“Death By Dahlia”: A Short Story from the Sookieverse

Sookie fans, have you been following the adventures of Dahlia Lynley-Chivers? Charlaine Harris first introduced this petite, fierce member of the Rhodes vampire nest in All Together Dead, book 7 of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, then spun her off into short stories in various anthologies. The latest story is included in Down These Strange Streets, an anthology edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, on sale today.

“Death by Dahlia” takes place at a reception in honor of the new vampire sheriff of the Rhodes vampires and surrounding areas. Joaquin challenged the former sheriff, Cedric, and managed to perform a bloodless coup. The vampires are unsure what kind of authority Joaquin will wield, but Dahlia at least is relieved to have a man of action as their leader instead of the apathetic Cedric. The party includes weres, demons, various members of the fae (but not faeries because, well, you know), and at least one witch. Human blood donors are brought in, all on the up and up with the donor service, but shortly after they’ve been shepherded out of the sheriff’s mansion to be returned to their pickup point, one of them is found dead in the kitchen.

From that point on, it’s a murder mystery with a supernatural twist as Dahlia tries to figure out who killed the human before the police arrive to discover the body. A keen sense of smell, excellent night vision, and a willingness to cavort naked in a fountain are the keys to Dahlia’s success as an investigator. It doesn’t hurt that she has great shoes, too.

“Death By Dahlia” is just one of 16 original short stories in Down These Dark Streets, all in the urban fantasy genre, from authors such as Patricia Briggs, Diana Gabaldon, Glen Cook and S.M. Stirling. Pick up your copy at your local bookstore or at Amazon.