This had be a string contender for the best of the Dresden novels. Then the gimmick ending came along, dropping this from a high four to a middling three stars. ( )

My favorite book of the series. Never been a more aptly titled book. ( )

Wow just ploughed through this one, as I HAD to get to the end. Funny and yet moving, this is another fabulous book in the series. Don't know what I'm going to do when I get to the latest book. ( )

Quick Word: I miss the original Dresden- the one who made earlier books so enjoyable. The novels have steadily been growing darker, and more complex, as Harry draws closer to the dark side of his powers. And while I applauded the author’s skill in gradually ‘turning down the lights” and making the evolution realistic, the whole thing is becoming repetitive. Yes, there are terrible monsters out there. Yes, people are constantly lying, manipulating and murdering. But does Harry have to respond every time the same way? I confess I am wearing Harry’s magic-boosting temper, his friends giving “I’m loyal to the end speeches”, and continual disillusionment. There was very little of the banter and byplay or the gallows humor that characterized the other books in the series. I realized that the situation in the story is more serious, and I would have been content with a more straightforward tone. Harry’s child – a topic that could have been heart rending, powerful, - instead became lost in a confusing ramble of characters/incidents. The daughter didn’t even make an appearance until almost the end of the book. Instead, she's the object of Harry's concern rather than a real person. I can’t help but feel as if Harry has already died; the funny private eye/detective has been swept away in favor of a larger than life anti-hero.If it wasn't for the author's writing skill that lifts the book above the ordinary, I would have handed this one a 1. ( )

one hell of a cliff hanger ( )