This was a better effort than the previous books, even if there was still a lot of padding, but there was an actual plot this time around. However, the villain behind the mystery in this book was a bit of a let down and their motivation made no sense to me. Certain plot threads are being pulled together and tied up nicely in anticipation of the end of the series. I'm fairly sure I know who Sookie will end up with, but then I guessed who it was within the first few books - it's been signposted throughout the series. I still believe this could have been merged with the previous book (the story is really two halves of a whole) but I'm now hoping the last book might be able to do the series justice.Edit: I'm not a massive fan of Eric so I'm not too bothered about where their relationship has ended up and if she doesn't end up with him. It seems the reviews that really hated this book were in the main people who love Eric and want him and Sookie to get a happily ever after. So your shipping stance will likely affect how much you enjoy it.
