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Summary: It's still Anita, but...
Review: The Laughing Corpse, the second book in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, is a great book, don't get me wrong. However, The theme of this book veers from the predominant one in the series, that of Vampires and Werecreatures. The focus in this book is on the oh-so-many zombies that Anita can raise. Zombies are great, but they don't do much in the department of moving the story along. The story seems slow and yet, it's written in the ever-detailed style of the lovely Laurell K. Hamilton. Unfortunately, the book does little for the series, and the editing is as bad as in the rest of the first 5 books. The Laughing Corpse tells neccesary things you must know if you are reading the series in order, but otherwise is one you can skip.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is very good but...
Review: The first one was Faboulious. This one has more to do with corpses, and people, then with vampires. But it's good still the same.
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Summary: The Dead Are My Specialty
Review: "The Laughing Corpse" is Laurell Hamilton's second Anita Blake novel. As good as the "Guilty Pleasures" was this new work is even better, and establishes a high standard for vampire fiction. In a genre noted primarily for it's male heroes, Anita Blake stands out. Smart, tough, deadly and beautiful, Anita is all business when it comes to her profession as animator of corpses and executioner of the undead. This time Anita is asked to raise a corpse for Harold Gaynor, an extremely wealthy and very shady character with a 300 year old corpse he would like to chat with. Even though Anita believes she could raise it, she refuses. It takes power to raise old bodies, the kind of power that can only be released by the sacrifice of a 'white goat,' a human being. Anita leaves, expecting further trouble with Gaynor. A short time later Anita is called to a nightmarish crime scene where the murder has literally eaten two parents in their home and disappeared with their small child. Viewing the bloody scene Anita suspects the existence of zombie driven by the need to feast on human flesh, an extremely rare form that could only have been raised by a rogue animator. In her efforts to find the zombie and it's creator Anita arranges to speak with Dominga Salvador, the tremendously powerful Voodoo queen of St. Louis. The interview does not go well. Dominga is intrigued with Anita's skills and is determined to test her powers. Anita, who has kept her own ability clear of the taint of witchcraft and necromancy, is deeply angered by Dominga's probing and, being Anita, returns the insult. If being hounded by Gaynor's goons wasn't enough, now Anita must cope with the very real threats of Dominga Salvador, who can kill at will. To complete this heady mixture, Jean-Claude, world's sexiest vampire, and master of the city is after Anita. Unlike everyone else, he has no intention of killing her. Having marked her twice, she is close to becoming his human servant. Anita has no intention of letting this happen, but Jean-Claude is not listening. He has to keep up his own appearances and Anita is a thorn in his side. A thorn he would like to get to know much better. Gradually these threads weave together, as Anita realizes that the mystery of the killer zombie has something to do with both Gaynor and Dominga Salvador. Not just her life but her eternal soul is at risk. But Anita refuses to back down. It takes all her strength and willpower to overcome here own fears and attempt to bring peace of mind back to the citizens of St. Louis. You may feel Anita is a bit to stubborn and sharp tongued for her own good, but they are natural expressions of the independence and courage which she has to prove every day. You can't help but admire her determination to do the right thing, at all costs. By all means, read "The Laughing Corpse," and "Guilty Pleasures," and all of the sequels as well. Laurell Hamilton has created a new formula for gritty vampire fiction.
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Summary: battling the living dead in the second in the series
Review: The Laughing Corpse Submitted 6/16/01 Zombies. Those undead, mindless, soulless creatures of nightmares are at the core of the second book in the "Anita Blake, Vampire Slayer" series. Anita Blake has an affinity with the dead, and is a professional Animator. That is, she can raise the recently dead from the grave as zombies. This is an employable talent in a futuristic world where the dead can be called up to do everything from testify in court to act as grisly house servants. Anita's second job, executing renegade vampires who are otherwise protected by law, is downplayed much more in this work than in the first. Still, the short, plucky animator who has been dubbed "The Executioner" by the vampires of St. Louis will need all her talents to stay alive in this second work. Blake is called upon by a rich business owner to animate a 200-year-old corpse. Blake refuses, because to raise something that old will require far more than just the blood of a goat or a chicken: a human being must be sacrificed. Blake may not have a problem doing away with dangerous vampires, but murdering humans to raise a two-century-old zombie is neither in her job or ethical contract. However, true to the first book, this is far from the only thing going on in the story. In addition to the rich man's offer to make Anita rich as well by raising the dead (although, making her a murderer in the process) and her defending herself against his goons who are, ah, *encouraging* her to take the job, there is the much more pressing problem of a renegade zombie that is literally tearing families to pieces. Anita's attempts to enlist the help of the country's most powerful voodoo priestess seems only to complicate matters, and Anita's suspicions about the priestess's involvement in the possible rogue zombie murders only manages to get Anita into deeper trouble yet. Reviewers note: don't make one of the world's most powerful voodoo priests angry at you!! Meanwhile, there is also the not-so-small matter of the master vampire of the city who is trying to entice Anita to become his human servant (with The Executioner as his servant, his reputation would be powerful beyond words; vampires are SUCH political creatures!). This is the second Anita Blake novel I've read after finishing "Guilty Pleasures", the first in the Blake series. As in the first book, the story is gritty, dark and wholly enticing. In a futuristic world, vampires are protected by law (unless they go on a rampage, in which case warrants for their destruction can be issued), and they have taken on a creepshow sort of attraction. The Laughing Corpse is the name of a vampire comedy club that young, mostly hip urban folk flock to because of the oddity and possible danger. Blake herself has seen too much of these undead creatures to be fooled by witty repartee, however. Part detective story, part police investigation and part horror, the Anita Blake novels are gearing up to be the sort of stories that will hook even casual readers. There is a good deal of action, mystery, investigation and-- in the case of this story-- gore to keep the attention of most adult readers. Indeed, this story has more than it's share of gore than the previous novel as whole families are quite literally ripped to shreds by the zombie and... ahem... eaten. Still, Hamilton has a masterful grasp of the language and describes the horror of a post-zombie attack police investigation without allowing the narrative to become "spatterpunk"-- rivers of gore and buckets of blood-- and she allows much of the visuals to be left up to the reader's imagination. Hence, those with weak stomachs and vivid imaginations may wish to reconsider whether or not they want to read this work. Blake herself is a believable character; a mixture of tough-as-nails slayer of the undead who nonetheless secretly collects stuffed toy penguins. If YOUR job was to decapitate chickens to raise rotting corpses and crawl through filthy crypts to destroy dangerous vampires, you would need a childlike connection to innocence as well. This is a nice touch that allows us to more fully believe in both Blake as a person and the weird place the world has become with it's frank and open dealings with the supernatural. True to the first book, there are sudden plot twists that fly at you from nowhere, and just when you think everything is neatly solved and we can go home now and take a long, hot shower, WHAM! we're blindsided by something else even more horrifying. The climax of "Laughing Corpse" is as surprising and tense as any grand work of suspense fiction and will make it impossible to put the book down. More thrilling than horrifying (I had no trouble sleeping, nor was I tempted to peek in my closet and under the bed after reading this book), readers who are looking for a fast-paced thriller would do well to turn their attentions to this series. It is not necessary to read the first to read the second, but I would recommend it-- there are some subtle references that would be lost if one did not first start with "Guilty Pleasures", which is a fine read in itself. Hats off, Ms. Hamilton. Fine work and my thanks to you.
Rating: 
Summary: Once you start with Laurel, you have to continue
Review: If you have read any novel by Laurel Hamilton (about Anita Blake and those with whom she associates), you should plan to read them all. The plots do vary in quality, but if you enjoy one of the earlier novels, I think you will continue to enjoy the later novels. Ms. Blake is tough, a bit sensitive, and both practical and impractical. These are the qualities make her charming. Ms Hamilton's writing is clear and succint, but the strength of her story lines do vary by novel. Get them, read them, and have fun!
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Summary: Amazing! MUST READ!
Review: Laurell K Hamilton brings a strong second book into her series with Anita, our 'tough as nails vampire slayer'. The most of the book is about the same pacing at the first, Guilty Pleasures, but the end picks up speed. I nearly cried it was so... amazing. Hamilton lets you taste the power! READ!
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Summary: Anita Blake, Animator, is up to her neck with killer zombies
Review: "The Laughing Corpse" is the second in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton, although the focus is much more on her job as an Animator than as the person the vampires call The Executioner. Once again the title is taken the name of a St. Louis hangout for those who like to visit the dark side, in this case a comedy club (helpful hint: zombies do not like to be the butt of jokes). This time around Anita is in way over her head with a whole bunch of serious problems. A lord of the underworld wants to pay her big time bucks to raise someone who has been dead for a couple of hundred years and does not like it that Anita has refused because the only way to do so required a human sacrifice. Her friend Catharine is getting married and wants Anita to be a bridesmaid, which involves wearing a pink gown that has to be altered to cover all of her scars. The voodoo priestess for the entire Midwest has learned how to put a person's soul back in their dead body, which stops the zombies from decaying, and Anita refuses to help her raise more zombies for profit. Meanwhile, Jean-Claude, the Master Vampire of St. Louis who has already put two of his marks upon our heroine, demands Anita start acting like his human servant. But the case Anita is trying to focus regards a savage zombie that is going around murdering families in their home, making her problems with three powerful people who refuse to take "No" for an answer rather inconsequential. Like it says on the coffee mug her boss would not let her have at the office, "It's a dirty job and I get to do it." I was surprised to decide at the end of "The Laughing Corpse" that it was not only an improvement over the first book in the series, but one of the best horror stories I have ever read (and I read a lot of horror novels). There is a lot going on her, but Hamilton weaves the various cases, most of which would have sustained an entire novel, into a coherent narrative. I really was surprised when everything came together in the end. Hamilton has a much surer sense of her character this time around and I have every reason to believe that future novels in the series will be at least as good as this way. These books deserve their reputation and popularity if the rest are any where near as good as "The Laughing Corpse." Big Time Warning: this is a gruesome book. Younger readers of "The Laughing Corpse" are going to be upset by several of the scenes, especially when Anita investigates the bloody crime scenes and the climatic encounter. I read these sections in the light of day and they were still disturbing. Those who come to this series because of their love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer need to be told that this is a much darker world where the violence is brutally horrific and not beautifully choreographed. These books are much more intense. If they made this into a film it would give "The Exorcist" a run for its money. Remember, you were given fair warning.
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Summary: Good, but more holes in the plot this time
Review: I read mysteries and horror/fantasy only occasionally because I can usually guess whodunit or whydunit (as I did here) or because I find the fantasy too unconvincing (Tolkien being an exception), so why bother. However, I am enjoying this series, despite some sloppy writing/editing and holes in the plots, because Hamilton does create a convincing alternate reality and her chracterizations are, on the whole, very good. And Jean-Claude is just a great character, as is Anita. However, [SPOILERS AHEAD], Hamilton needs more attentive editing than she's currently receiving: in the final scene Jean-Claude claims to have witnessed the deaths of two minor characters whose deaths resulted in Anita being able to wield a massive amount of power that could be felt throughout the City and to have been drawn to Anita that night by sensing that power (which is self contradictory -- how could he have arrived before the act that caused the "power surge" if he was drawn by the power surge itself?). And Anita claims at the end that the police never figure out her connection to any of the deaths that occur that night, despite the fact that (presumably) her fingerprints were left on a machete and bullets from her gun were in two corpses. But other than these ridiculous loose ends, it was a fun book, but a weaker effort than many others inthe series.
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Summary: SECOND INSTALLMENT...TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!!!
Review: This is the second installment of the Anita Blake vampire series. What can I say...Laurell K. Hamilton has done it again. I recently fell in love with this series. I never want it to end. It really is too good. Anita Blake is all women. She has so many funny comeback lines, it's ridiculous. There is also Jean Claude, the Master of the City. Why aren't human men like him? Pretty soon you will meet Richard, the werewolf. Who will capture Anita's heart, Jean Claude or Richard. Go get this and the third installment...NOW!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Better than the first, but still not great
Review: A friend of mine recommended that I pick up this series, saying that it was incredibly addictive. Now, I love hard-boiled detective novels and I like horror novels, so I thought this would be the perfect series for me, but I found the first book to be a little dry. I continued on to the second book, giving the author the benefit of the doubt. The plot this go around has Anita Blake, the (sort of) tough-as-nails necromancer and Executioner helping the police track down a murderous zombie and trying to ward off the ill-intentioned millionaire that wants her to raise a really old zombie through human sacrifice. Blake, in the course of her investigation, manages to run afoul of a powerful voodoo priestess and several large, dangerous body guards. My biggest problem with this installment is how repetitive it is. Hamilton mentions over and over how short Blake is, what kind of gun she's carrying, how many bullets the gun carries, and the fact that she rarely packs a backup clip because if she runs through the fourteen bullets she has, then she's probably dead anyway. Besides that, the book is also a little dry. It's not really thrilling or mysterious, frequently the bad guys are introduced in the first fifty pages or so with a big neon sign flashing over there head that says "THIS IS THE BAD GUY!" There's very little actual investigation that takes place, mostly the bad people just keep coming after Blake and she has little choice but to solve the crime. This novel isn't terrible, but it's not great either. It's sort of average and while I wouldn't go out of my way to buy more, I might pick another up at an airport bookstore if I had nothing better to read on a long flight.
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