My Review of "All Together Dead"

Written by Charlaine Harris
Released in 2007

Eric (re Quinn): �The were tiger is regaining consciousness. Do you love him?�
Sookie: �Don�t know yet.�
Eric: �Did you love me?�

Now isn�t that an interesting question to answer � does Sookie love Eric? Maybe she does and maybe she doesn�t but one thing is for certain is that between Bill, Eric and Quinn, Sookie needs to make a definitive choice and stick with it.

For the time being we can assume that Bill doesn�t stand a hope in hell of renewing his relationship with Sookie. Even though she�s not as hostile with him in this book, it�s pretty clear that she�s unable to get past his deception either, so that leaves both Eric and Quinn for her to mull over.

Personally I�d opt for Quinn because while his penchant of saying �babe� is a bit annoying, he actually treats her more as a person rather than a possession and we�ve had very little to detract from him either. Okay, so he�s got a mentally ill mother and a slightly wild sister but they�re hardly big no-no�s are they? Also he does seem to genuinely love Sookie.

But the only problem with this one is that Sookie doesn�t seem to love him back. Yes, she�s distraught when she thinks he�s in harm�s way and certainly apologetic when Quinn learns that she�s taken Eric�s blood again but none of these give any hope for their relationship to genuinely last I�m afraid.

So, the more likely option for a romantic partner right now is Eric and I�m divided about this. I like Eric plenty as a character but he still continues to view Sookie as a possession rather than a person and while it was preferable that she drank from him than Andre (who wanted his own little hold over Sookie), it just seems to further the fact that Sookie�s attraction to him isn�t entirely of her own volition.

As for the main part of this story � Sophie-Anne�s trial, this is where the novel is sort of let down. Pages upon pages go with some deaths, subterfuge, plotting and the like and Sophie-Anne getting off is seemingly wrapped up in very little time at all. In fact if it wasn�t for the Fellowship�s little bomb antics at the Pyramid Of Gizeh, this one would�ve ended on a more underwhelming note.

- Amelia is currently living with Sookie and there�s hostility between her and Claudine. Tara also married JB while Sookie was in Rhodes.
- Better use of Barry the Bellhop in this one. Hope that bodes well for his future development on the series too.
- We got some great back story into Pam�s life prior to being a vampire. More Pam I say.
- Russell Edgington married Bartlett of Indiana halfway through this book as well, which I didn�t expect.

Probably the weaker of the books that I�ve read but still a decent enough story and it�s almost reassuring to see the FOTS being as relentlessly nasty as ever.

Rating: 7 out of 10.