Dead Beat

April 4, 2005
Butcher's seventh comic supernatural Dresden Files novel makes a welcome leap to hardcover (after 2004's Blood Rites
). Harry Dresden, a wizard PI living in Chicago with his half-brother, who's an incubus, and his dog, Mouse, learns that his girlfriend, a Chicago police officer specializing in occult investigations, is being blackmailed by a vampire. Unfortunately, every dark-magic wielder in Chicago apparently wants the same thing as the vampire—the spells of an unpleasant necromancer, Kemmler, whom Dresden's employers, the White Council, eliminated some years earlier. With Kemmler's spells one can summon the Erlking, the leader of the Wild Hunt, and draw on his magic to achieve godlike powers—at the cost of thousands of lives. To thwart the various ghouls, sorcerers and body-stealers in their evil quest, Dresden must turn for help to a reluctantly heroic medical examiner, Waldo Butters; a pack of werewolves, the Alphas; and a fallen angel, disguised as a bookstore clerk. Horror fans with a sense of humor will be pleased. Agent, Jennifer Jackson at DMLA.

Starred review from April 15, 2005
Practicing wizard Harry Dresden dedicates his life to protecting mortals from the unseen world of vampires, werewolves, zombies, and other supernatural creatures that inhabit present-day Chicago -and the rest of the world. When he discovers that a half dozen evil necromancers are all vying for possession of an ancient manuscript that promises to endow one of them with supreme power, Harry's life becomes a fast and furious race against time to find "The Word of Kemmler" before they do. With an incubus for a half-brother and a talking skull for a companion and advisor, the antiauthoritarian Harry manifests an infectious charm that will appeal to fans of Tanya Huff's "Blood" novels and readers who enjoy noir mysteries or supernatural crime series like Charlaine Harris's "Southern Vampire" series. Mixing offbeat humor, a hard-boiled style, and rich detail, Butcher's first hardcover in his "Dresden File" series (there's enough background information for new readers) deserves a spot in every library's fantasy or dark fantasy collection. Highly recommended.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2005
Harry Dresden's first hardcover adventure finds Chicago's preeminent wizard coping with his new roommate--vampire half-brother Thomas. Harry soon has problems bigger than Thomas' clutter to deal with. Marva, one of Harry's vampire foes, summons him with a threat to his police-lieutenant friend, Karrin Murphy. Marva demands Harry get the" Word of Kemmler" for her, or she'll frame Murphy for murder. Harry doesn't even know what the " Word" is, but while he's trying to find out, and also what damage Marva will be able to do with it, several necromancers descend on Chicago. When Harry learns that the newcomers are students of Kemmler, an evil wizard who mastered ancient spirits in a way no one has since, he discovers that they are seeking the " Word," too, in hopes of seizing the powerful knowledge within it and calling forth a powerful creature known as the Erlking. Butcher's latest maintains the momentum of previous Dresden outings and builds the suspense right up to a rousing conclusion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)