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Dead as a Doornail Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Dead as a Doornail


Sookie, a telepathic girl from Bon Temps, struggles with her life as she becomes acquainted with supernatural creatures such as werewolves, shapeshifters, fairies, and vampires. Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in a small town whose life has changed when she became acquainted with vampires. Now, her brother Jason was bitten by a were-panther and she knows he is about to change. Sookie drives Jason to Hotshot, the were community. Sookie notices that Jason is in a daze maybe because of fear or excitement or both. Today is the first full moon of the New Year. It is possible that he shifts to a were-panther in the full moon because of the bites he got. Sookie also notices that Jason's blue eyes have turned yellow. Calvin Norris, the packmaster, promises her that he will take care of Jason and will bring him to Sookie's house in the morning. Jason comes home in the morning with bruises on his face and scratches on his hand. He does not say anything and throws up in the bathroom. He gets on the breakfast table and goes back to the bathroom to throw up once again. Jason asks Sookie for coffee and tells her that he has had the most incredible experience of his life. Sookie feels relieved with Jason being comfortable in shifting to a were-panther. She wakes up to get ready for her shift at Merlotte's. She does her everyday chores while thinking about lifestyle of the were-panthers.
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Sookie reaches Merlotte's, meets Sam, the owner, and goes about her daily routine. She also meets the new cook named Sweetie Des Arts. Sam asks Sookie about Jason but they are careful with their conversation. In this world, vampires are already out in the open, but shapeshifters and weres are not. Sookie sees a new vampire who sits next to her friend Tara. Tara introduces Mickey to Sookie and she hurries to get the bill from the table because it seems like Tara does not really want them to be introduced. A fight breaks out and Terry tries to intervene. Sookie asks Mickey to break the fight but he refuses. Sookie is almost hit but the guy misses, and Sookie hits him with the tray. The guys leaves the bar as per Sookie and Terry's order. About an hour after the fight, a stranger walks in the bar and Sookie listens to her thoughts. She discovers that she is a vampire drainer. People drain the blood of vampires to use as a drug. Sookie tries not to interfere but she feels like she has no choice. Sookie distracts her by pouring a glass of wine accidentally over her coat. She hands over the coat to Terry and he finds the bottles of blood. He throws them away and gives the coat back to the woman. The woman knows what they did and she curses at them while she leaves the bar.
Andy Bellefleur, together with his girlfriend Halleigh, arrive at the bar the next night. Claude and Claudine, Sookie's fairy cousins, also arrive at the bar. Claudine tells Sookie that Calvin is in the hospital. He is badly hurt because he was shot on the chest on his way to work. No one knows who shot him. Sookie and Sam leave the bar. Sam gets shot in the leg and Sookie screams as she sees the pool of blood. She goes to Fangtasia and talks to Pam to meet Eric. Eric gives Sookie a peck in the cheek and gives a background of their previous romantic relationship which Eric does not remember anymore. A witch cursed Eric with amnesia and he stayed at Sookie's house for some time. Eric tells Sookie that Hot Rain called him about the penalty for killing Fangtasia's former bartender Long Shadow. Sookie tells Eric about the favour that Sam wants from him. She informs him of the shooting incident at the bar. Sam wants to borrow a bartender from Eric because it seems that Weres and shifters are targets for the shooting incidents. She tells him that aside from the two, Heather Kinman, a werefox was shot and killed. Eric decides to send Charles as a bartender for Sam and Sam, in return, needs to give Charles an unlimited supply of blood and a safe place to stay. Eric beckons Charles and tells him that Sookie is his master. Eric asks Sookie to dance and she agrees politely. She tells him about the new vampire named Mickey. Eric warns her to stay away from Mickey. Eric brings up the bloodied coat he found at Sookie's house before Sookie and Charles gets off.
While Sookie drives, Charles asks her some questions about the former bartenders in Fangtasia and her personal life. She also fills him in about the events connected with the shooting. They arrive at Sam's house and he asks Sookie to let Charles stay in her house which she refuses. Sookie works the morning shift with Terry who seems to be in a bad mood because of the rainy weather or Sheriff Bud Dearborn. Jayson and Hoyt are also in the bar that day. A man comes in and informs Sookie that he is a private investigator named Jack Leeds. He is hired by the Pelt family to investigate the disappearance of Debbie Pelt. Sookie killed Debbie Pelt as a self defense because Debbie tried to shoot her. Eric took the bullet for her. His wife Lily Leeds also arrives at the bar and asks Sookie if they can talk with her in private. Sookie says she needs to visit a friend who is shot by an unknown sniper.
Sookie and Jason visit Calvin in the hospital. Sookie comes in the room first and Calvin informs him that some people suspect a new shifter who hates being one to be the root of all that's happening. Calvin says that he will protect Jason. Sookie then tells Jason about their conversation. Jason tells her that if it was before he changed, he might have been tempted to do it. At home, Alcide calls her and she tells him about the shooting, and the private investigator. Alcide is a werewolf so he might be a target. He is also Debbie Pelt's fiancé. Alcide arrives at Sookie's house and tells her about how sorry he is that he believed Debbie despite all the things she has done to Sookie. Alcide tells Sookie that Colonel Flood, the werewolf packmaster, died and his father wants to be the next packmaster. The next morning, she gets ready for the funeral. The investigators arrive at her house and interrogate her. Alcide picks her up and Sookie feels that he is preoccupied about a were named Patrick. They arrive at the funeral and meet Jackson, Alcide's father and Christine Larrabee, the human wife of the previous packmaster. Christine informs her about Patrick Furnan, one of the contenders in the packmaster title. The ceremony starts and Sookie gets angry with Alcide for not telling her about it. Alcide tells Sookie that she owes him a favour because he knows she killed Debbie. He also tells her that her help during the Witch Wars made her a friend of the pack and she has an opportunity to take part in the ceremony. He also requests for Sookie to read Patrick's mind. On their way home, Sookie asks how Alcide knew about Debbie's death. He says that he smells a trace of Debbie's smell in Sookie's house and knows that Sookie only did what she had to do. Sookie tells him that she read Patrick's mind and that he plans to bring up Jackson's gambling problem.
At the bar, Sookie tries to listen to the minds of customers who look like they are capable of being an assassin. Sam asks her to let Charles stay at her house because Charles is not comfortable sleeping at the closet. He explains that Sam can protect Jason and her just in case something happens. Sookie agrees because she has been worried about it the whole time. Mickey and Tara arrive at the bar and Sookie learns that something is wrong with her. Mickey and Tara tells Sookie to leave and Tara says that she needs to back off because Mickey is her man.
At home, Charles wakes Sookie because he feels that someone is lurking around the house. It turns out to be Bill, Sookie's vampire ex. Sookie explains the events that happened and tells him she does not need her assistance. Bill leaves and Sookie goes back to bed. After a few hours, Claudine wakes her up and tells her that her house is burning. Claudine brings her outside the house and she sees Charles has killed the arsonist. Sookie does not recognize who the person is. She goes back to her house to retrieve some of her things but fails to go out so Claudine rescues her again. Charles calls the fire department and the firetrucks arrive with Andy and Sheriff Bud. A nurse arrives to examine the body and says that he is dead as a doornail. They find a membership card of the Fellowship of the Sun and the name in the license is Jeff Marriot. Claudine tells them that she is Sookie's fairy godmother which everyone dismisses as a joke.
Catfish Hunter gives Sookie the damage on her house. The place where she shot Debbie was burned. She stays at Bill's house and meets her insurance agent. She listens to his thoughts and finds out that he uses spells to protect his clients. Greg begs her not to tell anyone and Sookie lets the matter go. Jason arrives and wonders why the Fellowship of the Sun has some grudge on his sister. All their friends arrive and offer to help her cope with the situation. At work, Sookie has two visitors. Jeff's mother and twin brother tell her that he is not in relation with the Fellowship, but new evidence comes up so Jeff's family leaves. Sam comforts Sookie and kisses her when Bill interrupts. The two start to fight and at the end, Bill apologizes. He tells them that he wants to give Sookie a ride home. Sookie decides to stay at Jason's house instead of Bill's. The next day, Sookie clears out her house with Terry's help. Alcide arrives and asks why Sookie did not ask for his assistance. The contractors arrive and they share that Connie, Jackson's secretary has been arrested for attempting to steal personal papers from the company. She has been paid by Patrick. Alcide apologizes for making Sookie upset about Debbie and tells her that it was Sandra Pelt, Debbie's sister, who wants to continue the investigation. Alcide offers Sookie to stay at his condo with him and wants to go steady. Despite Sookie's attraction, she refuses politely. Andy arrives and tells her that the arsonist has no prior record or association with the Fellowship. Andy insinuates that Sookie must have done something wrong which ticked her off. She tells Andy to find the criminal instead and at that, Andy leaves. Alcide also leaves and Sookie goes on running errands.
At the bar, she finds Sweetie Des Arts outside and Sweetie asks her if she noticed something at the night Sam was shot and asks her if there is a connection between the shooting incident, and Sookie says no. Bill arrives at the bar with Selah Pumphrey as his date. That annoys Sookie but she then realizes that they no longer have a relationship and Bill needs to move on. Charles asks Sookie if she wants him to scare Selah and she agrees. Eric arrives at the bar and talks to Charles. Eric seems unhappy that Charles did not protect her and tells her that he has been paid to do that. Eric leaves just when Sookie told her that he was so sweet when he lost his self-identity, which intrigued Eric. Sam offers one of his condos while there is no renter yet. Sookie agrees and visits Calvin again. Sookie returns some books at the library and notices that even if the parking lot is empty, she senses excitement from another brain. She ducks but she is still shot in the shoulder. Sookie wakes up in a hospital bed and Jason is beside her. He tells her that he is relieved because with Sookie as one of the victims, no one is going to suspect him anymore. Sookie wakes up again and sees Bill this time. Bill tells her that he knows she slept with Eric and is really jealous. Sookie tells him about his own unfaithfulness. The next morning Sookie wakes up and finds out that someone has already taken care of her hospital bill. Claude arrives and drives Sookie home. He tells her that Sweetie was a former stripper who retired because she was scarred in a car accident. Andy arrives at her house and she tells him that she heard the shooter. Sookie reads Andy's mind and finds out that the bullet used to shoot her was not the same as the previous ones. Tara arrives and she tells Sookie that her boyfriend Franklin owed a debt to Mickey's master and is now using Tara to pay for it. Tara asks Sookie to ask for Eric's help which she did. Eric agrees to talk to Mickey's master in exchange for a favour. He wants Sookie to tell him everything that happened when he lost his memory and identity, and Sookie agrees. Eric calls Salome and she agrees to remove Mickey because he is breaking vampire laws. Eric tells Sookie that since she has been hanging out with shapeshifters and weres, the sniper might have smelled them on her. Mickey stands outside her house and throws a rock which knocks Eric unconscious. He uses Tara as a hostage for Sookie to invite him in. Sookie allows Eric to drink her blood and she also invites Mickey in. He slaps Sookie and as she grabs hold of Tara, she rescinds his invitation. Eric calls Salome again and tells that his master will be enough punishment.
At the bar, Sweetie asks Sookie how she knows to duck on time which she did not answer. Sam shifts into a bloodhound to smell anything from the sites of the shooting. They see Andy and he asks what Sookie's motives are. Sweetie arrives holding a rifle and threatens Sookie. Sweetie informs them that she has been bitten and became a werewolf hybrid during her car accident. She admits that she has been doing it for three years. She then turns and shoots the werewolf creeping up behind her, and Andy shoots her. Dawson was the werewolf whom Sweetie shot.
Alcide stands at Sookie's doorstep the next morning and tells her that she is now a double friend of the pack for helping save Dawson's life. She is invited to be at the packmaster contest. The next day, Sookie goes to the contest. The two men must complete tests of agility, endurance and battle, and the winner needs to mate with another were to continue the survival of their genes. Sookie sees Quinn, a were-tiger who serves as an arbitrator for the contest. Both passed the first test, however, on the second test, Sookie catches Patrick cheating. She tells Quinn that Patrick's second placed a drug on the gloves to numb the pain as Patrick is holding silver. He is declared as the loser and the pack decides if he can still continue. The only chance of Patrick winning is if Jackson dies in the process. Sookie gets wounded during the last test and Quinn licks her wound to heal it. Patrick wins the fight and is already declared the winner, and still kills Jackson. Maria-Star Cooper, another werewolf, comforts Alcide and blames Sookie for his father's death. Patrick mates with a younger were and all weres pledge loyalty to him. Sookie finally leaves.
At the bar, Bubba appears with a message from Eric. He tells her that he is not who he seems and that he is a hitman. He is pertaining to Charles who follows her at the back. Charles charges at Sookie and she thrusts her silver necklace at his mouth. Bon Temps men help Sookie to pin down Charles and they staked him. It turns out that Charles shot Sam to make an opening for him. Bill researched that Charles was sent by Hot Rain to get an even payment for Long Shadow's death. He also burned Sookie's house to make it look like an accident. Eric informs Sookie that he may need her assistance in March for a vampire summit. The story ends with Eric asking Sookie a question about the things he cannot remember and her response to his romantic question.
Best part of story, including ending: This story is action-packed and suspenseful. It is also exciting to know who the killer is because in this story, everyone is a suspect. I also like this series because of the HBO series True Blood.

Best scene in story: My favorite scene was when Sookie told Eric about their past relationship. Eric cannot remember anything but I know he feels something. I am a fan of Sookie and Eric.

Opinion about the main character: I like Sookie because she is fun and simple, and everybody likes her. You just can't.

The review of this Book prepared by Teresita Sy a Level 1 Blue Jay scholar

Chapter Analysis of Dead as a Doornail

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence 50%planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 20%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 20%Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places 10% Tone of book    -   suspenseful (sophisticated fear) FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?    -   fantasy story on current Earth Romance    -   Yes Magical Beings/Mental/Magical/Powers    -   Yes magical powers:    -   vampires Is this an adult or child's book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character

Identity:    -   Female Profession/status:    -   servant Age:    -   20's-30's If magical mental powers:    -   mind reading

Setting

Earth setting:    -   20th century Takes place on Earth?    -   Yes

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   explicit references to deaths scientific jargon? (SF only)    -   none/very little science jargon needed Sex in book?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   descript of kissing    -   descript of touching personal anatomy How much dialogue?    -   mostly dialog

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Charlaine Harris Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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