Storm Front, by Jim Butcher
Storm Front is the first novel of The Dresden Files by author Jim Butcher. The story revolves around Harry Dresden, a wizard living in present day Chicago. Dresden works with Karrin Murphy, a police officer with the Chicago PD, to help solve cases that seem to have happened by supernatural forces.
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Warning: Spoilers follow
here.
The book starts with Dresden receiving a package at his door, where yet another mailman gives him grief about his sign advertising that he is a wizard. Dresden operates out of Chicago and helps others with magic or supernatural problems. He gets a call from Murphy ordering him to come down to the Madison hotel, the scene of a grizzly double homicide. Both victims have had their hearts ripped out through their chests, and it looks like black magic is the culprit. One victim is Tommy Tomm, a henchman for well-known mob boss Gentleman John Marcone. The other victim is Jennifer Stanton, a call girl who works for Miss Bianca - a vampiress. After several attempts from Murphy to dissuade him from looking into the case on his own, Dresden talks with Bianca and Gentleman John.
Meanwhile, a woman named Monica Sells comes to Dresden seeking help for her missing husband, Victor. Victor has been missing for several days and Monica tells Dresden that Victor was practicing magic when he suddenly disappeared. Monica is nervous during their meeting, and Dresden keeps asking her why she didn't just go to the police. Monica tells him that the police would just laugh at her, hearing her excuse of magic. Dresden takes the case, and a $500 deposit from Monica, who rushes out the door as soon as she can. One of the leads for Dresden to find Victor was the Sells's lake house, near Lake Michigan. Dresden heads up to the lake house and does some snooping. He finds a red film canister. After calling for and wrestling answers out of Toot, a faery he knows, Dresden is finally able to assess that Victor was seen having sex at the lake house just the night before. Dresden thinks that Victor is simply cheating on Monica and decides to concentrate on the double homicide instead. However, when Dresden calls Monica to update her on what he's found out, Monica is suddenly very standoffish, telling Dresden to keep the money and never call her again.
After a woman named Linda Randall, a former call girl friend of Jennifer and employee of Miss Bianca who now works as a driver for a rich couple named the Beckitts, is found dead in her apartment in the same manner as Tommy and Jennifer, Dresden starts putting the pieces together.
Everyone is connected in one way or another. The Beckitts had a daughter who was killed in a crossfire between Marcone's gang and another rival gang. Victor struggles to provide for his family financially, so he takes up Black magic and seeks out help from the Beckitts, who can give him a lot of money. In return, he will take out Marcone as punishment for killing their daughter. Victor needs strong energy to make his magic work, so he starts having orgies in his lake house to feed of the lust energies. Jennifer is actually Monica's sister. Because she is a call girl and the situation would help her sister's family financially, Jennifer agrees to be a part of the orgy scheme. Jennifer and Linda were lovers as well as coworkers. Linda also takes part in the orgies. Once he had been engulfed by the Black magic, Victor started to scare Monica. Jennifer threatened Victor with police action if he didn't stop scaring Moncia. Victor took out Jennifer to keep her quiet, and the force of the magic was so powerful it took out Tommy as well. After Linda figured out it was Victor who killed them, she attempted to tell the police, but Victor killed her too.
After all of this is out in the open, and since it now looks like he is the next victim, Dresden goes to confront Victor (who, in the absence of orgy participants, has had to rely on energy from a storm front) at the lake house as the next storm is starting. After a long battle, Victor is finally defeated and Dresden is saved.
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First of all, you need some back story. The Dresden Files is my husband's favorite book series. He began reading it in college and has been hounding me to read it ever since. So, this Christmas his gift was me reading Dresden. I think Dresden is such a badass. The scene where he goes to confront Marcone at The Varsity really had me cheering Dresden on. The steamier scenes were written well, too. This book really makes you fall in love with Dresden, you almost want him to protect you. (I'm totally scouting out pentacle necklaces on eBay - don't judge me.) He is so kind, and a badass, and a wizard. He's the total package, and I can't wait to see what else he does in the upcoming books! This was an amazing first book, and Justin assures me they only get better from here. So here ya go, Butcher: 5/5.
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Fool Moon, by Jim Butcher
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