Caught up in the politics of the vampire world, psychic Sookie Stackhouse learns that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human in this novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series —the inspiration for the HBO® original series  True Blood . With her knack for being in trouble’s way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte’s, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover, Eric Northman, and his “child” Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot—which is much more complicated than she knows... Praise for #1 New York Times  bestselling author Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels “It’s the kind of book you look forward to reading before you go to bed, thinking you’re only going to read one chapter, and then you end up reading seven.”—Alan Ball, executive producer of True Blood “Vivid, subtle, and funny in her portrayal of southern life.”— Entertainment Weekly “Charlaine Harris has vividly imagined telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse and her small-town Louisiana milieu, where humans, vampires, shapeshifters, and other sentient critters live...Her mash-up of genres is delightful, taking elements from mysteries, horror stories, and romances.”— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “The series continues to be inventive and funny with an engaging, smart, and sexy heroine.”— The Denver Post “Blending action, romance, and comedy, Harris has created a fully functioning world so very close to our own, except, of course, for the vamps and other supernatural creatures.”— The Toronto Star Charlaine Harris is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse and Midnight, Texas, fantasy/mystery series and the Aurora Teagarden, Harper Connelly, and Lily Bard mystery series. Her books have inspired HBO’s True Blood , NBC’s Midnight, Texas , and the Aurora Teagarden movies for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. She has lived in the South her entire life. Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Acknowledgements   Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17   Ace Books by Charlaine Harris The Sookie Stackhouse Novels DEAD UNTIL DARK LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS CLUB DEAD DEAD TO THE WORLD DEAD AS A DOORNAIL DEFINITELY DEAD ALL TOGETHER DEAD FROM DEAD TO WORSE DEAD AND GONE DEAD IN THE FAMILY DEAD RECKONING   A TOUCH OF DEAD: SOOKIE STACKHOUSE, THE COMPLETE SHORT STORIES   Ace Anthologies Edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner MANY BLOODY RETURNS WOLFSBANE AND MISTLETOE DEATH’S EXCELLENT VACATION   Berkley Prime Crime Books by Charlaine Harris SWEET AND DEADLY A SECRET RAGE   The Harper Connelly Mysteries GRAVE SIGHT GRAVE SURPRISE AN ICE COLD GRAVE GRAVE SECRET   The Lily Bard Mysteries SHAKESPEARE’S LANDLORD SHAKESPEARE’S CHAMPION SHAKESPEARE’S CHRISTMAS SHAKESPEARE’S TROLLOP SHAKESPEARE’S COUNSELOR   The Aurora Teagarden Mysteries REAL MURDERS A BONE TO PICK THREE BEDROOMS, ONE CORPSE THE JULIUS HOUSE DEAD OVER HEELS A FOOL AND HIS HONEY LAST SCENE ALIVE POPPY DONE TO DEATH   Berkley Prime Crime Anthologies Edited by Charlaine Harris CRIMES BY MOONLIGHT THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)   Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa   Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England   This is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.   This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.   All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any pri