Part of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, book 1
First published 2004
Anita Blake works as a professional vampire executioner in a world where the Supreme Court has granted undead citizens equal legal protection. Vampires know her by a different name: The Executioner. She carries physical and emotional scars from years of encounters with creatures most people now consider harmless neighbors with unusual dental work. Anita knows the truth about what lurks behind their civilized facade. A serial killer begins targeting vampires throughout the city. The deaths create an unusual problem for law enforcement in this new legal landscape. The most powerful vampire in town approaches Anita with an unexpected request. He wants her to investigate the murders and identify the killer. This puts Anita in an uncomfortable position, working alongside the very creatures she normally destroys. She must navigate the complex politics of a supernatural community while tracking a murderer who specifically hunts the undead. The case forces her to question the boundaries between monster and victim in a society still adjusting to supernatural civil rights.
Genres: mystery, fantasy, paranormal, urban-fantasy
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, monster-hunter
Setting: City
Period: Contemporary
355 pages · Paperback · Penguin Publishing Group
Content warnings: violence