Sookie Stackhouse is off on another supernatural adventure, and this time she is bringing along Quinn, an event planner who happens to turn into a tiger under a full moon. The vampire queen of Louisiana has requested Sookie’s presence in New Orleans, and when any vampire, especially royalty, asks for something, it’s definitely a good idea to accommodate her. Sookie was planning to go to New Orleans anyway; her cousin, Hadley, left her estate to Sookie after her second death. Hadley was a vampire who met another untimely end, and she was also a close, personal friend to the queen.

Sookie arrives to find her cousin’s apartment sealed under a protective spell of a witch. She is also unfortunate enough to find a newly bitten vampire in the closet. The stasis spell kept the apartment frozen in time, and Sookie’s arrival broke the spell - and awoke the extremely hungry vampire. His presence in Hadley’s apartment raises a multitude of questions, and the queen is determined to find out what happened to her lover. Sookie finds herself once again embroiled in vampire politics and the target of attacks by an unknown enemy.

The cast of the previous five Southern Vampire novels is largely present in Definitely Dead, and some entertaining new characters make what is hopefully not their first and only appearances in Sookie’s life. Quinn, the sexy were-tiger, first appeared in Dead As A Doornail and becomes the newest, perhaps best romantic interest of the telepathic barmaid. Eric, the Sheriff of Area 5, and Bill, Sookie’s first love, both pop in to wreak havoc in her life once again. And Claudine, Sookie’s fairy godmother, reveals a secret about Sookie that will make for some extremely interesting action in future books.

Charlaine Harris crafts mysteries that are complex and unpredictable but also funny and touching. It isn’t often that a paranormal mystery can be so enjoyable without the gory violence that others in the sub-genre are full of. While it is difficult to escape the blood and brutality that have to accompany a tale about rampaging were-creatures and blood-sucking vampires, Harris manages to make it interesting without being gratuitous. Relying on twisting plots and amazing character development, she has kept the Southern Vampire series at the top of its game in this sixth installment.