A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse: The Complete Stories)

A Touch of Dead is an omnibus of five short stories in the Sookie Stackhouse series by popular American author, Charlaine Harris.

Fairy Dust: Claudine, the only fairy that Sookie has ever met, comes into the bar with a request for help. And while fairies are notoriously bad tippers, Sookie will get paid for using her telepathic powers, so she agrees. They go to Claude's house (Claudine's brother, identical, who knew?) where Sookie, in her unique way, questions three of Claude's work colleagues at the exotic dance club, Hooligans. Claude and Claudine are certain that one of the three murdered their triplet (yes, there were three of these beautiful people!), Claudette. The culprit is uncovered, revenge is extracted, and the reader learns a bit about the fairies in the Sookieverse. A small but enjoyable dose of Sookie.

Dracula Night: Eric invites Sookie to celebrate Dracula Night at his nightclub, Fangtasia. Dress-code cocktail wear, so she buys a new dress, pink with sequins. She's quite amazed at Eric's almost groupie-like hope that Prince Dracula himself might grace their humble club, and consequently, his judgement is a little off. But Sookie has her finger on the pulse, and takes the necessary action, although this draws the ire of the club's patrons. A mini-dose of vampire fun.

One Word Answer: Whilst Sookie is doing some evening yard work with Bubba the Vampire, visitors arrive in a fancy black limo. The passenger brings news of the death of Sookie's cousin Hadley, and a legacy coming her way. But Sookie is interested in how her cousin met her end, something that, apparently, the vampire limo driver knows more about. Sookie is grateful that her talent for telepathy allows her to keep a poker face when the full story is revealed. Bubba shows some initiative when it matters. Sookie's enigmatic one word answer may not please all readers, but is guaranteed to bring a smile to most.

Lucky: Sookie and her current houseguest, Amelia Broadway, get a visit from Insurance agent, Greg Aubert. He's worried that someone has been going through his files. With a combination of spells and psychic talents, Amelia and Sookie find out just who has been in Greg's office, and quite a bit more besides. A vampire refugee is discovered, and Sookie is tempted by a puppy. A nice little interlude between Sookie instalments.

Gift Wrap: Alone on Christmas Eve and feeling sorry for herself, Sookie takes a walk in the woods behind her house, checking if there is any sign of what caused the noise that briefly woke her in the night. A naked, injured and definitely gorgeous man is not what she expected to find, but unable to ignore someone in need, Sookie takes him back to her house. The remainder of her evening is also quite unexpected, though hardly unwelcome. And the surprise guest who shares her Christmas Dinner is perhaps the most unexpected of all, but one who ensures that Sookie's Christmas is indeed a happy one. A sweet and funny dose of Sookie.