Dead Until Dark is the first in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.
This book was recommend to my by a fellow book club junkie.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. The reason I gave 4 instead of 5 was because I thought it could have used a little less sex and a little more story.
Sookie is a telepath who lives in Northern Louisiana. In this book Vampires have been legally recognized by our government and therefore have some rights, although they are still greatly feared by most people.
The Amazon description reads:
Sookie Stackhouse lives in a world like ours - except for one difference, 4 years ago Vampires "came out of the coffin" and are now a legal part of USA society. In this way it's somewhat like the situation in the Anita Blake (author Laurel Hamilton) novels, but in someways I think better written in this book.
Sookie herself is unusual with a disability that makes dating a virtual impossiblity until a vampire comes to town and she discovers he's her (almost) perfect man. Unfortunatley, at the same time people start getting killed, which most of the locals see as an unlikely co-incidence, and in a small town that can almost be deadly itself.
The author has written a very readable book here. I'm not sure if it's the start of a series or not - if it's not - then it's still an enjoyable stand alone novel. Her characters are believable and likeable, and I don't remember any slow patches that make your attention wander. In fact, I read this in a day - the sign of a very good book for me.
