Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Ace (1994), 304 pages
Description
"The early Anita Blake novels find new life in trade paperback--as perfect collectibles for long-time fans or as great ways for new readers to sink their teeth into the series. In The laughing corpse, a creature from beyond the grave is tearing a swath of murder through St. Louis. And Anita will learn that there are some secrets better left buried--and some people better off dead."--Publisher's description.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Mendoza
My biggest complaint about this book - and runs thru out the entire series - is Anita's taste in clothes. They were outdated when this series was started. And even if this series was set in the early 80's these fashions were still fads. yuk. Reading what people are wearing pulls me out of the story
ok - past my pet peeve.
As this edition to the series is early it is a great novel. I have issues with the author on later books in Anita's world. Anita is still animating and it is a large part of this novel. I enjoy her world.
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nearly every time.ok - past my pet peeve.
As this edition to the series is early it is a great novel. I have issues with the author on later books in Anita's world. Anita is still animating and it is a large part of this novel. I enjoy her world.
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LibraryThing member madamejeanie
In the course of her job at Animators, Inc. Anita Blake routinely raises the dead. There can be any number of reasons for wanting to raise a recently dead person -- to clarify a will, to help in finding a murderer, to be able to finish "unfinished business" of all sorts. It takes a special skill to
Another very fast paced story, written with straight forward bluntness. Anita's character is starting to flesh out a little bit and we get to see a couple of her vulnerabilities. These books are probably some of the goriest I've read in recent memory. I'm glad this is on the written page and not a movie or I'd probably get up and walk out. The story is twisted enough to be intriguing and the characters are mesmerizing -- especially Jean-Claude. Plus, I'm just fascinated by the thought of vampires running around on Laclede's Landing in St. Louis. LOL
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be able to do it, and Anita seems to have been born with an affinity with the dead. Raising a zombie is not the same thing as resurrecting a whole human being. The zombie is still very dead, but often in the first few moments after the raising, it is able to think and speak, which is what the main attraction is in raising them in the first place. Of course, zombies are also at the complete command of the person who raised them and they are nearly impossible to stop unless commanded by their maker. When a series of truly gruesome murders begins in the suburbs of St. Louis, Anita is called in because the murderer is almost certainly a zombie that is out of control. She has her suspicions about who might have raised such a zombie and even though she herself doesn't consider what she does to be "voodoo," she'll be up to her neck in it before she can find her way out. Plus, much to her chagrin, she's going to have to call upon her old nemesis, Jean-Claude, the new vampire Master of the City, to help.Another very fast paced story, written with straight forward bluntness. Anita's character is starting to flesh out a little bit and we get to see a couple of her vulnerabilities. These books are probably some of the goriest I've read in recent memory. I'm glad this is on the written page and not a movie or I'd probably get up and walk out. The story is twisted enough to be intriguing and the characters are mesmerizing -- especially Jean-Claude. Plus, I'm just fascinated by the thought of vampires running around on Laclede's Landing in St. Louis. LOL
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LibraryThing member readingrat
I like the Anita Blake character and I liked finding out a little bit more about her past - especially her first experience with (inadvertently) raising the dead. I also enjoy unraveling the (sometimes obscure) hometown references. Like the first Anita Blake Vampire Hunter book this one was also
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full of action and girl-power, but I sort of missed the vampires. Jean-Claude and Willie had a very small part in this one. This book was more about Anita and her zombies. Show Less
LibraryThing member LarissaBookGirl
Anita Blake is an animator. She makes her living raising the dead; and also slaying a few vampires. There isn't much she does know about the dead, and raising it. The first rule to raising the dead, the older the corpse the bigger the sacrifice needed. In others words to raise a really old zombie,
Anita and her boss have just been made an offer of a million dollars to raise a two-hundred-and eighty-three-year-old corpse. The sacrifice will of cause be provided. But Anita can not accept, despite what you may have heard about her, she is no murderer. However Anita may not have much say in the matter, this was not Anita's idea of good business.
There is a killer tearing up families. Anita has been called in by the police to assist with inquiries, there is a theory it is a killer Zombie on the loose. No one knows more about Zombies then Anita, except maybe Dominga Salvador, the voodoo priestess, who has her own plans for Anita. As does Jean-Claude, the new Master Vampire of the City.
Having never read an Anita Blake book before I really enjoyed this story, Anita is a new (to me) heroine who's tough and smart. There is plenty going on in this story to keep you on your toes. The Laughing Corpse is a creepy mystery full of danger, suspense and the dead; well worth reading.
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a human was going to have to die.Anita and her boss have just been made an offer of a million dollars to raise a two-hundred-and eighty-three-year-old corpse. The sacrifice will of cause be provided. But Anita can not accept, despite what you may have heard about her, she is no murderer. However Anita may not have much say in the matter, this was not Anita's idea of good business.
There is a killer tearing up families. Anita has been called in by the police to assist with inquiries, there is a theory it is a killer Zombie on the loose. No one knows more about Zombies then Anita, except maybe Dominga Salvador, the voodoo priestess, who has her own plans for Anita. As does Jean-Claude, the new Master Vampire of the City.
Having never read an Anita Blake book before I really enjoyed this story, Anita is a new (to me) heroine who's tough and smart. There is plenty going on in this story to keep you on your toes. The Laughing Corpse is a creepy mystery full of danger, suspense and the dead; well worth reading.
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LibraryThing member susanbevans
Sensational second book in a fantastic series.
LibraryThing member JohnMunsch
The second of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. Still good. Not a lot to say about it. If you liked the first one you'll probably like this one as well.
LibraryThing member CheriePie69
The second book in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, continues to thrill!
LibraryThing member Tudorrl
These books just get better and better.
They are gory - and there is no denying that - but they have a cracking storyline and keep the pace moving nicely
Fantastic.
They are gory - and there is no denying that - but they have a cracking storyline and keep the pace moving nicely
Fantastic.
LibraryThing member teharhynn
This book is just as great as the last one, and I think that I’m truly hooked! If you’re a fan of Vampires and a little… sensuality, this is the way to go.
LibraryThing member sweetcatastrophe
Oh my God. So scary. I cowered in my bed while reading this.
LibraryThing member siubhank
The Laughing Corpse is a comedy club run by vampires. Anita Blake is a vampire hunter. Why is she hanging out there? Oh so may reason, she has found herself linked psychically to the head vampire of St. Louis, she's not happy, but she's coping, more or less. She finds herself in way over her head
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when she refuses to raise a long dead family member of a wealthy, but disturbing man, who may be connected to the mob. With his enforcers following her around, a murderous zombie on the loose and Jean-Claude demanding she act as his human servant, Anita is running in circles and getting nowhere fast. But she finds the zombie and continues to defy the Master of the City, without losing either her life or her humanity, for now. Show Less
LibraryThing member phyllisd
I enjoyed this one more than the first in the Anita Blake series. I felt the author provided more back story. I'm looking forward to book three.
LibraryThing member DF6B_LaurenE
I really did not like this book. But then again i am not a big fan of zombies. This book was about Anita being asked to bring someone that has been dead for over 200 years back to life. At first she refuses to do that. Then she finds out that there is a human-eating zombie on the loose. It is
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Anita's job to find the zombie and return him back to his coffin, without dying AND still making sure that she does not have to bring the dead guy that is over 200 years old back to life. Show Less
LibraryThing member sdtaylor555
Very enjoyable, but my least favorite in the series
LibraryThing member t1bnotown
The first book in the series was okay, so I thought I'd give this one a go. I was mostly intrigued by the potential for a relationship between Anita and Jean Claude. We barely got to see Jean Claude- what we did see was gore. Anita finds lots of blood, kills lots of people and a few zombies. I
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don't care about zombies, only vampires, and I'm not interesting in watching Anita prove that she's tougher than everyone else ever to have existed. I guess I won't be reading any more of this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member megan_harnett
I liked this book way more then the first one in the series. It seems to make more sense and it wasn't as confusing at the first one. It felt like in the first book there was no intro to the character or anything. This second book explained things more clearly and the story was easier to follow. It
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is almost like the first book should have been a prequel. Show Less
LibraryThing member dragonfairy
This was a great book, lots of suspense and action.
LibraryThing member bookwormteri
For some reason, this is always the one that sticks out in my head when I think of early Anita Blake. Anita resisting Jean Claude, fighting a vudun queen, I don't know, this one has it all minus the sex that the series is known for...
Awesome!
Awesome!
LibraryThing member averitasm
this was not your normal paranormal romance type book, it was dark and gritty and way to addictive. I love this series now and yes it has some steamy moments and as the series goes on it gets more so but it was great I recommend this series it was fun to read and I look for all her other books now.
LibraryThing member SunnySD
In which a billionaire makes demands, the premier necromancer in New Orleans - not Anita (yet) - makes some not-so-bright decisions, and Anita discovers yet another reason for cremation after death. Lots of blood, zombie guts and violence.
LibraryThing member TheSolitaryBookworm
The second installment to the Anita Blake series, The Laughing Corpse, is a riveting tale of a female Animator and Vampire executioner Anita Blake. In this book, she is being offered a job by a wealthy millionaire to raise a 300 year old zombie but raising this type of zombie need a human sacrifice
In the middle of that, Dolph called Anita to help with an investigation of a murdered family. Gruesome crimescreen but hope of a survivor arises. Anita investigates and comes up with two people who are powerful enough to do something like this. One is the recent deseaced, Peter Burke, and Dominga Salvador who is a vaundun priestess. Manny arranged a meeting for Anita to interview Dominga who eventually told Anita was the old lover of her former mentor Manny. During the interview Dominga proposed that Anita be her partner in traping zombie souls into the body without decomposing making it easier for torture but knowing Anita, she refused resulting with zombie attacking her in her own apartment which pisses her off!
Further investigation Anita and John found a gris-gris that they suspected belonged to Dominga so together with the police they went to the priestess house and confronted her. With a confession of a grandson, Dominga is arrested for the zombie that did the murders.
On another note, when Anita got home she was then kidnapped by Gaynors bodyguards together with his girlfriend wheelchair Wanda. Gaynor together with Dominga dictated Anita to do the ritual but still Anita refuses so Dominga did a spell that can control Anita. When Anita told Dominga the information that Gaynor didn't inform her - the dead ancestor is a fellow animator - Dominga was mad but still continued with the plan. With a command to do a human sacrifice, Anita killed Gaynor's bodyguard instead of Wheelchair Wanda. With Anita's power including two human sacrifice, Anita was able to control every dead within her range including Jean Claude who remained the distance until every thing stopped.
Anita still continued to refused Jean claude and the story still continues to book 3 - Circus of The Damned
All in all I though this book was a great improvement with the first book. The Anita Blake series are a great read to every vampire, zombie, supernatural, creepy gruesome reader out there. Hamilton writes in a very detailed many, giving up vivid pictures that help our imagination to think of the actual story and how it goes. It can be a slow read but every turn of the page is worth it, especially when you enjoy these kind of novels. A must to every book series collector and a guaranteed re-read everytime.
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which Anita doesn't do however big the reward may be.In the middle of that, Dolph called Anita to help with an investigation of a murdered family. Gruesome crimescreen but hope of a survivor arises. Anita investigates and comes up with two people who are powerful enough to do something like this. One is the recent deseaced, Peter Burke, and Dominga Salvador who is a vaundun priestess. Manny arranged a meeting for Anita to interview Dominga who eventually told Anita was the old lover of her former mentor Manny. During the interview Dominga proposed that Anita be her partner in traping zombie souls into the body without decomposing making it easier for torture but knowing Anita, she refused resulting with zombie attacking her in her own apartment which pisses her off!
Further investigation Anita and John found a gris-gris that they suspected belonged to Dominga so together with the police they went to the priestess house and confronted her. With a confession of a grandson, Dominga is arrested for the zombie that did the murders.
On another note, when Anita got home she was then kidnapped by Gaynors bodyguards together with his girlfriend wheelchair Wanda. Gaynor together with Dominga dictated Anita to do the ritual but still Anita refuses so Dominga did a spell that can control Anita. When Anita told Dominga the information that Gaynor didn't inform her - the dead ancestor is a fellow animator - Dominga was mad but still continued with the plan. With a command to do a human sacrifice, Anita killed Gaynor's bodyguard instead of Wheelchair Wanda. With Anita's power including two human sacrifice, Anita was able to control every dead within her range including Jean Claude who remained the distance until every thing stopped.
Anita still continued to refused Jean claude and the story still continues to book 3 - Circus of The Damned
All in all I though this book was a great improvement with the first book. The Anita Blake series are a great read to every vampire, zombie, supernatural, creepy gruesome reader out there. Hamilton writes in a very detailed many, giving up vivid pictures that help our imagination to think of the actual story and how it goes. It can be a slow read but every turn of the page is worth it, especially when you enjoy these kind of novels. A must to every book series collector and a guaranteed re-read everytime.
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LibraryThing member Cailin
Anita Blake returns to fight zombies, voodoo queens, and the occasional vampire! Fun read!
LibraryThing member SuzReads
Great book! It's book #2 in the Anita Blake series and we learn more about her character and abilities. Fast pace and lots of action made it hard for me to put the book down because I always wanted to know what was coming! I would definitely recommend this and am looking forward to #3!
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
This, more than any other in the series, is "the zombie novel." Anita Blake actually makes her living as an "animator," raising zombies for a last conversation where you can learn, oh, where they put the will, or at least get some closure. Vampires are only a side dish here, and much of this one is
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gruesome, gory, and just plain disgusting. So what it says about me that I loved it, I don't know. In fact, it really was in this novel, not the first Guilty Pleasures that I found Anita Blake addictive. So addictive, as it turned out, it took several books to break the habit after they dropped into the abyss in the tenth book. In retrospect, having read 17 and a half books in the series (I dropped Flirt mid-read) I can see some of the seeds of the ultimate deterioration of the series. This book featured Manny Rodriguez, her mentor who was briefly mentioned in the first book. Manny is obviously important to her, and the ending suggests that what happens should have real consequences--but then we never hear from (or from what I can recall about) Manny again. It's a sign of things to come as Hamilton drops important plot threads, and eventually drops any relationship but the sexual. But this was vintage Anita Blake, back from when I could recommend them as a perfect Halloween read and guilty pleasure. Show Less
LibraryThing member BethanyMoore
UGH! Zombies are just creepy. No matter what the plot, the genre... I'm just never going to be happy to see a zombie. Or a voodoo priestess will ill intent.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1994-09-01
Physical description
304 p.; 4.26 inches
ISBN
0441000916 / 9780441000913