Storm Front - Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden is a wizard turned PI. Occasionally, just to bring in some cash, he takes the odd job for the local PD. However, this latest investigation has his head spinning. 

The most gruesome murder this city has seen in a while and it is done by magic. The only Mage anyone knows with this kind of power is Harry himself. Being almost immediately implicated is not a shock to Harry because he can think of no one else capable of pulling of such a horrific stunt either.

At the same time Harry is given this investigation he takes on another. It seems to be a simple case of a runaway husband. As Harry gets more involved in the case he finds evidence that the cases are linked.

Will Harry solve the cases in time to save his own hide or will he go down as the only suspect? He is the only known Mage capable of pulling off this crime.

At first I was leery of the wizard-turned-detective spin of this novel. So leery, in fact, I refused to even buy the book. I have heard many good things about these novels over the years and decided to give them a go. I was in love with the sheer nerdiness of Harry Dresden. Everything about him reminded me of a friend I had in high school. The story holds all you want from a detective story (even a little mob boss action) and an urban fantasy novel.

If you like Storm Front:

PN Elrod's Vampire Files

Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series

Simon R. Green

Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series.

Upcoming Reviews

Top 5 Urban Fantasy Series (Female Author)

1. Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series.

Anita Blake is a well known Necromancer and Vampire Executioner. She has an ongoing internal battle, is she just as much of a monster as the ones she kills on a regular basis? The books get progressively better until Blood Noir. My recommendation would be to skip that book altogether. The relationships in the series also get progressively better.

2. Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series. 

Rachel is a witch who has worked for the IS (the supernatural FBI) chasing down bounties most of her adult life. After the turn, or attack of the killer tomatoes, humans and the supernatural have had to learn to coexist. This leads Rachel on some pretty insane adventures. Be forewarned, this book is a slow starter, but the next book is entirely too hard to put down. You will fall in love with Jenks if nothing else!

3. Lilith Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series.

Necromancer, Dante Valentine, is good at what she does. So good, the devil comes calling. 

4. Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series.

Mercedes Thompson is not your average mechanic. She is a skinwalker. After catching the eye of the local Werewolf alpha, her life takes an exiting turn. Getting caught in the middle of were politics and coming into her own as a skinwalker make up this series page turners!

5. Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series.

Think True Blood- season 1. Then forget everything else you've seen based on these novels. The show takes you way off in left field but the novels focus on Sookie's life and struggles.