First time in trade paperback: the third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series. In Circus of the Damned-now in trade paperback 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.

Meet Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, in the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series that “blends the genres of romance, horror and adventure with stunning panache”(Diana Gabaldon). Laurell K. Hamilton’s bestselling series has captured readers’ wildest imaginations and addicted them to a seductive world where supernatural hungers collide with the desires of the human heart, starring a heroine like no other... Anita Blake is small, dark, and dangerous. Her turf is the city of St. Louis. Her job: re-animating the dead and killing the undead who take things too far. But when the city’s most powerful vampire asks her to solve a series of vicious slayings, Anita must confront her greatest fear—her undeniable attraction to master vampire Jean-Claude, one of the creatures she is sworn to destroy... “What The Da Vinci Code did for the religious thriller, the Anita Blake series has done for the vampire novel.”—USA Today

BEST-SELLING AUTHOR LAURELL K. HAMILTON'S FAN-FAVORITE VAMPIRE HUNTER RETURNS! Anita Blake walked away from her last case with more than a few bruises - but those wounds are nothing compared to the scrapes that lie ahead in this blood-soaked adaptation of Hamilton's third erotic thriller. To find a killer targeting the undead, Anita must descend into the dangerous, supernatural demimonde operated by the master vampire Jean-Claude. It will take all of Anita's wits to survive THE CIRCUS OF THE DAMNED!

Anita must fight for her reputation when a mob boss offers her a million dollars to resurrect a corpse and a powerful zombie begins to leave a trail of mayhem and murder across the city.

St. Louis' future hangs in the balance when master vampires Alejandro and Jean-Claude pit their dark forces against each other in a battle for control of the city's vampires! Only Anita Blake holds the key to turning the tide of this war, but can either vampire leader be trusted not to make her a slave of desire? And that's just her day job. Anita gets back in the game when she agrees to a date with science teacher Richard Zeeman, but this seemingly normal hunk is conspicuously cool with the dangers of Anita's profession and the horrific exploits of her associates like Jean-Claude. Will sparks fly, or is this regular guy too good to be true? COLLECTING: Anita Blake : Cir cus of the Damned - The Scoundrel 1-5

A collection of the first five novels in Laurell K. Hamilton's New York Times bestselling Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. • Guilty Pleasures • The Laughing Corpse • Circus of the Damned • The Lunatic Cafe • Bloody Bones

The Anita Blake novels take place in a world where vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of nightmare have been declared legal citizens of the United States. As Anita gains the attention of the vampire masters in her hometown of St. Louis, she also risks revealing an intriguing secret about herself - the source of her unusual strength and power. As a special treat, Anita Blake fans will also discover a side story featuring Anita and Dolph, written specially for the hardcover edition by Laurell K. Hamilton. Collects Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures #1-6.