Proven Guilty (Dresden Files, #8)

by Jim Butcher

Wizard for hire Harry Dresden has to track down the things that go bump in the night in this novel in Jim Butcher's #1 New York Times bestselling series.

There’s no love lost between Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the Chicago phone book, and the White Council of Wizards, who find him brash and undisciplined. But war with the vampires has thinned their ranks, so the Council has drafted Harry as a Warden and assigned him to look into rumors of black magic in the Windy City.

As Harry adjusts to his new role, another problem arrives in the form of the tattooed and pierced daughter of an old friend—all grown up and already in trouble. Her boyfriend is the only suspect in what looks like a supernatural assault straight out of a horror film. Malevolent entities that feed on fear are loose in Chicago, but it’s all in a day’s work for a wizard, his faithful dog, and a talking skull named Bob...

• ISBN10: 0451461037
• ISBN13: 9780451461032
• Publish Date: 6 February 2007 (first published 1 May 2006)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
• Imprint: Signet
• Format: Paperback (US Tall Rack)
• Pages: 576
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780451461032

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

Narrated by James Marsters Proven Guilty offered an intense, sometimes heartfelt story and engaging mystery. Take my hand, we're off to Never, Neverland.

Harry has his hands full with the White Council, the Red Court of Vampires and the Winter Court of the Fey. Thomas has been acting strange and won't share with Harry. But, an assignment investigating the use of dark magic in Chicago soon brings more problems for our wizard.

When Harry gets a call from Molly Carpenter, the daughter of his friend Michael, he unwillingly answers her cry for help. She leads him to believe the police have arrested her, but it turns out her friend has. Harry quickly learns dark magic may be at play.

The tale that unfolds brings friends together, forms alliances, further exposes the flaws and kinks in the White Council and offers some creepy moments as Harry once again sacrifices for the greater good.

I love the flawed characters in this series. They make mistakes, can be politically incorrect and yet (villains aside) most are inherently good. A mother makes mistakes to protect her young, someone uses power to help others not realizing there is a steep price. Harry has unsavory thoughts even as he does the right thing. Harry uses hell's fire, and escapes death by the seat of his pants. The man is fearless even if I spend half my time worrying if his magic will work. LOL

Mix in humor, horror and intense battles and you've got yourself an addictive tale. Narrated by the talented James Marsters, I slipped in and devoured this audio. When an audio is over sixteen hours long, but feels like it was six you know it's magic. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer