check out website(s): www.OrbitBooks.co.uk and www.TimesWarnerBooks.co.uk

This is the 11th 'Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter' novel. For those who don't know she is a necromancer, animator and executioner (enough to keep her busy!).

She is also the human slave/girlfriend of Jean-Claude (Master of the City of St Louis).

As well as being Nimir-Ra of the wereleopards - so sleeping with Micah the Nimir-Raj, she 'feeds' off of Natheniel (wereleopard) to satisfy the 'ardeur' which she got off of Jean-Claude when they and Richard (Ulfric of the werewolves) connected for the triumvirate (I think that's right).

So she has a complicated life. 'Cerulean Sins' seems to come from the colour of the sheets on Jean-Claude's bed, where something happens between Jean-Claude, Anita and A. Nother (not saying who as is a major part of story).

Unlike 'Narcissus In Chains' (book 10) there is a story running through it as well as the plot involving vampire politics. She has to juggle a major issue in her personal life as well as helping to find a serial killer loose in St Louis (with help of the RPIT) so a few of the human characters are more prominent in the story this time.

To write more about the story would give too much away.

I enjoyed the book (started reading Thursday afternoon, finished it Saturday morning - as well as working and feeding the family, etc and fending off my boss who wanted to read it).

The storylines were good, lots of blood and psychological head games. Not as much sex as previous book but in my opinion a better book for it. However one criticism (not about the story) about the cover illustration.

The cover shows a picture of Anita with ear-rings.

On page 202 it states '...but since I had never even pierced my ears...' Can someone tell Mr Stone of this slip up. Did Laurell check the illustration?

I know it's being picky but please get the details right, it's the little things that count.

Stella Pang