This is where it all began, the first and foremost tale of the feared Anita Blake, the Vampire Hunter, the first book of the excellent 'Vampire Hunter' series by Laurell K Hamilton

When the friendly neighborhood vampire starts to run amok in the city the first person on scene is usually Anita. She is so good at her not only is she a licensed executioner but also part of a special team in the FBI dedicated to solving 'unnatural crimes'. This of course, is in a day and age where vampires and werewolves walk the streets as citizens, with voting rights and laws to abide by. However, not all the creatures of the night like to abide by the rules and this is what gives Anita her role. She gets to execute them and move on. Just another day right? Wrong.

Pigs would sooner fly than Anita help the vamps but when her own friend get's her roped into it she has no choice to but to go along and do what she does best...Slay the fiends!

Guilty Pleasures is a remarkably funny, witty and erotic tale written in the first person. Anita tells her story through her own eyes and what eyes she has! As the story goes on you are brought more adventures than Mary Poppins and with a storyline that lasts as long as a piece of string it's clearly obvious that the author, Laurell K Hamilton has put not only a lot of thought and time into this started book but also a lot of effort. The rules differ from most vampire novels and a small mishap with Anita's life at the end causes her to gain some strange vampirific powers but it's all good...

Then theres the tasty bits - that's right, What could be better than vampire sex? - the vampire fucking the executioner. It doesn't get more freaky than that. Well it does...Between eternal life, a ware-rat, an abused psychopath who likes to take it out on any, well, dead thing around him, there's one heck of a story and a brilliant series starter. The sex too, is great.

Before this series came along it was tough to find a decent sex novel that combined hot action with a good storyline, let alone one with the female lead but the stone cold calculus of Anita. Her determination to be the best in the pack makes this series a unique and oh wait, did I forget to mention she can raise the dead too?

Of course, I've read the whole series, I know what's coming next and Anita turns out to be quite the little slut but we'll leave it at that for now. Let's hope your content with vampires, wererats, churches, dead cops who aren't really dead, the FBI and a rogue vampire threatening to take over the world and all that macho bullshit. It's definitely one to get on that wish list...

And now, an excerpt from the book.

"You know about the vampires that are getting wasted over in the district?"

He made it a question, so I answered. "I'm familiar with them." Four vampires had been slaughtered in the new vampire club district. Their hearts had been torn out, their heads cut off.

"You still working with the cops?"

"I am still on retainer with the new task force."

He laughed again. "Yeah the spook squad. Underbugeted and undermanned, right?"

"You've described most of the police work in this town."

"Maybe, but the cops feel like you do Anita. What's one more dead vampire? New laws don't change that."

It had only been two years since Addison v. Clark. The court case gave us a revised version of what life was, and what death wasn't. Vampirism was legal in the good ole U. S. of A. We were one of the few countries to acknowledge them. The immigration people were having fits trying to keep foreign vampires from immigrating in, well, flocks.

All sorts of questions were being fought out in court. Did heirs have to give back their inheritance? Were you widowed if you spouse became undead? Was it murder to slay a vampire? There was even a movement to give them the vote. Times were a-changing.

I stared at the vampire in front of me and shrugged. Did I really believe, what was one more dead vampire? Maybe. "If you believe I feel that way, why come to me at all?"

"Because your the best at what you do. We need the best."

It was the first time he had said "we". "Who are you working for Willie?"

He smiled then, a close secretive smile, like he knew something I should know. "Never you mind that. Moneys real good. We want somebody knows the night life to be looking into these murders."

"I've seen the bodies, Willie. I gave my opinions to the police."

"What'd you think?" he leaned forward in the chair, small hands flat on my desk. His fingernails were pale, almost white, almost bloodless.

"I gave a full report to the police." I stared up at him, almost looking him in the eye.

"Won't even give me that, will ya?"

"I am not at liberty to discuss police business with you."

"I told 'em you wouldn't go for this."

"Go for what? You haven't told me a damn thing."

"We want you to investigate the vampire killings, find out who's or what's doing it. We'll pay you three times your normal fee."

I shook my head. That explained why Bert, the greedy son of a gun, had set up this meeting. He knew how I felt about vampires, but my contract forced me to at least meet with any client who had given Bert a retainer. My boss would do anything for money. Problem was he thought I should, too. Bert and I would be having a "talk" very soon.

I stood. "The police are looking into it. I am already giving them all the help I can. In a way, I am already working on the case. Save your money."

He sat staring up at me, very still. It was not that lifeless immobility of the long dead, but it was a shadow of it.

"Why won't you help us?"

"I have clients to meet Willie. I am sorry that I can't help you."

"Won't help you mean."

I nodded. "Have it your way." I walked around the desk to show him the door.

He moved with a liquid quickness that Willie had never had, but I saw him move and was one step back from his reaching hand. "I'm not just another pretty face to fall for mind tricks."

"You saw me move."

"I heard you move. You're the new dead Willie. Vampire or not, you've got a lot to learn."

He was frowning at me, hand still half extended towards me. "Maybe, but no human could've stepped outta reach like that." He stepped up close to me. Plaid jacket nearly brushing me. Pressed together like that, we were nearly the same height - short. His eyes were on a perfect level with mine. I stared hard at his shoulder.

It took everything I had not to step back from him. but damnit, undead or not, he was still Willie McCoy. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

He said "You ain't human any more than I am."

I moved to open the door. I hadn't stepped away from him. I had stepped away to open the door. I tried to convince the sweat along my spine there was a difference. The cold feeling in my stomach wasn't fooled either.

"I really have to be going now. Thank you for thinking of Animators, Inc." I gave him my best professional smile, empty of meaning as a light bulb, but dazzling.

He paused in the doorway "Why won't you work for us? I gotta tell em something when I go back."

I wasn't sure, but there was something like fear in his voice. Would he get in trouble for failing? I felt sorry for him and knew it was stupid. He was undead, for heaven's sake, but he stood looking at me, and he was still Willy, with his funny coats and small nervous hands.

"Tell them, whoever they are, that I don't work for vampires."

"A firm rule?" Again, he made it sound like a question.

"Concrete."

There was a flash of something on his face, the old Willy peeking through. It was almost pity. "I wish you hadn't said that, Anita. These people don't like anybody telling them no."

"I think you've over stayed your welcome. I don't like to be threatened."

"it ain't a threat, Anita. It's the truth." He straightened his tie, fondling the new gold tie tack, squared his thin shoulders and walked out.

I closed the door behind him and leaned against it. My knees felt weak. But there wasn't time for me to sit here and shake. Mrs. Grundick was probably already at the cemetery. She would be standing there with her little black purse and grown sons, waiting for me to raise her husband from the dead. There was a mystery of two very different wills. It was either years of court costs and arguements or raise Albert Grundick from the dead and ask.

Everything I needed was in my car, even the chickens. I drew the silver crucifix from my blouse and let it hang in full view. I have several guns, and know how to use them. I keep a 9mm Browning High Power in my desk. The gun weighed a little over two pounds, silver bullets and all. Silver won't kill a vampire, but it will discourage them. It forces them to have to heal the wounds, almost human slow. I wiped my sweaty palms on my skirt and went out.

Craig, our night secretary, was typing furiously on the computer keyboard. His eyes widened as I walked over the thick carpeting. Maybe it was the cross swinging on its long chain. Maybe it was the shoulder rig tight across my back and the gun out in plain sight. He didn't mention either. Smart man.

I put my nice little courderoy jacket over it all. The jacket didn't lie flat over the gun, but that was okay. I doubted the Grundicks and their lawyers would notice.

We recommend you start to explore the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series - check out Guilty Pleasures on Amazon.co.uk