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Description edit see section history

With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it’s the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman’s front yard — especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.

Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five... read more

Summary edit see section history

With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it’s the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman’s front yard—especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank. Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it’s the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman’s front yard—especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank. Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down.

Characters edit see section history

  • Sookie Stackhouse: "Sook" - A telepath & 1/8 Fae; Eric Northman's wife (according to vampire law); Barmaid at Merlotte's Bar and Grill; Is five-six and busty with blonde hair and blue eyes; 27 years old
  • Eric Northman: Vampire; Sookie's boyfriend & Husband; Sheriff of Louisiana Area Five; Owner of Fangtasia vampire bar in Shreveport; Was a Viking when he was human; Is very tall with long blond hair and blue eyes; Is about one thousand years old and sexy!
  • Pam Ravenscroft: Vampire; Eric's second-in-command and progeny; Sookie's friend; Has been a Vampire since the Victorian era; Is blonde and sardonic
  • Bill Compton: Vampire; Sookie's neighbor and ex-boyfriend; Area Five investigator; Sells a computerized compilation of all known vampires; Has dark thick hair and dark eyes
  • Sam Merlotte: Shapeshifter; Owner of Merlotte's Bar and Grill; Sookie's boss and one of her best friends; A compact man who is immensely strong; Has messy strawberry blond hair and blue eyes
  • Jannalynn Hopper: "Jan" - Werewolf; Sam's girlfriend; Long Tooth Pack enforcer in Shreveport; Manager at Hair of the Dog; A petite woman with dark brown hair; Is insanely jealous
  • Claude Crane: Sookie's Fae cousin; Romance novel cover model; Stripper; Owner of Hooligans Strip Club; Has long black hair, dark eyes, a brooding face and rippling abs; At least a century older than Sookie; Currently living in Sookie's house
  • Great-Uncle Dermot: Sookie's Fae Great-Uncle; Niall's son; Fintan's fraternal twin; Half Fairy & Half Human; Manager at Hooligans; Has blue eyes and shoulder length blond hair to cover up his pointy ears; Looks like a carbon copy of Jason; Seven hundred years older than Sookie but looks to be in his late 20's; Is currently living in Sookie's house
  • Grandfather Fintan: Sookie's grandfather; Niall's son; Dermot's fraternal twin; Half Fairy & Half Human
  • Adele Stackhouse: "Gran" - "Adele Hale Stackhouse" - Sookie's grandmother; Raised both Sookie and Jason after their parents died
  • Jason Stackhouse: Sookie's brother; Bitten were-panther; Has blond hair
  • Michele Schubert: Jason's girlfriend
  • Niall Brigant: Sole surviving fae prince; Sookie & Jason's great-grandfather; Dermot's father; Closed off the fairy world from humans after the Fae Wars; Is tall and regal with white-blond hair
  • Hunter Savoy: Telepath; Sookie's deceased cousin, Hadley & her ex-husband, Remy’s son; Has dark eyes; Is 5 years old
  • Linda Delahoussaye: "Linda Stackhouse" - Sookie's aunt; Hadley's mother; Adele & Fintan's daughter; Deceased
  • Corbett Stackhouse: Sookie & Jason's father; Adele & Fintan's son; Deceased
  • Tara Thornton: "Tara du Rone" - Sookie's best friend; JB du Rone's pregnant wife; Owner of Tara's Togs; In her late 20's
  • JB du Rone: "Randy" - Sookie's very good friend from high school; Tara's husband; Father-to-be; A personal trainer; Has long hair and is movie star gorgeous but is not very smart; In his late 20's
  • Sara Sookie du Rone: "Sara Sookie du Rone" - Robbie's twin; Tara & JB's newborn daughter
  • Robert du Rone: "Robert Thornton du Rone" - Sara's twin; Tara & JB's newborn son
  • Holly Clearly: Waitress at Merlotte's; Wiccan; Hoyt's fiancée
  • Hoyt Fortenberry: Jason’s best friend; Holly's fiancé
  • Maxine Fortenberry: Hoyt's mother
  • Kennedy Keyes: Danny's girlfriend; Part-time substitute bartender at Merlotte's Bar; Was first runner-up to Miss Louisiana; Has thick and glossy chestnut hair; Served time for manslaughter
  • Danny Prideaux: Kennedy's boyfriend; Part-time bouncer at Merlotte's Bar
  • Amelia Broadway: Sookie's friend; Bob's girlfriend; A witch from New Orleans; Has short brown hair
  • Bob Jessup: Amelia's boyfriend; Hairstylist at the Happy Cutter; Recently spent time as a cat when Amelia's transformation spell went bad
  • Alcide Herveaux: Packmaster of the Long Tooth Were-wolf Pack; Sookie's friend; Has thick black hair and green eyes
  • Jackson Herveaux: Alcide's father; Deceased
  • Immanuel Earnest: Hairstylist at Death by Fashion; Miriam Earnest's brother
  • Brenda Hesterman: Co-owner of Splendide
  • Donald Callaway: Co-owner of Splendide; Has salt-and-pepper hair and mustache; He radiates a sort of middle-aged tan fitness
  • Mustapha Khan: "KeShawn Johnson" - Eric's daytime assistant; Lone Were-wolf; Very good friends with Warren; Wears his hair in a geometric burr, à la the Wesley Snipes look in the movie "Blade"; Has chocolate-chip eyes
  • Warren: Mustapha's friend; Is about five foot seven with straggly blond hair, pale, freckled skin and missing a few teeth; Was in the army for fifteen years; An ex-con
  • Duff McClure: Beer delivery man
  • Dorothy McClure: Duff's pregnant wife
  • Antoine Lebrun: Cook at Merlotte's Bar and Grill
  • D'Eriq: Bus boy at Merlotte's Bar and Grill
  • Terry Bellefleur: All-Purpose handyman; Occasionally works at Merlotte's; Andy Bellefleur's cousin; Vietnam veteran that suffers from PTSD; Raises Catahoulas
  • Jimmie Kearney: Raises Catahoulas; ~40 years old; Has streaks of gray in her long brown hair, which hangs nearly down to her waist
  • Annie: Terry's beloved Catahoula
  • Tombo: Jimmie's beloved Catahoula
  • India Jones: Waitress at Merlotte's; Kenya, Spain & Cairo's sister; Has smooth chocolate skin, cornrows and a stud in her nose
  • Lola Rushton: India's ex-girlfriend
  • Kenya Jones: Deputy in Bon Temps; A large black woman; Kevin's partner; Is in love with Kevin; India, Spain & Cairo's sister
  • Kevin Pryor: Deputy in Bon Temps; A small white guy; Kenya's partner; Is in love with Kenya
  • Spain Jones: Kenya, India & Cairo's brother
  • Cairo Jones: Kenya, India & Spain's brother
  • Jane Bodehouse: Merlotte's resident alcoholic; Is in her 50's; Frequently tries to pick up men; Was "Miss Red River Valley" and "Miss Razorback" and "Miss Renard Parish" when she was in her teens
  • McKenna: Tara's assistant
  • Cork: Michele Schubert's former father-in-law
  • Halleigh Bellefleur: "Halleigh Bellefleur" - Andy's pregnant wife; A teacher at the elementary school; Plans to name the baby "Caroline Compton Bellefleur"
  • Andy Bellefleur: Police detective in Bon Temps; Halleigh's husband; Father-to-be; Bill's great-great-grandson; Portia's brother; Terry's cousin
  • Caroline Compton Bellefleur: Andy & Halleigh's unborn daughter; Bill's great-great-great-granddaughter
  • Caroline Bellefleur: "Caroline Holliday Bellefleur" - Andy & Portia's grandmother; Bill Compton's great-granddaughter; Deceased
  • Faye de Leon: Bon Temps resident
  • Desmonde Cataliades: Part demon; Lawyer from New Orleans; Sookie's sponsor (like a godfather); Has a tonsure of dark hair
  • Diantha: A half demon; Mr. Cataliades' niece; Likes to dress in bright clashing colors and patterns; Has bright pink hair
  • Bertine: Mr. Cataliades' sponsor
  • Barry Horowitz: "Barry the Bellboy" - Telepath
  • Dan Shelley: Human; Night guard at Eric's gated community
  • Vince: Human; New night guard at Eric's gated community
  • Thad Rexford: "T-Rex" - Human; A famous wrestler; A hugely muscular man with dyed blond hair and reddish-brown bristles on his face
  • Cherie Dodson: Human; T-Rex's girldriend; Viveca's friend; A plump and perky woman with a light brown mane of hair; ~20 years old; Has a babyish voice
  • Viveca Bates: Human; Cherie's friend; A well-endowed woman with brown hair
  • Kym Rowe: A dark-haired woman; 24 years old; Was recently fired from her job as an exotic dancer for assaulting a customer
  • Oscar Rowe: Werewolf; Kym's father
  • Georgene Rowe: Kym's mother; An olive-skinned brunette with raccoon eye makeup; Is heavily tattooed
  • Harp Powell: Author; Has coppery brown hair and a short beard; He wears gold-rimmed glasses
  • Cara Ambroselli: Detective with the Shreveport Police Department
  • Jay Osborn: Police Detective; A young guy with short brown hair and brown eyes; Is nuts about Cara Ambroselli
  • Givens: Police Officer in Shreveport; Has a starved, concave face
  • Mike Coughlin: Detective in Shreveport; A middle-aged man with short gray hair
  • John Quinn: Weretiger; Tijgerin's boyfriend; Sookie's ex-boyfriend; Is tall and muscular with a shaved head and purple eyes; Works for Special Events, the supernatural subsidiary of Extreme(ly Elegant) Events
  • Tijgerin: "Tij" (Tie) - Were-tigress; Quinn's girlfriend; A tall woman with tan skin, long brown hair and deep purple eyes; Is of Sumatran and Dutch descent; ~23 years old; European employee of Special Events
  • Francine Quinn: "Frannie" - Quinn's half-sister
  • Palomino: Vampire; Works for Eric; Roy Hornby's girlfriend; Rubio Hermosa & Parker Coburn's nest mate; Her hair is like corn silk and her skin is like milky caramel
  • Thalia: A tiny ancient Greek vampire; Works for Eric; Is known to never smile
  • Indira: Vampire; Works for Eric
  • Maxwell Lee: Vampire businessman; Works for Eric; Always dresses in a suit; Has ebony skin and his mustache is as precise as if he shaves with a ruler at hand
  • Wardell: Works at the tire place in Bon Temps
  • Heidi: Vampire; Works for Eric; Specializes in tracking; A fairly new vampire since she still has a living son; Her son, Charlie languishes as a drug addict in Reno
  • Colton: Human; Works at Vampire's Kiss, also worked in a club for Felipe de Castro in Reno; Has gray eyes
  • Audrina Loomis: Human; Worked at Vic's Redneck Roadhouse during the day as a bookkeeper
  • Beth Osiecki: New lawyer in Bon Temps; Jarrell Hilburn's partner; Is in her 30's; Has wellcut short red-streaked brown hair and blue eyes; Wears brown glasses
  • Jarrell Hilburn: New lawyer in Bon Temps; Beth Osiecki's partner
  • Mrs. du Rone: JB's mother
  • Donnell du Rone: JB's father
  • Roy Hornby: Werewolf; Palomino's boyfriend; Alcide's friend; Is five-ten with brown hair, brown eyes and a slim build
  • Rubio Hermosa: Vampire; Works for Eric; Palomino & Parker Coburn's nest mate
  • Parker Coburn: Vampire; Works for Eric; Palomino & Rubio Hermosa's nest mate
  • Bubba: "The Man from Memphis" - "Elvis" (but don't call him that) - A morgue attendant who was a vampire and a big fan, discovered that the king still had a tiny spark of life left and turned him; There were lots of drugs in his system which caused him to be mentally off; Other vampires treat him as a treasure and give him small jobs to keep him busy and out of the public eye however, occasionally he is seen by humans, resulting in the countless Elvis sightings that litter the tabloids; Has a penchant for cat blood
  • Christina Sobol: Famous author of "Dead History I" and "Dead History II"
  • Linda Tonnesen: Doctor
  • Sid Matt Lancaster: Lawyer; Recently passed away
  • Bellenos: An elf; Works at Hooligan's; His auburn hair is smooth and peltlike, his far-apart eyes are slanting and dark, his freckles are larger than human freckles, and the points of his needle-sharp inch-long teeth gleam in the light.
  • Gift: "Aelfgifu" - "Elf-gift" - Fae; Appears to be a perky blonde with a honey tan; Her skin is actually a pale, pale green and her black eyes show no white
  • Dirk: Fairy: Policeman stripper at Hooligans
  • Gabriel: Angel stripper at Hooligans; Has white wings & glowing golden eyes
  • Siobhan: A very buxom young woman with webs between her fingers; Ticket taker at Hooligans
  • Harley: Is at least part demon; Has reddish skin, black, straight hair and dark eyes; His nipples are pierced
  • Murry: Fairy; Friend of Niall's enemy, Breandan; Killed by Sookie
  • Breandan Brigant: Fairy; Niall's enemy
  • Felipe de Castro: Vampire King of Nevada, Arkansas and Louisiana; Has thick black hair with a perfectly groomed mustache and chin strip; Speaks with a thick accent
  • Victor Madden: Vampire; Eric's boss; Regent of Louisiana for Felipe de Castro; Deceased
  • Debbie Pelt: Were-lynx; Alcide's crazy ex-girlfriend; Sandra's sister; She tried to kill Sookie on numerous occasions and on her last attempt Sookie killed her instead
  • Sandra Pelt: Werewolf; Debbie's sister; Killed by Sookie
  • Marnie Stonebrook: "Hallow" - Werewolf; Was also head of a witches' coven; Liked to drink vampire blood; Deceased
  • Diane: Vampire; Deceased
  • Liam: Vampire; Deceased
  • Malcolm: Vampire; Deceased
  • Horst Friedman: Vampire; Felipe's aide; Is tall and angular with a square-jawed and short light brown hair and pale blue eyes
  • Angie Weatherspoon: Vampire; Felipe's consort; Has red hair
  • Alexei Romanov: Vampire; Former Tsarevitch of Russia; Sired by Appius Livius Ocella when he was 13 years old; Appius' lover; Insane; Deceased
  • Akiro: Asian vampire; Was Victor's new 2nd in command and bodyguard because Pam and Sookie killed the previous one; Now deceased
  • Sophie-Anne Leclerq: Former Vampire Queen of Louisiana; Deceased
  • Bruno Brazell: One of Victor's most trusted minions; Killed by Sookie
  • Corinna: One of Victor's most trusted minions; Killed by Pam
  • Lorena Ball: Vampire; Bill's maker; A short, round woman with a sweet face and an abundance of hair; Killed by Sookie
  • Sigebert: A Saxon vampire; Bodyguard to Queen Sophie-Anne; Wybert's brother; Killed by Sookie
  • Wybert: A Saxon vampire; Bodyguard to Queen Sophie-Anne; Sigebert's brother; Killed by Ra Shawn
  • Freyda: "Queen of Oklahoma" - Vampire; Eric is pledged to be her husband as arranged by his maker, Appius Livius Occella; Is five-ten with light brown hair and large slightly uptilted dark brown eyes; Has been a vampire for 150 years
  • Appius Livius Occella: Eric's maker; Deceased
  • Ra Shawn: Vampire; Had thin dreadlocks
  • Dewey: Human; Is very tall and pretty heavy, with very short gray hair
  • Van: Werewolf; A gaunt-faced, long-haired, bearded guy; Has dark hair
  • Kandace Moffett: Werewolf; A woman in her thirties with a pixie haircut; Is tall with light brown hair
  • Johnny Laidlaw: Werewolf; An airman from the Air Force base in Bossier City
  • Coco: Werewolf; A girl in her teens with very generous curves; Has straight brown hair that falls to her shoulders and bangs that are almost in her eyes
  • Callisto: A maenad; Sam's ex-lover
  • Patrick Furnan: Werewolf; Former packmaster; Owned of a local Harley-Davidson dealership; Deceased
  • KeShawn Johnson: Add a description of this character.
  • Desmond Cataliades
  • Ms. Ravenscroft
  • Appius Livius Ocella
  • Barry Bellboy
  • Aelfgifu
  • Gran
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “"We came to wish you a happy day," Eric said. "And I suppose, as usual, Bill will want to express his undying love that surpasses my love, as he'll tell you - and Pam will want to say something sarcastic and nearly painful, while reminding you that she loves you, too."”
    Eric Northman

Setting & Locations edit see section history

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Organizations edit see section history

First Sentence edit see section history

It was hot as the six shades of Hell even this late in the evening, and I'd had a busy day at work.

Table of Contents edit see section history

Chapter 1 - 16

Glossary edit see section history

  • Twoeys: The two natured; Shapeshifters
  • cluviel dor: A Fae artifact with great power, given to Sookie's grandmother, Adele as a gift of love from her lover Fintan; A creamy light green, round box trimmed in gold with a lid trimmed in gold; Is about the size of two stacked Oreo cookies
  • The Vampire Directory: A computer program which is a catalog of all "living" vampires who wish to be listed; Created and maintained by Bill Compton

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 12 of 24 in Southern Vampire Mysteries. (standard series)

Preceded by Dead Reckoning, and followed by Dead Ever After.

This is book 19 of 22 in Sookie Stackhouse: Reading Order. (community list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Charlaine Harris (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Ace Hardcover
Country: USA
Publication Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1937007447
Page Count: 336

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PS3558.A6427 D45 2012
  • Dewey: 813.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Adults

Contains profanity

Movie Connections edit see section history

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • The Sookie Stackhouse Companion
  • Dead Until Dark
  • Living Dead in Dallas
  • Club Dead
  • Dead to the World
  • Dead as a Doornail
  • Definitely Dead
  • All Together Dead
  • From Dead to Worse
  • Dead and Gone
  • Dead in the Family
  • Dead Reckoning

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