Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files. Vol. 1: Dog Men

Harry Dresden, Chicago's wizard for hire, has had a hard time of it lately. Facing down powerful enemies is finally taking its toll, and the flame of his anger is growing daily, fanned by guilt and loss. During this low point, a senior member of the White Council of Wizards, Listens To-Wind, asks Harry to help investigate a string of brutal murders in rural Mississippi. As the case gets under way, an unknown law enforcement group wants Harry and Listen To-Wind out of the way, and the Dog Men, thought to be the culprits in the killings, are not who they seem. Meanwhile in the town, a strong force of ghouls has gone undetected, until now. Ultimately, Dresden has to temper his rage and convince the Dog Men to help him battle the ghouls, otherwise they are all doomed. Complementing the text from Butcher (The Cinder Spires) and Powers (G.I. Joe; Drafted), artists Galindo (Red Sonja) and Mohan (Dean Koontz's Frankenstein) create stunning illustrations, every panel and page more exciting than the last. A slow start picks up to a heart-pounding pace that wraps up nicely.