Thank you to Sandie Herron for another audiobook review!
Living Dead in Dallas
Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery Book 2Written by Charlaine Harris
Narrated by Johanna Parker
Unabridged Audiobook
Listening Time: 8 hours and 52 minutes
Publisher: Recorded Books (5/8/2008)
Originally published by Ace Books as a PBO on 3/26/2002
Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse lives in Bon Temps, Louisiana and works at Merlotte’s Bar and Grill. While Sookie works the late shift at the bar, Detective Andy Bellefleur ties one on, and they must call his sister to pick him up since he cannot drive home drunk. Upon arriving at Merlotte’s the next day, Sookie finds the cook Lafayette very dead in detective Andy Bellefleur’s car which had been left at the bar. It looks as if Lafayette’s bragging about a sex party he’d attended has gotten him into trouble. Who are the people who hosted this party, and who else attended? What are they hiding?
Sookie’s vampire lover Bill and Sookie herself have been summoned by his superior Eric who runs the vampire bar Fangtasia in nearby Shreveport. As Bill and Sookie drive to see Eric, they quarrel, and Sookie jumps out of the car. In the dark night, Sookie is accosted by a maenad, a creature that fills her body with poison via the wounds she inflicts on Sookie’s back. The only way to save Sookie’s life is to suck the poison out, which the vampires at Fangtasia happily do. They replenish her blood supply with their own blood which is very healing to humans. Her payback is to help the vampires in Dallas, Texas who have requested help in dealing with trouble from a group of people who have joined together to form the Church of the Sun that in the broad sense opposes vampires completely and more specifically may be hiding a missing vampire.
Upon her arrival in Dallas, Sookie is asked to read the minds of some local human bar patrons in order to determine if they saw a specific vampire just before he disappeared. With that knowledge, the nest in Dallas hopes to find their “brother.” Suspecting that he is being held by members of the Church of the Sun, Sookie and another human pose as a couple interested in joining the church. The pair is given a tour of the church but then is prevented from leaving, being introduced to vampire Godric who wants to repent his ways and “meet the sun” at dawn.
As a church member attempts to rape Sookie, she fights back and with Godric’s help she avoids deadly attempts on her life. Sookie escapes the church helped by a local shapeshifter. Unfortunately, members of the church pursue them and cause an accident. Sookie and the shapeshifter are upside down and trapped in the car when more church members chase them.
Will police arrive in time to free Sookie before church members reach her? What happens to the shapeshifter who helped her? Will Sookie find Bill and warn the vampire community of these church members claiming retribution? Will the missing vampire be returned to his nest unharmed? Will Godric meet the dawn? And if Sookie makes it back to Bon Temps, will she discover who killed Lafayette?
Johanna Parker narrates the audiobook superbly. She conveys the many emotions presented in this second series entry. Her reading brings the book to life and contributes realistic voices along with Sookie’s lively southern accent.
