A serial killer is hunting the Pacific Northwest, murdering victims in a gruesome and spectacular way. The local police suspect €œmonsters€ are involved, and have called in Anita Blake and Edward, U.S. Marshals who really know their monsters, to catch the killer.
But some monsters are very real€"and even to speak their name can earn you a death sentence. The bogeymen of the vampire world, The Harlequin, are here in America hunting weretigers and human police. But Edward thinks the serial killings are just a trap€"to lure Anita ever closer to the most dangerous vampire they€ve ever hunted€¦