Eleven books later, Harris' latest installment, Deadlocked, finds us once again with the cast of characters in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie's vampire boyfriend, Eric, has had an unfortunate incident at his mansion involving a desperate young woman, illicit fairy blood, and an untimely death. Eric is being framed for murder, but no one seems know why. As if that weren't enough, weighing heavily on Sookie's mind is the magical "cluviel dor," left to her by her beloved Gran, which can grant the owner one very powerful wish.
The storyline of Deadlocked is clever, and the characters as comfortable as an old sweater. Harris' writing is fun and engaging. But unlike in earlier books, Sookie is tired. From the opening pages to the bitter end, Sookie is simply exhausted, both physically and emotionally. In her many adventures, Sookie has seen it all - more supernatural creatures than you can count, her heart broken and broken again, and numerous attempts on her life. But through everything, Sookie has maintained her spunky spirit and eternal optimism- until now.
In Deadlocked, Sookie spends much of her time either sleeping or wishing she was in bed, and not for the reasons we have come to expect in Harris' novels. By the end of the novel, the mystery is solved but poor Sookie is just too exhausted to care.
Don't get me wrong - Harris' books are always a fun, quirky ride with a great cast of characters. Especially if you are already a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse books, Deadlocked is a good installment, but it is far from Harris' best. With everything she's been through, Sookie is going to need a nice, long vacation.
