Sookie Stackhouse

Sookie Stackhouse is a telepathic waitress at Merlottes' bar in the small Lousiana town of Bon Temps. In the first book, Dead Until Dark, she lives with her gran, Adele Stackhouse who raised Sookie and her brother Jason Stackhouse after their parents died in a flash flood when Sookie was 7.

In Dead Until Dark Sookie is 25 years old and has not had a serious relatinship until Bill Compton, due to her uncanny ability to read her partners minds. Thats what she finds so attractive about Bill, the fact that because he is a vampire, she can't read his mind.

When her brother Jason is suspected of killing Maudette Pickins and Dawn Green, Sookie decides to aid her brother in proving his innocence. Its common knowledge that the victims had vampire bite marks on their bodies and many of the locals therefore believe Bill is responsible as he is the only vampire living in town. This is another motivator for Sookie to find the real killer. So Sookie asks Bill Compton to take her to the vampire bar Fangtasia in Shreveport. Once there she catches the eye of the sheriff, Eric Northman. Eric realises her potential usefullness and orders Bill to have her read the minds of his employees to discover who is responsible for theiving some of his money. Sookie identifies the killer as Longshadow, Eric's business partner who then tries to kill Sookie, and is consequently staked by Bill.

On her return to Bon Temps Sookie discovers her gran, Adele Stackhouse is dead. She is then set upon by Rene Lenier who, it turns out, is the murderer. She manages to fight him off and ends up in hospital with Bill by her side and Rene dead.