The Dresden Files is a fun, long running, urban fantasy series set in Chicago. It is a great series for those who are fans of the paranormal and mystery as Harry is a wizard and a private investigator. You can still watch the short lived television show to get a feel if this series is right for you. 

Description: Ever since his girlfriend left town to deal with a life shattering change, Harry Dresden has been down and out in Chicago. He can't pay his rent. He's alienating his friends. He can't even recall the last time he took a shower. The only professional wizard in the phone book has become a desperate man.
 And just when it seems things can't get any worse, in saunters the Winter Queen of Faerie. She has an offer Harry can't refuse if he wants to free himself of the supernatural hold his faerie godmother has over him--and hopefully end his run of bad luck. All he has to do is find out who murdered the Summer Queen's right-hand man, the Summer Knight, and clear the Winter Queen's name. It seems simple enough, but Harry knows better than to get caught in the middle of faerie politics. Until he finds out that the fate of the entire world rests on his solving this case. No pressure or anything.

Review: The Dresden Files is a series that I have on the back burner and savor when I need an urban fantasy fix without any cliffhangers. Each book gets better and better as Butcher sharpens his writing. The world building is great and vast as Butcher incorporates the classic folklore of vampires, shape shifters, fae, etc. along with adding new concepts. Chicago comes alive and a character in of itself quite nicely.
  Like the world building, the characters are also the backbone of this series. Harry reminds me of the classic noir detective who is always down on his luck, has a gravely voice, and full of deadpan, self deprecating humor. He may be blunt and he isn't shy to take note, appreciate an attractive female. In the Summer Knight, Harry has had better days and suffering from depression. His serious girlfriend has taken off and doesn't anything to do with him. He has a mile long of a list of people who want to assassinate him. He may have started a war between the Red Court of Vampires and the White Council of Wizards. He is also on the verge of being kicked out of the wizard council. And this all happened in the first three books! Things really get desperate when Harry accepts a job from Queen Mab.
 We learn quite a bit of the fae in this book. Alluring, dangerous, and very cunning, Queen Mab is just how I pictured her. She definitely stood out in this book and gave me the chills. I'm sure we will see her again later in this series. It was fun watching Harry keeping himself in check as he gets caught in the web of fae politics. The mystery of surrounding who murdered the Summer Knight is nicely structured. There are plenty of red herrings sprinkled and there were a few twists that I didn't see coming throughout the book. The mystery is solved in the end without any cliffhangers. It was also really nice to see favorite secondary characters such as Murphy, Bob the skull, Toot the fairy, and the shapeshifters have some page time. 

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong violence, language, and some crude humor. Recommended for mature teens and adults.

If you like this book try: Death Masks (Dresden Files #5), Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne, Nightlife by Rob Thurman