by Christina Linhardt

Created on: December 01, 2009   Last Updated: December 02, 2009

The first book in Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire, or Sookie Stackhouse series, is Dead Until Dark. It introduces us to cocktail waitress and telepath Sookie Stackhouse. In this first book, the world has recently learned that vampires are real, and not just a myth. Vampires are now living and working along with humans, though some humans are more accepting than others.

Sookie has always been a sort of outcast in her hometown, everyone knows that there is something strange about her. She can hear people's thoughts, so it is very hard for her to lead a normal life. Sookie and her brother Jason were raised by their grandmother, Adele, after their parents died in a car accident when they were young.

Bill Compton is a new vampire in Sookie's small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie is amazed that she cannot read Bill's mind because he is technically dead. Being different herself, Sookie accepts Bill right away and they form a friendship that eventually begins to blossom into a relationship. Then there are a series of murders in their small town, including Sookie's own grandmother, and people begin to blame Bill for them. Sookie and Bill have to get help from Bill's employer, Eric Northman who owns a bar named Fangtasia.

Sookie's brother Jason is also a suspect in the killings in Bon Temps, and is arrested at one point for the murder of their grandmother. Sookie has to try and find the killer on her own, since the police do a poor job investigating. Now she must balance work, trying to help her brother and Bill, and many more things all at once.

Another key player in the story is Sam, Sookie's boss at the bar who also happens to have a huge crush on her. Later in the book Sookie learns that not everything is as it seems where Sam is concerned either.

Dead Until Dark is a modern take on vampires, where they walk among humans and can live on synthetic blood. It is also a great mystery, with tons of twists and turns along the way that will keep you guessing until the end. Harris does a great job of weaving in legends, myths and modern culture to make for an interesting plot. This book is great for the beginning of her Southern Vampire series, it is very attention grabbing and sure to have readers hooked.

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