Book 22: Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

The newest Sookie Stackhouse.  I get excited every year when a new entry to this series comes out and even though they haven’t been as fun as they used to be, they are still a nice escape.  As usual, if you haven’t caught up with the series, there will be slight spoilers.

Deadlocked picks up a couple weeks after the events of the last book; Sookie is settled with her fairy roommates, her best friend is expecting twins at any moment, in fact, everyone in her life seems to be settling down with their partners.  Except Sookie.  Her relationship with Eric has been strained since she severed her blood bond and she has become wistful for a life that she cannot possibly have with a vampire. 

Her troubles with Eric are increased when she arrives to a party for Felipe de Castro, the vampire king of Louisiana, Nevada, and Arkansas, who is in town to investigate Victor’s disappearance.  There, Sookie finds Eric drinking from a half-were woman who is later found dead on his lawn.  Everyone is pulled into the investigation, but Sookie’s worries over her grandmother’s final gift to her, the fairy-made cluviel dor; a prize that many would be willing to kill her for.  Sookie is again pushed into a mystery that she wants no part of.

This entry is definitely not as good as most of the previous ones, but it was still entertaining for me.  I love the characters, especially Sookie and Eric, and I am even fine with the more mundane aspects of them that Harris throws in.  My biggest complaint was the lack of Eric, but I understand that it was necessary to show the isolation that Sookie has felt from him.  There could also have been more humor, there was far too much betrayal going on, and Harris hasn’t been lightening the mood like she used to.  Overall though, I enjoyed it and will be anxiously waiting for the final chapter in this series.