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! ( )

Lecture agréable qui confirme la bonne impression du premier tome. ( )

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 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 ( )

Pre09: Yea... don't remember much of this one. ( )

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. ( )

Better than Guilty Pleasures. I didn't love this book, but it was an entertaining/quick read. I thought it ended strongly. I'll definitely give the next in the series a try... ( )

Endnu en rigtig god og velskrevet fantasy krimi. En af mine absolutte ynglingsserier ( )

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 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. ( )

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. ( )

Sensational second book in a fantastic series. ( )

See Guilty Pleasures. ( )

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 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. ( )

I thought the second book in the Anita Blake series was much better than the first. With several plot lines going on at the same time and non-stop action, this book will keep you in suspense. Considerably more gruesome than the first, so young readers beware. ( )

Book 2 in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. In this book Anita helps the police try to find who is brutally killing (butchering) people around the St. Louis area. Anita seeks the help of a local voodoo queen and regrets it instantly. A local mobster tries to hire her to raise a very old corspe. When Anita refuses (because she would have to have a human scarafice) he is none to happy with her.
Very enjoyable, but a bit gruesome at times. Looking forward to reading more in this series. ( )

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 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. ( )

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 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. ( )

Oh my God. So scary. I cowered in my bed while reading this. ( )

I enjoy the Anita Blake series, they are not really well written. The main character is torn between 2 interesting boyfriends, the situations are fun, and they are quick reads. ( )

Rating : 3.5 out of 5
Reason for Reading : Summer Reading Challenge and recommendations
Number in series : #2

This book focuses more on Anita's job as an Animator. This involves raising the dead as zombies and is used by people to find out how people were murdered, to sort out legal issues with wills and to right wrongs, before laying them to rest again. This story follows on shortly after Guilty Pleasures and has a whole new cast of villians including an out-of-control zombie who is gruesomly killing and eating families, a rich cripple who wants a zombie raising, a powerful voodoo priestess and fellow animator accused of human sacrifice.

Things start to go wrong for Anita when she refuses the vast sum of money offered by Harold Gaynor to raise a 300 year old corpse which would require a human sacrifice (a "white goat"). From there the violence and being chased begins anew. You would think this girl would learn really... I am still a little unconvinced in her writing style when she is talking about Anita. All the "naws" and "shit" are a little annoying, but I do like that the penguins made a reappearence as well as Master Vampire Jean-Claude. The thing I can't quite work out is the difference between an Animator and a Necromancer if there is one.

It was a more gripping read than Guilty Pleasures, but the final monster sounded pretty silly on paper (although it would be a completely different matter if it was coming towards me I am sure!). I still need a little more convincing... ( )

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. ( )

http://www.amaranth.aviators.net/Crit... ( )

This was a great book, lots of suspense and action. ( )

"At five-three I am not imposing. Raise the dead, kill a few vampires, and people start considering you one of the monsters. Sometimes it hurt. But now... it had possibilities. 'Do you really think I came in here unarmed?' I asked. My voice sounded very matter-of-fact... 'Want to bet your life on it?' "

I expected more vampires, so I was a bit disappointed, when it took almost until the middle of the book for the first one to show. I thought the story line of this one was not as good as the first one. Very one-dimensional, no big surprises. Well, besides of the very brutal murders with a lot of gory detail. Not for the faint hearted. But then, when the story started to pull to a close, my god did it pick up speed! And so did I, over the last 100 pages. I practically ravished the book, occasionally reading out especially yucky passages to a friend, who spent the best part of an hour squealing in disgust. What great fun! Yay for Anita, go girl and beat the crap out of all of them! ( )

The laughing corpse is a dodgy club in a dodgy city.
A dodgy guy offers Anita a lot of cash to do a dodgy job. This job is to raise the dead in a way that is a no-no. She refuses, but someone else does it.

Then the dead bodies start turning up, and the police and Anita have to investigate. She still has human friends at the time, too.

http://superprose.blogspot.com/2007/0... ( )

Weakest of the series so far, hard to explain why. Maybe because the villain was so telegraphed? Not that all the villains in this series aren't relatively predictable...but when someone asks you who you think it could be, and you pull a name out of your ass, that isn't even an established character....and it turns out to be them. It just seems odd/tacky, you know? ( )