Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Alright, to be fair I am a die-hard Anita Blake Fan. I LOVE all of LKH's work from Death of a Darklord, Anita Blake, and Merry Gentry. I have all her books and I reread the series at least once or twice a year. Now... I know a lot of fans have turned rabid and deeply despise the route the author has taken for Anita and the real issues from fan come sometime between Narcissus in Chains and Incubus Dreams. I've defended the characters, the author, and the series since those book were released and the 'drama' began. I can't even argue with some of the points (such as the prevailing and all-consuming sex and harem, the every book new power gambit, the poor-me attitude, and the general lack of direction in plot). That being said I still love the characters and am usually (if not happy) content with the books. Something surprised me (in a happy way) Or I got learn a little more about the characters, or see something develop for Anita. something I was pleased about. I usually feel at least something was accomplished. Something that made a whole years wait and the purchase of the book worth it.... Not so for Hit List. I was horrified. After twenty books THIS is the best we get? YEARS of devotion as a fan and faithful purchase of the books, and we get this drivel? I respect that some liked the book. I can't imagine why, but I respect that opinion. As such I feel it is my right to say I didn't. I was sooo upset with this book I wish I hadn't bought it, and I can honestly say that I have never felt that way about one of LKH's books before. Will I stop buying and reading her book because of this? Of course not. I still love the characters, but when I reread the series next time I may just skip Hit List all together. I wish I had enjoyed this book, I was really looking forward to it. A year worth of waiting... wasted for a book that just made me want to cry. Without giving too much away it was anti-climatic at best and not worth the pages it was written on at worst. I mean what happened to setting up a Vampire Council in the United States? WHERE are her main sweeties? One review mocking said this was an Obsidian Butterfly-like book. Well the mocking was well deserved. We might have seen a new City (even though we saw new cities in Micha, Blood Noir, AND Skin Trade), but we saw none of the investigation that we saw in either Skin Trade or Obsidian Butterfly. It was more "OH yeah we checked out a crime scene, but there were no clues that we could use. oh yeah the body was torn into a bunch of piece, cant throw up on the body wouldn't be able to live it down. all the guys pick on me cause i'm the only girl, or they want to have sex with me, or i'm better at my job. and looking at the body and blood makes me wanna run away screaming..." blah blah blah Okay *sighs* rant done. A whole new year to wait. Great.