White Night (Dresden Files, #9)

by Jim Butcher

Wizard Harry Dresden must investigate his own flesh and blood when a series of killings strike Chicago’s magic practitioners in this novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Someone is targeting the members of the city’s supernatural underclass—those who don’t possess enough power to become full-fledged wizards. Some have vanished. Others appear to be victims of suicide. But now the culprit has left a calling card at one of the crime scenes—a message for Harry Dresden.
 
Harry sets out to find the apparent serial killer, but his investigation turns up evidence pointing to the one suspect he cannot possibly believe guilty: his half-brother, Thomas. To clear his brother’s name, Harry rushes into a supernatural power struggle that renders him outnumbered, outclassed, and dangerously susceptible to temptation.
 
And Harry knows that if he screws this one up, people will die—and one of them will be his brother...

• ISBN10: 045146155X
• ISBN13: 9780451461551
• Publish Date: 5 February 2008 (first published 3 April 2007)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
• Imprint: Signet
• Format: Paperback (US Tall Rack)
• Pages: 528
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780451461551

Reviews

[Ben Pick]

This was a great novel, and worthy of 5 stars. However, it was held back by the over sexualization of Molly. Most of the first several books suffer from something similar, but from what I remember, this was the worst offender. Dresden seems to be in the nebulous early 40s range and in very few moments related to Molly does he seem like the more mature one.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Dresden teams up with Murphy off the book to solve the case and Murphy impressed me. Molly is showing her years and though I suspect Harry wants to kick her, even she has her moments and after a year under Dresden's apprenticeship we are seeing improvements. Mouse continues to be the best dog ever! If only he could share his thoughts like Oberon. (a nod to the Iron Druid Chronicles)

When Murphy asks Harry to look at a suicide we learn, we learn that someone is murdering female magic users that look like suicides. Butters shows Harry others. When Murphy is off the clock the two interview witnesses, and soon Harry forms a suspect. Could Thomas be involved?

Soon there are explosions, ghouls, vampires and the White Council involved. Harry has his hands full. The battle scenes were fantastic, detailed and intense. You can feel Butcher taking this series into darker territory as he weaves in some incredible moments, and twists. Don't worry he still adds plenty of humor to round things out.

I cannot get enough of these characters and world. There are so many quotable moments that resinated with me on life, pain, and loss.  This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer