Thanks to a family emergency, Larry Kirkland is unable to fly north to raise a zombie slated to act as a witness in a federal case, forcing Anita Blake to take over, more out of friendship than duty. The woman who has faced down chimeras, master vamps, rabid lycanthropes, and is not afraid of Death (in more than one sense of the word), is terrified of flying, so this really is an act that proves she is Larry's friend.

Micah tags along as moral support and to help with the ardeur, just in case she needs to feed. Besides, it's the first time they have been alone since meeting. That should be the most dangerous part of a simple case. Of course, what should be simple never is when Anita Blake is around.

Long time fans of this series will be relieved to know that this marks a return to being more in the spirit of the early Blake books. The pesky ardeur only takes up a small amount of space, so there is a real plot. Anita is much more human in this book, less of a super being. The characteristic humor and fast pace that mark this series are in full force. Fans will be pleased, and it is possible that new readers could jump in at this point.