Summer Knight

Summer Knight by Jim Butcher, 371 pages

In this, the fourth book of the Dresden Files series, Butcher finally seems to be hitting his stride as a writer. Summer Knight finds Chicago-based wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden once again up to his ears in supernatural trouble. He's managed to start a war between a faction of vampires and the White Council of wizards, and his faerie godmother (yup, he's got one of those) has sold him into the service of a faerie queen. In order to dig himself out of this quagmire, he must solve a murder, liaise with the faeries, and somehow manage to dodge all of the beings that are out to murder him.

As I said, this series is getting better as Butcher grows as a writer. Yes, I still have quibbles (for example, it would be great if he could describe a female character without giving us her measurements), but this is a much better-written tale than previous books in the series, especially if you don't think too hard. A good, quick read, like one of those movies you go to in the middle of summer just to munch on popcorn and escape the heat. But, you know, it's a book.