Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

This is the fifth book in the Southern Vampire series, following on from Dead to the World

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty and well manner and has only a few close friends - which isn't surprising, since not many people can appreciate Sookie's abilities as a mind reader. It's not a quality that has the guys beating down her door - unless they're vampires, werewolves, or other supernatural beings. And now some of them aren't just friendly - they're family.

When Sookie sees her brother Jason's eyes start to change, she knows he's about to turn into a were-panther for the first time - a transformation he embraces more readily than most shapeshifters she's known. But her concern for her brother becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population - and Jason's new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter.

Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks - unless the killer decides to find her first....

Okay...so I am probably going to sound a bit grumpy with this review. I really did enjoy this book but the thing I am beginning to find is that the books are basically rehashed each time!

The main storyline is that someone has been shooting shapeshifters including Sam, Sookie's boss. The local shifter community suspects Jason, Sookie brother. In order to help out and have some protection, Sam (who is half in love with Sookie) asks Sookie to approach Eric (the local vampire sheriff who can't remember what went on with Sookie in the last book but would really love to because he can't stop thinking about her) to give him a vampire to work the bar where Sookie works. Charles dresses like a pirate and soon is charming all the locals!

As in the other books Sookie gets injured, her house nearly burns down, Bill (her ex-boyfriend who would really like to get back with her) tries to come to the rescue as does Alcide (who even suggests to Sookie that he would like to have a permanent relationship with her, even going so far as to include her in the process to choose a new pack leader).

With just about every supernatural man half in love with Sookie, including the leader of the local were-panther community, things are a little predictable, but still entertaining, and because I am a series junkie I will still read the next one!

Rating 4/5