Meet Harry Dresden - Private Detective and the only Wizard in Chicago. Wizarding is hard business when almost no one believes in it, but Harry's relationship with Lieutenant Murphy in the Chicago PD at least helps keep bread on the table. Most of the time.

But Harry's in for a rough time - he's been hired to find a missing person that might not actually be missing, and trying to help the police with a grizzly double homicide. Problem is, the couple was killed with strong, dark magic, and Harry is the only Wizard in town with that kind of power - something his superiors are only too aware of. Harry has mere days to find the real killer and prove his innocence before he is killed - either by his superiors, or the killer who has also set his sights on Harry's life.

I've been meaning to read these novels for quite some time as they blend my two favourite genres together - fantasy and mystery. I loved the short-lived TV show version of these novels, although I have now realized how much they differ from the novels. The books, of course, are better! I enjoy the quirky, slightly geeky Dresden, his ability to get himself into, and out of, ridiculously dangerous situations, and the wide array of supporting characters that make up his reality. Mystery lovers will enjoy the inter-woven cases in this novel, and fantasy lovers will enjoy learning how a lone wizard can survive in modern Chicago.