Dead Beat (Mini-Review)

Dead Beat is the seventh book in Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files series. This entry follows Harry Dresden who is told by the very much alive Mavra to find the Word of Kemmler. Making this task all the harder is the fact Harry doesn't know what the Word of Kemmler is and necromancers have arrived in Chicago that are very interested in the Word of Kemmler.

While originally reading this book, police brutality was hidden away instead of out in the open. So reading about Karrin Murphy being a police officer didn't have the same effect as it does now. I'm not saying all police officers are evil, but the good ones aren't able to make any significant changes. At one point in the book Harry has a revelation about Morgan. He sees that the man is just a worn out police officer and that causes some sympathy. That just seemed a little awkward to me. Though I am glad Morgan is painted in a more favorable light here than in past entries in the series. The first book I ever read in this series was Turn Coat so, suffice it to say, my views on Morgan have forever been biased because of that.

The sexual tension between Harry and Murphy is so thick you can cut it with a knife during this book. This is impressive considering Murphy only appears briefly in the beginning and ending of the book. I can't remember if this pair actually gets together but, hey, that's what fanfiction is for.

The necromancers all have their own personalities and powers, but the same reason for coming to Chicago. This means not only does Harry have to both find the Word of Kemmler and defeat the necromancers, but he also has to navigate all the infighting. The two biggest necromancers end up being a mysterious figure who calls himself Cowl and the Corpsetaker who can possess bodies.

Waldo Butters is finally given time to really shine in this book. He becomes extremely important as the series continues and so I was happy to see him finally do something. He starts out with a good heart but is easily frightened. He doesn't become a fighter by the end, however he is a much different character by the final pages of the book. Butters' love of polka actually plays a big part in the end of the book.

Harry has been going through some changes since the end of the last book. Mainly he is a lot more angry to the point he scares a bunch of his friends and allies. Near the end of the book he realizes that those he cares about are afraid of him. There is a very good reason presented why he is more angry and how he didn't notice that change about himself.

Wizard biology is explored a little. Mainly about why wizards are able to live such long lives and a possible theory about why electronic things break easily around them. Basically wizards are able to heal much better than a normal human does thus leading to longer lives. This healing could also have the side effect of making electronics malfunction.

One of the funniest moments of this book has to be when Butters thinks that Harry and Thomas Raith are gay lovers. This is funny because Harry and Thomas are half-brothers. So someone holding onto the idea that incest is going on is funny.

I would recommend Dead Beat by Jim Butcher to fans of The Dresden Files series and lovers of urban fantasy/mystery books.