Vampires started the craze of coming out to the ordinary human world. Now weres and shapeshifters have done the same. In a highly publicized TV interview, a gorgeous young woman explains that there are those who appear completely human but have a second nature within, which she then demonstrates by turning into a wolf. Some mortals are shocked and become belligerent. The issues of minority rights and hate crimes become a real problem when Crystal, a pregnant werepanther and estranged wife of Sookie Stackhouse's brother Jason, is found nailed to a cross. In the midst of this horror, Sookie finds her own life endangered by a rebellion in the land of the Fairies. It seems her fae great-grandfather's princely power is being challenged, making Sookie a target of the rebels. Then there is Sookie's love life. The handsome, formidable vampire Eric has tricked Sookie into a much closer relationship with him, not that she minds too much. Three strong story lines lead to an intensely gripping finale. The ninth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series is one of the best. Librarians, be warned: buy multiple copies.—Patricia Altner, Biblioinfo.com. Columbia, MD

Telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse braces herself for trouble when another group of supernatural beings goes public in her disjointed eighth adventure (after 2008's From Dead to Worse). Following the vampires' lead, the shape-shifters decide to step out of the woodwork and announce their existence to the world. While the initial reveal goes smoothly, the brutal crucifixion of a young werepanther behind the local bar makes Sookie wonder if the people of Bon Temps, La., are as tolerant as she thought. Meanwhile, the FBI is asking questions about Sookie's uncanny ability to locate survivors after an explosion, and trouble is brewing among the secretive fae. Harris tries to cram too much into a single story, and even die-hard fans of Sookie's adventures in print and on HBO's True Blood will complain about the plot gaps. (May)