Meet Harry Blackstone Copperfield Houdini Dresden, Chicago’s first (and only) Wizard PI.
His add in the yellow pages :
HARRY DRESDEN – WIZARD
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations.
Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties, or Other
Entertainment.
These words, at the very beginning of the book, set the tone for the rest of the story.
Harry Dresden is a typical noir hero, and as such, his life is plagued by conflict and misfortune.
We find him trying to make ends meet in modern day Chicago doing various odd jobs for clients.
In this story, Harry is working the ‘Case of the Missing Husband’.
Unfortunately for Harry, it just happens to be so that the Missing Husband is practicing
'Magic of the Darkest Kind'. And that’s where the Demon comes in. And the scorpions. Lots of scorpions.
Just as Harry is starting this investigation, he is called upon by the Chicago Special
Investigations police department, the department that is assigned to all ‘unusual’ cases.
His input is ‘requested’ regarding a ‘Rather Gruesome Double Murder’.
This in turn leads to Harry being at the receiving end of some very unhealthy attention doled
out by an old-fashioned Chicago mobster boss.
Oh, and did I mention Harry is also trying to avoid being put to death by Morgan and the White Council?
Yes. This story is action-packed. It is a rollercoaster ride of suspense and dark humor. It is fun. It has demons and faeries, there’s Bob (the talking skull in Harry’s basement), and we even learn about the true shape of a vampire.
I also very much liked the way the author explains magic to his readers. It makes you feel as if YOU TOO could be a wizard, if only you read the right books and practiced enough.
This story was written in 2000 by Jim Butcher, an American author. Wikipedia tells me this was
actually his very first book !
There are currently 15 stories set in the universe of the ‘Dresden Files’.
Jim Butcher is also the author of the ‘Codex Alera’ and the ‘Cinder Spires’ series.
In summary : Do I still need to say it ? I LOVED THIS BOOK !
If you like the noir genre, and if you like magic : this book has the perfect mix.
