I love fantasy books that focus on female vampire hunters.  The first book that "hooked" me was the Anita Blake book "Guilty Pleasures."  Anita was a no-holds barred kick butt vampire slayer.  She was fierce.  Around book 8 her character changed but the first books in the series were great.  Here's a listing of the entire series:

Book 1: Guilty Pleasures
Book 2: The Laughing Corpse
Book 3: Circus of the Damned
Book 4: The Lunatic Cafe
Book 5: Bloody Bones
Book 6: The Killing Dance
Book 7: Burnt Offerings
Book 8: Blue Moon
Book 9: Obsidian Butterfly
Book 10: Narcissus in Chains
Book 11: Cerulean Sins
Book 12: Incubus Dreams
Book 13: Micah
Book 14: Danse Macabre
Book 15: The Harlequin
Book 16: Blood Noir
Book 17: Skin Trade

Skinwalker, the first in the series of Jane Yellowrock novels by Faith Hunter, has created a totally new fan in me.  It’s the combination of things that I like best in an urban fantasy novel - a strong woman who takes care of herself and needs no man, sexy men who want her bad, a steamy setting in New Orleans, and a master vampire who is intrigued by her - but she’s able to resist him - barely.

The story starts out with Jane Yellowrock, a Native American of Cherokee descent, coming to New Orleans at the request of all the vampire clans.  They want her to find and kill a rogue vampire who is attacking and eating both humans and vampires in the city.  They chose the right gal: killing rogue vampires is what Jane does best.

However there's something different about Jane.  She has a Beast inside her who is her second soul.  She has no memory of how she got this second soul, she only knows that the Beast has always been there, ever since Jane was found in the woods as a teen.  And it’s the Beast who gives Jane the power to take down rogue vampires.  It’s not difficult to bring down a rouge vampire after you've shifted into a superhuman panther.  The downside though is that you crave a lot of raw meat, a side effect that can be a bit awkward on a date!

With her long, long hair, unique scent, and independent attitude, Jane drives the vampires and several of their human cohorts crazy.  They want her bad.  Yet, through it all, she remains focused on her job – find the rogue and bring back its head – so she can get paid.  The New Orleans setting provides a great backdrop for the action and, I think based on the ending, she’ll be staying there for the next novel in the series.  Especially since she has some seriously unfinished business with Leo, the master vampire.  Can’t wait!