Review – Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher

Posted November 11, 2020 by Carole in 2020 Audiobook Challenge, Audiobook, Book Reviews / 3 Comments

Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher
Narrated by James Marsters
Series: The Dresden Files #8
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: December 28, 2008
Date Read: June 21, 2020 (re-read)
Length: 16 hours 15 minutes
Source: Purchased
★★★★☆

Harry Dresden is the
only wizard in the Chicago phone book. He consults from the police
department on those so-called “unusual” cases. He’s even been on talk
shows. So there’s no love lost between Harry and the White Council of
Wizards, who find him a little brash and undisciplined. But now war with
the vampires has thinned the ranks of wizards, and the White Council
needs Harry, like it or not. He’s drafted as a Warden, and assigned to
look into rumors of black magic in the Windy City.

And if that
wasn’t enough, another problem arrives in the form of the tattooed and
pierced daughter of an old friend, all grown-up and already in trouble.
Her boyfriend was the only one in a room where an old man was attacked,
but in spite of this, he insists he didn’t do it. What looks like a
supernatural assault straight out of a horror film turns out to
be…well, something quite close to that, as Harry discovers that
malevolent entities that feed on fear are loose in Chicago. All in a
day’s work for a wizard, his faithful dog, and a talking skull named
Bob…

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My Review

I enjoyed this book the first time I read it and I think that it was even better during this re-read. This is the eighth book in the Harry Dresden series which really should be read in order since each book builds on events from previous installments. It is a great series to revisit anytime I want to read something that I know I am going to enjoy.

Once again, Harry finds himself in the middle of a mess. He receives a call from Molly Carpenter, the daughter of his good friend, looking for help and he just can’t say no. Someone in town is doing black magic and there are also some grisly murders at a local horror festival that he needs to contend with. All while trying to keep the White Council happy. Things get very complicated very quickly and Harry feels like it is his responsibility to set things right. There were some pretty big developments that were revealed in this installment. I found this story to be really exciting with plenty of action. I was hooked by the mystery and couldn’t wait to see if Harry would be able to make everything work while protecting those in his care.

James Marsters continues to do a phenomenal job with this series. It really is amazing how completely he is able to bring Harry and the other characters to life. I thought that he added a lot of emotion and excitement into the reading and I found it easy to listen to this book for hours at a time. I do feel that his performance added to my enjoyment of the story.

I would recommend this series to others. Harry’s world is an interesting one to visit and I always feel completely entertained when I dive into any of the novels in the series. I cannot wait to continue with my re-read of the series.

About the Author

Jim Butcher is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and the Cinder Spires novels. He lives in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Goodreads