DEATH MASKS

Death Masks
Book Five of the Dresden Files
by Jim Butcher
Roc Publishing
2003
ISBN 0-451-45940-7
Paperback $6.99

"People don't believe in the supernatural these days. Supernatural things are scary. It's much more comfortable to rest secure in the knowledge that no one can reach out with magic and quietly kill you, that vampires exist only in movies, and that demons are mere psychological dysfunctions." This is a direct quote from part of the beginning of Death Masks. Jim Butcher states so simply what most question and even explains our culture so simply.

Death Masks is pure Butcher with Harry Dresden investigating the supernatural within the real world. I've been drawn into this series and am still delighted with almost every book (so I wasn't thrilled with Book Four) and love the masterful personal voice of each of the characters in making each of them real for the reader. The basic assignment for Harry this time is to find the missing Shroud of Turin. He ends up dealing with the love of his life (apprentice vampire), the Chicago Police Department, political figures, knights fighting for God, witchcraft, the Catholic Church, demons, and naturally the talking inhabited spirit of Bob living within a skull. All of this is touched with an ambitious drive in this page-turner and a wonderful sense of humor. (You have to read about how the Japanese Buddhist became a Baptist.) Harry is always overwhelmed and tries to do the right thing but manages to even get himself involved as a participant to the death in a dual.

Harry is such a lovable character in that his problems are definitely larger than any of ours and he somehow finds a way to overcome them.

For someone that does not read series, I find myself anxiously waiting for Book Six. I still can't quite decide what genre this book is categorized into. It has mystery, adventure, romance, supernatural, religion, and even a little poetry.

My only criticism of this book is that it would be difficult to understand without having read some of the previous books. The past of each character is too important to the reader.

Definitely a "must read".