Guilty Pleasures is a great introduction to the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton. The New York Times best-selling author did an amazing job combining the real world with the supernatural.
Anita Blake brings back the dead for a living as an animator in St. Louis, the only place in the United States where vampires are considered as a legal being. She is also a court appointed vampire executioner where she has a license to kill vampires. The only way she could vanquish a vampire is if she has a kill warrant from the police.
As a specialist consultant with the police, the Regional Preternatural Investigation Team investigates supernatural crimes.
At the beginning of the novel, Anita was blackmailed by the master-vampire of the city. She must find who is killing the oldest and most powerful vampires, otherwise she must suffer the consequences and become a human servant.
The story keeps on moving, up until the last page. The easy to read novel is told in the first person by Anita. You get to explore her feelings, thoughts and fears, making it seem like she's a real person rather that just another character in a book.
Laurell K. Hamilton is known to write erotic novels. However, the title, Guilty Pleasures, may be slightly deceiving since it does not stand up to that standard. Although I have to admit, the book is engaging right from the start. Anita is a heroine in the novel and will continue to keep the vampire world safe from crime throughout the rest of the series. If you thought your job was time consuming, just imagine how hard it is to deal with vampires 24/7.