Dead Beat

Seven books in, “The Dresden Files” hits a high point. Some readers single out the long, careful build-up and the climax it pays off, and say it is even better on a second reading. The mix of detective work, dark magic and lighter moments is at its most assured here. It depends on what came before, so it rewards readers of the series rather than newcomers; some listeners rate the audiobook highly too.

The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.