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Quick answer: If you loved the Sookie Stackhouse books, read Patricia Briggs, Kim Harrison, Deborah Harkness and Kevin Hearne. All blend a funny heroine, supernatural creatures, mystery and romance.
Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series, starting with Dead Until Dark, follows a telepathic Louisiana waitress who falls for a vampire, and it inspired the TV show True Blood. Fans love the Southern humour, the mystery plots and the romance. The books below capture that same mix of supernatural fun and small-town charm.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grave Sight | Charlaine Harris | Adult | more Harris |
| Midnight Crossroad | Charlaine Harris | Adult | quirky small-town mystery |
| Moon Called | Patricia Briggs | Adult | shapeshifter fantasy |
| Dead Witch Walking | Kim Harrison | Adult | witty witch noir |
| Halfway to the Grave | Jeaniene Frost | Adult | vampire romance |
| Magic Bites | Ilona Andrews | Adult | gritty urban fantasy |
| Hounded | Kevin Hearne | Adult | witty Druid fantasy |
| A Discovery of Witches | Deborah Harkness | Adult | historical vampire romance |
| Twilight | Stephenie Meyer | Teen | teen vampire romance |
| Vampire Academy | Richelle Mead | Teen | school vampires |
| Blood Price | Tanya Huff | Adult | vampire detective |
| Glass Houses | Rachel Caine | Adult | college-town vampires |
| Skinwalker | Faith Hunter | Adult | Southern monster hunter |
| Garden Spells | Sarah Addison Allen | Adult | Southern magic |
| Interview with the Vampire | Anne Rice | Adult | gothic vampires |
1. Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris
Harper Connelly can sense the dead and finds bodies for a living. Darker than Sookie, but with Harris's easy, readable voice.
Best for: more Harris.
2. Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris
A Texas town full of odd residents discovers a body. A good match for fans of Bon Temps.
Best for: quirky small-town mystery.
3. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Mercy Thompson, a mechanic and coyote shapeshifter, gets caught up in werewolf politics. Warm and fast.
Best for: shapeshifter fantasy.
4. Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Rachel Morgan, a witch bounty hunter in Cincinnati, battles demons and vampires. Fast and funny.
Best for: witty witch noir.
5. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
A half-vampire hunter teams up with a vampire to track the undead. Steamy, funny and action-packed.
Best for: vampire romance.
6. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
Kate Daniels investigates a murder in a magic-saturated Atlanta. Sharp and romantic.
Best for: gritty urban fantasy.
7. Hounded by Kevin Hearne
Atticus O'Sullivan, an ancient Druid, runs a bookshop in Arizona. Funny and quick, with a great sidekick in his Irish wolfhound.
Best for: witty Druid fantasy.
8. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
A scholar of alchemy finds a bewitched manuscript and meets a vampire. Longer and more literary, with rich details.
Best for: historical vampire romance.
9. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
A teenage girl falls for a vampire in a rainy town. The book that launched a huge vampire boom.
Best for: teen vampire romance.
10. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
A bodyguard-in-training and a vampire princess share a bond. Fast, funny and dramatic.
Best for: school vampires.
11. Blood Price by Tanya Huff
A Toronto detective and a vampire hunt a killer. A smart early entry in the genre.
Best for: vampire detective.
12. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
In the town of Morganville, the vampires set the rules. Fun, tense and easy to read.
Best for: college-town vampires.
13. Skinwalker by Faith Hunter
Jane Yellowrock, a shapeshifter, hunts rogue vampires in New Orleans. Atmospheric and tough.
Best for: Southern monster hunter.
14. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
A family in a North Carolina town has a garden with magical plants. Gentle and charming, with no vampires.
Best for: Southern magic.
15. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
A vampire tells his life story to a reporter. Lush and moody, a classic that shaped the genre.
Best for: gothic vampires.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Sookie Stackhouse: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For funny, Southern small-town mysteries pick Midnight Crossroad or Garden Spells. For action and romance choose Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews or Jeaniene Frost. For witty urban fantasy try Kim Harrison or Kevin Hearne. For teen readers read Vampire Academy or Twilight. For a more literary vampire novel pick Interview with the Vampire or A Discovery of Witches. Many of these start series, so check the reading order first. If the humour is what you loved, Hounded and Dead Witch Walking are the best matches. If you want the Southern setting, Midnight Crossroad and Garden Spells fit best. If you want more romance, Halfway to the Grave and Moon Called deliver it. Whatever you pick, expect to meet a large cast of supernatural creatures and a heroine who refuses to take herself too seriously.
Related: Printable List Sookie Stackhouse Books · 12 Dystopian Books Like the Hunger Games | Best Books to Read Like Hunger Games
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first Sookie Stackhouse book?
Dead Until Dark.
Who wrote it?
Charlaine Harris.
How many books are in the series?
Thirteen novels, plus short stories. Check current listings for details.
What is the TV show based on it?
True Blood.
What is the series called?
The Southern Vampire Mysteries.
Are these books explicit?
They include sex scenes and violence, so they are for adults.
Is the TV show the same as the books?
No, the show changes many plot points.
What should I read next?
Try Moon Called or Dead Witch Walking.
Is Sookie Stackhouse a cozy series?
It is lighter than most vampire fiction, but it includes murders, violence and adult scenes.
Where does the series end?
The final novel is Dead Ever After, published in 2013.