5. The Lunatic Cafe, by Laurell K. Hamilton.

Book 4 of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series. Anita gets tangled up with the local were-animal packs, as shapeshifters are going missing. She tries to help figure out the culprit, but is hampered by the werewolves viewing her as an ordinary citizen - aka easy to threaten - and ends up making things rather tense in the effort to prove that she won't back down.                      This one's pretty focused on the werewolves, and it gives us a good view into their pack dynamics, and hierarchy. Anita shows off her no-bullshit side, but the romance rears its head again, embroiling her into a bit of a controversy, as Jean-Claude seems determined to woo her, but Richard offers her security, and seems more human than the vampire. After choosing Richard, she's forced to reveal this to Jean-Claude, who is furious (after all, the only reason she won't date him is that he isn't human) and extracts a promise that she'll give him a fair opportunity to prove himself.