I'll admit that I found more flaws in The Lunatic Cafe than the previous Anita Blake books. However, they have pretty much all have been forgotten as well. Of course, these now mostly forgotten flaws can still pull a reader out of the story when reading. Because of this, I kept debating whether to settle on a four or a five. Still, even with the teetering rating, I would say that The Lunatic Cafe is worth a read. First off, it's nice to get to see more of the lycanthropes in the Anita Blake universe. Before you ask, I like seeing my werewolves monstrous -- and Laurell K. Hamilton delivers. Are they the most terrifying werebeastie out there? No. Not even close. Yet Hamilton still manages to show us a savage side to these creatures while also having many try to maintain their humanity. 
 Well, what about the plot? It's no Agatha Christie mystery, but it's not as bad as Guilty Pleasures where Anita only figured it out after the bad guy told her. In The Lunatic Cafe, we get more of a mix. Anita does figure out some things on her own so *golf clap* Okay, I may be a little harsh. Although Anita helps the police with preternatural type of information, she is not a dectective so it makes sense that she is going to miss a few things. Still it can be quite annoying when the protaginist is simply told the evil plan. 
 So The Lunatic Cafe may not have the strongest plot, but it still contains several interesting characters, a highly entertaining world to play in, and a narrator with a good amount of sarcasm that is bound to make many readers smile. Of course, if you didn't like the earlier Anita Blake books, skip this one. If you enjoyed them, keep on reading! It may not be written gold, but it has me returning to it time and time again.