15. 11/26/09 Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (312 pages)

Sookie Stackhouse's novels are getting more intense, and increasingly gruesome. The story starts with shapeshifters coming out (yay!), but is quickly followed by the crucifixion of a werepanther (yuck). By the time the mystery is solved and the installment is over, Sookie has been tortured, a werefriend is dead, and Vampire Bill seems to be back in Sookie's good books, dang it. Its hard to maintain a sense of lighthearted fun, though, when fairly major characters keep on turning up nastily dead and the heroine gets cut up by psychotic, sadomastochistic fairies. Not even kidding. On the upside, Sookie hops back in bed with Eric, which is delightful.