A Touch of Dead
Encyclopedia
A Touch of Dead is a collection of short stories from Charlaine Harris
's series The Southern Vampire Mysteries
. This title was released on October 6, 2009. This book only contains the short stories Harris has published in which Sookie Stackhouse is present.
. Published in Powers of Detection. It introduces another one of Sookie's
fairy cousins, Claude, and the deceased third triplet Claudette. Claude and Claudine are recurring characters in later books of the series.
Plot summary
In Fairy Dust, Sookie is working at Merlottes when Claudine the fairy comes in and asks Sookie to read the minds of some human guests of her brother Claude, who is also a fairy. Later, at Claude and Claudine's home in Monroe, she finds three people tied up in the house. Everyone involved (except Claudine) is associated with Hooligans, an exotic dancing establishment. Claude, who dances, tells Sookie that they believe that one of the people murdered their triplet Claudette while she was working at the club earlier that night. Claude explains that Claudette came to her siblings in spirit form to tell them of her death. Using her telepathy, Sookie interviews each suspect to discover the guilty party.
Characters
. Published in Many Bloody Returns. This story does not affect the storylines in the Southern Vampires novels in any way.
Plot summary
Eric's vampire bar, Fangtasia, throws a party each year for the vampire observance of Dracula Night, in honor of the infamous Count Dracula. According to legend, the Count will choose one lucky party from all over the world to grace with his presence. The book characters are amused by Eric's childlike hope that the Count will appear at his party, just like Linus
of the Peanuts
comic hopes in vain to greet the Great Pumpkin.
Characters
. Published in Bite. It introduces the topic of Hadley's death, which kicks off the events in the sixth Vampire Mysteries book, Definitely Dead
.
Plot summary
In One Word Answer, the mysterious Mr. Cataliades shows up in a limousine at Sookie
's home bringing the news of her cousin Hadley's death. The rebellious Hadley had not been in touch with the family in years, so they did not know she had become a vampire several years ago. Nor did they know that she was the lover of the vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq. It seems that Waldo, a former lackey of the Queen, was jealous of Hadley's position, so he lured her to a cemetery and killed her. Mr. Cataliades informs Sookie that Waldo has been caught, and that his punishment is in Sookie's hands - she must decide. Her answer surprises him, and Sookie notices that it also surprises the hidden occupant of the limousine: the Queen.
Characters
Plot summary
Insurance agent Greg Aubert asks Sookie (and her witch friend Amelia) to investigate a break-in at his office. He is concerned that someone will discover that he uses magic spells to protect his property and his clients. Amelia and Sookie discover that the break-in was just Greg's daughter and her secretive boyfriend, who is actually a newly-turned vampire. However, Sookie learns that two other agents in town have had break-ins, and all are getting excessive amounts of claims which may drive them out of business. It seems that Greg's spells have been using up all the luck in town.
Characters
. This story does not affect the storylines in the Southern Vampires novels in any way, although in a later book Sookie has a vague memory of these events.
Plot summary
In Gift Wrap, Sookie
finds herself alone for Christmas. Her brother and closest friends each have their own plans, and she perversely chose not to ask other friends for an invitation. She recalls that she heard a noise in the woods the night before, so she trudges out to investigate. She finds Preston, a naked, muddy and bloody man, who is nevertheless very attractive. To save him from further injury, she brings Preston back to her house and shields him from the Weres who come looking for him. When he starts kissing her, he tells her to pretend she found him gift-wrapped under the tree, and she succumbs to his charm. On Christmas Day, she is relieved to find a note saying he is gone. Her great-grandfather Niall Brigant
turns up on her doorstep, surprising her with his company. In the woods behind the house, Preston and a Were chat about Niall hiring them to give Sookie a pleasant Christmas Eve, tailoring the scenario to her personality, and using a bit of fairy magic to attract her.
Characters
Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing mysteries for over twenty years. She was born and raised in the Mississippi River Delta area of the United States. She now lives in southern Arkansas with her husband and three children...
's series The Southern Vampire Mysteries
The Southern Vampire Mysteries
The Southern Vampire Mysteries, also known as The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris that were first published in 2001 and now serve as the source material for the HBO television series True Blood...
. This title was released on October 6, 2009. This book only contains the short stories Harris has published in which Sookie Stackhouse is present.
Stories
- “Fairy Dust” from Powers of Detection (October 2004)
- “One Word Answer” from Bite (December 2004)
- “Dracula Night” from Many Bloody Returns (September 2007)
- “Lucky” from Unusual Suspects (December 2008)
- “Gift Wrap” from Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (October 2008)
Fairy Dust
Fairy Dust is a short story and extension of The Southern Vampire MysteriesThe Southern Vampire Mysteries
The Southern Vampire Mysteries, also known as The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris that were first published in 2001 and now serve as the source material for the HBO television series True Blood...
. Published in Powers of Detection. It introduces another one of Sookie's
Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie Stackhouse is the fictional protagonist and narrating voice of Charlaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries and the television adaptation, HBO's True Blood.-Biography:...
fairy cousins, Claude, and the deceased third triplet Claudette. Claude and Claudine are recurring characters in later books of the series.
Plot summary
In Fairy Dust, Sookie is working at Merlottes when Claudine the fairy comes in and asks Sookie to read the minds of some human guests of her brother Claude, who is also a fairy. Later, at Claude and Claudine's home in Monroe, she finds three people tied up in the house. Everyone involved (except Claudine) is associated with Hooligans, an exotic dancing establishment. Claude, who dances, tells Sookie that they believe that one of the people murdered their triplet Claudette while she was working at the club earlier that night. Claude explains that Claudette came to her siblings in spirit form to tell them of her death. Using her telepathy, Sookie interviews each suspect to discover the guilty party.
Characters
- Main characters
- Sookie StackhouseSookie StackhouseSookie Stackhouse is the fictional protagonist and narrating voice of Charlaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries and the television adaptation, HBO's True Blood.-Biography:...
- Sookie Stackhouse
- Human, telepath and barmaid of a local bar.
- Bill Compton
NEWLINBill Compton (vampire)William Erasmus "Bill" Compton is a fictional character from the The Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse series by author Charlaine Harris. He is a vampire and is introduced in the first novel in the series, Dead Until Dark, and has appeared in all of the novels since.-Human life:In the...
: Vampire and Sookie's former boyfriend. - Bill Compton
- Non-recurring characters
- Ben Simpson
- A blond man that works at Hooligans as an exotic dancer. He explains that his stage name Barry Barber and that he enjoys shaving clients. Had a relationship with Claudette but was angry with her because she told him that he was inadequate in bed.
- Rita Child: Current owner of Hooligans. Disliked Claudette.
- Jeff Pocket: Bouncer at Hooligans. Former lover of Claude, he hated Claudette for telling Claude to end the relationship with him.
NEWLIN
Dracula Night
Dracula Night is a short story and extension of The Southern Vampire MysteriesThe Southern Vampire Mysteries
The Southern Vampire Mysteries, also known as The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris that were first published in 2001 and now serve as the source material for the HBO television series True Blood...
. Published in Many Bloody Returns. This story does not affect the storylines in the Southern Vampires novels in any way.
Plot summary
Eric's vampire bar, Fangtasia, throws a party each year for the vampire observance of Dracula Night, in honor of the infamous Count Dracula. According to legend, the Count will choose one lucky party from all over the world to grace with his presence. The book characters are amused by Eric's childlike hope that the Count will appear at his party, just like Linus
Linus van Pelt
Linus van Pelt is a character in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. The best friend of Charlie Brown, Linus is also the younger brother of Lucy van Pelt and older brother of Rerun van Pelt. He first appeared on September 19, 1952; however, he was not mentioned by name until three days later....
of the Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
comic hopes in vain to greet the Great Pumpkin.
Characters
- Main characters
- Sookie StackhouseSookie StackhouseSookie Stackhouse is the fictional protagonist and narrating voice of Charlaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries and the television adaptation, HBO's True Blood.-Biography:...
- Sookie Stackhouse
- Human, telepath and barmaid of a local bar.
- Bill Compton
Bill Compton (vampire)William Erasmus "Bill" Compton is a fictional character from the The Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse series by author Charlaine Harris. He is a vampire and is introduced in the first novel in the series, Dead Until Dark, and has appeared in all of the novels since.-Human life:In the...
: Vampire and Sookie's former boyfriend.- Eric Northman
NEWLINEric NorthmanEric Northman is a fictional character in The Southern Vampire Mysteries, a series of eleven books written by New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris. He is a vampire, slightly over one thousand years old, and is first introduced in the first novel, Dead Until Dark and appears in all...
: Vampire sheriff of Area Five of Louisiana. He hosts a party celebrating the turning of Dracula into a Vampire. - Bill Compton
One Word Answer
One Word Answer is a short story and extension of The Southern Vampire MysteriesThe Southern Vampire Mysteries
The Southern Vampire Mysteries, also known as The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris that were first published in 2001 and now serve as the source material for the HBO television series True Blood...
. Published in Bite. It introduces the topic of Hadley's death, which kicks off the events in the sixth Vampire Mysteries book, Definitely Dead
Definitely Dead
Definitely Dead is the sixth book in Charlaine Harris's series The Southern Vampire Mysteries.-Plot summary:After surviving a Were attack while attending a play in Shreveport with her new boyfriend John Quinn, Sookie Stackhouse goes to New Orleans to sort out the affairs of her cousin Hadley, a...
.
Plot summary
In One Word Answer, the mysterious Mr. Cataliades shows up in a limousine at Sookie
Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie Stackhouse is the fictional protagonist and narrating voice of Charlaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries and the television adaptation, HBO's True Blood.-Biography:...
's home bringing the news of her cousin Hadley's death. The rebellious Hadley had not been in touch with the family in years, so they did not know she had become a vampire several years ago. Nor did they know that she was the lover of the vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq. It seems that Waldo, a former lackey of the Queen, was jealous of Hadley's position, so he lured her to a cemetery and killed her. Mr. Cataliades informs Sookie that Waldo has been caught, and that his punishment is in Sookie's hands - she must decide. Her answer surprises him, and Sookie notices that it also surprises the hidden occupant of the limousine: the Queen.
Characters
- Main characters
- Sookie StackhouseSookie StackhouseSookie Stackhouse is the fictional protagonist and narrating voice of Charlaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries and the television adaptation, HBO's True Blood.-Biography:...
- Sookie Stackhouse
- Human, telepath and barmaid of a local bar.
- Bill Compton
NEWLINBill Compton (vampire)William Erasmus "Bill" Compton is a fictional character from the The Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse series by author Charlaine Harris. He is a vampire and is introduced in the first novel in the series, Dead Until Dark, and has appeared in all of the novels since.-Human life:In the...
: Vampire and Sookie's former boyfriend. - Bill Compton
- Recurring characters
- Sophie-Anne Leclerq
- The vampire Queen of Louisiana, and Hadley's former lover.
- Mr. Cataliades: A lawyer who works for Sophie-Anne Leclerq, and frequently conducts business for her, his half-demon nature is not revealed in this story.
- Bubba: Bubba is Elvis Presley in vampire form.
NEWLIN
- Non-recurring characters
- Waldo
- A former lackey of Sophie-Anne, he was violently jealous of Hadley's position as the Queen's lover.NEWLIN
Lucky
Two characters from this story are mentioned in passing in a later book, but this story does not affect the storylines in the Southern Vampires novels in any way.Plot summary
Insurance agent Greg Aubert asks Sookie (and her witch friend Amelia) to investigate a break-in at his office. He is concerned that someone will discover that he uses magic spells to protect his property and his clients. Amelia and Sookie discover that the break-in was just Greg's daughter and her secretive boyfriend, who is actually a newly-turned vampire. However, Sookie learns that two other agents in town have had break-ins, and all are getting excessive amounts of claims which may drive them out of business. It seems that Greg's spells have been using up all the luck in town.
Characters
- Main characters
- Sookie StackhouseSookie StackhouseSookie Stackhouse is the fictional protagonist and narrating voice of Charlaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries and the television adaptation, HBO's True Blood.-Biography:...
- Sookie Stackhouse
- Human, telepath and barmaid of a local bar.
- Bill Compton
NEWLINBill Compton (vampire)William Erasmus "Bill" Compton is a fictional character from the The Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse series by author Charlaine Harris. He is a vampire and is introduced in the first novel in the series, Dead Until Dark, and has appeared in all of the novels since.-Human life:In the...
: Vampire and Sookie's former boyfriend. - Bill Compton
- Recurring characters
- Amelia Broadway
- Witch rooming with Sookie.NEWLIN
- Non-recurring characters
- Greg Aubert
- An insurance salesman.NEWLIN
Gift Wrap
Gift Wrap is a short story and extension of The Southern Vampire MysteriesThe Southern Vampire Mysteries
The Southern Vampire Mysteries, also known as The Sookie Stackhouse Novels, is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris that were first published in 2001 and now serve as the source material for the HBO television series True Blood...
. This story does not affect the storylines in the Southern Vampires novels in any way, although in a later book Sookie has a vague memory of these events.
Plot summary
In Gift Wrap, Sookie
Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie Stackhouse is the fictional protagonist and narrating voice of Charlaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries and the television adaptation, HBO's True Blood.-Biography:...
finds herself alone for Christmas. Her brother and closest friends each have their own plans, and she perversely chose not to ask other friends for an invitation. She recalls that she heard a noise in the woods the night before, so she trudges out to investigate. She finds Preston, a naked, muddy and bloody man, who is nevertheless very attractive. To save him from further injury, she brings Preston back to her house and shields him from the Weres who come looking for him. When he starts kissing her, he tells her to pretend she found him gift-wrapped under the tree, and she succumbs to his charm. On Christmas Day, she is relieved to find a note saying he is gone. Her great-grandfather Niall Brigant
Niall Brigant
Niall Brigant is a fairy, a fictional character from the The Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse Series by author Charlaine Harris. He first appears in From Dead to Worse. He is Sookie's and Jason's great-grandfather and Claude and Claudine's grandfather. He is tall and slim, extremely...
turns up on her doorstep, surprising her with his company. In the woods behind the house, Preston and a Were chat about Niall hiring them to give Sookie a pleasant Christmas Eve, tailoring the scenario to her personality, and using a bit of fairy magic to attract her.
Characters
- Main character
- Sookie StackhouseSookie StackhouseSookie Stackhouse is the fictional protagonist and narrating voice of Charlaine Harris' The Southern Vampire Mysteries and the television adaptation, HBO's True Blood.-Biography:...
- Sookie Stackhouse
- Human, telepath and barmaid of a local bar.NEWLIN
- Recurring characters
- Niall BrigantNiall BrigantNiall Brigant is a fairy, a fictional character from the The Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse Series by author Charlaine Harris. He first appears in From Dead to Worse. He is Sookie's and Jason's great-grandfather and Claude and Claudine's grandfather. He is tall and slim, extremely...
- Niall Brigant
- A fairy and Sookie's mysterious great-grandfather, who turns up sporadically.NEWLIN
- Non-recurring characters
- Preston
- An injured man that Sookie finds in the woods, not knowing that he's a fairy.NEWLIN