Club Dead

Written by Charlaine Harris

Narrated by Johanna Parker

In this entry from Anthony Award winner Charlaine Harris' New York Times best-selling series, the gorgeous and feisty telepath hits the road to find her missing boyfriend, who may have run off with his former lover- a notorious vamp. "Club Dead is ideal for readers who like their vampire fiction light, humorous, and fast-paced."-Booklist

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 12, 2008
• ISBN: 9781436146227

Charlaine Harris

Charlaine Harris is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing for over thirty years. She was born and raised in the Mississippi River Delta area. She has written four series, and two stand-alone novels, in addition to numerous short stories, novellas, and graphic novels (cowritten with Christopher Golden). Her Sookie Stackhouse books have appeared in twenty-five different languages and on many bestseller lists. They’re also the basis of the HBO series True Blood. Harris now lives in Texas, and when she is not writing her own books, she reads omnivorously. Her house is full of rescue dogs.

Reviews for Club Dead

[burrowk-446725 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

OK, it's RIME of the Ancient Mariner not Rhyme. Booooo...a writer should know better.

Too romance-y for me. But I have the next one and didn't hate the book and it's a quick read and good for the beach when there are loud drunken idiots nearby and you need something that doesn't take great concentration.

[Kelly Kandra Hughes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In my top 3 of Sookie Stack house books! And, this is the book that introduces Alcide, so you know it's good.

[Jessica Rawlings · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The book is probably really great but unfortunately I didn’t not get the full version. It skipped over several chapters even when I downloaded it to my device. I’m very disappointed in this audio version of this book.

[Kevin Wilcox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Love how the narrator interprets the book. She does a nice southern accent.

[anivyl_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story goes on... Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress with a unique ability - Telepathy. In this installment, her lover, Bill, appeared to be more focus on his "project" than on her. And then, he went off for a supposed meeting. After a werewolf attacked her, Eric Northman called upon her to let her know Bill's disappeared.Again, throughout this book, what really appealed to me about Sookie was her spunk, determination and clear sense of wrong and right. While Charlaine probably didn't intend this, vampires appear to represent an anonymous group of people who are malign and disliked - and Sookie is the breath of fresh air who "knows" they are human and treats them as such. Dead or alive. That, again, is a beautiful characteristic of Sookie.Also, the suspense felt through out the book was cleverly weaved. One question might be answered (did Bill deliberately cheat on Sookie?) and another one arises (how did he disappear? was he kidnapped?).Thank you for such a wonderful book

[bre · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Hilarious ending!Loved the book, so Excited for the next one.

[bookmagic_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Club Dead This is the third in the Sookie Stackhouse Vampire Series. Vampire Bill is working on a secret project and neglecting Sookie. Then he tells her if anything happens to him, she will be safe with Vampire Eric and to keep his computer files hidden. The next thing Sookie knows is Bill is gone and Eric tells her that Bill left her for a former vampire flame but may now be captive in Mississippi, by their head Vampire.So Sookie, though furious at Bill, is off to Jackson in the company of a Werewolf, to use her telepathic abilities to try and find and save Bill.I thought this book was a bit different from the last two. There was a lot less of Bill in this on, but a lot more of Eric. Sookie finds herself not only attracted to Eric, but also Alcide, the werewolf, helping her to get into Club Dead, were the vampire king and his friends hang out. Sookie is also getting more assertive and ready to kick some ass. However, Sookie is also aware that everything that keeps happening to her is a result of her relationship with Bill. She never had so many people trying to kill her before she started dating a vampire. But she never knew love before either. Sookie is determined to save Bill but unsure of where their relationship will go once he is safe.I really like Vampire Eric in this book. He is definitely more than sexually attracted to Sookie, and not very happy about these feelings. We also meet more supernatural people in each installment. The story seemed a little disjointed at times, with a lot of stuff going on. There also seems to be more violence. I knid of wonder what else can happen to Sookie. Luckily, she has access to the all-healing vampire blood. Although I didn't like this one quite as much as the first two, I look forward to the next one. I just don't know who to root for, Bill or Eric. I didn't like Bill as much, but there are several more books in the series, so he has a chance to redeem himself.my rating 3/5

[meggo_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Sookie Stackhouse story in which her relationship with Bill the Vampire takes a turn after he is kidnapped after betraying Sookie. This book introduces a growing rift between Sookie and Bill that will be more fully explored in later books, and the tension keeps the pages turning.

[elliepotten · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another Southern Vampire mystery that hit the spot beautifully, as I hoped. Although it started a little slowly, by the end it was racing along nicely and I ended up staying up and finishing it in the early hours of the morning because I couldn't wait another day!It being the third book in the series, there isn't too much I can say without giving things away that I shouldn't... Bill leaves on a secret 'mission' for the vampire queen of Louisiana and then goes missing, only for Eric and Pam to land a hefty blow on Sookie when they tell her what he's really been up to. Despite this she heads straight off to Jackson, Mississippi, with the dashing werewolf Alcide on hand to help her infiltrate the local Supe scene, to find out what's happened. Throw in a sprinkling of all the usual drama: damsels in distress, handsome heroes, supernatural intrigue and violent clashes with the bad guys, along with a dose of Sookie's wry humour and the irrepressible Eric's determination to seduce her one way or another, and you've got another cracking little read. Looking forward to the next one - and to buying up the rest of the series for my future reading pleasure!

[natsplatt1waines · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another delicious helping in the Sookie series! I just love these books, pure unadulterated fun and escapism! And the more I read, the more I fall for Eric!! I thought Bill was my one true love, but alas, he's being replaced!!

[reckshow · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A really quick read - 4 hours! (It's not a very long book.) Still not a huge fan of the dialogue, but the plot is fun. Great summer reading.

[millett23 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Love these books! Cant wait to start book 4. I am so Team Eric =)

[anniik_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Yeah, just like in Twilight, the shifters bore me. *yawn*

[jadedlioness · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The first two books did not excite me that much but the third had everything I'd expect a decent supernatural/urban fantasy novel to have. It was funny, exciting, mysterious and kept me hooked. Unlike the first two books I actually finished this one wanting more.

[gcamp_8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sookie Stackhouse finds out that her boyfriend Bill has been seeing his old girlfriend and she is very upset with him. Even so, she still loves him enough to travel to Mississippi to try and rescue him. In the process she partners with a handsome werewolf, and the vampire Eric in order to rescue Bill. She gets to go to a hot vampire club, and as usual gets in deeper than she should. She finds out that Bill has been working on a secret project which is what has gotten him in trouble, but after rescuing him she is not sure how she feels about her relationship. At the end of the story, she kicks Bill and Eric out of her home because she needs some distance and some time to think and recover from all of her injuries.

[catalogthis · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Meh. Here endeth my relationship with the Sookie Stackhouse series.

[jennybeast · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sookie is just such a great character: practical, uncomplaining and hilarious.

[booksandliquids · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Why did I continue with this? 1) As I said before, it works well while cleaning, hanging up clothes etc. and 2) I am really bad at just canceling books or series.

I enjoyed this book more than the one before, because Bill's not in it for the most part. That's a great improvement. When he shows up again, things get worse.

The story is still really rape-y and I cannot press this enough:

THIS IS NOT ROMANTIC BEHAVIOUR!

Please, if you have little experience with relationships and read this book, know this: NOBODY is allowed to do sexual things to you against your will and you are right to hate them afterwards, not love them. Abusing you is not a sign of love or affection, it is a warning sign that you should get out of there while you still can. You owe NOBODY affection just because they say nice things, but do bad things. Abuse is not counterbalanced by nice things.

HE RAPES HER FOR PETE'S SAKE and what she's angry about is him cheating on her with another vampire. Also, about five minutes afterwards she thinks about how she wants to hump his bones.

I don't get why Bill is supposed to be the good guy in this. He is nothing but an asshole to Sookie (see above) and when he's not, he's super possessive and it's romanticized. That's one thing this book is perfect for: As an example in self-help classes for victims of abusive relationships. No sarcasm here, I totally mean that.

Everybody is really hormonal, to the point where you get the impression that the protagonists are not adults or ancient vampires, but teenagers. Seriously, why would 2000-year old vampires act like teens? Do they evolve in reverse?

Except Pam. I like Pam. She seems to be the only normal named character.

The solution of the plot was as lazy and disappointing (or... anticlimactic) than in the book before. It was a good story with great potential, but in the end I was left thinking "Is everyone here very stupid?" From people/vampires, who are described as witty, intellligent, scheming etc., I would expect more.

I am still searching for a good urban fantasy book series with vampires, but without romanticized rape and abuse. Plus, if not every named character falls in love with the heroine, who is intelligent, except for when she isn't, because she needs to be saved.

[lara9it · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Notes: This is, for now, my favourite book in the series and it's not a coincidence that Bill goes missing for the most of it.
I'm quite torn about this series since, while I like the stories a lot and I'm curious about what'll happen next, I can't stand very much 2 of the major characters: Sookie & Bill. I find both of them quite annoying & their relationship just doesn't trasmit me anything...however for 2 I don't like there are some I love! First of all Eric that I liked from the start and that I find a very interesting character with his complex personality (moreover he's HOT!!!), then his two sidekicks Pam & Chow who at least have some sort of self control in front of Sookie's "charm"...cause I don't understand why all the guys fall in love/lust with her (and maybe i'm a little jelous too)! In the end i know I'll continue to read this series because I'd like to know where the story will go (hoping in some changes along the way) but it probably would never been one of my fav series in the genre even if there were the premises for being just that.

[sunshine608 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I felt like this book dragged in the middle.

[payday1999-430350 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the 3rd in the series and it's darker than the first two books. It was a good read and I still love Sookie.

[allandanybooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Once again, Charlaine Harris is successful in making Sookie Stackhouse interesting. This book wasn't my favorite but I did like the new characters and especially the little romance happening between Sookie and Eric. This book left the series in such a state that I cannot wait to read the next book in the series and I'm pretty sure it's going to stay interesting with all the new characters and plot twists in this series.

[lrobe190 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Things between cocktail waitress Sookie and her vampire boyfriend Bill seem to be going excellently (apart from the small matter of him being undead) until he leaves town for a while. A long while. Bill's sinister boss Eric has an idea of where to find him, whisking her off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. When she finally catches up with the errant vampire, he is in big trouble and caught in an act of serious betrayal. This raises serious doubts as to whether she should save him or start sharpening a few stakes of her own.I love reading the Sookie Stackhouse series. Even though most of the characters are paranoral, Harris makes them seem real. Exciting, romantic, and funny..

[bookworm148 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While I liked this book more than the previous two (mainly because I love Eric), there were still some major issues for me. The biggest one being that I didn't understand why Bill had left until the end of the book. This would have been fine if Sookie (who's point of view we are reading from) didn't know before me. Apparently she understood the "secret project" that he had been working on for some time now. When did she actually look at the discs?I remember her retrieving the computer and stuff, but I don't remember her actually looking at what was on them. I also don't understand how Sookie could forget about the fact that 1) Bill left her, knowing that he wasn't coming back, and didn't bother to actually break up with her 2) Cheated on her with his ex-vampire lover whom he ran back to for no apparent reason 3) He drained her 4) He raped her and 5) He acted like none of it happened and then tried to play the victim Most people don't forget things like that and want to have sex shortly after. Sure, she eventually comes to her senses, but even that is half-assed. The main redeeming parts of this book were Alcide and Eric. They are both so much fun to read about and seem to have genuine chemistry with Sookie. Those passages don't seem to be forced or only focused on sex like they do with her and Bill. Maybe that's intentional, or maybe Harris just had fun writing these characters, I don't really care. I am just glad they are part of the story because I wouldn't have made it through this book without them.

[jrg1316 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My favorite book of the series so far. It's interesting to slowly see more and more of the supernatural world Charlaine Harris has created. In this book, Bill is missing, and Eric sends Sookie and a werewolf named Alcide to Mississippi to find him. Of course, it's not that easy, and there happen to be a few murders along the way.

On a side note, I really like Bubba. I understand why he wasn't put into the TV series, but he's very entertaining.

[readingover50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was another great book in the Southern Vampire series. I read it in one day. Unfortunately, I had read books 4 and 5 before this one, so I knew the major plot points before I went in. Even so, it was an interesting and exciting. This is the book where Sookie meets Alcide, and Bill is kidnapped! So it is up to Sookie to find out where Bill is being held. We get more of Eric in this book, and Bubba! Always fun to see Bubba. This is a good addition to the series.

[xiaomarlo · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The only way I could get through all the Alcide was to try to picture him as Hugh Jackman. Even then, he was so not interesting or attractive to me. Then again, I'm just not a "man's man" type of girl. I have the feeling that most women who read vampire romances aren't into those kind of guys, either.
I'm fast learning that the parts I enjoy most include Eric. He was awesome in this book, and I loved that scene with him and Sookie in Russell's house. I also loved him flying up and knocking on Sookie's window. Next to Eric, I like all the vampire stuff (I love Pam), and the were stuff bores me immensely.
I do like that Sookie travels around the South. I'd never even heard of Jackson or Shreveport before reading these. Being from Canada, the American South is totally alien to me, and before True Blood it held very little interest, but I'm starting to appreciate the intricacies of Southern culture. Once you look past the rednecks and the bible-thumpers, there's a lot there.

[angelarenea-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This review is full of spoilers.
This review is posted on my blog

I liked this Sookie Stackhouse book better than the previous two. I liked the relationship between Alcide and Sookie, maybe because they didn't just jump into it declaring their love from the get go. I don't really enjoy Bill as a character and even less so as one half of Sookie's love life. I think that he is a fictionalized image of an abusive, and controlling relationship.
This book held my attention much more so than the previous two, and didn't seem to drag on quite as much.
I continue to enjoy that 'unique' southern voice that Sookie brings to the story. It isn't apologetic and careful like so many books these days, afraid to offend anyone. It feels closer to what people from small towns thoughts would be.
I will continue this series at least until the next book, although this is not one of those series that just scream to be finished. I will probably eventually finish them, but I'll most likely need to take a few breaks.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Vampire Diaries books, or the Beautiful Creatures series.
Even though this is shelved/categorized as a mystery, I would not recommend this as a book to someone who is looking for a mystery. I also would probably not recommend this to anyone looking for a "serious" read, for lack of a better term. It was a little bit on the cheesey side, with some 'guilty pleasure' aspects to it.

Overall though this was not a terrible book, and there are significant improvements from books one and two (mainly, the fact that it got away from the unassailable couple of perfection trap).

[lvstrongpuff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I like this book because it intros the wolves and other shapeshifters into the story. It sucks about Sookie and Bill, but it leaves it open for the next book. (hee hee) You have to read to find out.

[fredacochran · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Awesome book! I'm thinking about rereading them they were so good.