THE COMPLETE SOOKIE STACKHOUSE STORIES by Charlaine Harris

For the first time together in one volume, the complete short story collection starring Sookie Stackhouse - with new introductions from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the series, Charlaine Harris. 

New fans can fill in the gaps in their Sookie lore, while old friends can revisit some of their favourite moments and characters. From investigating the murder of a local fairy to learning that her cousin was a vampire, from remodelling Tara's house to attending a wedding with her shapeshifting boss Sam, Sookie navigates the perils and pitfalls of the paranormal world. 

Gather round the bar at Bon Temps' favourite watering hole and hear stories that will make you wish that Sookie never left.

The Sookie Stackhouse series might have ended in a satisfying way, but there are still stories set in her world that I hadn't read before.

And that's why this collection, including all of them in one volume, was something I definitely wanted to read!

FAIRY DUST

A fairy walks into a bar...

No, seriously, she does. Claudine walks into Merlotte's looking for Sookie because her and her brother Claude need Sookie's help to figure out who killed their triplet, Claudette. They've got three human suspects: a stripper, a bouncer and the owner of the club.

But who did it, and why?

This is such a fun story! Sookie uses her telepathic ability to figure out who killed the fairy. I enjoyed it heaps, and liked finding out a little more about Claudine, Claude and fairies in general.

ONE WORD ANSWER

While Sookie is doing some late-night gardening with Bubba, a limo arrives at her house. A man who claims to be a lawyer by the name of Mr. Cataliades gets out and tells her that her cousin Hadley is dead, but that's not all he's there to tell her.

His visit entails more revelations then she expected...

I really liked the simplicity of this story. It's straightforward and gives Sookie some answers about her estranged cousin, but also has a few very cool twists at the end. Well-worth reading. 

DRACULA NIGHT

When Eric invites Sookie to Fangtasia for an annual vampire event to celebrate Dracula's birthday, she agrees to go, and finds out Eric is quite the Dracula fan. He's such a fanboy he secretly hopes Dracula will make an appearance at his party.

But when the person who claims to be the Lord of Darkness himself shows up, the unexpected happens...

I enjoyed this one too. It was a lot of fun to see the cool, calm, and collected Eric acting a little neurotic. Pam was great in this little story, her side comments made me LOL a lot.

LUCKY

When Greg Aubert pays Sookie a visit, hoping she'll help him figure out who's been sneaking past his spell to get into his insurance office at night, Amelia and Sookie investigate.

What that entails is a telepath and a witch following one clue after another, until Sookie can find whoever's responsible...

This was another great story that captured not only Sookie's world, but what makes a well-written short story really work. Loved it!

GIFT WRAP

Sookie's all alone on Christmas Eve, but when she goes for a walk in the woods and finds an injured Were, she insists on taking him home to make sure whoever attacked doesn't return to finish him off.

But the mysterious stranger brings a little festive magic to her lonely night...

Oooooh. This was a nice story that proves good things come to those who wait. I wasn't expecting the sneaky twist at the end. Very cool.

TWO BLONDES

Sookie and Pam head out on a roadtrip to Mississippi so they can do a mysterious task for Eric. Sookie doesn't mind going along for the ride, even though Pam scares her a bit.

Visiting the casinos and overindulging on buffets goes well, but when the meeting takes place, of course things don't go according to plan...

In typical Sookie fashion, her voice and methodical way of doing things sucked me right into the story. 

This was a lot of fun because Pam & Sookie get caught up in some hilarious stripper business. Not to mention how well their quick thinking syncs, and the little twist at the end was also very cool.

IF I HAD A HAMMER

When Sam and Sookie go to help Tara and JB with a home-improvement project, they didn't expect to find a bloodied hammer within the walls. Or the angry presence they unleash, and the nanny who might end up being the only one who can help them solve this old murder mystery...

This was an interesting take on hauntings, and also a great way to learn some darker and less known historical facts about Bon Temps. It's also always very cool to read any story that enhances just how much Sookie means to Sam. :)

SMALL-TOWN WEDDING

Sookie and Sam leave Bon Temps to go to Wright, a small town in Texas. They're going to attend Sam's brother's wedding, which should be a joyful event, but turns out to be another nightmarish incident in Sookie's life.

After the werewolves and shifters came out to the public, a lot of people developed a new prejudice against them. And this town seems to be filled with those awful people...

I really enjoyed this tale, and read it in one sitting. I particularly enjoyed spending time with Sam and Sookie, just being friends. 

Also, the closure she finally finds with Quinn was a great touch to the story. 

PLAYING POSSUM

All Sookie was supposed to do was deliver a bunch of cupcakes to her nephew's kindergarten class. Instead, as usual, Sookie ends up getting caught between a hostile gunman and a powerful witch...

This is another great story. I enjoyed how well the suspense and danger was captured in a school surroundings. 

The focus was on Sookie and Hunter's talent going up against the very real terror that grips American classrooms too often in real life. But the supernatural flair was also present.

IN THE BLUE HEREAFTER

When Manfred Bernardo heads to Bon Temps after his dead grandmother tells him to go in a dream, he ends up at a softball tournament sitting beside a pretty blonde woman who can totally read his mind.

He enjoys her company but takes a while to figure out why his grandma sent him there in the first place...

The interesting thing about this story is that it's in the POV of Manfred Bernardo from the Harper Connelly series and the Midnight, Texas trilogy. So it was very cool to read a story featuring Sookie, but seen through the eyes of a different character.

Not to mention the tease of Manfred's future.

The Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories is an awesome collection. Not just because all of Sookie's short stories are in one place, but also because the UK hardback volume is so nice.

I also enjoyed the story introductions by the author, because I love the behind-the-scenes stuff.

Sookie Stackhouse is one of my favourite characters, and one of the series that introduced me to urban fantasy and captivated my imagination so much. Dragging me deeply into this dangerous world of vampires, werewolves, shifters, witches, fairies, and SO much more.

Great book.

The Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories, January 2018, ISBN 9781473222311,Gollancz