Jim Butcher
Podium, 2026 194pp.
Harry Dresden’s world has stabilized a little since the events
of Battle Ground and its aftermath. This, of course, is an intolerable
situation, as Harry can’t have breakfast in his own castle without something
or someone intruding to threaten his existence. Here it’s John Marcone shows up to
remind Harry that there’s a debt to settle, and he wants Harry to settle it in a very
strange way – by helping a criminal accomplice go straight. Harry knows there’s
a hidden agenda, and Marcone knows he knows, but they both know Harry is going to
help.
It quickly gets dangerous. Harry has never been sure what he
unleashed by destroying the Red Court, and it turns out a demon that thrived on
chaos has turned up in Chicago in concert with villains named Estevez and
Emilo. (Took me a second.) The “Lurker”
is too powerful and broadly scattered between bodies for Harry to just blast
it, so he and his allies (some of them reluctant) need something more complicated – a
plan relying on misdirection, split-second timing, and a lot more luck than
Harry usually gets. Bear (terrific fun as always), Tripp (the criminal with a
crazy story about wanting to go straight), and Max the idiosyncratic attorney are
in for the kind of high-stakes craziness that happens in Harry’s world, and
all their lives are on the line.
There is some thoughtful and funny stuff about God, the law,
principles, and the consequences of one’s actions woven through this standalone
adventure. There’s also enough magical combat to keep the reader enthralled while
the philosophical questions play out and Tripp decides if going straight it
worth it – or survivable. A solid addition to the Dresden canon.