''These days my life is a cross between a preternatural soap opera and an action-adventure movie.''

The first hit man came after me at home, which should be against the rules. Then there was a second, and a third. Word on the street is that Anita Blake, preternatural expert and vampire killer extraordinaire, is worth half a million dollars. Dead, not alive.

So what''s a girl to do but turn to the men in her life for help? Which in my case means an alpha werewolf and a master vampire. With professional killers on your trail, it''s not a bad idea to have as much protection as possible, human or otherwise.

But I''m beginning to wonder if two monsters are better than one...