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Dead Until Dark

Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery #1
By: Charlaine Harris
Narrated by: Johanna Parker
Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
4.5 out of 5 stars (72 ratings)
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Publisher's Summary

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much - not because she's not pretty - she's a very cute bubbly blonde - or not interested in a social life. She really is...but Sookie's got a bit of a disability. She can read minds.

And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill: he's tall, he's dark and he's handsome - and Sookie can't 'hear' a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting all her life for. But Bill has a disability of his own: he's fussy about his food, he doesn't like suntans, and he's never around during the day....Yep, Bill's a vampire.

Worse than that, he hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, with a reputation for trouble - of the murderous kind. And then one of Sookie's colleagues at the bar is killed, and it's beginning to look like Sookie might be the next victim....
©2009 Charlaine Harris (P)2009 Orion Publishing Group

Critic Reviews

"An author of rare talents." ( Publishers Weekly)

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Audible.com.au reviews
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Quite a different story to the TV series.

I have to say that I did enjoy listening to this book, plan to play book two next. That said it is not the most captivating story. Narration is fine for the most part, the male voices are a little too forced though.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Excellent book and I love this series, Johanna is brilliant as a narrator.
I can’t wait to get started on book 2

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Donnna-marie
  • 15-12-2009

Fangtastic!

Clever, funny & surprisingly well written. I hesitate to draw comparisons with other vampire/human relationship sagas, as all have value in this literary genre. However, this story, & I suspect all subsequent sequels, contains adult content that I would not necessarily recommend for the younger teenage reader/listener. Johanna Parker brings the story alive & is by far my favourite narrator so far.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • GinnysHex
  • 05-10-2011

Surprising

I have watched the first season of True Blood and didn't really like it all that much, it was a little too explicit for my tastes but I decided to give the book a go. I was pleasantly surprised and found it very hard to stop listening to once I started.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Sylvia
  • 22-06-2010

LOVE IT!!

I wasn't sure if I should start with the first book, since I've already seen the TV series, but I am so happy I did. The book is better than the show. I don't want to listen to anything else until I finish the series.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Kathy
  • 11-01-2010

I'm a sucker for Sookie!

What a great, fun listen! The mythology is great, characters are very likeable and the plot keeps you interested until the end. For those who have watched True Blood, the books are quite different. Certainly too raunchy for teens but a great adult read.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Julie
  • 12-01-2013

Not to my taste

I found this a whiney story with Sookie an annoying character. I won't be buying anymore.

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Nikki
  • 19-10-2012

A fun holiday read

What did you like best about Dead Until Dark? What did you like least?

There was a little humour there which was good, and it was a quick and easy listen. It lacked detail and character depth and Sookie was needy and a bit pathetic.

Could you see Dead Until Dark being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

This is the series that True Blood is based on and for once the series is better. The series is edgy, visually appealing and actually better written than the book. It also explores the characters a little more and Sookie is a more independent woman.

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Anonymous User
  • 01-08-2012

Fun and enjoyable read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a light read. It is easy to listen to and Parker has a good voice for the character which made her sound believable.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Rae
  • 28-04-2012

Loved It

Any additional comments?

Great narration. I like to list this first as it can make or break a story.

Loved this story. Easy listerning and very entertaining. Will be impatiently waiting for any new books in audio from this author.

I really enjoy it when readers with similar reading interests list their favourite authors and series. It really helps me find new authors too follow. Mine are Charlaine Harris, Jeaniene Frost, Jennifer Estep, Faith Hunter, Molly Harper, Ilona Andrews, Kresley Cole, Deborah Harkness, Nalini Singh, Coreene Callahan and Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Happy Reading

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • karen
  • 26-08-2011

Read the series twice and wan't to read them again

This series is my favorite of my books. It keeps you wanting more and more. A definite must read for all Vampire fans. Just excellent and the Narrator is excellent.

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Leslie
  • 20-05-2011

Love the story, the narrator, not so much

Anyone who is familiar with Charlaine Harris's storyline following barmaid and telepath Sookie Stackhouse definitely needs to listen to this book. I had already read the series on my Kindle when I was turned on to the Audible.com site. While not my first purchase, it was one of the first and I haven't been disappointed. Since I'm a fast, and somewhat sloppy reader, listening to the well paced book actually helped me to pick out details I had missed in the first reading.

The narrator I found a bit boring at times and sincerely wished that Mrs. Harris would have used two narrators, one male and one female, as another favorite author has done. The high pitched narrator doesn't always successfully distinguish the male characters by her voice and you have to listen closely to make sure you know who is speaking.

Otherwise, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a great book to listen to by the pool this summer. You won't be disappointed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Sophie
  • 25-10-2009

Thank god and just in time!!

Fantastic...read all the books and loved them. The audio books are beautifully read and really easy to listen to. Sometimes audios just arent as enjoyable as reading the book but Johanna Parkers wonderful voice keeps you absolutely captivated all the way through!
Thoroughly recommend these audios, although would advise parents as they are a little racy, i wouldn't want my 13 year old daughter to read this series...the twilight series is better suited to the younger listener.

17 of 17 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • samantha
  • 14-06-2011

Additively exciting

I was looking for a book to disappear into for a couple of hours and I found it !! Not a great fan of vampires etc but got the free try it download and loved it from the start. Characters are all great and refreshing to read a fantasy book thats not gone OTT and anything and eveything magical/supernatural - its not a academic read but more importantly its a good one! Even better just discovered its a series

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Jane
  • 01-05-2011

Very enjoyable

I first read 'Dead Until Dark' some years ago. While I didn't hate it, I didn't really love it either. In print, it's a fairly short read and I just didn't find the romance between Bill and Sookie all that compelling. Having watched the TV series, though, I decided to give the audio books a try and I'm absolutely gripped. For a start it's fascinating to see what changes have been made between book and TV show, and it certainly helps that I can now visualise all the wonderful characters from the show (partly because the novel is in the first person, some of the supporting characters are not as fully fleshed as on the TV show). But the books themselves are also richer than initially gave them credit for, and the length works well for audio. Yes, they are quite formulaic in some ways, but Harris has some neat tricks up her sleeve and can write comedy, romance and action scenes effectively.
Credit must also go to the reader of the audiobook, Johanna Parker. Sookie is quite a difficult character to give voice to I think - she has to seem moral without seeming prissy, and to resist the attention of various gorgeous men without seeming prudish - and Parker really pulls it off. A well-paced and enjoyable listen.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Cruella1313
  • 02-01-2014

Truly an experience not to be missed.

Any additional comments?

Everything I read I remember, everything I hear I remember...

So as you can imagine I will consume a book and move on never to return, this series of books however are the only ones I have gone back through multiple times. This is because the characters are so intricately designed they become real, the story lines while based in fantasy from the off never fail to surprise and thoroughly delight. I have never had such an all round almost tactile experience from something that I've read to make me come back to them so often and with that first time read anticipation it's nuts because I remember every word already.

They are utterly hilarious, full of blood-pumping action and downright hot in equal measure with so many more facets that will have you also coming back time and again.
The books do not copy the T.V. Show plot line they are completely different the anchors for both being the familiarity of the main characters but both being superb in their own ways.

A definite BUY IT NOW! you certainly will not regret it

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Shona
  • 02-08-2010

Sookie Stackhouse Series

Listened to all the books now, beautifully read and produced. Had no idea about the True Blood series till I read was on about book 5 but am just starting the second set of DVD's. Books a little more grown up than the Twilight series which I also loved, but will listen to over and over. Escape day to day 2010 with Sookie. Can thoroughly recommend!! Am now searching for my next series.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Pamela
  • 05-03-2010

Sookie Stackhouse

I am really enjoying the Sookie Stackhouse series, I have had the next one lined up after each one finishes as it's totally addictive and you have to know what happens in the next book. The narrator is great, when I first tested the sample I thought I wouldn't be able to listen but after an hour or two I realised she's perfect for the books. Would recommend these stories to anyone who loves a good vampire mystery.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Sam
  • 10-12-2009

Sookie Stackhouse

Wow the Sookie Stackhouse series is excellent, all the books on the Audible site, I consumed within a week, every waking moment, was spent enthralled and delighted by the characters, so well thought out by Charlaine Harris. My anticipation for the tenth book is palpable.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Andrea
  • 23-11-2009

Addictive

I bought this as i have listened to all the twilight series and read other vampire books, i haven't seen the series on tv and can't imagine it will be as good as this. it took a while to get used to the southern american accent of the narrator but now i am on the 4th book and will carry on buying all the series. very easy to listen to, hours fly by!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Rik W.
  • 03-02-2017

loved it but loved the TV series too - True Blood

enjoyed both the book and TV series both similar but both good in there own ways and recommend both

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Lisa
  • 23-09-2016

I'm hooked.

I generally don't listen to or even interested in anything vampire related. However, Skokie Stack house series had me hooked from he first sentence.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful