REVIEW: Dead In The Family by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead In The Family (Sookie Stackhouse, #10)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: May, 2010
Hardcover: 311 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 5/10

Description: Sookie Stackhouse has finally settled into a relationship with the Viking vampire Eric, and her errant brother Jason seems to have his life in order, too. But all the other people in Sookie’s life – Eric himself, her former lover Bill, her friend and boss Sam – are having family problems.

Eric’s maker shows up with Eric’s ‘brother’ in tow, the ailing Bill can only be healed by a blood sibling, and Sam’s brother’s marriage is about to take place... or will it? The furor raised by the coming out of the two-natured has yet to settle; some people are just not ready to sit down to dinner with a man who turns into a dog.

Sookie herself is still recovering from her last ordeal. She’s definitely improving, physically and mentally, but she’s always going to have some dark moments now. The werewolves tell her that there have been strange and ominous passers-by in the Stackhouse woods; now Sookie is about to come face-to-face with one of her more distant relatives...

My Thoughts: On the heels of the last story, we see Sookie coming to terms with the losses she endured at the hands of the Fae. She seems to be settled into her relationship with Eric, accepting a new roommate and trying to help Bill heal from the injuries he sustained.

With ten installments to this series, I’m sensing a definite drag. There doesn’t seem to be much forward movement with the characters. I’m hoping it isn’t the series overall but maybe just this book didn’t work for me. Sookie’s intense hatred toward Eric’s maker seemed to have no place in this story either and the introduction of Eric’s “brother” was disturbing for me.

What I did enjoy was Sookie’s determination to help Bill heal. Researching his maker’s history, she is able to find another vampire sired by Bill’s maker. Unfortunately, this subplot seemed to be forgotten as I was left hanging wondering what happened afterward. Perhaps, I will know in the next book.

Overall, this was my least favorite of the series but hoping the next story will recapture my devotion to the series.