I'm a die hard Anne Stuart fan and have even gone to great (and sometimes expensive) lengths to purchase her earlier works (get RITUAL SINS at all costs!). While this was not her best book, even AS's almost perfect books are great. I really liked SHADOW LOVER better than this one - better mystery and character development - but AS gives us our dark anti-hero and that's why we buy her books. Right? AS fans won't be disappointed. We need more writers like her and Linda Howard.