Rating: 
Summary: He's more than a long leather coat
Review: The fifth in the Dresden Files pits our hero Harry Dresden, Chicago's only working Wizard - well, the only one in the Yellow Pages at any rate - against the demands of the other world, the underworld and those of his day job as a Private Investigator. The opening chapter sets up nicely the simultaneous conflicting pressures that Harry's supernatural friends and enemies place on him. And by the second chapter, there has been an attempt on his life and he's been given notice that the Red Court is threatening not only his own life, but that of those he cares about. Top that off with his human friends and their demands, and a bad day gets that much worse.All in a days work for Harry, but that's all the better for those of us following his adventures. Here the central mystery is a couple of gruesome deaths and the theft of the Shroud (that covered Christ?s body until he was resurrected). As events move forward it becomes clear that both are linked. As usual there is much more to the book than just mystery - fantasy, adventure and an element of romance as Susan turns up in Chicago again also take precedence from time to time. This serves to heighten or slow the pace as required to drive the plot forward. There are no new threats here: it is essentially the Red Court as we have met in the previous 2 books of the series - and the mob has it?s influence too. However the danger Harry faces is very real, unrelenting as the story is told over just a few days, and from all sides. This makes for a fast paced, action packed style that any who have read the series will recognise and appreciate. While the majority of the players are those known already to Dresden file followers, Butcher has not fallen into the trap of making his story inaccessible to potential new readers. Past events influencing the story are briefly described, but in enough detail that the book need not be read as part of the series, although as a Dresden junkie I do think that because events are so skilfully handled in the ups and downs of being Harry, the books would be best read in order. I did find the ending of Death Masks left me feeling a bit down - the roller coaster ride of not only the dangers Harry faced but the various emotional storms carried me along and left me a little wrung out. Also, although the danger has receded for a time, like the tide it is inevitable it will resurge again - there is more to follow and the threat is still out there. Cool.
Rating:
Summary: If you've lost it Harry will find it......
Review: The Shroud of Turin has been stolen and Harry Dresden is on the case. Dodging demons, vampires and the police as his own past comes back to haunt him. This is another well paced installment of the Dresden Chonicles. Susan, Harry's ex-girlfriend is also back on the scene to complicate what is already proving to be another deadly assignment for Harry and his friends. These books continue to be entertaining and well written. However, I have to say that if I had a quarter of the stress in my life that Harry has to put up with, I'd be a puddle on the pavement. I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series, and to see where the vampire war leads Harry - so far its a stalemate with mixed results, though the more you find out about the Red Court vampires you realize what a [danger] to all life they are.
Rating:
Summary: Urban Fantasy at its'best
Review: Two extremely competent female cat burglars steal the Shroud of Turin with all signs pointing towards the icon being taken to Chicago. Evidence suggests that Chicago mobster John Marcone is the intended buyer, but the church hopes to intercept the sacred artifact before it changes hands. Father Vincent works with the Chicago police but he also hopes to obtain the assistance of local wizard Harry Dresden, a private investigator who specializes in supernatural crimes. Harry agrees to take the case but it becomes more complicated when the Denarians also want the shroud. The Denarians are humans who chose to align themselves with the Fallen for immortality and innumerable power. They plan to use the artifact combined with some dark magic to create and spread a plague that will decimate much of the world's population. Harry and his allies, the Knights of the Cross, must stop the Denarians at all costs or Earth will undergo a tragedy more powerful than the Black Plague. Jim Butcher has created a very powerful urban fantasy story set in modern day Chicago where the only "outed" wizard resides. Unlike many of his allies, who operate in a black and white world, Harry works in shades of pastels, never certain whether what he is doing is right or just expedient. It is that uncertainty that makes the hero a vulnerable lovable person. Fans of Laurell K. Hamilton and Mercedes Lackey will definitely want to read all five books in the Dresden Files. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Great!!
Review: Well, this is the fifth book of the series and it still perfect. It is fantastic how Jim Butcher is able to keep the series on a so high level. He made only a mistake, in the book you are lead to believe that the language spoken in Brazil is Spanish. It is not, We speak Portuguese here, Spanish is not even our second language. Apart from that mistake, the book is flawless. I can't wait for the next book and I really hope Jim Butcher will keep the series as it is.
| 
