Death Masks by Jim Butcher

Roc, 2003
ISBN: 0451459407
Available: Paperback (new & used) & multiformat digital

The king of complicated, Chicago’s only professional wizard is back in Butcher’s fifth Dresden Files novel. Harry agrees to go on a paranormal talk show to meet a man who’s been searching for Susan, his half-vampire love. But he gets more than he bargained for when all the other guests are there to meet him as well. There’s a count of the Red Court there to challenge Harry to a duel in an effort to end the war between the Red Court vampires and the White Council, which rules the wizards. There’s also a priest from the Catholic Church who wants to hire Dresden to find the stolen Shroud of Turin. On the way out, a hit man from Chicago’s top mob boss tries to kill Harry, and Detective Murphy calls, wanting Harry to help out with a strange murder case.

Harry’s not alone though. Susan shows back up (and saves his skin a number of times) with half-vampire powers. And Michael is back, with the other sacred sword-wielding Knights of the Cross. The latter is an element that’s done especially well as Butcher manages to take a world where fairies and werewolves and vampires are real and also write beautiful, strong Christian characters instead of flat, stereotypical antagonists wearing crosses.
The Dresden books are quite popular, and despite being cautious in a urban fantasy-over run world, are very good as well. Dresden might have started out as a parody of UF, but Butcher’s strength in complex storytelling and just as vivid and complex characters pushed this series up to a ringleader of the UF gang. It’s also a fantastic addition in the sense that it brings a much needed male point of view to the genre, without excluding female characters as strong and capable on their own. Highly recommended for public collections, as these books give back a great amount for their purchase price.

Contains: violence, some gore, sex, language