Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Cas Lowood is a ghost hunter following in his deceased father's footsteps.  Cas has his father's athame (dagger), which he uses to dispatch murderous ghosts to the afterlife.  He feels it in his blood that this is what he is meant to do so Cas travels around the country searching for evil spirits who are taking their revenge on the living.
Cas travels with his mother, who just happens to be a witch, and their cat, who can see evil spirits and warns them of impending danger.

Cas moves with his mother to Thunder Bay, Ontario on a tip that a ghost named Anna is particularly dangerous and has killed the many innocent people who have entered her home.  He plans to learn about her, find out her weaknesses and then kill her (again).  The legend states that Anna was on her way to a dance in a white dress and she never made it.  Her body was found with her throat slit and she was dressed in blood.  Cas meets his match when he meets Anna and one act of compassion puts them on the road to forging an unlikely relationship.

Blake has created a fast paced paranormal romance that is a unique and entertaining page turner.   When Cas meets Anna for the first time he is in awe of her presence and beauty when Anna gives him a break and decides not to kill him.  I love that Anna is a powerful, ass kicking, murderous ghost who is just trying to understand her existence and remember why she can't leave her house.  Cas, like the reader, is drawn to Anna and her story.  Cas finds himself falling in love with the dead girl he is trying to kill.

The whole time I read Anna Dressed in Blood I kept thinking that this would make a great movie.  Seriously someone needs to buy the film rights as a movie could be a whole lot scarier then the book.   I didn't read Anna for the scare factor (it was a nail biter), I read it because I love a good ghost story.  Blake has characterized this book as teen horror and I confess I am not a fan of horror books but because of Anna, I am rethinking that.  Anna Dressed in Blood is a great ghost story with interesting and creative characters.  Anna is a bit gory and gross with the main character covered in blood and dead bodies that talk while trying to kill you.

Reading Anna Dressed in Blood is bloody good fun.