"The dead don't walk. They shamble. Unless you raise them wrong."
Okay, that's not the exact quote, but it's the vibe I was sitting with at 11:30 PM last night while my cat, Shirley, stared at a corner of the ceiling like she saw a ghost. (She does that. It's unnerving.)
I just finished revisiting The Laughing Corpse. Look, I work at a library. I see the Anita Blake books circulate constantly. I know the reputation this series has later on—less monster hunting, more... complicated interpersonal geometry. But going back to Book 2? It's a reminder of why this series exploded. This isn't romance with fangs. It's a hard-boiled detective novel where the detective happens to raise the dead for a living.
The Voice That Does the Heavy Lifting
Let's talk about Kimberly Alexis.
Narrating first-person urban fantasy is a minefield. You usually get one of two things: a narrator who sounds like they're reading a grocery list, or someone trying way too hard to be "tough guy cool." Alexis finds the third lane. She sounds tired. And I mean that as a compliment.
Anita Blake is exhausted. She's dealing with vampires, zombies, and a police force that doesn't respect her. Alexis captures that specific tone of "I don't get paid enough for this" sarcasm perfectly. When she delivers Anita's internal monologue, it feels like a friend ranting to you over a cheap beer.
(Side note: Her Jean-Claude voice? It works. It's slippery. A little French, a little arrogant. Shirley the cat didn't seem impressed, but she has high standards.)
I've heard some people complain that Alexis doesn't sound like the Anita in their head. Look, I get it. We all have our head-canons. But honestly? Unless the voice in your head can hold a consistent accent for ten hours, let the professional handle it. She commits to the bit.
When Zombies Were Actually Scary
We need to have a serious conversation about zombies.
Pop culture has ruined them. They're usually just cannon fodder for video games now. But here? Hamilton (and Alexis) reminds us that reanimated corpses are gross. They smell. They're tragic.
This book deals with a "Laughing Corpse"—a zombie that isn't just a mindless eater. It's faster. Stronger. And the dread? It's real. I listened to the climax while folding laundry in the basement (mistake #1), and I actually found myself checking the shadows near the water heater.
This is the sweet spot of the series for me. It's before the power creep gets out of control. Anita is vulnerable. She gets hurt. She makes mistakes. The magic system feels dangerous, not like a video game cheat code. That vulnerability is something I loved about The Once and Future Witches—magic that costs something real. It respects the horror roots of the genre.
The 2 AM Verdict
If you're a horror snob like me who usually avoids "paranormal romance" because you want scares, not stares—give early Anita Blake a shot. Especially on audio. Skip this one if you're coming for the later-series romance dynamics; you won't find them here. But if you want noir-flavored horror with teeth? This is your book.
Is it perfect? No. There are moments where the pacing stumbles in the middle—classic "second book syndrome" where we spend a lot of time setting up the world. But Kimberly Alexis keeps the momentum moving even when the plot wants to take a nap.
I listened to this mostly during my late-night shelving shifts when the library is closed to the public. Just me, the books, and a necromancer fighting for her life in St. Louis. The atmosphere was immaculate.
So yeah. Worth the credit. Just maybe keep the lights on.
