Jim Butcher’s WHITE NIGHT – the ninth entry in his “Dresden Files” series and the first since the premiere of the Sci Fi Channel series – finds everyone’s favorite VW-driving Chicago detective/wizard being asked to give his opinion on an apparent suicide scene involving a woman found dead in her apartment.

There’s a note left behind, as well as an empty prescription bottle, but still the evidence strikes him as too orderly to be a suicide – a theory proven correct when he uses a spell to reveal a message the killer left behind. Namely, the Bible verse Exodus 22:18: “Suffer not a witch to live.”

As it turns out, someone doesn’t want a whole coven of witches living, as the killer has struck more than once and continues to do so. He’s reported to be wearing a gray cloak, which Dresden means is either the work of a fellow Warden of the White Council, or perhaps someone trying to frame them. Perhaps even his brother. Or maybe that court of vampires.

With the help of his blonde cop pal Sgt. Murphy and his apprentice-in-traning Molly Carpenter, Dresden is determined to clear his sibling’s name while sniffing out the real killer. It’s not an easy task, as one might expect when such a thing involves a talking skull, an angry ex-girlfriend, 13 ghosts, a cowled man of mist and various succubi.

Given a potential wider audience of interest from the TV show, Butcher rather shrewdly makes WHITE NIGHT pretty accessible for the uninitiated, while still working in characters from and references to past novels. Whether you’ve read none, one or more, the book succeeds in hooking your interest with a hard crime angle and easing you into the elements of the fantastic.

It works as well as it because Dresden is such a likable character, unique in his trade and a real smartass to boot. Butcher definitely finds Dresden’s voice, and that sense of humor carries over to others, even if occasional lines like “Is that a new staff or are you just happy to see me?” feel trite.

I’ve not seen the show, but this is the second selection of the “Files” that I’ve read and – even though it also suffers from a problem of having more pages than the plot can fill entirely – I enjoyed it a bit more than its immediate predecessor, 2006’s PROVEN GUILTY. Given that that one found Dresden fighting supernatural forces at a horror convention – a concept readymade for fun – that’s saying something. –Rod Lott

Buy it at Amazon.

OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• PROVEN GUILTY by Jim Butcher
• SPIDER-MAN: THE DARKEST HOURS by Jim Butcher