Anna Dressed in Blood summary

Encountering Anna

In Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, we meet Cas Lowood, a teenage ghost hunter who inherited his father's dangerous profession. Armed with his father's athame, a knife used to kill the dead, Cas travels the country with his mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Their latest destination is Thunder Bay, Ontario, where a ghost named Anna Dressed in Blood is said to haunt an abandoned Victorian house.

Anna Korlov was murdered on the way to her school dance in 1958, and her ghost has been killing anyone who enters her house ever since. Cas is determined to end her reign of terror, but when he finally meets Anna, he is taken aback by her beauty and the fact that she doesn't kill him. Instead, she lets him leave the house unharmed.

Unraveling Anna's Story

As Cas delves deeper into Anna's past, he learns that she was a kind and gentle girl who was forced into a life of violence and revenge after her death. Her mother, a powerful witch, bound Anna's spirit to the house, and she has been unable to leave or control her murderous instincts. Cas realizes that Anna is not a typical vengeful spirit, and he becomes determined to help her find peace.

Meanwhile, Cas's new friends, Thomas and Carmel, are drawn into his dangerous world. Thomas, a psychic, and Carmel, a popular girl at school, are initially skeptical of Cas's ghost hunting, but they soon become convinced after witnessing Anna's terrifying powers. Together, the three of them help Cas in his quest to save Anna.

The Battle with Evil

As the story progresses, Cas and his friends uncover the truth about Anna's murder. They learn that the man who killed her, a serial killer named Obeahman, is still alive and using dark magic to control Anna's spirit. Cas realizes that he must destroy Obeahman's source of power, a voodoo doll, in order to free Anna from his control.

In a climactic battle, Cas and his friends confront Obeahman in the haunted house. With the help of Thomas's psychic abilities and Carmel's bravery, they manage to destroy the voodoo doll and weaken Obeahman. Cas then uses his father's athame to kill Obeahman, freeing Anna from his control and allowing her to finally rest in peace.

Aftermath and New Beginnings

With Anna's spirit finally at peace, Cas and his friends leave Thunder Bay. However, their victory comes at a cost. Thomas loses his psychic abilities, and Carmel is traumatized by the events in the haunted house. Cas, too, is deeply affected by his encounter with Anna and the dangerous world of ghost hunting.

In the end, Cas decides to continue his father's work, but with a new perspective. He realizes that not all ghosts are evil and that some, like Anna, are victims in need of help. As the book concludes, Cas and his friends prepare for new adventures, knowing that they will face more dangerous spirits in the future.