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Dead Beat (The Dresden Files, Book 7) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "On the whole, we're a murderous race..." (more)
Key Phrases: shield bracelet, necromantic energy, freaking clue, White Council, Red Court, Bony Tony (more...)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (115 customer reviews)

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Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition, February 1, 2007 $6.39 -- --
  Library Binding, April 8, 2009 $16.99 $16.99 $31.91
  Hardcover, May 3, 2005 -- $78.99 $15.99
  Paperback, Import -- -- $4.99
  Mass Market Paperback, May 1, 2006 $7.99 $3.00 $3.00

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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Harry Dresden's first hardcover adventure finds Chicago's preeminent wizard coping with his new roommate--vampire half-brother Thomas. Harry soon has problems bigger than Thomas' clutter to deal with. Marva, one of Harry's vampire foes, summons him with a threat to his police-lieutenant friend, Karrin Murphy. Marva demands Harry get the Word of Kemmler for her, or she'll frame Murphy for murder. Harry doesn't even know what the Word is, but while he's trying to find out, and also what damage Marva will be able to do with it, several necromancers descend on Chicago. When Harry learns that the newcomers are students of Kemmler, an evil wizard who mastered ancient spirits in a way no one has since, he discovers that they are seeking the Word, too, in hopes of seizing the powerful knowledge within it and calling forth a powerful creature known as the Erlking. Butcher's latest maintains the momentum of previous Dresden outings and builds the suspense right up to a rousing conclusion. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Review

A great series-fast-paced, vividly realized. -- Cinescape --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 396 pages
  • Publisher: Roc Books; 1st edition (May 3, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0451460278
  • ISBN-13: 978-0451460271
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (115 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #156,913 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Jim Butcher
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Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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First Sentence:
On the whole, we're a murderous race. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
shield bracelet, necromantic energy, freaking clue, supernatural community, jump drive, death curse, older cop, liver spots
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
White Council, Red Court, Bony Tony, Senior Council, Laws of Magic, Field Museum, Forensic Institute, Blue Beetle, Warden Luccio, Mister Dresden, Native American, Black Court, Bock Ordered Books, Queen Mab, White Court, Wild Hunt, Alicia Nelson, Captain Luccio, Die Lied, Karrin Murphy, Lake Michigan, Miss Gard, Artemis Bock, Louisville Slugger, The Word of Kemmlei
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Customer Reviews

115 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (115 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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78 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Not the best, but solid work, May 6, 2005
By Lucinda A. "lucinda2002us" (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews
Let me say it right off: "Dead Beat" is not the best in the series, but it is damn good nevertheless. In all fairness it has several weaknesses, which I will briefly mention below, but it certainly doesn't betray the usual strong plot, fun adventure and high quality writing we came to expect from Jim.

The previous installment, "Blood Rites", had Harry discover new and disturbing facts about his life. In this book, Harry turns to introspection. Faced with a bunch of necromancers in a mad race after a lost artifact of unspeakable power, all of them much stronger magically than Harry, our hero has to make choices and compromises which are morally ambiguous. As with real life, there are no clear-cut `right' solutions (high points for realism, Jim). But hey, nothing like moral dilemmas to have a character grow. Indeed, here we find Harry gradually losing the naiveté and bumbling enthusiasm of the first volumes; this is a world-weary Harry who has to undergo a painful examination of his weaknesses of spirit in order to be able to live with them. Nicely done.

If the hero gets all the attention he deserves, that can hardly be said about the rest of the characters we came to love, or love to hate. Thomas pops in and out of the plot at random moments; some old characters get cameo appearances, others are conspicuously absent for the entire duration of the plot, which was decidedly odd. Also, there should be a limit to how many artifacts Harry is able to locate during the course of a book ... and then lose to the bad guys rather immediately! I am not saying this makes for a bad plot, but boy was I gritting my teeth in frustration. Finally, some small inconsistencies (an attentive reader will no doubt notice them, so I won't go into that). All these do not change my impression of the series, which is among the best out there now that Anita went bananas and Meredith will soon collapse from sexual exhaustion. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and can't wait to get my hands on the next one. Go Harry!
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38 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars HURRAH FOR HARRY!!!!!!!!, May 11, 2005
Kudos to Jim Butcher for getting his first hardcover publication in the Harry Dresden series! Definitely liked the presentation: cover illustration is great and the overall work is of excellent quality.

To the story: Chicago's only Wizard PI, Harry Dresdent's latest story opens up with him agreeing to take care of his cop-friend (who could be more) house while she goes away to Hawaii with another man. Harry wants to stop her. Something tells him Murphy wants him to stop her....but he doesn't....

Then, he's contacted by Mavra, a vampire he thought he'd killed before. If he doesn't get her the "Word of Kemmler" Murphy is going to be disgraced by some seriously incriminating pictures. Murph comes from a cop family and this would destroy her.

So, the chase for the elusive Word begins. In the process, Harry discovers that Kemmler is definitely bad juju. He was a black wizard sho specialized in necromancy--til he died. Now, his disciples are on the chase for the Word, too, competing with each other, hoping to gain the power the Word will provide.

It's a fast-paced story with some really good messages within, particularly relating to Waldo Butters and courage.

I don't think DEAD BEAT is as well-paced as the other Dresden novels. There are some spots that actually drag. Can't decide whether that is the novel length requirement for hardcover or that Jim Butcher is distracted with his new series. I think I could have done without most of a scene with Harry debating with Alterna-Harry, but skimming will get you the drift.

Still, I highly recommend all of Butcher's DRESDEN FILES novels. They are well-written. Since Butcher is a martial artist, the action flows nicely. The characters are folks you care about--interesting, flawed, but worth knowing. I am grateful most of all that Harry has stayed pretty much Harry. He's a good guy, who fights to do the right thing and keep the world safe. HURRAY FOR HARRY AND JIM BUTCHER!!!!
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing - The series shows no signs of slowing down, May 3, 2005
I was going to start this review by saying, "Dead Beat is the best book yet", but I'm not sure if that's true. I mean no criticism though. The quality level of the series has reached the point where every book is such a solid 5 stars that trying to compare them is beyond me.

In Dead Beat Harry once again has to save, if not the world, then at least most of Chicago from an awful fate. Yet Mr. Butcher manages to keep the plot from seeming repeative by throwing some great twists at Harry - some good, some not so good. The climax was delightful and well foreshadowed - no deus ex machina here.

I do have a complaint for Mr. Butcher. Harry's supporting cast is too diverse and interesting, so I am inevitably dissapointed when one of my favorites doesn't appear. Thankfully we get an appearance by some old friends who we haven't seen in a while, and Thomas gets quite a bit of screen time, but it's not enough! I almost hope we get a book at some point where Harry goes missing and all of his friends need to work together to find him.

Overall Dead Beat is another fantasic addition to the series, and I can't wait for the next one.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars So-so at best, a let-down from the last book
Dresden tackles necromancy in this one. He is blackmailed by Mavra, and forced to accept her offer to locate an artifact valuable to the world of necromancers. Read more
Published 18 days ago by Tactitles

5.0 out of 5 stars ZOMBIES!
Ok, other reviewers have gone over the fine points of plot and whatnot in their review, I won't rehash. I'll just say why I thought this book rocked! Read more
Published 26 days ago by JenMo

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Supernatural Suspense
Jim Butcher continues the pulse-pounding thriller action and epic fantasy scope that have made this such a popular, readable series. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Kevin L. Nenstiel

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite urban fantasy series!
In this book some seriously powerful necromancers come to town seeking the Word of Kemmler... and Harry refuses to move out of their way and let them duke it out. Read more
Published 2 months ago by SB Frank

4.0 out of 5 stars "First the tough one. Magic is real."
Impulse reading has always been one of the great joys of my life. Ghost stories were a great favorite of my childhood, and I can still tell a terrifying version of the "Woman with... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Robert C. Ross

5.0 out of 5 stars Butcher gets better and better with each book!
I love Butcher's characters and how he develops them constantly throughout the series. The plots of his books are intricate, and are always good.
Published 3 months ago by Liquidice

5.0 out of 5 stars Tomorrow is Oktoberfest, Butters, and polka will never die!
There are seven laws of magic in the world of wizards -- and one of them is "Thou shalt not reach beyond the borders of life. Read more
Published 4 months ago by E. A Solinas

4.0 out of 5 stars More Dresden Goodness
"Dead Beat" is the 7th in Butcher's "Dresden Files" series (which starts with Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) if you haven't read any of the series). Read more
Published 5 months ago by David A. Lessnau

5.0 out of 5 stars Some Problems-But Still a Great Read
I can forgive the author almost anything and give this book 5 stars for using the reanimated corpse of Sue the T-Rex to defeat an army of zombies. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Melissa McCauley

1.0 out of 5 stars The Series Should've Ended Two Books Ago
I liked the Dresden series when it first started. It was witty, fun, interesting, and the characters felt very much alive. Okay, Mr. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Loves RPGs

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