Review – Sucker Punch by Laurell K. Hamilton

Posted December 14, 2020 by Carole in 2020 Audiobook Challenge, 2020 New Release Challenge, Audiobook, Book Reviews / 16 Comments

Sucker Punch by Laurell K. Hamilton
Narrated by Kimberly Alexis
Series: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #27
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Publication Date: August 4, 2020
Date Read: December 7, 2020
Length: 609 pages / 18 hours 26 minutes
Source: NetGalley / Purchased
★★☆☆☆

A brutal murder, a suspect in jail, and an execution planned—but what if the wrong person is about to be killed?

When a fellow U.S. Marshal asks Anita Blake to fly to a tiny community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on an emergency consult, she knows time is running short. When she arrives, there is plenty of proof that a young wereleopard killed his uncle in the most gruesome and bloody way possible. As the mounting evidence points to him, a warrant of execution is already under way.

But something seems off about the murder, and Anita has been asked for her expert opinion on the crime scene. Despite escalating pressure from local cops and the family’s cries for justice for their dead patriarch, Anita quickly realizes that the evidence doesn’t quite add up.

Time is against Anita, as the tight-knit community is up in arms and its fear of supernaturals is growing. She races to uncover the truth and determine whether the Marshals have caught the killer or are about to execute an innocent man—all in the name of justice.

 My Review

I have been a fan of Laurell K. Hamilton for a very long time.  I live in the same area as the author so I have been lucky enough to go to quite a few bookish events and have waited hours to get my book signed more than once.  Over the years, I have been distracted by other books and authors and have missed some of the books in this series but I would still consider myself to be a fan.  It pains me to say that I didn’t enjoy this book.  

This book takes Anita out of town to help deal with shifter involved murder case.  I will say that I have had mixed feelings about some of the books that take Anita away from the cast of characters that are a part of her world at home.  That being said, I tend to love books that include Edward, which this one does, so I was hopeful.  Unfortunately, it felt like next to nothing happened in this entire book.  There is a lot of talking but that is about it.  The case seemed really easy to figure out and I had hoped that there would be some kind of surprise that would change everything but that never happened.  
So what did they talk about?  They overexplained a lot of things through different conversations but it seemed like the bulk of the discussions focused on Olaf/Otto.  Olaf is a U.S. Marshal, like Anita, but in his free time, he is a serial killer.  He has his sights set on Anita and wants to have a relationship with her instead of just wanting to kill her.  Anita is not quite as eager but instead of saying no and moving on, they go on and on about what he would need to do to date her.  It was agonizing.  
I thought that Kimberly Alexis did a great job with the narration.  I do think that her narration was one of the reasons that I was able to finish this book.  She did a great job with all of the character voices and I found her voice to be very pleasant to listen to.  
I wouldn’t recommend this book to others.  I am not throwing in the towel with this series just yet but I wish that I had skipped this book.  I found this book to be rather slow and lacking any real excitement.  I do have hope for the next installment in the series.  

I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook.

About the Author

Laurell K. Hamilton is a full-time writer and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry series. She lives in a suburb of St. Louis with her family.

16 responses to “Review – Sucker Punch by Laurell K. Hamilton

  1. I have to say I stopped at about book 17? I just got tired of sex with everyone she knew all the time.

    Anne – Books of My Heart

  2. I liked this one ok but it wasn't my favorite. I kinda get why she doesn't tell Olaf no, because she's afraid of turning him down outright. She's afraid that he'll see her as prey if she does and she doesn't want to have to fight for her life. I like Olaf though and Edward. They are interesting characters.

  3. Bea

    Oh, that's disappointing. I'm sorry it didn't work for you. I have this one and the January release for review. I had taken a long break from the series but heard it had improved so decided to take a chance. Fingers crossed!

  4. I think maybe Anita Blake should rest a little, think she's tired of it all. But I am happy that you are honest about it. I gave up half way through 8, so you are doing better

  5. Sorry this one was disappointing. I do like it when I read a series that is set in my area- that's always nice. Hopefully this series picks back up for you with the next one… 🙂

  6. I stopped with the series a long time ago as I felt nothing different happened in each book other than new lovers for Anita. I was sick of her fighting with Richard, Dolph and the female pal all the time…Ronnie, was it? I think I stopped around 15 or 16?