Book Review: Kiss the Dead by Laurell K. Hamilton

Kiss the Dead
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Publication: Berkley Hardcover (June 5, 2012)

Description: When a fifteen-year-old girl is abducted by vampires, it’s up to U.S. Marshal Anita Blake to find her. And when she does, she’s faced with something she’s never seen before: a terrifyingly ordinary group of people—kids, grandparents, soccer moms—all recently turned and willing to die to avoid serving a master. And where there’s one martyr, there will be more…

But even vampires have monsters that they’re afraid of. And Anita is one of them…


My Thoughts: While this novel covered a very brief span of time, it was packed with the issues that we have come to expect in an Anita Blake novel. While Anita has been accepted by her police squad and respected by the SWAT teams she works with, she still has to face the disapproval of some the higher ups who feel that her personal life will affect her working life. She is still having problems with one of the women she works with who is jealous about all the hot men who are Anita's lovers.

This case with the kidnapped girl brings in vampire politics as the kidnappers are vampires who want to live without a master. We get to see Anita as the very scary vampire executioner who brings terror to all the bad little vampires and even those who just have guilty consciences. This violence was quite graphic and not for those with a weak stomach.

At home, Anita is dealing with problems with her youngest lover because she is hung up on his youth and the age difference between them. The problems with Asher's jealousy also come to a head in this story resulting in Jean Claude sending him away to another city for a while. Whether or not he comes back is left undecided in this one. 

Anita also seems to be deciding that she just can't keep adding new men to her list of lovers. She is realizing that her heart isn't big enough to incorporate all of them. As she tells one of the new Marshals, her dance card is full. There are a number of graphic sex scenes in this one. This story isn't for those who are sensitive to romances with multiple partners and kinky variations as that seems to be a constant in Anita's life now.

This book is for devoted fans of the series who want to keep up with Anita's latest adventures. Readers who are fans of Richard or Edward will be disappointed as neither makes an appearance here. Actually Jean Claude's role is small in this one too. Anita spends most of the time with her wereanimals or with her police colleagues.

The story was a quick read for me but I don't think it will be one that I will re-read. 

Favorite Quote:

It bothered me that it hadn't bothered me to gun down two kids neither of whom could have been more than fifteen. It didn't bother me as I looked at the kneeling figures, and I knew without a doubt that if any more of the vampires tried to attack us I'd kill them, too, regardless of apparent age, race, sex, or religious affiliations. I was an equal-opportunity executioner; I killed everybody. I let them see that in my face, in my eyes, and watched fear leak through the toughness on their faces. One of the women started to cry softly. What does it mean when the monsters are so afraid of you that you make them cry? That maybe monster depends on which end of the gun you're on, or that I was just that good at my job. 

I am a long-time reader of this series and bought this book. You can get a copy here. You can also see an interesting interview with Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris as they talk about their long-running series here too.