5 Star Book Review: Dead Beat (The Dresden Files, # 7)

Author| Jim Butcher
Edition| American Mass Market Paperback
Genre| Urban Fantasy
Publisher| Roc
Rating| 5 Stars

I forget how much I love these books until I pick one up.  Then it's like my whole life revolves around Harry Dresden and his posse.  I have no idea what is so addictive about these books, but they grab me by the feels and swing me around.

This was my favorite book in the series so far, and I feel like I say that about every book in this series.  The Dresden Files are an urban fantasy series that follow the adventures of Chicago wizard Harry Dresden (aka the other wizard named Harry) as he solves crime.  He's a private detective that moonlights for the police.  In this volume he finds himself being blackmailed into helping an enemy.  This leads him to the center of a treasure hunt where all the other participants are necromancers out to kill him.

Harry is a wonderful main character.  It's hard for me to say a main character is my favorite character of any series because we get to see all aspects of them and it's hard to like all aspects.  But for Harry, he is my favorite without a doubt.  I love most of the characters besides him, too.  And two of my favorite just happened to share as much time in the story as Harry did: Butters and Thomas.

After the events of Book Six it's understandable that Thomas would be around quite a bit.  I was not expecting Butters in it at all, though, and it made my heart soar.  He grew so much over the course of this book that it surprised me.  Other main characters this time around include Bob- who's role is bigger than it normally is and very refreshing- and Mouse.  Mouse is, as ever, adorable.  Notably missing is Murphy, but I won't give away why.

The plot of this one was rather straight forward.  It built on past stories very well, especially those from Books One and Five.  However, while the previous six volumes had many stories that intertwined after two thirds, this one really only had one story.  It didn't need the padding of other story lines because it held its own very well.  I think that's what made this one better than the others.

I will recommend this series until I'm black and blue in the face from preaching.  That's how much I enjoy it.  It's perfect for fans of Grimm, Supernatural, and Constantine because it basically does what those shows do, except better.  Please go pick up book one, Storm Front.  And then come back so we can talk!