Review: Dead Beat (The Dresden Files #7)

Harry Dresden -- Wizard: Lost items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Dead Beat, by Jim Butcher, is the seventh novel in the Dresden Files. Paraanormal investigations are Dresden's business in the Windy City. He tries to bring law and order to an increasingly chaotic world of wizards, monsters, and vampires. It's three days before Halloween and nearly a year after the events in Blood Rites. Karrin Murphy is head of the Special Investigations Unit of the Chicago Police Department. As Harry's best friend, she looks out for him in case supernatural trouble is nearby.

When an ancient evil threatens to destroy Murphy's reputation, Harry has no choice but to succumb to their bidding. He must find the Word of Kemmler and all the power that comes with it. Dresden has not heard of The Word, so he consults his spirit assistant, Bob, who used to belong to Kemmler, the most powerful necromancer in a thousand years who was killed by the White Council. Now he must race against time and merciless necromancers to find the Word before Chicago becomes the center of the walking dead on Halloween night.

In the meantime, he must also protect Dr. Butters, a Chicago assistant coroner, from the grasp of necromancers and hold his own against the strong influence of a fallen angel, Lasciel. As if Halloween couldn't become more creepier for Harry Dresden.

This was another excellent Halloween-themed novel filled with action and suspense by Jim Butcher. To my surprise, the latter quarter of the plot takes place in the town of my alma mater, Northwestern University. This made for an amusing ending. Each case becomes more dangerous and challenging for Harry to overcome unscathed. Harry's life also changes drastically due to the necromancers and vampire war against the White Council. Although he does not treat it like a promotion (from wizard to regional Warden), I look forward to what new privileges and responsibilities await him. Lately, I am missing the romance that was more prevalent in the earlier books. I hope Harry can find happiness and a cure for Susan's current condition in his new role

Stay tuned for the next novel in the Dresden Files series, Proven Guilty

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