First published in 2011
Thickness: 325 pages
With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects otherwise and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit - and the twisted motive for the attack. But her attention is divided. Though she can't 'read' vampires, Sookie knows her lover Eric Northman and his 'child' Pam well - and she realises that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, she is drawn into the plot -which is much more complicated than she knows. Caught up in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human - and that there is a new Queen on the board . . . (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7981206-dead-reckoning)
I postponed writing this review.
Why?
Because I wasn't sure what I thought of it. I'm still not entirely positive or negative about this 11th installment in the Southern Vampire aka Sookie Stackhouse series.
For starters it was better than the previous novel. Man, I'll tell you again, that was a bad little piece of fiction, not entirely rubbish because it still features a lot of recognizable characters I learned to love and cherish, but they didn't do a very good job in Dead in the family.
But to get back to the topic, Dead Reckoning was better, if only infinitesimal.
The action was better, the novel had more structure, but in the end I wasn't enthralled by the whiney Sookie. What happened to that girl that stuck up for herself. It seems that 'love' has taken the fight out of her. I yayed for her when she released herself from the bond between her and Eric (Thanks Amelia!!) but her reaction afterwards was just plain pathetic.
And to be truthful I wondered why she didn't inform Eric beforehand (he might try to talk her out of it?? That was the answer she gave herself) God, I felt like she was more and more becoming like Bella instead of the powerful Sookie.
In the end, she came through though. I wonder what direction she will take now. I still don't like her with Eric.
And just to throw them in. A few things that bothered me.
Sandra Pelt.. She was there, and then not, and then again, and then not again, until she met an untimely death. She seemed like an annoying fly that keeps bugging you, but mostly I felt like it was meant as a pagefiller. What to do with Sookie when all things quiet down for a while?? Oh wait, let's worry for her life, as Sandra Pelt is after her again.
What was with the naked hideout in Bill's house? Does she really need to turn his head around like that? I know it was from a survival point of view, but still.. it felt quite redundant. I was glad to hear what became of him and Judith (see previous novel).
Well, that's it. Still looking forward to the next one, although with less anticipation than before.
