"A down-on-his-luck wizard-for-hire takes on a case that spirals from small-time trouble to supernatural crossfire on Chicago’s mean streets. Sardonic, fast-paced, and addictively fun, Storm Front kicks off The Dresden Files with a crackle of magic and a hero you’ll follow anywhere."
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If you loved riding shotgun with Harry as he ping-pongs between Karrin Murphy’s cop world and sorcery like the heart-ripping storm murders, you’ll click with Midnight Riot. Probationary constable Peter Grant is drafted into London’s secret magical unit under Inspector Nightingale, chasing a murderous spirit tied to a sinister Mr. Punch—and brokering peace with the feuding gods of the Thames. It’s the same blend you enjoyed in Storm Front: police procedure meets spellcraft, witty asides, and a city whose alleys are crawling with things the average beat cop can’t see.
If the casework in Storm Front—from tracking the Third Eye trail to unmasking Victor Sells—hooked you, try The Devil You Know. Exorcist-PI Felix Castor takes what looks like a simple haunting at a London archive and unravels a layered conspiracy involving demons and crime bosses. Like Harry following clues from a toad-demon attack to Marcone’s doorstep, Castor’s legwork, interviews, and magical forensics build to a punchy, dangerous reveal that rewards the detective itch.
If Harry’s deadpan PI humor and back-and-forth with Bob the Skull kept you grinning between duels and demon ichor, Hounded delivers that same vibe. Atticus O’Sullivan, a two-thousand-year-old druid hiding in modern Tempe, cracks jokes while outmaneuvering an irate Celtic god—trading quips with his telepathic hound Oberon much like Harry snarks his way through Blue Beetle breakdowns and awkward dates with Susan. It’s brisk, cheeky, and still brings the heat when the blades and spells come out.
If the black-magic edge of Storm Front—the storm-fueled heart explosions, scorpion talisman, and summoning a toad-demon into Harry’s apartment—was your jam, Sandman Slim turns that dial to eleven. James Stark claws his way back from Hell to hunt the magicians who sent him there, tangling with angels, demons, and vicious thaumaturgy in back-alley LA. It’s grimy, high-voltage sorcery with the same reckless, consequences-matter feel as Harry’s last-stand showdown against Victor Sells.
If being in Harry’s head—his PI instincts, moral compass, and sardonic asides—made Storm Front sing, Mercy Thompson’s first-person narration will feel like home. A Volkswagen–fixing shapeshifter in the Tri-Cities, Mercy gets dragged into a werewolf kidnapping and a vampire–fae tangle, navigating turf lines and favors much like Harry juggling Murphy, Marcone, and arcane IOUs. The voice is intimate, wry, and smart, letting you parse every clue and threat right alongside her.
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