The Laughing Corpse

Rating:
Summary: Ms. Hamilton Did Great with This One
Review: I thought Guilty Pleasures was great, but The Laughing Corpse is better. I knew Anita Blake was powerful, but I didn't know she was this powerful. It was breathtaking. I read this book in one night. I was just unable to put it down. I was at the edge of my bed, so excited. It made me run and get the next book right away.

Rating:
Summary: The series is growing on me...
Review: I have read the first three books in the series, and I am working on the fourth. That said, I am starting to think that the first two books are almost introductions to the real meat of the series. Book three is much more plot driven than the first two, but that isn't a bad thing.

The Laughing Corpse has more than a few twists and turns, although while none is particularly unique they are certainly interesting. What I enjoyed the most was Anita's interaction with Jean Claude, the Master of the City. There were a few minor characters that were well written as well, most notably Wanda, a handicapped prostitute that figures prominantly in Anita's triumph at the end of the book.

A solid second novel in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Buffy+World of Darkness+Mickey Spillane+Germaine Greer= !
Review: This was the first Anita Blake Vampire Hunter story I read, and I am pleasantly surprised. The mood and the storyline are brilliant.
The inspirations for the Anita Hill series seem to be Buffy, obvious, White Wolf's game series The World of Darkness, where our ancient nightmares rule us from nightopen office buildings and glitzy nightclubs. The final touches are a bit of hardboiled detective dialogue and hardboiled feminism. It works.
So I like the storytelling, and I like the idea and the result. I have some problem with the character of Anita Blake; on the whole the characterization of Ms. Blake and the other role figures is good. However, I find her just a tad bit to aggressive and arrogant towards people she does not like. In her business, dealing with extremely powerful supernatural beings, it pays off being a bit diplomatic - especially when in their lair. I suppose that the main target group of the books, young wonen, like that, and who am I to argue that?
On the whole, a really good read, and I look forward reading more of the books in this series.