Laurell K Hamilton: Guilty Pleasures Review

I have to admit, I was somewhat skeptical all those months ago as I stood in my local comic book store and the clerk (a friend of mine) forced the first book of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series into my hands. He claimed the series was 'great' especially the first book. "Once you read it you'll just have to read the rest of 'em". (Thinking back on it I suspect he was hoping my future addiction would make him a lot of profit.)

So I bought Guilty Pleasures and my curiosity forced me to begin reading it as soon as I got home.
Within reading the first few pages I felt myself becoming glued to the book. From the very first sentence it was interesting. Hamilton is a genius, writing so that she only gives out partial facts about the storyline and making the reader yearn to recover the rest of those facts. The story also delves directly into Anita's job - raising zombies. How could I not read a book about that? It also becomes apparent quiet quickly that the author is writing from an alternative history point of view; vampires are legal citizens of the United States and Anita Blake is the state's legal vampire executioner.
But aside from Anita's amazing career roles she also finds herself being wooed by the owner of the local vampire strip club, all the while being dragged in to solve a mysterious murder case by the local police.

Guilty Pleasures ticked every single one of my boxes; it has vampires, zombies, werewolves, mystery, suspense, action and a great alternative history storyline. Every part of the story has been though through completely which makes it even more convincing and interesting.

If you want a new series of books to read that are alternative and engaging or just a great book then Guilty Pleasures has it all.

WARNING: You will almost definitely be compelled to read the entire series after reading Guilty Pleasures.

NOTE: Guilty pleasures has now also been published as a graphic novel in two parts by Marvel Comics; if you want to experience this amazing story accompanied with amazingly detailed art and beautifully accurate characters it is definitely worth buying.