Dead Beat

Dead Beat is the seventh book of the eleven book Dresden Files series.  Dead Beat is a very long read, but luckily, you can read it without reading all of the previous books. 

The lead character is Harry Dresden, a detective living in Chicago, who also happens to be a wizard.  In this book, Harry, seen as the outcast wizard, is challenged to save the life of his mortal friend, a woman whom he has a huge crush on.  To save her, Harry makes a deal with Mavra, a villainess from the last book, to find the “the word of Kemmler,” the information that would help teach Marva about the necromancers, the ability to bring people back from the dead! Harry faces many old demons in his journey to get the Kemmler information, with the clock ticking. And of course to add more to the eeriness of the book this is all set only two days before Halloween.  There is a ton of battles between Harry and his arch-rivals and even with the White Council, a group he eventually is asked to join based on his past battles. 

What I enjoy about the Dresden story is the mixed worlds (mortals and wizards), and how the mortals have no idea that the wizards exist, but are reliant on the good will of the wizards to keep the community safe.  Harry Dresden is a complicated free-spirit who is unafraid of the challenges that face him seemingly at every turn of drama in Chicago.  He doesn’t fit in with his peers, but in the end defends justice for all.  The story had lots if intricacies and twists, always keeping the reader on the edge of their seat wondering if Dresden will escape the next challenger for power to destroy the world.  While he isn’t “human” he does have the feelings that mortals have, even falling in love!  I’m sure the next book will bring Dresden and the elusive Karin Murphy closer to falling in love.