Review: Hit List by Laurell K Hamilton

Hit List is the twentieth book in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton and a novel from Berkley.

Book Blurb:

A serial killer is hunting the Pacific Northwest, murdering victims in a gruesome and spectacular way. The local police suspect  monsters  are involved, and have called in Anita Blake and Edward, US Marshals who really know their monsters, to catch the killer.

But some monsters are very real. The Harlequin have been the bogeymen of the vampire world for more than a thousand years; they are a secret so dark that even to speak their name can earn you a death sentence. Now they are here in America, hunting weretigers, and human police.

The Harlequin serve the Mother of All Darkness, the first vampire. She was supposed to be dead, but only her body was destroyed. Now she needs a new one, and she's decided that Anita Blake's is the body she wants. Edward thinks the serial killings are a trap to lure Anita closer to the most dangerous vampire they've ever hunted. The vampires call Edward  Death,  and Anita the  Executioner,  but Mommy Darkest is coming to kill one, and possess the other, and she doesn't care how many others have to die along the way.

My thoughts:

Anita and Edward are tracking a killer.  So far they have found bodies of independent weretigers in several states - and they know who’s doing the killing - but they can’t tell the normal authorities, that would be like giving them a death sentence.

The Harlequin, on the command of Mommy Darkest, are killing the weretigers.  They are trying to draw Anita away from her power base of St. Louis - trying to weaken her - in the hope that she will be easier to contain.

Because Mommy has had a taste of Anita - and she liked it.  She wants to possess Anita’s body now that she does not have one of her own.

But Anita is not going to just give herself over to the Mother of All Darkness without a fight.  And though she is away from her usual crew - she is not alone.  Edward has her back.  And in a situation like this - Edward is a great person to have at your back.

Unfortunately Anita gets hurt, and when she is down Edward calls for backup - Olaf and Bernardo.  Though both men are great in a fight - Anita and Olaf have an uneasy accord.  He wants to sleep with her and kill her...and maybe sleep with her again.  

Icky

The showdown between Anita and the Mother of All Darkness is a long time in coming - and when push comes to shove - Anita is not above using all of her considerable gifts to make sure she is the last one standing.

I really enjoyed Hit List.  I love it when Anita and Edward are working on a case - instead of Anita sleeping with every Tom, Dick and Dick.  

I don’t mind sex in my story - as long as sex is not the story. :)

I give Hit List 5 out of 5 stars and I am looking forward to the next installment.