In Anticipation: Hard Bitten

So, the fourth book in Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series--one of my favorites!--won't be out until May 2011, but she has recently released the book's description:

     Times are hard for newly minted vampire Merit. Ever since shapeshifters announced their presence to the world, humans have been rallying against supernaturals--and they're camping outside of Cadogan House with protest signs that could turn to pitchforks at any moment. Inside its doors, things between Merit and her Master, green-eyed heartbreaker Ethan Sullivan are ... tense. But then the mayor of Chicago calls Merit and Ethan to a clandestine meeting and tells them about a violent vamp attack that has left three women missing. His message is simple: get your House in order. Or else.

     Merit needs to get to the bottom of this crime, but it doesn't help that she can't tell who's on her side. So she secretly calls in a favor from someone who's tall, dark, and part of underground vamp group that may have some deep intel on the attack. Merit soon finds herself in the heady, dark heart of Chicago's supernatural society--a world full of vampires who seem to ready to fulfill the protesting human's worst fears, and a place where she'll learn that you can't be a vampire without getting a little blood on your hands...

Now, I don't know about you, but I'm absolutely digging the vagueness of the synopsis. Too much detail and the anticipatory tickle would be a full out burn. ^_^ I'm also pretty curious about this "talk, dark" underground-connected vamp…could it be Jonah, the Grey House Guard Captain introduced in Twice Bitten? Here's Merit's introduction to him…

This vamp was tall and lean, with longish auburn hair that just reached his shoulders, blue eyes set beneath long brows, and a chiseled chin. He wore a short-sleeved shirt with a collar, the bottom tucked into his jeans. Tattoos ringed each bicep?a flying angel on one arm, a slinking devil on the other. I wondered what he was conflicted about.

Hm. How yummy would that be? I think Ethan needs a bit of competition…and Merit needs some vampire spice, what with as cute, intelligent and baddass as she is!

The cover of this next installment is just beautiful. Nevermind that my favorite color happens to be purple… it's the perfect tone to lay over a cloudy Chicago night. Not too dank, but not silly. It's also nice to see some extremely recognizable vantage of the Windy City. It looks like photo rather than painting…and if so, I wonder from where the was taken? Helicopter? Hancock tower? I dunno, I'm not well versed in Chicago city-layout. But it's fun to wonder!