** spoiler alert ** Another reviewer stated this opinion earlier & I have to admit, I agree with that statement. This book is far better than the last 2-3 books that Hamilton has released, but as far as books in general goes the book just doesn't cut it. The book's plot line isn't that bad- not as much potential as the plot in Harlequin had (a plot that was ultimately wasted to make way for more badly written sex), but it had some.

The plot line for this book finds Anita traveling back to Nevada in the attempt to once again face down Vittorio & bring him to justice. (I.E., kill him.) Along the way Anita experiences more trouble with Marmee Noir as well as trouble in the form of Olaf- the serial killer with a major crush on her. Meanwhile Vittorio is still out there, killing strippers & hunting Anita Blake for his own mysterious ends.

Ok, I had one HUGE major problem with this book. And no, it wasn't that there was more badly written plot or endless sequences where people talked each other to death, repeating the same thing. No, what bothered me the most was how Anita & company were CONSTANTLY referring to being a girl as being a bad thing, as in the scene where Edward told Anita to "stop being a girl & be the man I know you can be". Being a woman in an Anita Blake novel is apparently a bad thing, as everyone treats Anita as inferior because she's a woman, everyone refers to being weak as being "girly" & that being a "man" is preferable. If it were just one or two mentions, I could deal with this, but this is strung out throughout the ENTIRE BOOK. I'm not a raging feminist, but I was sort of offended at this.

The rest of the book's failings comes from the constant talking going from person to person & some of the inconsistencies that came in the book. Anita & Edward tell Olaf that they're dating to keep him from pursuing Anita. Later in the book she tells Olaf that they're not dating, that it was an act. Then about 10-20 pages later you see them all acting like Anita had never said anything of the sort. Major inconsistency.

As far as the talking goes, maybe it's just that now I'm getting used to the inaction in the Anita books & perhaps that's why I gave this as good of a score as I did. The book is far more readable than the previous books were & there is a bit more movement in the book than there was in previous ones. (Movement as in stuff actually happening rather than "bang bang go the guns" action.)

My statement of Hamilton needing a better editor to improve the pacing of the book & remove the inconsistencies still remains.