Urban fantasy usually takes place in, you know, urban areas. Cities, big towns, and places where vampires and weres creep in dank alleys. 
 But Charlaine Harris took a slightly different approach in the first novel of the Sookie Stackhouse series, "Dead Until Dark." While it has many of the genre staples -- werebeasties, vampires and superspeshul humans -- this series is solidly entrenched in warm Southern charm, humor and mellow mystery. 
 In an alternate world where vampires have revealed themselves to the populace (courtesy of bottled faux-blood), waitress Sookie Stackhouse can read minds, which is more of a curse than a blessing. 
 But when she encounters vampire Bill Compton, she discovers that she is unable to read vampire minds. Unfortunately she's run afoul of some vile people who want to cruelly drain Bill of his blood, so she charges out to save "the vampire Bill" from his silver bonds and blood-draining. They're mutually intrigued, and an odd little romance starts to bloom. 
 But then Sookie's life is overturned by some supernatural personal problems -- a coworker dies with fang marks on her thigh, and her grandmother is viciously muredred. And as she tries to find the murderer, Sookie finds that the supernatural world is a lot more complicated -- and close to home -- than she ever dreamed. 
 "Dead Until Dark" does a great job of avoiding the usual pitfalls of urban fantasy -- it's not all doom'n'gloom, gothic pomposity and angst. In fact, Harris has a fun time spoofing it with the wannabe-seductive, cheesily-dressed "fang-bangers ". Instead, it's soaked in down-home Southern charm, the pleasant little town of Bon Temps, and a generally mellow, relaxed atmosphere. 
 Of course, it doesn't stop Harris from piling on gruesome murders and some truly nasty people, both vampire (the vampire gang crashing at Bill's house) and human (the "Rats"). Her style is warm, steady and mildly tongue-in-cheek ("the traditional capes and tuxes for the men to many Morticia Adams ripoffs among the females"), but there are some decidedly bleak moments and moral dilemmas woven in there. 
 Sookie is a likable character -- an unpretentious and no-nonsense waitress who doesn't go looking for trouble, but whose telepathic talents often draw it to her. And Harris handles some horrible topics through her, such as her childhood molestation and her bickering with her slutty, not-too-bright brother. 
 The supporting characters are also pretty well-drawn -- her kindly boss Sam turns out to have his own supernatural secret (werecollies!), the gorgeous golden Viking Eric, and her lovable Grandmother. Bill is a rather bland character as love interests go, but Harris does give him a great sense of chilly "otherness" and great age ("It's hard for me to get used to young ladies with so few clothes on"). 
 "Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 1)" is a solid, pleasantly down-home little urban fantasy, with lots of vampires, the odd shapeshifter, and some nasty little murder mysteries. Fun little urban fantasy book.