The Laughing Corpse

The Laughing Corpse by Laurell K Hamilton

Summary
Harold Gaynor offers Anita Blake a million dollars to raise a 300-year-old zombie. Knowing it means a human sacrifice will be necessary, Anita turns him down. But when dead bodies start turning up, she realizes that someone else has raised Harold's zombie--and that the zombie is a killer. Anita pits her power against the zombie and the voodoo priestess who controls it. Notice to Hollywood: forget Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Anita Blake is the real thing.

Expectations
I really enjoyed the first book with the exception of one irritatingly unexplained character, Phillip. I was looking forward to reading this.

Writing Style
Hamilton draws you in with the delightfully kickass female character of Anita, providing a detailed and rich first person tale. It's fast-paced, witty, and perfect.

Plot
Pleasantly different from the previous book; although it's about murder and the supernatural, it puts a different spin on things, and it is interesting the way that Anita learns about her own powers. My only problem- not enough Jean-Claude!

Characters
Anita is a joy to read; powerful but with real weaknesses. We learn more about the people around her in this book. I liked the character work in this novel more than in the first!

Overall
Delicious novel, but I couldn't help feeling cheated out of more Jean-Claude.

4 Stars