4.6 (2,531 ratings)

Skin Trade: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel

Name: Skin Trade: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel
Rating: 4.6 (2531 reviews)
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
ISBN: B002BX6QSE

by Laurell K. Hamilton

shifters

About this book

A grisly package arrives at Anita Blake’s doorstep, containing a message written in blood that pulls the renowned animator and vampire executioner into a nightmare stretching all the way to Las Vegas. The city of sin has become a hunting ground for a sadistic serial killer who is systematically slaughtering law enforcement and supernatural enforcers alike. Anita is forced to trade the familiar streets of St. Louis for the neon-drenched danger of Nevada, where the hierarchy of power is as volatile as the desert heat.

This installment is a masterclass in the shifter genre, masterfully blending high-stakes mystery with intense paranormal romance. As Anita navigates a deadly landscape, she finds herself entangled in complex power dynamics and raw, primal attractions. The narrative leans heavily into the tropes of fated bonds and forbidden alliances, testing both her professional resolve and her expanding supernatural abilities. You will find yourself drawn into a world where the line between predator and prey is perpetually blurred.

Fans of the series will appreciate the return to a darker, more investigative tone that defined the earlier entries. Whether you are a long-time devotee or a newcomer seeking a gritty, character-driven urban fantasy, this story delivers a relentless pace and visceral tension that keeps the pages turning late into the night.

Publication Date: May 25, 2026
ASIN: B002BX6QSE

Reader Reviews

Another fabulous read by Laurell K. Hamilton

January 28, 2018

I have read and enjoyed the whole Anita Blake series. In fact this is actually the sixth time I've read the whole series. Every time I get a friend to start reading it U begin the series all over again. I find U really enjoy it again and it helps my friends when we have lunch and they can discuss parts about the story or about Anita Blake they missed or didn't understand. Anyone reading this review try the series it's a great/must and enjoyable read. You may read other reviews about Anita Blake...

LKH

April 25, 2026

I am rereading every book in this series that Laurel K. Hamilton wrote and it still keeps my attention throughout the whole storyline. )

Not As Good As Some Of The Others But Still Worth The Read

September 18, 2011

I've been reading the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series since it came out and for the most part I've loved it. There have been one book here and there that hasn't made the cut at least to me and I hate to say it but this is one of those books. After 17 books in this series, you have to imagine that not all the books are going to appeal to everyone. This one starts out much like the other books in this series do. Anita is The Executioner in this book and is tracking down a serial killer vampire,...

The other reviews are way too harsh

June 10, 2009

I have read all of the Anita Blake series and, while I admit the ones in the middle of the series were more about sex than about plot, this one is the exact opposite. There is a lot of plot to this one with some new and creative metaphysical story lines in addition to an awesome and unexpected ending. I have to admit that you have to know the series to understand the ending of this book and its implications, but that is the only weakness that I see - that it does not stand alone very well - but...

Anita and Truth

January 26, 2026

Anita's on a bloodthirsty vendetta, chasing down the vampire that slipped through her fingers like a supernatural game of cat and mouse, all while untangling a metaphysical magical Gordian knot that would make even Houdini throw up his hands in defeat. )