's newest novel in his Dave Robicheaux series. Dave and his sidekick and sometimes-partner, Clete Purcel, are back together again trying to solve crimes and stay out of trouble. Dave (a deputy sheriff) and Clete (a private investigator) are both recovering from injuries sustained in the last book, while investigating the disappearance of cajun chanteuse Tee Jolie Milton and her sister Blue. When Tee Jolie's body washes up on the shore of a bayou, partially frozen in a block of ice, David and Clete try to unravel the twisted threads that make up life in small town Louisiana. Tee Jolie and Blue's disappearances are tangled up in the fight for big oil and the oil spills in Louisiana, and the tycoons that control the oil. Clete, as usual, gets involved with a woman that is not good for him and in a surprise twist, meets a relative, while Dave struggles with visions that may or may not be real. The best part of this book is also one of the saddest, because the reader can see Clete's downward spiral and is powerless to stop it. I enjoy James Lee Burke's books because I love his descriptions of Louisiana and life among its citizens in New Iberia and New Orleans. I also like that there is plenty of information about Alafair Burke, (James' real life adopted daughter) and their interactions, in this novel. For more information on James Lee Burke, check out his website at http://www.jamesleeburke.com/
I just read the first book in (I hope) a new series by Mindy Starns Clark. Under the Cajun Moon is set in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana and involves the things I love most about the state---food, music and eccentric people! The heroine of the story is Chloe Ledet, daughter of the famous chef Julian Ledet, owner of a famous French Quarter restaurant. Chloe has tried to "win" the love and respect of her parents for years, but finally moved away to have a successful career as a business etiquette consultant in Chicago. Chloe is called back to New Orleans suddenly when her dad is shot and ends up in a coma. Chloe is called to handle her father's affairs but when she wakes up in a strange hotel room with her father's dead lawyer on the couch, she immediately falls under suspicion of murder and must clear her name as well as discover who shot her father. With the aid of the son of her father's best friend, a handsome cajun named Travis, Chloe must "follow the recipe" and search for a priceless treasure while staying one step ahead of the people trying to kill her and her father--while trying to find the treasure. I absolutely loved the non-stop action of this story as well as the descriptions of Louisiana's swamps and exotic food and wildlife. Mindy Starns Clark truly knows Louisiana and her gutsy heroine is one you'll remember for a long time. Try a "taste of New Orleans" by reading this book!
I absolutely love James Lee Burke's series starring Detective Dave Robicheaux. Burkes' latest, The Glass Rainbow, delivers on every aspect of the series that I find so wonderful. This latest novel is again set in hot, humid New Iberia, Louisiana. Being a Louisiana native, I especially enjoy the descriptions of the wonderful fried shrimp poboys, gumbo and pecan pie. James Lee Burke truly knows what it is like growing up in Louisiana, with his descriptions of the Giacano families control over New Orleans, the "privilege" of the old white aristocracy and their influence over the poor African-Americans in New Iberia and the politics involved in every aspect of life in Louisiana. Dave Robicheaux is a recovering alcoholic who works for the New Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office. His good friend, and former co-worker at the New Orleans Police Department is Clete Purcel, who currently works as a Private Investigator. Clete is the "bad boy" of the series as he uses alcohol, tobacco, food and hard living to mask the pain and suffering he sees every day while working his cases. Clete is the tool of his own destruction and his slow slide to death is clearly explored in this novel. The novel begins with Robicheaux interviewing a prison guard in Mississippi as he investigates the murders of two young girls that seem to be unrelated. Trouble begins as the murder trail leads to the Abelards, an aristocratic white family in New Iberia that has many secrets. Alafair, Robicheaux's daughter in the book as well as his daughter in real life who is also an author, plays a large role in this book. The mystery is gritty, but if you want to read about a realistic slice of life in Louisiana, you'll enjoy reading this book.
It is with a bit of sadness that I write this blog and talk about the final Sookie Stackhouse novel. Dead Ever After is the thirteenth novel in the series by Charlaine Harris and it ties up many loose ends. I have enjoyed watching Sookie develop and grow into the strong woman character that she is now, and I will enjoy going back to the beginning and re-reading the first one, Dead Until Dark, in a few months. Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress at Merlotte's, in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps. She is a telepath, and has spent her life trying to deal with her special ability, until vampires start "coming out" and co-existing with humans and paving the way for other supernatural beings (such as shapeshifters, werepanthers, werewolves, demons and fairies) to share their existence too. Sookie dates a vampire and is introduced into this interesting world where her ability is appreciated by most supernatural beings. The events of Dead Ever After begin a few weeks after Deadlocked, the previous book, ends. Sookie and her boss, Sam Merlotte, are trying to cope after Sookie brought Sam back to life, and life is bumpily moving along until Sookie's old waitress friend (who tried to murder her) is suddenly released from jail. When she turns up dead after asking Sookie for her old job back, Sookie becomes the prime suspect in the murder. Her group of friends bands together to help clear her name, while encountering twists and turns along the way. Does Sookie end up with her past vampire flame, Bill Compton, her current vampire lover Sheriff Eric, werewolf Alcide or shapeshifter Sam? I encourage you to read the book and discover for yourself! Although the HBO series TrueBlood is based on these books, the books are much different than the television show. Visit Charlaine Harris at www.charlaineharris.com and on facebook.com/Charlaine Harris to learn more about her writings. I had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Harris at a Mississippi Library Association Conference several years ago and enjoyed spending my evening talking to her and discussing what would happen if HBO decided to bring her characters to life. I wish her good luck as we say goodbye to Sookie Stackhouse--you will be missed!
This book is dedicated to the loyalreaders who have followed this series from beginning to end. Some of you were reading the books before True Blood, and some came after, but you were all amazingly generous with your ideas, speculations, and votes on Sookie's future. There isn't a way I could make all of you happy with the ending of the series, so I've followed my own plan, the one I've had all along, and I hope you agree that it's fitting.