Sookie Stackhouse 2
Charlaine Harris
While working at the bar, Sookie notices that Andy Bellefleur is too drunk to drive. She makes him hand over his keys and calls his sister Portia to come and get him. Bill helps to take him to the car. The next morning, Sookie arrives back at work and notices that Andy’s car is still there. She also notices that the door isn’t closed all the way. She goes to close it so that it doesn’t drain the battery, but something is in the way. She looks inside the car and finds Lafayette Reynold dead. She informs the police and the entire crew has to sit around all day waiting for them to investigate before they can open. Naturally, Andy is a suspect.
Later, Bill informs Sookie that they need to meet Eric at Fangtasia because he has a job for them. Sookie is reluctant but agrees to go. On the way, they start fighting and the car breaks down. Sookie, furious with Bill, gets out of the car to walk home while Bill goes to look for a mechanic. In the woods, Sookie runs into a woman covered in blood. She tells Sookie that she is a maenad and that she has a message for Eric. She slashes at Sookie, leaving claw marks on her back, and tells her to tell Eric that she expects tribute. She is eventually able to make her way back to the car where Bill finds her. He takes her to Fangtasia for help. The vampires there take turns sucking out the maenad’s poison. Eric then informs her that she has been rented out to the Dallas vampires to help solve their problems.
Back at work Sookie tries to warn Sam about the maenad, knowing that they like strong men and bars. Sam laughs at her until she shows him the scars on her back. Sam realizes that it is impossible for him to stay out of the woods, especially considering that the full moon is approaching.
When it is time for her to go, Sookie flies to Dallas on a plane and waits for Bill’s coffin to show up outside. She is approached by a priest giving his condolences for what he seems to assume is the death of a loved one. The priest starts acting funny and tries to kidnap her with the help of some accomplices. Bill wakes up and saves her. They continue on to their vampire-hotel. At the hotel, Sookie realizes that the bellhop has the same ability that she does, though he doesn’t know how to control it like she does.
Sookie and Bill are taken to meet with the Dallas vampires. The leader, Stan, informs her that one of their own is missing. They want her to read the minds of the humans from the bar he was last seen at. She starts off with a young girl that remembers seeing him leave with a teenage looking, boy vampire. Eric shows up saying that he is someone else to make sure that Sookie is being treated well. While questioning more people, she realizes that there may be a bug planted. She finds it under the table and the vamps spill water on it to destroy it. She questions a few more people and finds that the missing vampire might be at the Fellowship of the Sun (vampire hating church).
It is decided that Sookie will go with Isabel’s human Hugo to the Fellowship of the Sun and ask about their program. While they are there, Sookie can read minds and find out what is really going on. Hugo seems very nervous at the start by calms down the more he is with the Fellowship. They are given a tour of the church and taken into the basement. Sookie asks to go home, but they lock her in a room with Hugo. She finds out that he betrayed the vampires and has been the one giving them information, such as the planted bug. Hugo is taken out and a vampire named Glen is sent in to rape her. Godfrey comes along and rescues her. He tells her that he is a bad person (child molestation) and wishes to end his existence as penance. She convinces him that working with the Fellowship is no way to make up for his sins, considering their evil plans to burn her alive. Godfrey helps her escape the basement, back to the area where the congregation is gathering for a lock-in.
Sookie makes some small talk with some people while she makes her plans to get out. She has some trouble until she is helped out by a shifter named Luna. They get out and fill each other in on their plans. Luna is part of a group of shifters that have been spying on the Fellowship. She decides to get Sookie out of there, but her car is rear-ended by Sarah Newland (the church leader’s wife). In a stroke of luck, there were many witnesses to the accident that are willing to state to the police what happened. Luna has Sookie taken to the hospital for her injuries. The doctor, being part of Luna’s group, looks Sookie over quickly and sends them along safely with a couple of werewolves.
Back at the hotel, Eric is waiting for Sookie. He takes her to her room and starts cleaning her up. Bill arrives and kicks Eric out. Bill tells Sookie about how he was part of the rescue squad at the Fellowship. The next night, they go back to the Dallas vampire headquarters. There is a party going on to celebrate the return of their missing friend. Stan shows Sookie his means of punishment for Isabel and Hugo. She is satisfied and joins the party. While talking to Eric, she hears people’s thoughts surrounding the house.
Sookie yells for everyone to get down just before the shooting starts. Eric covers her with his body to keep her safe. Afterwards, he convinces her to suck a silver bullet out of his shoulder. She spits out the bullet and whatever blood of his she can. She finds Bill outside killing the attackers and is furious that he sought revenge before even checking on her. She flies back home immediately and has Jason pick her up from the airport.
One night, Sookie has Jason over for dinner and he tells her that there has been some strange stuff going on. He finds it weird that there has been a group throwing sex parties that he hasn’t been invited too. Sookie also realizes that this is odd.
Refusing to feel sorry for her self, Sookie gets dressed up and goes to the high school football game. She sits with a friend form High school, Tara Thornton, and her significant other, Eggs. Her old flame, JB is also there. They talk for a while and end up kissing each other like old friends. She looks over and notices Bill sitting with Portia for the first time. She realizes how much she has missed him and when he comes over later that night, they make up.
The next day at work, Mike Spence, the coroner and funeral director, asks Sookie to attend one of the sex parties that Jason had told her about. She says that she’ll think about it. When she gets home, she calls Bill to ask his advice, but there is no answer, so she leaves a message. The next morning, Sookie finds a message on her answering machine from Bill. He has gone back to Dallas to help Stan again. Sookie calls Eric to ask if he will attend the party with her and he agrees, even though he has to play a gay human. When she arrives, she is surprised to see Tara and Eggs there. She is able to read some people’s minds and finds out that there are three people, including Mike Spence, who are responsible for Lafayette’s murder.
Eric takes Sookie outside and leans her against the car so that it will still look like they are getting busy. She tells him what she read. Andy Bellefleur shows up drunk waving around a gun to try and get answers about the murder that he has been framed for. Everyone sees the commotion and comes outside, not bothering to get dressed. Portia reveals herself from the bushes where she was also trying to prove Andy’s innocence. Bill arrives in a jealous fury and Sam in his dog form.
The maenad comes along and kills most of the party goers. Eric and Bill protect Sookie. And the maenad leaves, bidding farewell to her lover, Sam. Sookie tells Andy and Portia to get to their grandmother’s and convince her to tell everyone that they were there all night. Sam agrees to take Tara and Eggs home after Tara’s memory is wiped. Bill and Eric burn the house down, making it look like an accident. They are also able to clear Andy’s name as Lafayette’s wallet and blood are in the trunk of Mike Spence’s car.
Back at the house, Sookie is exhausted and ends up sleeping for 12 hours. Later in the night, Sookie realizes that she hasn’t gotten the newspaper and Bill retrieves it along with a cake left by Carolina Holiday Bellefleur. Bill realizes that he is related to these Bellfleurs and that Andy and Portia are his great, great, great grandchildren. He decides to do something nice for them and Sookie suggests that they need money to keep their estate going.