Dead As A Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse, #5)

by Charlaine Harris

Sookie's got just a month, before the next full moon, to find out who wants her brother dead - and to stop the fiend!

Sookie Stackhouse enjoys her life, mostly. She's a great cocktail waitress in a fun bar; she has a love life, albeit a bit complicated, and most people have come to terms with her telepathy. The problem is, Sookie wants a quiet life - but things just seem to happen to her and her friends.

Now her brother Jason's eyes are starting to change: he's about to turn into a were-panther for the first time. She can deal with that, but her normal sisterly concern turns to cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population. She afraid not just because Jason's at risk, but because his new were-brethren suspect Jason may be the shooter.

Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks - unless the killer decides to find her first.

The Sookie Stackhouse books are delightful Southern Gothic supernatural mysteries, starring Sookie, the telepathic cocktail waitress, and a cast of increasingly colourful characters, including vampires, werewolves and things that really do go bump in the night.

• ISBN10: 0575091053
• ISBN13: 9780575091054
• Publish Date: 11 February 2010 (first published 7 April 2005)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 29 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Gollancz
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[wyvernfriend]

Sookie is dealing with the aftermaths of what happened before, including her brother now being a were panther. She's still being investigated for the disappearance of Debbie Pelt. Then she finds out that there is a someone shooting at were. Including her boss. Then her kitchen is torched.

It's a roller-coaster of a book. Things happen almost every page and it kept me reading past my bedtime.

Originally posted at Miss Book Reviews.

Once again I could not put this Sookie Stackhouse book down. These books are getting seriously addictive! I find I read one then I read the next one straight away, but because I feel guilty since I have library books out I read a different book but then I’m straight back to the next Sookie book…

Dead as a Doornail is just as thrilling as the previous book. Someone is shooting and trying to kill all of the shifters in the Bon Temps and Shreveport areas. This worries Sookie because her boss and close friend Sam get’s shot and she worries about Alcide being around as well as her brother since he has just been turned into a were-panther. Because of this Sam asks Sookie to go to Shreveport and ask Eric if they can borrow a bartender. Reason being that he doesn’t want to hire another shifter while he’s off healing since shifters are in danger. Eric ends up loaning his new bartender who happens to be a vampire from the era where there were pirates.

In this book the suspense of trying to figure out who the killer is is exciting, while Sookie is trying to keep her secret about Debbie from Alcide and keep tabs on her bestie Tara whom seems to be mixed up with a controlling vampire.

Ironically Sookie doesn’t have a man in this book. She kind bounces between heated conversations with Eric, heated and painful conversations with Alcide, warm but a little awkward conversations with Calvin (The head of the were-panther pack) and Bill. Yet she doesn’t have a relationship with any of these men in this book.

My heart broke for Alcide and Sookies relationship in this book, I was on the Alcide bandwagon for the past few books but in this book things seemed to flip 180. It hurt.

Overall, Dead as a Doornail kept up the excitement, tension and intrigue. I’m looking forward to the next book.

Miss J
x

Another book in the series and the continuing adventures of Sookie. This book focuses more on Sookie's brother Jason and what he goes through as a werepanther. This book was good and fun to read.

[elysium]

The book starts where the last ended. Jason was bitten by a werepanther, Eric knows who he is but can’t remember what happened. Someone has been shooting shapeshifters and Jason is one of the suspects.

I wish there would have been more Eric and Alcide. Calvin Norris and Sookie is just eeww! Quinn seems interesting though. But why you need to add new guys all the the time?

I love that the books are from Sookie’s perspective because her thoughts are just funny!

[Eve1972]

I love this series!

[inlibrisveritas]

As always Harris has constructed a lovely and fun read, and I was not disappointed in the least. I love the way she ties together loose ends from previous books and introduces a future plot before you even get there. It makes it all much more believable. Can't wait to start Definitely Dead

[ibeforem]

I liked this one a little more than the last two. Sookie is getting more independent and sure of herself, and is less willing to let the men in her life walk all over her. I’m still glad that Bill is on the outs — so shoot me. I did notice that it seems like Sookie has developed a bit of a temper… I don’t know if her anger has been ramped up, or if I’m just now noticing it more, but she does an awful lot of yelling and storming out of rooms. I think my enjoyment of the series has been heightened by the HBO show, because now I have great mental pictures of the characters (especially Eric and Sam!). Also, well-read Harris fans will recognize the cameo appearance by Lily Bard.