51. Laurell K. Hamilton - A Kiss of Shadows

This is a different series of books than her famous Anita Blake series. In this one, the protagonist is Merry Gentry, a preternatural detective in Los Angeles, who is part sidhe, part brownie, and part human. Also, she is really Princess Meredith NicEssus, third in line to the throne of the Unseelie Court who is in hiding because of numerous attempts against her life at the Faerie Court. The story revolves her work as a detective and the discovery of her true identity. In the end, she is forced to return to Court to face her Aunt, the Unseelie Queen, and her son, Prince Cel, who is trying constantly to kill her.

I put this book off for a while because I was afraid it wouldn't stand up to her Anita Blake series, but it was just as good, if not better. I really enjoyed the way Hamilton twisted in Celtic mythology into the storyline and the way she was able to weave in a ton of erotica without making the book seem like a trashy romance. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the second book.