Grave Peril by Jim Butcher

I read the first in the Dresden File series as part of the Goodreads October read-a-long. If you’re like me, and you want to start at the beginning of any series, you can access the non-spoiler discussion of the first book, Storm Front, here. I love the premise of a hard-boiled wizard detective though I felt the first book was a little uneven—vacillating in tone between noir and ribald.

There is no such unevenness in the third book Grave Peril. The author has hit his stride, and all the narrative elements come together. I actually skipped the second book and moved straight to the third book because my interest is ghost fiction (there are ghosts in Grave Peril), and I had no trouble jumping in at this point.

Grave Peril opens on a dramatic note as Harry Dresden, Chicago wizard-detective-in-residence, finds himself facing down ghost Agatha Hagglethorn in a hospital nursery. At his side is broad-sword wielding, modern-day knight Michael. Together they must confront a confused ghost before she unwittingly harms sleeping infants. The problem is that Agatha and, later, other ghosts have been enhanced by an unknown malevolent force.

I read this as a ghost novel. However, if you are the ghost fiction aficionado that I am, you should know ghosts are few and far between in this book. A Dresden Files fan informed me that Butcher takes a scattershot approach to supernatural writing. He does not fence himself in with particular genres or creatures. One book may feature werewolves, another may focus on vampires. While Grave Peril does contain ghosts, those ghosts are minor elements. In fact, the ghosts merely showcase the evil powers of the Neverworld and the twisted antics of vampires. I have to say, vampires are not my thing. They leave me feeling a little enervated.

The book flows well and rachets up tension. I have one complaint though. The narrator (or by extension, the author?) is—there’s no other way to say this—obsessed with breasts. Breasts are variously described as round, luscious, curved, and—my personal favorite—straining against silky gowns. On and on and more and more of the same. Enough about mammary glands, I say!

That quibble aside, if you fancy vampire-human conflicts and the fight of good vs. evil, you will enjoy this novel. I also recommend Grave Peril to those of you who like to mix a little Christian allegory with your supernatural reads as co-star Michael (significant name, yes?) wields the sword of righteousness to great effect and even remonstrates with Harry about his profanity. One reader in the Goodreads read-a-long was somewhat put off by Harry’s language, so he will rally behind Michael’s scoldings.

I’d like to add a final congratulations to author Jim Butcher for his timely win in the Goodreads Best Choice Awards for Cold Days.

What about you? Have you read any of The Dresden Files books? How does Ghost Story stack up as a ghost novel? Should I read it? Do tell!