What a Guilty pleasure it is indeed...

I've often found Laurell K. Hamilton's books are guilty pleasures to read. I love the way she describes the scenes and characters. Her descriptions are very vivid (at least in my mind) and full of details. As the series goes on, Anita grows and changes into what I think, is a stronger woman who is more sure of herself. . .And through the series meets a lot of cool people. The one thing that I find often odd is the majority of her men have long hair. I mean really? . . . a guy with hair down to the floor?! Please.

As said is this is to say, I never quite recall the beginnings of books. I remember the middle and even the end, and things in between but never the beginning. I have to bang my head on the wall, stand on my head, and hope that the beginning will come back.

So I'll say this, in the first part of the book (as close to the beginning as I'm gonna remember) Anita . . . oh heck. I can't remember. Perhaps it's due to the fact that I've been up since 5 and my brain is now completely mush....yeah sure, we'll go with that. But I'll sum it up in one nice little package.

So we have Anita, who raises the dead to help settle legal issues. She also slays bad vampires. One of her best friends is getting married and Anita in the D-D or Designated Driver. While on the way to the club Anita finds out where they're going - Guilty Pleasures. A famous strip club made up of humans and vampires and all the inbetweens. While there something goes horrible wrong thus causing Anita to fight for her friend's life. This fright brings her within a hair's breath of the Master of the City. So it's either Anita or the Master. She enlists the help of her good friend Edward and help from the local King Rat. But does she save her friends life? Her own? I'd like to say yes but......well then I'd be giving it away. I hope I didn't make this book seem lame. It's a wonderfully written book full of humor and suspense. I hope you'll enjoy it too :)

Her Series are...
(one's I've read will be in purple one's I'm reading will be in dark blue )

1) Guilty Pleasures
2) The Laughing Corpse
3) Circus of the Dammed
4) Lunatic Cafe
5) Bloody Bones
6) The Killing Dance
7) Burnet Offerings
8) Blue Moon
9) Obsidain Butterfly
10) Narcissus in Chains
11) Cerulean Sins
12) Incubus Deams
13) Micah
14) Danse Macabre
15) The Harlequin
16) Blood Noir
17) Skin Trade (Coming our June 2, 2009!!!!)

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton. Ace Books New York 1994

Glory, Glory, Oh My!

This her second book in her "In Death" series. Its our second encounter with Eve and Roarke. But this time we'll meet a character than will become another of our favorites: Peabody.

The scene opens with the horrific death of a important and well known PA - Cicely Towers. She's found with a deep slice across her neck in a part of town that is known to be more than a little shady. But what could possible cause this wealthy and well known PA to be there?

As Eve starts to dig for the answers she digs up some history on Ms Tower's son: he was a big time gambler and very much in debt. Motive perhaps? The only problem for Eve on this case is the personal relation between Commander Witney and the Towers family. Now Eve has to navigate a narrow road between Lieutenant Eve and Friend Eve to Commander Witney.

As the murder investigation goes on, another prominent women is killed : this time a famous and up and coming actress. Yvone Metcalf was a bright and well known actress who took life easy and was a happy person. But someone didn't want her to be happy anymore. But who?

As the murder investigation continues, Eve believes she has the murder: Cicley Tower's son. When he is taken in to the interrogation room, Eve hounds him for the truth. Unfortunately for her she he is not the real murder - he's still on the lose. But who?

The relationship between Roarke and Eve grow stronger in this book. I do feel, and Darla has made me think more upon this, it does seem a bit rushed. This book happens after the DeBlass murder which happened in the winter. And in this book they've already moved in together. Even in real life would a couple move in together after (lets say) 4 months after knowing eachother, perhaps? There is a nice suprise for those of you who haven't read it yet that Roarke gives Eve. I am happy that they are together it reminds me very much of my relationship between me and my love :)

But my question: Why does Summerset hate Eve so much? I can understand in the first book, but in the second?

Glor in Death by JD Robb Berkley Books New York 1995

Back to the Beginning

So I find myself re-reading the "IN DEATH" series. This is a series I love so much! I find that in her earlier works, its much more action packed. The love b/w R and E is very new and raw, which means for us readers that we are more inclined to read it and not think "its getting stale".

The book opens with the death of a prominent young lady, the granddaughter of a State Senator. This young girl was killed with a weapon that you won't find in 2043 - a gun. Technology as it might be in the future is highly more sophisticated. There are flying buses and cars that can travel on land and in the air. Tubes that connect people to building - all in all the New New York is a pretty futuristic place.

Eve has to find the murder, and quick. Being the arrogant person he or she is, they leave a note at the scene "One of Six". Eve is paired with her good friend Feeney, who is in the EDD or basically special computers. All ready they are bogged down by the secrecy of this case: Code 5. Since Sharron's grandfather is the State Senator no information can leak to the press which makes it very hard for Eve. Within the second week another person is murdered - this time its a barely 18yr old. Both these women were LCs of Liecenses Companions - or harlots if you will. So far that information alone is connecting them. However Sharron's grandfather doesn't want the family name tainted with Lola's name.

At the funeral of Sharron DeBlass Eve sees Roarke - a stunning Irish man, with jet black hair and piercing blue eyes. They hold eye contact for one minute before a crowd comes in between them. Roarke and Eve then begin a relationship, and their relationship is then put under the microscope for the whole city of New York to look upon. Someone keeps framing Roarke and slanting Eve's ability to find the murder or muderes. When the third victim is murdered Eve goes into hyper-drive. As she goes to interrogate Roarke they find that the murder isn't as keyedin with Roarke as once thought.

This is a really good book, that hooks you into the series. It was deffantly a page turner for me :) I love reading the books and following the relationships of all the characters!

Naked in Death by JD Robb. Berkler Books, NY 1995