The third novel of Hamilton's Anita Blake series has the petite necromancer fighting a giant cobra and a rogue vampire, Alejandro, who wants her for his human servant. Anita is still resisting the advances of Jean-Claude, St. Louis's master vampire, but she does need him on her side, if not in her bed. Anita's reluctant involvement in the odd goings-on at the supernatural Circus of the Damned introduces her to Richard, the werewolf of her dreams, and Larry, her powerful but nervous partner in zombie-raising.Mystery fans will love the tightly plotted, Paretsky-esque action, and horror fans will love just about everything in this unusual series.

ANNOTATION

Anita Blake is an expert on creatures of the night. She has dined with shapeshifters, danced with werewolves, and been wooed, but not won, by Jean-Claude, the Master Vampire of the city. Now there's a new vampire in town named Alejandro and he wants Anita for his servant. His attempts to win her lead to a war of the undead. Original.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In Circus of the Damned-now in hardcover for the first time-a rogue master vampire hits town, and Anita gets caught in the middle of an undead turf war. Jean-Claude, the Master Vamp of the city, wants her for his own-but his enemies have other plans. And to make matters worse, Anita takes a hit to the heart when she meets a stunningly handsome junior high science teacher named Richard Zeeman. They're two humans caught in the crossfire. Or so Anita thinks...

Author Biography: Laurell K. Hamilton is a full-time writer. She lives in a suburb of St. Louis with her family.

FROM THE CRITICS

New York Review of Science Fiction

An R-rated 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.'

Jayne Ann Krentz