Not a lot of laughing going on here…The Laughing Corpse
Written: May 26 '05 (Updated May 26 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: powerful and chilling, characters, fun read
Cons: bloody, gory, messy
The Bottom Line: Great continuation of the first book..
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| kld718's Full Review: Laurell K. Hamilton - The Laughing Corpse |
The Laughing Corpse is the second book in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. I happen to love this series and re-read it almost every year. For some reason it never seems to get old and I still chuckle at the antics of the female heroine.
Despite having the title of a vampire executioner, Anita has many other “hobbies”. Though somehow lacking in vampire executions, this story brings out Anita's real side, the animator. We begin with Anita visiting a potential client. Harold Gaynor is an older, rich, and handicapped gentleman (except the gentleman part is a big fat lie). The friendly visit turns into a not-so-friendly visit when Anita feels rightly threatened by Harold's two beefy bodyguards, Tommy and Bruno. Gaynor makes it clear to Anita what he wants from her, to raise a nearly 300-year-old zombie for a nice one million dollar paycheck. Typically Anita would not have a problem with raising a zombie, but she refuses this time because it would require a human sacrifice. Gaynor is not a happy man and lets Anita know that her answer is unacceptable.
Hamilton adds a little humor into the story by having the tough-as-nails animator being fitted into a bridesmaid dress for her friend Catherine's wedding. Needless to say, Anita is not a happy camper. As she is being fitted, she gets a call from Detective Sergeant Storr of the Preternatural Investigation Team (RPIT).
Anita arrives at the scene of the crime to blood, guts, and gore. It’s a murder scene where the victims bodies have been torn apart. Everyone's dream job!! Anita believes that Dominga Salvador, an evil voodoo priestess, may have something to do with raising the rogue zombie that she believes committed the act.
Anita and Manny Rodriquez, her coworker, visit with Dominga at her home. Right from the beginning, Anita and Dominga do not seem to like each other all that well. The meeting ends with neither party being happy, and both threatening each other. Which one will come through with their threat?
Anita's wonderful day goes on with her attending a fellow animators funeral. There she meets the deceased brother, John Burke, another animator and executioner from New Orleans. Could he be dabbling in the voodoo also?
The story goes on with more murders by the zombie and the introduction of Wheelchair Wanda, Gaynor's ex-girlfriend. And of course we have to have Jean-Claude, Anita's ardent wanna-be suitor, show up throughout the story. It seems Jean-Claude is now the Master Vampire of the City since the previous master was killed (thank you Anita) and he wants Anita to agree to the third mark, which will be the next step in making her his human servant.
Will Dominga or Anita win the war? Will the rogue zombie be found and killed? What role will Jean-Claude play in this story? Will Gaynor just allow Anita to get away with declining his business?
What can I say? Another great book from Laurell K. Hamilton. I found The Laughing Corpse, the second book in the Anita Blake Vampire Series. I found it to be just as witty and interesting as the first one. Though you can read this series separately, I would recommend you read them all in order. Some things carry over from the previous books and although Hamilton does a good job of explaining things briefly, it’s just more entertaining to read everything in order. The books in the series are relatively short, this one particularly at only 293 pages, was a quick read.
Hamilton's writing is great. She seems to add a little humor into an otherwise bloody story. She also makes the Anita character seem a little more human when she brings out her various weaknesses (such as her collecting of toy penguins). Anita is definitely made out to be a real heroine in this series. But can anyone have that much luck and be that perfect? Well, I guess Anita would be the only one in the world because she always manages to live despite the odds against her. But she is a great character and really appealing to the female reader because she seems invincible, yet we know that she has a weak side.
The story itself gets a little silly at times, but this is the way that Hamilton injects a little fluff and humor into her stories. This does help to break up the violence. There is also some romance interjected into the violence, but less in this particular book than in the first book. I believe that’s because Jean-Claude does not have as large of a role in this book as he did in the first one. I was a little disappointed by this because I kind of like the arrogant, sexy vampire. But the sporadic sexual tension between him and Anita just adds to the fun of this book.
The Laughing Corpse is also told in first person by Anita so it kind of seems more personal. Again, like with Guilty Pleasures, there are a lot of characters in this story. Both new characters and recurring characters are brought out pretty frequently.
Overall, I do have to recommend this story because it’s a good continuation of Guilty Pleasures. It’s fun, action packed, and the dialogue is witty enough to hold the readers interest. I count this story as one of the better fluff stories and I would much rather read it than those trashy romance novels. Anita doesn’t ever seem to have a day where she can just rest like a normal person, but that’s just fine with this reader!
~ Happy Reading!
Kim
Anita Blake Series:
Guilty Pleasures
ISBN: 0-441-00091-6
Format Read: Paperback
Pages: 293
Price: 6.99
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
kld718
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 - Top 200 |
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Location: Central Florida
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About Me:
Dealing with the death of a loved one...will be very sparse.
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