Book 11), Turn Coat (The Dresden Files

The book is a great read. Jim Butcher does it again. Great story line with amazing twists. Also explains a lot of the council's functions that I never quite got in the other books. Can't wait to read the next one.

The seller listed this book under the 'paperback' section at a similar price to others in the same section. However, when I received the book, I noted that it was a hardcover copy. It was a gift to a friend who collected the paperbacks novels exclusively. I'm not going to return this, because returning things through the store can be quite the hassle. Still, it's not what I expected.

No spoilers.

It is with irony that I feel betrayed by Jim Butcher's Dresden Files novel, TURN COAT.

Back when I used to manage a bookstore, one of my regular customers said he wouldn't read another recommendation until I read the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. There were only seven books out in the series at the time. I read them, and thought they were great fun. Harry Dresden, the Wizard P.I. in Chicago, was a great character. Books 8 and 9 were released, and I figured I had found a golden series. Book 10 came out, and though it felt like nothing but pure setup for the rest of the series, I forgave Butcher. After all, Butcher wouldn't put out two poor novels in a row right?

Then TURN COAT came out.

So that you can understand my displeasure about the end of this novel, let me pose a question. Have you ever watched a TV show (*cough*smallville*cough*) or read a comic where after all hell breaks loose, and all the important people die (or everything seems to get better, even), the show/book hits the Magic Reset Button? Suddenly everything is back how it was at the beginning? All the character growth is negated?

Welcome to TURN COAT.

That isn't to say the book doesn't have redeeming qualities. We get to see some of the characters that we don't see much of, like Listens-To-The-Wind, for example who is a complete BAMF in this book. Harry's werewolf buddies have some real development, as well as a slew of other characters that have long since needed some attention.

There are moral questions raised by multiple characters that would have been interesting had they been compounded with actual character development (See above for the magic reset button). Harry is shown to be a good guy, despite all of his darkness, by his actions in this book, but that is contradicted by Michael's plot-line in this book.

The writing, as usual, is fine. The plot is centered around the search to uncover a traitor among the Wizards Council. The mystery style of the book is well done, as I have come to expect from Butcher, though I nailed who the traitor was from his/her (don't want to spoil it) first appearance. This hurts the entire ending of the novel.

The bottom line? I wonder if Butcher realized he was only 11 books into a 22 book serious and ran out of ideas for conflict. So instead of writing it in, he is just going to rehash what has been done in the series already. There is an awful lot of setup for the obviously massive conflict coming, and for that I thank Butcher. I just wish he could have done that without deciding to ignore the development of the previous 10 books.

Here is what I recommend: books 1-9 are great, read them and enjoy them for the popcorn-novels they are. As for books 10 and 11, if you feel like reading novels that make you pissed off, borrow them from a friend or library. Otherwise, leave them be until some solid reviews of the 12th book are published later this year. Maybe we'll all end up thinking he was brilliant. But really, I'm extremely disappointed that Butcher decided to reset nearly all of the character development.

If the next book, CHANGES, doesn't fix this problem, I'm done with Butcher.

Let me start by saying love the Dresden files, but I was recently let down while reading Turn Coat to find that I was missing pages 471 to 502! Instead I had a repeat of pages 55 to 86! I hate being left with a hole in the story like this and I am hoping someone will contact me to set it right.

But it was late as a birthday present because the item was shipped 2 days later than expected, and it was a few days late according to when it WAS sent out. The item itself did arrive in fine condition though, if you don't have a need for specific timing.

I love the Dresden stories and this one is no exception. There are enough people talking about the story here that I don't need to add more, however I am finding the editorial problems distracting.

The paragraphs are spaced as if it were a high school student trying to turn a two page essay into a five page essay. I shouldn't have to turn the page every three paragraphs (and it's nothing to do with type size)

There are several places where it appears that the same sentance was used twice in the same paragraph. As if someone didn't edit it.

I enjoy the story alot, but the editing is really distracting and makes it an annoying read.

I don't think it's simply a matter of Kindle formatting because this was not the case on any of the other Dresden books I've read on my Kindle.

This book was far more expensive, even in Kindle format, than any of the other Dresden books. I would expect some care to be taken in the editing and it was obviously not done.

Good read. Paid full book price for a Kindle ebook (fungible item). Kindle ebooks cannot be shared with members of your household without giving them your the store Fire tablet also. If you want to read the book you are better off buying the tangible book for the same price. You can share that.

This is the 11th book in the series, and brings a resolution to something that has been building up over the past few volumes.

I've been binge reading the whole series in order, and reviewing as I go. My reviews focus on setting readers' expectations, rather than summarising plots. The most important aspect a new reader needs to know is that the series has an over-arching story arc, with roots starting at book 3 (Grave Peril) but only becoming visible as more and more of the series unfolds. It's a great thing, but as it continually colours events around Dresden it's best to read the series in order.

*** What to expect
This volume finally gets to what Butcher has been building up for a while, the unknown traitor within the White Council. You can expect to see more of the main characters from the Council, with the fanatic Morgan and ambivalent Luccio takign the stage. It's a thriller-paced urban fantasy, with fast moving intrigue, action, and many plot twists. Harry spouts his usual brand of flippant humor in the face of the supernatural, even as stakes grow higher all the time.

*** What I liked
I like Harry's wise-cracking attitudes towards life, and in dealing with supernatural horrors. I like the supporting characters in general, and I find Butcher is doing excellent job in characterising and building recurring cast and introducing new characters. The long-running support cast are especially complex, and one can see them maturing between books. They deliver emotional payoffs for dedicated readers, with their lives and deaths having meaning.

*** Be aware
This is part of a series, and you really need to read them in order. Butcher has Harry's mental dialogue to recap previous events and dialogue for those who read the series in breaks, which can feel like he's talking too much (and also may grate on some reader's nerves as a "telling" style, or simply for being repetitive). It's just a function of a long-running series, but as entering the series mid-way is not recommended anyway it doesn't offer much to new readers while could be distracting to fans.
Also, some readers may find Dresden attitudes chauvinistic and misogynistic, though that is a both a trope of the genre and something of a failing of his.

*** Summary
This volume delivers on promises that has been built throughout this excellent series. It's a great example of a fast-paced, urban-fantasy thriller. If you want a blend of modern-day thrillers with dark fantasy, this is the series to read - just start at Storm Front.

--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.

Eee, this book was so good! But then again, I pretty much think all of these books are good. HOT DAMN does this series deliver some action-packed fun!

As usual, listened to this one on audiobook, and James Marsters, as usual, hit it out of the park.

One of the best things about this series is how masterfully the author weaves in plot points from previous books, bringing back people or events that occurred earlier in the series in a big way. It makes for a really fun experience, and really helps to make the series feel grounded in a real universe.

+ Loved the plot with Morgan, and getting some resolution on him and Harry
+ Continue to enjoy Murphy, and how she's evolved from book 1
+ Molly's screw-up was interesting, I did like how it was handled
+ Did NOT see Luccio coming, but it kind of makes sense, and provided a semi-neat ending
+ Really curious to see how Demonreach comes into play in the future
+ Yay finding out the traitor! At least one of them...
+ Curious to see what happens with Thomas in the next/future books
+ Liked seeing more of Billy & Georgia, and them being brought more into the loop
+ Yay Toot Toot!
+ Sure we'll be seeing more of Mr. P.I.

All in all, loved, and looking forward to the next one! I do hope Harry finds some new Knights of the Cross though. He's had one sword for a year, and the other for probably 5x as long. I think it's time to find a suitable candidate

This book is truly excellent. It is now my favorite in the series.

Butcher has a habit, as I have previously written about, of using two simultaneous but ultimately connected events to create a story in which the reader never has time to take a breath. This becomes somewhat repetitive and tiring as the number of books mount up, however, since the seventh in the series, Butcher has broken the habit. This book is yet another refreshing divergence from the pattern. The story does have two antagonist characters/events, but one turns out to be a coincidence, a fluke danger (though no less threatening), instead of integrally related to the main assault.

Likewise, Dresden always ends up almost losing, exhausted, and in such a state that it seems impossible for him to go on, and then he wins. In this book, he does not always prevail. It seems impossible for him to go on, and it is, and his friends save him. Usually he gets help, but here he is truly in need. He is not the strongest, and he is not strong enough. The scenes in which Harry is saved were particularly beautiful to read.

This book turned the established ideas of the series upside down. It is an intricately beautiful work. I rate this book 10/10.

4 stars

This was a very good story and addition to the series. The book description pretty much tells the premise of the story and I don't want to get into spoilers so I'll try to limit myself. I will say that there's some sad parts in this story and things don't go completely as us readers might like but Harry does live up to his reputation of being a good guy that always tries to protect those that in need.

Overall, this wasn't my favorite Dresden story but it was still a very enjoyable story that kept me well engaged in the story. Unfortunately, there are some issues that arise in Harry's relationships with both his recent love interest and Thomas so we'll have to see what happens in those areas. Progress is made in the series storyline (white vs. black council) but not as much as I'd have liked...but then it's a very complex issue and it's understandable that it would take time to work out. At least Harry and his friends have a plan that will hopefully help them figure things out. Regardless of some things I wish had turned out differently, I did like this story very much and would recommend the series.

* note - I listened to the audio version of this story and James Marsters did a great job with the narration.

Morgan is accused of murdering the White Council member LaFortier. Morgan escapes and asks Harry to help him discover the real culprit. Harry, being Harry, can't turn him away and agrees to help him. He might not like Morgan, but he knows he is not capable of harming the White Council.

Harry is faced with a traitor in the White Council and a fight against time. He has help from his friends including Mouse, Molly, Karrin, Ebenezer, Thomas, Butters and the werewolves. He also has new and old enemies gunning for him. Someone in the White Court of Vampires is helping the enemy. A new character Binder, an assassin, is in town to capture or kill Morgan. Harry needs to invoke a sanctum invocation and makes the spirit on the island his ally. He names the Island Demonreach. In the end, a fight ensues with the White Court Vamps, Council members, Harry's friends and the Naaglossi. The outcome of some of the characters was too painful to read.

***

This book was awesome in adding the details to the long arc. As far as the short one, it was very intriguing and fast-paced. I was devastated when Mouse got hurt and then my heart broke for Thomas. I sure hated the Naagloshii and Madeline Raith. I'm glad Lara was helping Harry on this one. I'm not sure by the end of the series if Lara will remain an ally or a foe. Time will tell.

This was the first Dresden book that made me sad after I was done reading it. It just tells you how good of a writer Jim Butcher is that he made me feel this way.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

Morgan has had it out for Harry since the early days of this series, so it was an interesting change of pace when his fate somehow landed in Dresden’s hands. Sworn enemies coming together as allies is a recipe for fireworks, and that’s precisely what TURN COAT delivered. I really enjoyed how Jim Butcher worked in the different politics of the White Court and Council, and furthered the possibility of the existence of a Black Council. Originally, I wasn’t thrilled with the Anastacia Luccio / Harry pairing, but the direction their relationship took was rather shocking. Thomas’ part was disappointing, although not entirely unexpected, and Molly made yet another faux pas which has me worried that the warlock odds are stacked against her. The whodunit mystery was well thought out, and Mouse’s contribution was fab as usual. I missed Murphy, but otherwise I think this was my favourite volume thus far. ~4.5 Stars

Note: I feel that Death Masks, Book 5, is where reading this series out of order starts to do you an injustice. This book does work as a stand alone to some extent, but you will get major spoilers for the previous books in the series and it also pulls in characters we have met before. So I recommend reading the previous books before you jump into this one.

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only wizard PI, was quite surprised to find Warden Donald Morgan on his doorstep asking for his assistance. Even though Morgan tormented Harry for years, Harry can’t help but be curious. Morgan has been accused of treason by the White Council and Harry has a limited time to figure out who really did the deed.

For all those who wondered what Harry and Morgan could accomplish if they could set aside their animosities and suspicions, this book contains the answer. I loved the set up for this book. Harry and Morgan have detested each other for years and Morgan has tried to execute Harry every chance he got. Now Morgan is forced by circumstance to go to Harry for assistance. Haha! I think it’s Harry’s deathwish-cat level of curiosity that makes the decision for him to take up the challenge of hiding Morgan while trying to uncover the real culprit.

Harry and Morgan aren’t the only two that harbor suspicions – this book brings in various characters that distrust one another. Harry trusts Molly to tend to Morgan’s wounds, but Morgan has just as much dislike for Molly as he does Harry. Then Thomas is brought into the mix – and Morgan can’t contain himself when it comes to vampires, even White Court vampires! Luckily, Mouse, Harry’s dog, has the most common sense and forcibly quells disagreements a few times. Mouse is my hero!

Something horrible is tracking Morgan, besides the White Council wizards. I don’t want to spoil what it is, so I’ll just use Harry’s petname for it- Shagnasty. It’s strong. It’s brutal. Morgan defeated one once, but it took great timing and a serious bomb. Harry might not be able to pull off the same. Butcher does a great job of getting across just how evil and dangerous this thing is! Billy and the college campus werewolves make an appearance in this book and they take their first hard hit in fighting Shagnasty. A bit sad. But that just fuels the fire for taking out Shagnasty.

I do believe this is the first full length novel we meet the mortal, every-day kind of PI Vince in, though I think he appears in one of the earliest short stories. Vince isn’t willing to give Harry much info. However, he’s probably no match for Molly. We also have our first introduction to Binder, a low-level magic user with one trick, though it’s an effective trick. He wreaks havoc on Harry’s attempts to keep Morgan hidden and to keep his apartment in one piece. Toss in the on-going tortured love between Thomas and his mortal girlfriend Justine, a deceptive yet stupid cousin of Lara Wraith’s, Shagnasty capturing and torturing one of Harry’s companions, the distrust of Antonia Luccio, and then Harry has his work cut out for him!

The ending to this book surprised me the first time I read it. During this reread, it still hit hard. I can see this as one of those turning points in Harry’s life. He spent a chunk of his teen years and his early adulthood fearing and hating Morgan. Now, as a wizard in his own right and a man who has been through a lot of scary stuff, he still had all this emotional baggage towards Morgan. Yet he helps him because he believes in doing what is right. There at the end, Morgan asks Harry to continue to do what’s right even though that means covering up the truth for now. It was a bit of a gut-wrencher but very worthy!

Narration: James Marsters, our Harry Dresden incarnate, continues to do the character justice. I’ve always liked his stern voice for Morgan; in this book, we get to see more sides to Morgan and Marsters does a good job of keeping that stern voice while also letting some other emotions creep in. Shagnasty’s voice must have done a number on Marsters vocal cords! It was so harsh and creepy!

I would have given the book 4 stars, as I think, in some ways, it's one of the better installations in the Dresden series. It's fairly extraordinary for a series to maintain good quality over this many books. Several the good things about the series are here; Harry's wry wit, interesting bad "guys" (people, critters, whatever), intro of new characters plus appearances by long-standing characters.

Unfortunately it's in those long standing characters that the serious negatives arise. Two of the worst characters are here featured prominently, and it's deeply irritating to have to keep dealing with these two unrelenting morons. I speak, of course, of Molly & Morgan. (Perhaps it's something about the letter "M.") I swear, animal shelters across the land euthanize thousands of dogs every year who are smarter, more trainable, and less obnoxious & malignantly inclined than Molly. She was a snit-filled, spoiled, bratty, stupid teenager when she appeared & the only direction she's taken since is downhill. She's absolutely intolerable & why Butcher hasn't had her character grow in any direction but "worse" is beyond me. And yet clearly she's supposed to be a sympathetic character, on the side of the good guys. But there is nothing sympathetic or good about her; she remains an unrepentant twit, utterly impervious to any alternate learning entering her stone-like skull. Rather, she pretends to repentance after she's tried yet again to screw around with someone's psyche, going through her incredibly obnoxious sobbing & whining routine, but if she really was capable of regret or education she wouldn't keep doing that which reduced her friends' minds to twisted mush long ago. If I could ooze into the world of Dresden I'd behead her myself and throw a great big party afterward.

Then there's Morgan. Narrow-minded and self-righteous, another character who's completely incapable of having new understanding squeezed into the rocky prison of his head. At least at his age, it's somewhat understandable that he'd be so completely impenetrable, his brain having had over a century to ossify. This does not make him any more pleasant to have to live with in the books.

I guess these two jackas$es typify one of Butcher's authorial flaws: his characters just don't grow. In Harry's case this is mostly okay, tho there are times when he (again, again!) loses his temper, shoots off his mouth, & makes a bad situation a zillion times worse, that I come very close to just tossing aside the series & never picking it up again. Bob the Skull is a cheerfully leering smart-alec, but he's one of the better & more interesting characters. Murphy is always The Kute and Kompleat Kop. The M Twins are & always have been intolerable twits. Etc. It's as if once Butcher creates a character, gets an idea into his head of what they're like, that's it. No more creation; just continuation....as he or she is, so they ever shall be.

This is tedious, to say the least. I'll hang with Butcher for the next book for the benefit of the entertaining & very creative elements (like the use of Silly String in this book, which was just inspired)....unless I read in the reviews for it that the Odious Molly is heavily featured, in which case I simply refuse to subject my psyche to any more of her.

One of the more controversial figures in The Dresden Files series is Morgan, Harry Dresden's equivalent to Inspector Javert. A ruthless Warden and mage-hunter, Morgan believed Harry was a warlock and practitioner of evil magic with no amount of evidence or good deeds able to convince him otherwise.

This proves to be a deterrent to Morgan's career as Harry not only ends up joining the Wardens but saving the world on multiple occasions. As Harry's star has risen, so has Morgan's star waned, until it seems that he's nothing more than a pathetic has been tilting at windmills. The premise is Morgan ends up plopping himself on Harry's door begging for help, because it's now HE who is being hunted as a traitor.

Oh, karma.

Further troubling this situation is the most vicious, hateful, and dangerous monster Harry has ever faced. Given the number of monsters Harry has faced, it's a tall order to say, "this is the worst of the bunch" but the naagloshii or Skinwalker qualifies. He starts off the story by doing something unforgivable and then proceeds to keep doing unforgivable things until the very end. Unlike Nicodemus, I feel genuinely sacred for Harry when they fight.

Good show.

Much of the book is devoted to attempting to salvage Morgan's character from the somewhat cartoonish figure he'd been portrayed as before to someone who fit into the more mature depiction of the series ambiguities. Morgan is shown to be a long-time veteran of the often insane and paranoia-inducing world of wizard politics, struggling to do the right thing when mercy is often merely a gateway to getting played by evil-doers. The fact Morgan has given his life to fighting evil, sacrificing the chance for love and children, is surprisingly moving in the face of Harry's almost ridiculously-large surrogate family.

Warden Commander Luccio also plays a big role in this story, continuing both her romance with Harry Dresden as well as illustrating the vast age differences with the two when she reveals she'd mentored the Sean Connery-looking Morgan. There's a revelation about the Warden Commander and her romance with Harry at the end of the book I didn't like. I felt it was needlessly tacked on and done primarily to protect the Harry/Murphy ship I think should be abandoned and left to sink.

Turn Coat has some excellent moments spread throughout the story. Watching Harry struggle to deal with the naagloshi, his failed attempts to protect his friends, and the increasingly obvious Quislings within the White Council are all very well done. I also liked watching Harry deal with the fact his apprenticeship of Molly Carpenter may not have been his best work. Harry is a bit too permissive with his student, treating her like the daughter of his best friend versus someone in dire need of correction on magical ethics.

This is a dark, moody, and surprisingly intrigue-ridden installment of the series. We get insights into how the White Council works, how the war is proceeding against the Red Court (answer: badly), and whether or not Harry can trust his fellow mages (answer: no). The Black Court, first introduced in Dead Beat, comes to prominence here and the paranoia its existence induces makes for some hair-raising moments. Harry's team doesn't emerged unscathed from this book and I'd argue this is the volume where he takes the most hits both emotional and physical.

In conclusion, this is a good hard-edged volume but may not be for everyone. Harry gets raked over the coals and the book gets perhaps darker than it needs to be. Characters are raped and killed off-screen, violently murdered, plus longstanding heroes get summarily written out of the books. Still, it's very well-written. The book not only manages to redeem the Morgan character but make him one of my favorite in the franchise. That's impressive.

8.5/10

*Book source ~ Library

My Guest reviewers:
A: My 17-yr-old daughter
T: My 15-yr-old son
K: My 13-yr-old son

Serious shenanigans are afoot in Chicago and the White Council. When Harry opens his door to an injured Warden Donald Morgan he has a choice to make and quickly. Trust that Morgan didn’t commit treason by killing Senior Council Member LaFortier and help him uncover who did to clear Morgan’s name or toss him out on his ass and let him fend for himself. It’s a well-known fact Harry and Morgan don’t get along, but Harry finds it hard to believe Morgan would kill a Senior Council Member. It would be easier to just kick Morgan out and go about his business. But when has Harry ever done the easy thing?

Things really get complicated in this tale. Harry is set upon by a skinwalker that is really super badazz. Something far stronger, faster and powerful than anything he has come up against before. We had no idea how he was going to beat the damn thing since it was nigh immortal. Harry’s solution is, as always, daring and highly entertaining. As for Morgan’s predicament, we all agreed that even though Harry can’t stand Morgan, he is an honest guy who just isn’t the type to commit treason, so we approved of him helping Morgan. Plus, Harry has this thing about doing the right thing even if it’s for someone who can be a regular azzhat (my word).

The kids did not like the ending even though it was inevitable considering everything that was going on. I can’t say more without posting multiple spoilers. Yes, this one is a bit complicated, but totally worth it though I agree with the kids about the end. We had an “Oh, shizzle” moment when…nope, can’t say more. Let me just say that there is a lot of info, a lot of cool magic, a lot of shadow chasing, some serious azz kicking and the usual humor. It is quite the roller coaster ride!

Favorite quotes:

“I love being a wizard. Every day is like Disneyland.”

“You," Madeline said, her voice hollow and wheezing, "are like a bad case of herpes, wizard. You're inconvenient, embarassing, no real threat, and you simply will not go away.”

“This is Waldo Butters, and his geek penis is longer and harder than any of ours put together.”

When Harry Dresden was a teenager, he killed someone by magic. Morgan was assigned to kill him, but Harry got put on probation instead. Last book, Molly Carpenter harmed someone with mind magic, and guess who was assigned to cut her head off? Morgan But Harry managed to get her put on probation instead. Now, Morgan needs Harry's help - to save him from beheading by the White Council, of all things.

Of course Harry Dresden, Knight Errant, is going to help his enemy. Just because the guy is a jackass doesn't mean he should be thrown to the wolves, er, the self-righteous White Council. Insanity ensues - Harry meets a monster who literally shatters his mind, to the point he can barely walk to safety.

Instead of running around without a plan, Harry Dresden, Wizard, stops to think. Wow. He really has grown up over the last 10 books/10 years.

Fun book, and watching Harry out-think his own side, the enemy side, the sort-of-ally side, and the geographical entity side, was just awesome. If this guy lives to be fifty, he's going to be a serious power base! However, as Gentleman Marcone suggested some while ago, Harry's penchant for going after bad guys means he might not make it to fifty. Sigh. The series has to end some time, right?

Wizards use quill pens. Everyone walks around with ink-stained fingers, wmahahaha. What, Bic pens are too technological for you guys?

Last book, Harry had an unusual deja-view of the big bad island. Now the island gets a good look at Harry. Yikes. And when Harry survives the good look, Molly is so relieved she gives him a great big hug. Totes apprentice-master hugs here! No suppressed teen lust anywhere! Because Molly is 20, not a teenager ;)

Fun book, but some annoying points:
How many times can Morgan and Molly try to kill each other, with Mouse to the rescue? (bonus points for having all three character names start with the same letter)

Yet Another Kidnapping (tm) But this time, Harry doesn't charge off to the rescue. The kidnapper is too horrific. Instead, Harry arranges some heavy hitter to attend the prisoner swap. Horrific Bad Guy manages to escape. Maybe he'll show up in another book.

Harry saves the day. The day refuses to be saved. Now that's annoying. I guess Grown-Up Harry Dresden has to find out the facts of life sometime, though. Sometimes you can just have a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, in grown-up land.

This is the eleventh novel in the Dresden Files, a series that apparently will end somewhere around Book 23, according to the author, Jim Butcher. I absolutely loved this book. I think my favorite book in the series was Dead Beat, because of the zombies, but this one came really close to topping it.

This novel just really seemed like a turning point in the series as a whole. There have been hints and suspicions for some time of some grand conspiracy, complete with unlikely and unholy alliances, and even a potential traitor amongst the White Council, but, until now, that's all they were: hints and suspicions, albeit with each passing novel it seemed more and more likely that this was, in fact, the case. With this novel, the author finally tackles that particular topic head-on, and deals with the traitor storyline directly, and finally allows that plot to drive the narrative of the book.

It all starts when Morgan just randomly shows up at Harry's door, asking for help. It seems a member of the White Council has been murdered, and Morgan is the prime suspect. He needs Harry to clear his name. This is an ironic twist because for pretty much the entire series, Morgan has suspected Harry of either being a traitor, or preparing to turn into a traitor. This launches Harry on a full-scale investigation to try to uncover the true murderer and unmask the traitor in the ranks of the White Council, which itself is not known for its tolerance or for allowing a pesky thing like justice or righteousness impact its decisions. Harry's investigation will cause him to dig deeper than ever before into the possibility of a full-scale conspiracy, and by the time it's all over, life will never be the same for any of our primary characters in this series.

Some things I liked, a lot -
1. Molly plays a more prominent role, and seems to be really coming into her own as an apprentice who has something to offer.
2. More characterization of Morgan, a character who, because he's never really been spotlighted before, just never seemed to have any real depth to me. Throughout the novel, he finally gets some decent "screen time" so to speak, and grows on me quite a bit. His relationship with Harry has always fascinated me.
3. The running gag of what happens every time Harry leaves everybody alone. I won't say more than that. It cracked me up, and got funnier (and more complex) every time.
4. More of an emphasis on the White Council itself, and some good characterization of wizards we've heard a lot about, but haven't really seen in action much, such as Listens-to-Wind.
5. More depth to Harry's relationship with Thomas - it's complicated between them, and always has been, and after this book is over, Jim Butcher manages to add even more layers to it.
6. The White Court of Vampires - I always love it when they show up, and this novel is no exception.
7. Cryptic warnings - Lots of them. Sure to be explored in future novels, but I get the sense that some of the decisions Harry has made in this novel will come back to haunt him. We'll see.

Seriously, if you've read the first ten novels of the Dresden Files, you're going to read and love this. If you haven't read any, don't start here. Go pick up the first one, "Storm Front" and get ready to take an adventure. This is one of the best Dresden Novels yet. I can't wait to read the rest.

In my search for a new author and a good book, I read reviews on Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series and decided to take a chance. My first hardcover was "Proven Guilty" from 2006. I have since read three more books, in order, and I've become very fond of Harry, Thomas, Murphy, the mighty Mouse and of course, Molly.

I just finished "Turn Coat" and have to say, Butcher's writing just keeps getting better and better! I was surprised when I enjoyed the first book since these are not stories I am usually interested in. But everyone needs a change once in while and this one was certainly a good choice. I'm seeing a bit more humor in Butcher's writing and loving it! I found myself laughing out loud at some of his comments on certain situations and when the last page was read, I immediately grabbed the next one on the shelf in my home library, noticing I only have 3 more that are unread. AHHHHH! His characters are well developed and easy to love, or hate. His writing has an easy flow to it and I'm hoping his humor will continue to show through. It suits Harry and certainly suits his many unusual situations.

I am not a young person who trys to be hip & now, enjoying the latest trend of witches, demons, vampires or wizards. But I AM a Harry Dresden fan and if you give only one of his books a read, you won't go wrong with this one! I can't say all of Butcher's plots are why I read these books. I read them for his unusual characters and his excellent writing. No matter what age you are, or how hip & now you think you are, I can't imagine anyone not enjoying Jim Butcher's series with Harry Dresden. Give one a try and you'll see. I am grateful to all the the store reviewers who talked openly about their love, or hate, of this series. I would never have given Butcher a try without them and I would have been missing out on some wonderful books!

#11 in the Dresden Files paranormal mystery series in which wizard Harry Dresden is sought by Donald Morgan, one of the elite of the Wizard's White Council--and certainly no friend to Harry in the past--to protect him. He shows up on Harry's doorstep seriously wounded and bloodied with the story that the White Council is after him as he is believed to have killed another wizard, which he swears he didn't do, and he figures that seeking solace from Harry would be the last place the Council would expect him to go. Harry believes Morgan and sets out to solve the crime, as he also believes this ties in to his certainty that there is a "Black" Council with someone very high up on the inside feeding information to the Council's enemies.

With fingers in multiple pies--protecting Morgan, gleaning information about the murder, and also trying to locate his brother Thomas who's been kidnapped by a skinwalker (whom Harry calls Shagnasty--ha ha ha!)--it's not easy for Wizard Dresden to get done what needs doing and as usual it means sacrificing sleep and pissing a few people off along the way. Another wild tale across Chicago, through the Never-Never, to Edinburgh (where the White Council's headquarters are currently located) and with unexpected alliances, strange creatures, and an impossibly entangled set of twisty circumstances that leaves you wondering what's going to happen right up til the end.

Very skillfully narrated by James Marsters, who seems to capture instinctively the heart, soul and the essence of Harry, and who does quite a wide variety of accents and voices very well. I started out reading this series in print, but after listening to the last few in audio, I doubt I would go back now. Very enjoyable!

_Turn Coat_ is the 11th Harry Dresden novel. If you are new to the series or to Jim Butcher, I recommend you begin at the beginning (Storm Front (Dresden Files)) as much of the plot and character interactions are predicated on familiarity with the previous stories.

The plot revolves around a murder for which a long-time nemesis of Harry Dresden has been framed - Dresden agrees to help find the real killer, and as a result ferret out a traitor within the Council. All this at great personal and professional risk for both Dresden as well as for his apprentice.

The individual behind the frame-up was easy to identify, although the actual murderer did come as a suprise. The story itself warrants 3.5 stars, but the snappy dialogue and especially the interconnections between this story and previous stories warrants curving up in the rating. As with the previous stories in the series, there is much to like here - Butcher is a witty and imaginitive writer. And while there is little offered in terms of deepening understanding of character or advancing the larger story arc, Butcher's imagination, wise-cracking dialogue and especially his clever blend of detective-noir with supernatural magic is a lot of fun to read.

The world that Jim Butcher has built in 'Dresden World' is incredibly deep and rich. That is arguably one of the best parts of any long running series. Everything feels fleshed out and whole. The down-side of that though, is that 'kitchen sink effect.' What do I mean? When you have well over a half-dozen factions and probably dozens of well developed characters to tap in to, the temptation to use some, or all, of them in every book seems to become very powerful. It gets to the point that the book feels bloated just because. Turn Coat, unlike the last three or so in the series, doesn't have that feeling at all. It's a breath of fresh air.

That isn't to say that it is sparse. I believe it is the longest book in the series to this point. Butcher also introduces two new 'characters' in the form of a new monster and 'ally.' Turn Coat also feels like it is building up to something hugely epic, while still telling a very engaging story of its own. The war between the Red Court and the White Counsil has been a constant theme for the last few books. This book really ramps up tension that revolves around the black court. It also exhibits a really great main plot involving Morgan (everyone's favorite Gray Warden). You also get some great development with Molly and Thomas (who in my opinion was getting a bit stale).

Pick it up and read it. It sets the stage for bigger things and also offers a great story along the way!

CD/Unabridged/Urban Fantasy: This book was long and involved considering we walked into the story only to find out who was framing Morgan up for murder.
The best part to me is Molly. Instead of being the problem I thought she was going to be, she has become a very likeable character. She still has a long way to go, ethics wise.
There is a lot of Mouse in this book and not enough Bob. Morgan is Harry's house guest so there is some comedic scenes between Mouse, Morgan, and Molly. Morgan is self-righteous and stubborn and goes to the last place anyone would think to find him, with Harry. Anastasia, who was Morgan's mentor, and Harry are now dating.
There is tragedy at the end as one of the regular characters dies. I didn't like the Counsel politics. I guess, I'm not suppose to.
Again, James Marsters (aka, my future ex-husband) does a great reading. He does some proper English with the voice of Bob and some cockney English with the character of Binder.
There are White Counsel members that we really don't hear much from that have a big part in this book. We are also closer to finding out about the "Black Counsel".
The biggest surprise is Thomas. He has a small part in most of the book. I really felt that this book can not be read as a stand alone on just the Thomas issue. Between Butcher's writing and Marster's narration, Thomas is downright scary.
There were some books in this series that made me want to give it up. But the last four books make me want to hurry with what I'm currently reading so I can get to Changes.

I want to preface this review by writing that I am not the biggest fan of the Dresden Files, have not read the series religiously and have only found it mildly appealing. My biggest misgiving is that I don't find Harry Dresden to be a particularly interesting lead character. The author makes too much of an effort to make him overly flawed. Also some of the mythos of the story world don't particularly jive with me, such as vampires that can be out during the daytime and who use guns to fight instead of their own preternatural skills.

Having said that, the plot and story of Turncoat are reasonably good. Butcher did a nice job of setting up a strong opening conflict. The wizard Morgan, who has been a nemesis to Dresden in the past, shows up at Harry's doorstep half-dead and in need of help. Harry agrees to help him, starting a chain of events that lead him to uncover a conspiracy in the wizard White Council. A powerful demonic entity known as a SkinWalker attacks Harry and those close to him. Meanwhile he has to carefully sidestep the wardens of the White Council who are after Morgan.

The mystery of this story was well-developed even though I was able to figure out the turncoat fairly early on. The plot was sound and the story moved at a good pace. All in all, better than the other Dresden File novels I have read but not good enough to make me eagerly anticipate picking up the next one.

Carl Alves - author of Blood Street

I've been steadily reading through all of the Dresden Files since last summer, but I have to say I was a little bit disappointed with this one. Certain points made me laugh out loud in places where they always do-Harry's one liners for instance. However, I just didn't find myself on the edge of my seat in this installment. I was looking forward to an update on Michal because of what happened in the last book, but there was barely a mention of him.

There were several places where I could simply set it down and ignore it for awhile which wasn't something that happened often in some of the other books. I can tell that it is building up to the endgame of the series, and it takes awhile to do such a thing but the pattern is about the same. Trouble comes knocking on Harry's doorstep, he has to fix it or be killed, all sorts of things come out of the woodwork trying to kill him just for knowing, he gets the crap kicked out of him and then discovers some innate power or ally that comes to his rescue at the last second. It's almost like the Alex Rider series, I enjoy them as well, but it becomes easy to predict what's coming next. I was also a little bummed that I could pretty much tell who the informant was in the council the moment they showed up.

I know I've said a lot of negative things here, but all in all, it's a good read, there are plenty of twists and turns and while I wasn't on the edge of my seat the WHOLE time there were parts where I couldn't turn pages fast enough and I stayed up til the wee hours of the morning reading it.

Overall, the characters are always enjoyable, Harry is very human and relatable and the plot, while somewhat predictable on an action scale(you can tell something is about to pop out and start doing something) you don't always know what it is that's about to pop out or why. I love the series and will definitely pick up the next book, Changes, as soon as I have a chance.

I read the other reviews, and do not understand why I feel so differently about the book than others. I love Harry Dresden and some of the other main characters, and I like this book. I just don't love it as I do some in the series. I have to give it three stars because I love the series so much.

It may be because the story is more serious than most of them. There is the sad topic of innocent men being punished. There are fewer ironic jokes. I think. I also guessed the culprit about halfway through, but that is not a really important thing to me as long as the story is written well. I also probably didn't like Thomas being taken out of the story. He was kidnapped, tortured, and changed by the experience. For the most part, however, you naturally do not hear or see him.

Learning more about the council members was great, especially Listens-to-Wind. Harry out-performs himself in wizarding power again. Molly makes more mistakes than usual. Everyone is possibly up for execution. No pressure. :)

I just hope I enjoy the next one as much as I have others in this series.

Another exciting adventure in the world of Dresden. The series has grown from something I merely thought was so-so to a great fantasy read. I'm not going to recap the previous novels as there are way too many books to cover. They should be read in order, but really the most important thing is that Harry Dresden is a wizard living in Chicago.

When Warden Morgan shows up on Harry's doorstep he isn't sure what to think. The guy has been after Harry a long time thinking he was up to no good, and now he needs Harry's help. He's been framed for a murder and now the entire White Council is out to capture and kill him. Harry takes him under his protection and starts sleuthing to find the real killer. This will lead him to the White Court of Vampires, the White Council itself, and a very dangerous skinwalker that is trying to kill him. The Wardens are closing in and the skinwalker is holding his brother for ransom, Harry's going to have to get very clever in order to get out of this mess.

Harry was great in this book. He's a lot grittier and believable and his personality really shines through in this book. He's more focused on his surroundings than himself and this helps pace the book well. Morgan was also interesting in this book. Before we'd just see him as the hard-faced Warden who hated Harry; now we get to see him as an actual person with feelings and motivations and this greatly improved his character. The other characters had roles but they were very minor compared to Harry's and Morgan's in this novel. They all helped the story flow cohesively though.

Butcher has a very descriptive writing style. It helps the reader's become immersed in Butcher's Chicago. Since its full of magic and certain details, Butcher has to keep it together and consistent and he does do this well. I haven't found anything yet that seemed out of place. The plotline in this book was exciting and he entered some new elements into it that will help pull the story along in the next books. I did notice in this book that the language got a bit darker and dirtier. Not a bad thing, but something to take notice of.

Great addition to the series. I greatly look forward to the next which I hear is super exciting. My hope is they just keep getting better and better.

Turn Coat
Copyright 2009
545 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2010

It's summer time in Chicago, the blazing sun outside had driven Harry into the relatively cooler darkness of his basement apartment to cope with his migraine. It wasn't helping much, particularly when someone started knocking on the door. When Harry opened the door and discovered that fellow Warden Donald Morgan - the wizard who had for years kept watch over Harry, as his probation officer he did not know just how much worse his headache could get. Harry had had a troubled adolescence to say the least, and when he had violated the Laws of Magic there were those on the White Council who had called for his execution - a thought shared by Warden Morgan. Now Morgan was on Harry's doorstep, covered in blood and himself running from the White Council. The irony of the situation was not lost on Harry even as he agreed to help Morgan. As Harry went to work proving Morgan's innocence he found that his biggest problems were not the White Council or even the vampires but a Skinwalker, perhaps the most powerful entity that Harry had ever encountered. And lurking in the background the shadowy group that Harry had long suspected existed seemed to be at work as well.

This is the 11th in the DRESDEN FILES series of dark urban fantasy novels featuring Harry Dresden, a Wizard/Private Detective living in Chicago. Harry's turf covered not only the city as we know it but also encompasses the magical world of vampires - all three courts, wizards, werewolves and fairies and also reaches into the Nevernever realm. The overall story arc of this series is quite pronounced. Each novel is a stand alone story but there is so much backstory involved that the reader new to the series will be at a loss to follow much of the story. In addition each novel leaves a few unanswered questions and drops hints of things to come. For maximum enjoyment begin at the beginning (STORM FRONT) and proceed in order through this marvelous series.

The Dresden series has been nothing but pure action-packed joy to read. I never trolled through the sci-fi/fantasy section of the bookstore, but Butcher converted me to the darkside. His Dresden books are phenomenal - they're well-paced, witty, hilarious, philosophical, detailed without being bogged down by the details, and full of action.

And his characters evolve in a linear, rational fashion. While there are twists, one never gets the sense that he patchworked inane bits together to throw the readers off. Butcher is a master story weaver, and all of the books in this series has thus far delivered solidly.

His latest installment in the Dresden series is no exception. Morgan, Harry's dogged and frightening frenemy, is on the run and turns to the one person no one would expect to help him: Harry. Harry needs to unravel the mystery surrounding Morgan's treasonous act, deal with his newly evolved power, tread softly through vampire politics, protect friends and neighbors, and stay alive.

Butcher expertly balances the almost over-the-top plots and sub-stories with his usual wit and panache. Dresden remains Dresden - while things take on a darker cast, our beloved P.I. is recognizable throughout (I intensely dislike series where the hero or heroine changes to the point of losing the qualities that make him/her great, i.e. Anita Blake).

All in all, Turn Coat is another solid keeper in the Dresden line.

Keep them coming, Jim!! I'm on pins & needles for the next book!

Harry Dresden is a wizard working as a private investigator in Chicago. As an innocent youngster he broke one of the most sacred cardinal rules of the White Council of Wizards and was going to be executed but he got taught right from wrong by a kind mentor who convinced the council to give him probation. Warden Chief Morgan has watched Harry for years waiting to pounce when the lad makes that inevitable mistake; they have tangled several times since and their animosity remains stratospheric.

Morgan comes to Harry's home looking ill and injured as the Wardens are after their former leader. The weary Morgan explains he was seen over the corpse of Aleron La Fortier holding the murder weapon. Additionally a bank account in his name was found containing millions; phone records show Morgan talking with someone inside the Vampire Red Court. The wizards knew that one of them was selling information to the enemy and that the wardens were investigating, but now all the evidence hangs Morgan. The unknown adversary sends a Skinwalker, a semi-divine god to start a war between the wizards and the White Court Vampires who feed on human essence. Harry knows Morgan is not the traitor so he sets up a scheme to uncover the betrayer and hopefully prevent hostilities.

This is a great Dresden tale as the hero has come a long way from his days as a rebel with a cause though he still defends the underdog with a passion. The story line is entertaining as Morgan turns to his detestable enemy Harry because of the reasons he loathes Dresden; the wizard's known rebellious nature to defend the downtrodden. Fans will relish this entry as Harry tries to out the real TURN COAT before a war of magic ignites Chicago and beyond while trying to keep an anxious Morgan from charging into the fight like a cow kicking over an oil lamp to Dresden plan and the city.

Harriet Klausner

Harry Dresden doesn't like Morgan--a wizard who's often expressed the desire to execute Harry. But when Morgan shows up on Harry's doorstep with a story about being framed for the murder of a senior member of the White Council, Harry doesn't have to think much before offering to help. Morgan would do a lot of things, but he'd never go against the Council. But if Morgan didn't do it, someone with the power to frame him, with the desire to launch a destructive war between the Council and the Vampire courts, and with more power than anyone should have is responsible.

Harry has long believed that what he calls a 'Black Council' exists--determined to wipe out the White Council and its rules. Could Morgan's problems give him the clues he needs to find the Black Council, to expose its members to the sunshine? As Harry starts looking for evidence, though, he runs into an ancient skinwalker so powerful Harry can hardly stand the true-sight of him.

Author Jim Butcher continues his DRESDEN FILES series with an action-filled adventure. Harry's love life gets ever-more complicated as his injuries mount up. He finds himself in trouble with the Vampire White Court, with the skinchanger, with the Council that should be his strongest ally, and with a host of demonic creatures from nevernever. Butcher blends elements of urban fantasy with those from hardboiled detective novels to create an enjoyable style all his own.

Where Butcher is describing action, TURN COAT is strong. I did have some problems with the mystery side of the story--I found it too easy to guess the traitor's identity. A bigger plot problem, for me, was the whole issue of the skinchanger. What, exactly, was he after? What relationship did he have to the traitor? Why did he want Morgan? How did he know kidnapping Harry's brother, Thomas, would work so effectively when most of the White Council hate all vampires and Harry has been careful to keep his relationship a secret? These didn't keep me from enjoying the story, but I would have liked to see a bit more integration.

Harry is really starting to be a major hitter among the White Council. Although no longer in possession of Hellfire, the Soulfire that was bequeathed to him is pretty freaking awesome. A relationship is revealed to be less than what Harry initially thought, but the door is opened again to one that he believed to be closed.

This book really gives us a look at the inner working on the White Council, the Raith family, Billy and his pack of werewolves and Harry's relationships with all of them. Something I really enjoyed was seeing Morgan and Harry interact. I can't say anything else, or I'll give away a major plot point. But, this was very satisfying.

I can honestly say this is probably one of Butcher's most intense Dresden novels. Seeing Harry's progression as a human man and as a wizard has been very gratifying.

I love this series. It's smart, it's serious, it's funny, and the sex, what very little there is, isn't graphic or the main point of the story. You know how hard it is to find that in a long-running series about magic in an alternate Earth? Yea, nigh impossible.

I enjoyed the hell out of this book and was pleasantly surprised by how many times I thought the story was almost done and I would put my bookmark in just to discover I had more book left than I thought.

I was, however, severely disappointed by the ham-handed foreshadowing. The minute our bad guy was introduced, I knew it was going to be him. I actually got kinda mad at Harry for taking so long to figure it out. I think it's because the character was in a position I've been in. I get how overlooked someone like that is, and how they have access to everything. The convo with McCoy early on was an overdone reminder of this fact.

Minor characters in Dresden novels are kind of like minor characters on Star Trek (the original series)-if you are introduced to them they are likely going to (a) die soon (b) figure more prominently in another book later in the series, or (c) be a bad guy/girl.

A number of elements that have been minor in other books in the series (what'd I tell you?!) came to the fore in this one. I am particularly curious about the island. And a bit nervous for Harry -- the events of this book were BIG doings and the fairies were nowhere in sight? I tend to think that doesn't bode well.

Despite the botched reveal, I loved this book and can't wait for the next one in the series.

Really get a great look at the wizard world and the many ways they can use their magic. Also explore other forms of beings new to the series. Turn lots of corners in this book. Thomas being one. His understanding of himself. His relation to Harry. The big bad scary monster in this one - the skinwalker.

Spoiler alert***************

I didn't get why the skinwalker was after Morgan. He clearly wasn't after the reward money. How he was involved was never explained. I can only assume someone even scarier and worse than he called in a favor. Interesting point that has yet to be explained in the later books in the series. Or at least not that I can recall. How did the skinwalker know that taking Thomas was the right track? Someone knew more than Harry realizes about his relationship with his brother.

I've been re-reading the series for about the fourth time, and this book really stands out as a superior volume in the trials and tribulations of the Dresden Files.

First Sentence: The summer sun was busy broiling the asphalt from Chicago's streets, the agony in my head had kept me horizontal for half a day, and some idiot was pounding on my apartment door.

The last person PI Harry Dresden, wizard of the White council, expects to find on his doorstop, is Morgon. Morgan had tried to kill Harry once and they were anything but friends. When Morgan tells Harry he is innocent of killing a Council member, Harry believes him and decides to help. Morgan is not Harry's only problem. There is a nearly invincible skinwalker on the loose and looking for Harry.

This is not a light, happy wizard book. This is a tough, occasionally brutal, supernatural-among-the-humans book and I loved it. Butcher includes just the right amount of humor to offset the horror, even down to some of Harry's expletives: "stars and stones," "god's beard," and "Hell's frickin' bells." I love that even the supernatural use Craigslist and compare themselves to John Steed of the Avengers.

Butcher creates his world so well, down to providing an interesting prospective about the White Council being involved in mortal politics. The characters are wonderful, particularly Harry, about whose Mother we learn more; his apprentice, Molly; his brother, Thomas; and his Foo dog, Mouse. He brings them to life, as he does the entire story.

Butcher's writing is wonderfully visual. We believe Harry's world exists and it is not a comfortable place to be. There is a ritual on the mountain top that is particularly visual. The story is very well plotted and the suspense is palpable.

This series is not for everyone, but I plan to keep going as long as the author does.

Another book in the Dresden Files and this one is exceptional. I really enjoyed it. There was the usual action and fighting, but there was a lot of information and background on the world of magic as written by Mr. Butcher. Harry has been keeping his head down and being good. Even though he has become a warden, he still is mistrusted and viewed with suspicion and disdain by veteran Warden Morgan. So when Morgan shows up at his door, wounded and on the run from the White Council, Harry doesn't know what to think. Morgan has been accused of treason against the White Council and of murder. Now he has come to Harry for help, his reasoning is that Harry always fights for the underdog and Harry knows what it's like to be accused and being innocent. As predicted Harry can't say no and now he must uncover the real culprit and save Morgan. Doing this just may cost him his life and the life of anyone that helps him. Molly his apprentice helps by staying with Morgan and nursing his wounds and then Morgan is tracked to Harry's. Now Harry must put them all in hiding. Harry's brother is taking hostage and tortured. Harry's army of "Little People" led by Toot Toot fast become one of Harry's best weapons against the forces that mean to kill Morgan and Harry included. This book is full of the people that we have all met briefly in the other Dresden books and we all get to see what they have been doing and how they have grown and changed. This is a must read for all of Jim Butcher fans.

The intricacies of the politics of the White Council and the hidden Black Council have reached a new level in this volume of the Dresden Files. Warden Morgan stumbles to Harry Dresden's doorstep, injured and pursued by his own people. He is accused of murdering one of the wizards on the Senior Council, and despite the chance of a cursory trial, the penalty will assuredly be death if he is apprehended. Harry cannot imagine that Morgan would have committed such a crime and offers Morgan his protection, at least while he can investigate the issue.

Harry has to call in an awful lot of his friends in this one, for he is pursued by a skinwalker out of Native American tales, a hired freelance conjurer, the White Council, and a mystery figure that Harry suspects has framed Morgan. The vampires of the White Court also make an appearance.

I listened to the audiobook for this volume, and this was one of my favorites in the series, particularly in the way that it ended.

With Butcher having now reached 11 books in the series and he still plans to go for more, I was starting to get a little worried on how he'd keep up the quality of the stories and series.

I'm not disappointed.

Granted, I was right about who the villian (turn coat) was when I first saw him introduced. It doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the story and seeing it unfold and with all the factions involved, all the allies and antagonists there are, Butcher has done a good job of keeping them all well used and their parts well developed and not slacked off or dropped. No one felt like a foot note or token usage of characters as happened to the werewolves in a past book of this series.

The development of several characters were good, even if sobering such as Thomas, the werewolves, Molly and so on.

Any drawbacks? To me that the villian was too easy to spot. A few repetitive lines of thought with "Super Genius" and Disneyland that felt a little too formulaic or disjointed. Like you could tell the author must have been on one track and frame of mind writting a section and then another later. Just minor complaints if any.

I'm sure several of the other reviews have dropped spoilers. So I'll leave this one with, this book was certainly darker and more sobering or somber at the end with the wind down and wrapping up the loose ends after all the fast paced action. It was still good and still well worth the read. I await the next in the series to see if Butcher can still continue to deliver.

I read the first two Dresden Files novels a few years back, and recently came across the audiobook of TURN COAT, Book 11 in the series. I am re-enchanted with Harry Dresden. Picture Harry Potter's son, raised by Jack Reacher and Robert Parker's Spenser, and you'll get a feel for the wit, warmth, wryness and wisdom of Chicago's crime-solving wizard. Plus he's not afraid to knock a few heads together when the situation calls for it. And what a great vocabulary! Despite not having read a Dresden File for several years, I could fill in most of the blanks and come up to speed in this enjoyable, fast paced read. If you are new to the series, starting with Book One (Storm Front) will lay some helpful groundwork but if you want to plunge in here -- most of the vital back story can be figured out as you go along.

A word about the audiobook version, read by James Marsters. Fabulous. One of the best readers I have heard (and I've heard a lot.) His masterful style captures voices and personalities both male and female and is a joy to listen to in every way. Thank you, Penguin Audio, for bringing Marster's talent to my ears.

Just finished reading this in the space of two days. It's the kind of book you can't help but devour, as there are no "dead" chapters anywhere. These books just keep getting better as they go. However the one drawback to TURN COAT is that to me the general circle of events felt a little too much like some of the previous books.

In this installment Harry continues to develop and mature in new ways - not just his magical abilities, but you can see him starting to become the master of situations rather than only being forced to *react* to the events around him. He also continues to build his network of loyal friends and allies, and as always he plays well with enemies when required. There is also a scene where he realizes how he might look over the years to the powers of the White Council, and it just puts a grin on your face because you get to look back on the same previous events as well.

That's one thing that really draws you in to this series - you can't help but be entirely on Harry's side throughout the series, and damn if he isn't the coolest character ever. (Seriously, can anyone ever top the zombie Tyrannosaur scene from a previous book?).

I did miss Michael Carpenter being involved somehow. There is a certain kind of warm serenity around the Carpenter household that I missed, a calm space in the storm of action.

Anyway, another great book in the series. Can't wait for the next!

In the latest novel featuring Chicago's PI/Wizard, Harry Dresden, the forces of good and evil clash once again over the Chicago Skyline.

Not only does Harry have to contend with the prejudicial members of the White Council, and the apparent frame of the White Council's executioner (Morgan) for the murder of a High Council member, but he is also dealing with all of the supernatural bounty hunters that are on the trail of the Wounded Morgan.

Just to add spice to the mix, whoever is behind the plot to frame Morgan and cause disruption in the Council, enlists the unwitting aid of the White Court of Vampires. And they are truly displeased at the manipulation.

To top it all off, there is a Skin Walker from the American Southwest who is determined to snag Morgan and the bounty using skills and magic that Harry has never before encountered.

So what is one little Wizard to do? Well, being Harry, he calls in the Werewolves, the Fairies and every favor he can garnish, including the apprentice, Molly. But there is another weapon at his disposal, the Demonreach. Definitely an untapped force to be reckoned with. Is Harry up to the task? Can he save Morgan, prove his innocence and keep the White Council and the White Court from destroying each other? And the biggest question : how many pizzas will it cost Harry to enlist Toot Toot and his army?

Turn Coat is the eleventh volume of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, supernatural adventures featuring Chicago-based wizard and private investigator, Harry Dresden. With any long running series such as this, it would be a rare reader, indeed, who would choose to start reading it so far in, with so much back-story to get through, so the question becomes: will this book satisfy the series' fans? Does it push all the right buttons, and continue Harry's adventures in an enjoyable and interesting way? Well, the answer has to be an unqualified `Yes,' although that's not to say that readers won't have individual criticisms with some aspects of the novel.

After last year's Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10), which culminated in a climactic battle with the Knights of the Blackened Denarius, and the crippling of Harry's friend and Knight of the Cross, Michael Carpenter, Turn Coat re-enters Harry's life a few months later, and the tone turns even darker, if that were possible, with the arrival on his doorstep of Morgan, the warden and wizard who despises and distrusts Harry above all, wounded, accused of murdering a senior member of the White Council of wizards, and begging his aid. If Harry helps Morgan, a man he detests, and is caught, he will face execution with him, but if he refuses, an innocent man will die and the true assassin escape, leaving a traitor at the heart of the Council.

Of course, Harry cannot abandon Morgan, and soon he is facing bounty hunters from the Never-Never, encountering White Court vampires, and being pursued by a Skinwalker, a next-to-immortal, shape-shifting nightmare from Navaho legend, all while being unable to trust the wizards of the council who should be his allies. He doesn't face these trials alone, though, as numerous friends and allies from previous books are on hand to offer support: Harry's vampire half-brother, Thomas, stands with him, and suffers for it; Molly Carpenter, his apprentice, gets a chance to prove her metal; even Billy and Georgia, the werewolves, and Toot-Toot and the other little folk of the Za-Lord's guard battle with him on the side of right, at the end.

As ever, Harry is a witty and wry hero, always ready with a quip and a pop culture reference with which to spit his defiance into the teeth of the most powerful and intractable of enemies, while also growing progressively more wizardly as he ages and matures. Butcher's writing skills are as good as ever, and he's at his best in the action scenes, banter between Harry and his friends (and enemies), and descriptions of his use of magic. Fans will be pleased that we finally get to see inside the White Council's headquarters, in tunnels under Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, and that we find out more about the mysterious island in Lake Michigan which made its appearance in Small Favor (although there's clearly more to come there), and frustrated, although perhaps not surprised, that there are no more revelations about why Queen Mab of the Sidhe has been behaving so strangely, or what the Archangel Uriel has planned for Harry's future.

If I have any gripes, it's that some characters get relegated to the sidelines: Karin Murphy of the Chicago PD, though as redoubtable as ever, seems to have less to do this time around, and Bob the Skull hardly appears at all, but then when dealing with such weight of series history, it's perhaps inevitable that some old favourites won't always get as much space in the story. All I can do is hope that next time around they get to play a larger role, and that there are more revelations to come, as the pursuit of the Black Council continues. I'll certainly be putting in a pre-order for Dresden 12, as soon as it's possible to do so, and eagerly awaiting the continuation of his adventures.

This was Butcher's usual good solid writing, but I only gave it three stars instead of four for a couple of reasons. First, the story took a long time to set up and drug a bit even with rapid fire events. They were there, quick and bloody, but just not that interesting. Secondly, Laura Raith is becoming a caracature of herself, especially in the early part of the book where we hear her tired old "ooh, I'm going to seduce you if I want to," crap. And the "I can give you want you want...freedom from the pain and responsibility," wasn't compelling, just ridiculously reminiscent of Star Trek V as Spock's brother encourages everyone to share their pain. Finally, I would have preferred if the resolution hadn't been so damned predictable. Sticking with the Star Trek analogy, we all know it's the new guy who shows up who will be the bad guy. The "villain" was easily identifiable from the moment he showed up and Anastacia's part in what happened was also predictable.

As an audio book it is better. James Marsters does a great job reading Harry Dresden.

Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series moves forward through well-defined episodes, each novel complete and compelling in itself, and each providing yet another scene in a whole that's still being created. Turn Coat is no exception--a fascinating story filled with twists and turns as wizard Dresden finds his long-standing arch-enemy collapsed on his doorstep and begging for help. There are fascinating, and thoroughly thought-provoking arguments about the merits of black-and-white adherence to rules and those ever-gray areas of human compassion and concern. There's the mystery of someone passing secrets and framing wizard wardens. There's the excitement of a super-powerful magical foe, and the horror of what he might do to Dresden's super-powerful, super-cool brother. Good people do bad, and grayly almost-bad things. Bad people do almost-good things. Strange alliances form for strange times. And Harry Dresden again proves to be capable simultaneously of more and less than he thinks he is. Turn Coat is another thrill-ride, filled with the author's trade-mark angst and insightful commentary, and told with the protagonist's self-deprecating good humor and wisdom. I loved it. But of course, I knew I would. And I'm eagerly waiting for more.

What do you do when a man who once wanted you dead shows up on your doorstep injured, tells you he's wanted by the White Council for a crime he didn't commit, and by the way, if you help him, you'll probably end up on the White Council's "Most Wanted" list as well?

If you're Harry Dresden, you help the man. That's just the way Chicago's only wizard PI rolls.

Of course, Harry's good intentions get him into trouble. It's not just the White Council who's after Morgan. An ancient Native American skinwalker, 'Binder' who can call all kinds of nasties from the NeverNever, are just a few of the problems Harry runs across.

Oh, and the plot against Morgan isn't just in the White Council of mages. The White Court of vampires is involved as well.

Harry's got to call in a lot of favors from friends on this case. And yes, some of them are going to get hurt.

Jim Butcher just doesn't disappoint. After eleven books, you'd think he'd start cruising on his rep, but he hasn't and something tells me he won't. What I've always loved about Butcher is that he stays true to his character. Harry's grown, but he's never 'devolved' despite temptation. And Butcher's never stopped giving us a good read.

Bless em both!

Rebecca Kyle, April 2009

This is an excellent installment in the Dresden Files series. The pacing was fast, but clear. The characters were all at the tops of their games, particularly McCoy, Lara Raith, Molly and, of course, Harry himself. In fact, Harry is more competent and honestly self-aware than we've seen him in a while.

I often have a hard time following fight scenes in novels. They're frequently poorly laid out and confusing. The fight scenes in this book are incredibly visually evocative. The best I've read by any author in recent years.

The emotional impact of this installment rivals Grave Peril for me. That had been my favorite Dresden book, but now I have to place this one in the top slot. There are bittersweet moments, sweet moments and downright crazy, blow-your-mind moments.

I don't want to go into spoilers and so many people will be reviewing the book that it almost doesn't matter what I say. But I have to applaud this master stroke in the story. I was very disappointed in Small Favor and now Butcher has followed that one with arguably the best episode in the series.

Highly recommended. :D

Turn Coat is the eleventh book in the series and from chapter one the story takes off at a furious pace until the finale. The basic premise involves Harry's arch nemesis, Morgan, who has been accused of murder and treason and is on the run from the White Council. Incredibly, Morgan has turned to the last person anyone would expect to help him, Harry Dresden. As Harry tries to unravel the mystery surrounding the why someone is trying to frame Morgan, the plot as he tries to deal with his evolving new powers, guide his apprentice and maneuver around White Court vampire and White Council politics.

Harry continues to grow as a character as well as secondary characters as Molly, Billy, the young werewolves. However, Murphy and her chip on her shoulder attitude is growing tiresome; I hope she and Harry never hook up.

This book certainly has a transitional tone to it and marks the beginning of a dark turn to the series. Books one through nine were solid reads and book ten was outstanding. To date, Turn Coat is one of the best written of the story arc. Jim Butcher is a master storyteller and all of the books in this series have been exceptional.

Once again, I've borrowed an audio of this book from the public library. I love the plot of this installment. It entails of friendship, love, and betrayal. Harry is wizard who is looked down upon by the White Council because of his past and chaotic execution to catch the bad guys. Whenever Harry is sought by troubles, he loses the people he cares for. It's always a win/lose scenario for him. It's truly heart-breaking. Since he is a magnificent warrior, he comes back up and go on with life as if his heart has never been scarred and bled to death. This series projects many moral values which I adore. Moving on to book 12.

I envy those who haven't read the book yet, b/c I just finished it and now have to wait another year for the next installment. Since others have already posted the summary, I won't mention it here. From page one, the books sucks you into it's grip, and doesn't let go until the end of the story. Although there were many revelations, the more answers there were, the more questions cropped up.

You'll be happy to see some old friends again in "Turn Coat" (ie Toot Toot, Mouse, etc.).

The action sequences were incredible (esp. the one involving the skinwalker in the end). However, it was not just all action. Harry Dresden is more than just a character in a book b/c of the emotional depth Jim Butcher weaves into his story. Corny as it sounds, I cried with it, and I laughed with it (many quoteable one line zingers!). I love the book, but there is one thing I'm a little confused about (maybe I missed it in the book).
*** Minor spoiler alert***

Was the skinwalker a part of the conspiracy and in cohoots with the bad guys, or was he just an independent villian that just appeared b/c he caught Morgan's scent?

I have read, I believe, every book in this series up to Turncoat. I will not summarize the plot, it has been done ad nauseum. The reason I like this book so much is that it really goes deeply into the gray area of Harry's life. For example, Merlin has always been shown to be the stern, judgemental, unflexible, and totally unsympathetic to Harry's very existence. In this, we start to see some of the other side of his existence. Not just his power, which is indeed formidable, but the political quandries he has to deal with. Why he has to do some ugly things for the greater good. But, one soon realizes that nothing in Merlin has changed at all. Rather, what has really changed is Harry's perspective. Now that Harry is a warden, he realizes that responsibility changes everything. And, he now sees the responsibilities that Merlin has to face. Merlin even realizes this as he basically says to Harry, welcome to adulthood.

It is a measure of Jim Butcher as an artist as this is brought to the forefront. A subtleness we rarely see in this type of literature.

I truly enjoy this series; however, they are generally too slow paced in the beginning for my tastes . . . but the endings more than makes up for that. This book started out much faster than the others . . . had a bit of a lull . . . and then proceeded at a fast rate all the way to the end.

This was one of the better books in the series. If you are waiting for a favorable review before reading this entry in the series wait no longer! Get a copy of this and enjoy it!

Harry Dresden is just an old friend to me, and I adore picking up the books for a quick, easy, and always entertaining read. This one was absolutely no exception.

I enjoyed seeing the return of the werewolves, the play of the White Court, and the always entertaining Toot-Toot. I loved getting greater depth to Morgan, and I'm really getting to enjoy Molly as a character and see her development.

I also have to hand it to Butcher as a writer. He's given me one of...more Harry Dresden is just an old friend to me, and I adore picking up the books for a quick, easy, and always entertaining read. This one was absolutely no exception.

I enjoyed seeing the return of the werewolves, the play of the White Court, and the always entertaining Toot-Toot.

I loved getting greater depth to Morgan. I'm really getting to enjoy Molly as a character and see her development.

I also have to hand it to Butcher as a writer. He's given me one of my favorite lines, ever, in a book--regarding the nature of both love and hope--and proving that it's possible to write simply, but also write deeply.

I'm a little behind with the Dresden File series, but catching up quickly. I actually read the the Codex Alera books first, and it is my policy that if I like one series from an author, I will give him/her a chance in another book. SO GLAD I DID!!!

I digress...so far, with the Dresden files, it seems that for every two books that I find great, there's one that I didn't care too much for. Book 10 was that book so I am not at all surprised that I really enjoyed Turn Coat. I'm not going to summarize the story because again, this review is really late (considering that the book debuted roughly two, or three years ago) I'm just going to hit on highlights that stood out to me:

I like the way Butcher is helping Molly grow up.
I think Murphy's character has become a little stagnant and I hope in the following books he works with her more; she has not played much of a significant role, in the last three books. I really thought in the last book, she would take up the sword (maybe in the future?). Did it seem like Harry and Murphy were a little closer this time around? Seems like Butcher may not have scrapped the idea of those two hooking up?
Liked seeing the wizards fight, and for once Harry wasn't the strongest one around trying to save everyone else. Injun Joe was REALLY impressive, hope to see him more.
The politics is really heating up (maybe the influence of Codex series?)and it has made the novels take another turn, can't wait to see where it goes.
Harry's more and more with the big leagues, and I am astounded over how well Butcher weaves everything together and keeps me on the edge of my seat.
Not sure I'm liking where Thomas's character went, but it's not over yet. I really like him so hopefully this setback is designed to add more depth to his personality.
What impresses me the most with the Harry Dresden development, is that no matter what powers he adds to his resume, a.k.a. Soul-fire or how much magical influnce he wields, Harry remains uniquely human. He's aware that even though he is a wizard-magic does not solve everything, and retaining his humanity is more important than anything else. He shows this by caring about what happened to Toot, saving the bad guy (was his name, Broden?) visiting his friend at the hospital, and at the very end of the story, playing a favorite game of a dearly departed friend, in his rememberance. Butcher ended it well..."No matter what, you have to keep on living". This is the reason why the Butcher series will never get stale, He has made the Harry Dresden so truly human and alive to the fans.

I have to say this book was aptly named. Not only was there the surface level situations going on in this book (finding the traitor amongst the White Council) but there was so much going on behind the scenes as well. This book has decidedly changed a lot of things for our favorite gumshoe, and it's not going to be an easy ride, but it'll be fun! As a reader I can always count on a solid story that keeps my eyes to the pages and on nothing else until it's finished. Mr. Butcher does not disappoint and I am looking forward to more installments in this series. I don't want to give anything away, other than this isn't a book you want to pass up and there are surprises galore (Listens-to-Wind, anyone? Wow!) and heartaches, passion, anger, rage, courage, humor, and so much more. At half way through the book I was just as stressed as some of the characters! For surely there wasn't more to this story even though it still had a good two hundred pages left. But I was very wrong. The only complaint that I would have- and it's not really a complaint- is that the traitor is obvious. But I tend to think that if a person reads a lot of mysteries (like I do) than you know what signs to look for. Otherwise, the traitor will come as a complete surprise. And, even though I figured it out fairly early, in NO way did it detract from the book or the overall story telling. It was really just the tip of the iceburg for this action packed narrative.
I strongly recommend anyone to add this to their personal collection. It's too good to miss! But then again, if you're on book 11, you're already hooked.

The characters including members of the white council get more fleshed out and 3 dimensional. Dresden gets further entangled with his mysterious island and the vampire white court as well. The plot is quite good starting with Morgan--Harry's old nemesis--turning up on his door step badly wounded. There are some interesting sub plots and Molly and Morgan get along about as well as expected. Mouse is outed as a temple guardian dog and the Black Council finally becomes more concrete. Some good humor here and there as well. A new menace the naagloshii a sort of semi divine bad guy and archetype for the skinwalker turns up and makes one of the loose ends. Presumably the Black Council sicked him on Harry but how? And what is he getting out of all of this? Lastly the White Council wanting to ignore the Black for political reasons and winding up on the brink of interciene warfare is an interesting development.

Nicely turned out excellent read.

Harry Dresden is Chicago's only resident wizard listed in the phone book. When Morgan shows up at Harry's doorstep asking for help hiding from the Council, it's the last place the Wardens will look for him. But while believing Morgan's story, Harry not only puts himself in danger but everyone he cares about as well. Someone in the Council is pulling strings and trying to cause chaos within, and will stop at nothing to recapture Morgan.

This may be my favorite in the series so far. Harry has to shelter the person he dislikes most in the world. The suspense is amped up, since there is an obvious traitor in the midst of the White Council. The action is practically non-stop. And of course, the fabulous cast of characters, both good and bad, lay the foundation for an exciting story and a great climactic ending.

Some of Harry's relationships will change forever. But nothing is ever easy for this tortured wizard.

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher may be the first of his Dresden novels that I am truly ambivalent about. On the one hand, I really enjoyed reading it. On the other... let's just say it has some problems. And this is going to be spoilery. Be warned.

The easy stuff:
The editor needs to go back to editing school. The comma usage was distracting. Not everywhere but enough that they frequently made me stop and say, "Why is there a comma here in the middle of this sentence?" To write that as it would probably appear in Turn Coat: "Why is there a comma, here in the middle of this sentence?" or "Why is there a comma here in the middle, of this sentence?" I shouldn't be stopped by oddly placed commas. Just sayin'.
[And, yeah, I know; most people will not be stopped or even slowed down by the commas, but I kept tripping on them, and that was annoying.]
Anyway...

As with all of the Dresden books, I found this one an enjoyable read. I mean, I found the reading of it enjoyable. I find the character of Dresden enjoyable, and I really want to see where Butcher is taking us on this meta-plot he has running. However, whenever I stopped to think about this one, I would become annoyed.

As the title may indicate, this book deals with the idea of a traitor. Specifically, there is a traitor in the White Council. Okay, fine, I can deal with that. The issue here is that for the story to have any meaning, any impact on the reader, it really needs to be a character we've already met. For it to really mean something to the reader, it needs to be a character we like, even if it's a minor character. Yes, that would mean that Butcher would have to mess up the life of one of his characters, but that's what writers do, right? Evidently, that was too much to ask of Butcher because, about 1/4 of the way through the book, we're introduced to a completely unlikable character that Dresden immediately has issues with. The astute reader knows at that moment that that is the traitor. So, yeah, at not quite 25% of the way through the book, I knew where it was going, so there was this pervasive disappoint as I read. I just kept hoping that maybe I was wrong and it would actually be someone like Ebenezer and we'd all be shocked, but I knew that it wasn't going to be anyone like that.

So, you know, great, Butcher introduced a character that we didn't like just to kill him off. No emotional payoff at all.

There are some other things that don't make a lot of sense, either:
1. Why in the heck is the skinwalker working for Peabody? The skinwalker is some ancient evil creature; why does it care at all about what Peabody wants? [Granted, this may become more clear as the scope of the Black Council is revealed, but it felt more like Butcher just needing to up his game from the previous bad guys Dresden has had to fight.]
2. Why does the skinwalker kidnap Thomas? This doesn't actually make any sense within the context of the story or the skinwalkers behavior throughout the rest of the book. He just shows up and takes Thomas and leaves. What the heck? Sure, I get that Butcher wants this traumatic event to happen to Thomas to get him to embrace his vampire ways, but none of what happened felt genuine.

Also, there's the issue of the Black Council. This is probably not an issue for other readers so much, but it reminds me too much of the Black Aes Sadai (I think that's what they were called; something like that, anyway) from Wheel of Time and the black whatever they were from Sword of Truth. I'm not saying that he copied the idea, but it just feels like the same concept going on, and I find that particular thing annoying.

On the other hand, there is the ending where Dresden actually lives up to the title of the book, a thing which I'm not going to explain, but, at least, the whole turn coat thing wasn't just about Peabody. That said, I think what I need from Butcher with these books is for them not to keep feeling like Butcher is screwing with Dresden for the sake of screwing with Dresden. The thing with Thomas just feels like one of those things where they have a good relationship and, so, you have to screw it up, because the main character isn't allowed to have good relationships, and Butcher had to contrive a way for that to happen. A way that felt contrived. The same with the stuff with Anastasia.

So... I enjoyed the read but am annoyed by the book overall. I'd say it probably comes in at a C+ for me.

This one turns away from vampires and Fae and focuses on wizards. You start to see the corruption and machinations under the so-called White Council, which maybe isn't so white at all. This adds another layer of complexity to the world. All these threads should be disconcerting, but Butcher balances them well.

Turn Coat (2009) is the eleventh fantasy novel in the Dresden Files series, following Small Favor. In the previous volume, Harry broke crystalline things and freed Ivy. The others fled in the chopper, but the Denarians appeared before Harry could escape.

So Harry blasted Tessa with fire and did a kinetic strike on Rosanna before fleeing like mad down toward the docks. Magog followed him, but Elder Brother Gruff took him out. So Harry sent the Gruff out for a donut and left the island.

In this novel, Harry Dresden is a wizard, the only one in the Chicago Yellow Pages. In the past, he has had many run-ins with the White Council, the ruling body of human magic users. Now he is a regional commander of the White Council Wardens.

Donald Morgan is a White Council Warden. He has been Harry's nemesis since the trial for black magic. For Donald, the White Council is paramount.

Molly Carpenter is Harry's apprentice. She was convicted by the White Council of using black magic, but Harry got them to give her another chance. She is on probation -- much like Harry had been -- but any more blunders on her part will probably result in both of them being executed.

Karrin Murphy is a Detective Sergeant in the Chicago Police Department. She had been the Lieutenant over Special Investigations, but one of her joint ventures with Harry had resulted in her demotion. Since SI was where the goofoffs were usually sent, she stayed in the division at a slightly lower level.

Thomas Raith is a White Court Vampire. He is also Harry's half-brother. His mother had an affair with Lord Raith and later delivered Thomas. Harry and Thomas have been trusting each other for some time now (see Backup).

In this story, Morgan is found standing over the body of Senior Councilor LaFortier with the murder weapon in his hand. The Wardens take him into custody, but he escapes and ends up at Harry's door. Morgan asks for Harry to hide him from the other Wardens.

All the Seniors know that there is a traitor within the White Council, but Harry cannot believe that Morgan is the turncoat. Morgan is too strait-laced to betray the Council. So obviously someone has framed him for the murder.

Harry cannot call a doctor to treat Morgan's wounds without alerting the Wardens. So he calls on the services of his friend Butters, the County medical examiner. When Butters tries to argue, Harry tells him to consider it a preventative autopsy.

After Butters has patched up Morgan, Harry goes out to get some medical supplies that he has left with Thomas. On the way back to his place, he discovers that he is being stalked by a skinwalker, a Southwestern American Indian nightmare. The shock of Sighting the creature forces him to abandon the Blue Beetle and walk over to the apartment of his werewolf friends.

The skinwalker follows him to the apartment and attacks his friends. Harry and the werewolves drive away the monster, but not before it kills one and severely damages another. After the ambulance arrives, Harry leaves to attend to Morgan.

On the walk back to his apartment, Harry is intercepted by Murphy. She has retrieved the medical supplies from his impounded car. Harry fills her in on the situation as she takes him home and then she helps set up an IV and antibiotic injection for Morgan.

Morgan and Molly don't get along very well. Harry keeps coming home to find them at each other's throat, with Mouse trying to keep them apart. Harry begins to wonder if Mouse is the only reasonable entity in his place.

Thomas helps Harry move Morgan to a new location. Then Harry receives a call for help from his brother. Harry and Murphy hurry over to the new hideout and foil an attempt to capture Morgan. But Thomas has disappeared.

This tale brings Harry into a direct confrontation with the White Council. Merlin does not believe Morgan is guilty, but is willing to sacrifice his loyal crony to keep from looking weak. Harry finds other allies among the Senior Council, but none are willing to defend Morgan from his accusers.

The only way to protect Morgan is to discover the turncoat that has been betraying the White Council secrets to their enemies. Harry is still persuaded that the traitor is part of the Black Council, but the Senior Councilors officially deny the existence of this opposition.

As usual, Harry is aggressive and sassy. The next installment is Changes. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Butcher fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of magic powers, private investigations, and personal loyalties. For those who have not previously read this series, the initial volume is Storm Front.

-Arthur W. Jordin

"You can't win them all. But that doesn't mean that you give up. Not ever."

I think that the above line from the book says it all. I have loved every book of this series so far but I feel like Turn Coat could very well be the most important book in the series as far as Harry's growth as a charater is concerned. Pretty much all of us are happy and secure when our lives are going well, and our enemies fall at our feet. But I beleive that people are defined by how they react when things don't so go well. When the fight is over and you know that you didn't win, how you deal with it decides the type of person you are. Pretty much all the the other books in the series ened with Harry the big hero of the day and every pretty much in a good place for the most part.

This latest book gave Harry his greatest setback. I believe that Harry could be one of two people when the next book is realeased. He could be a broken man hiding in some hole. A man who has given up on himself and doubts weather good can ever triumph. But that doesn't sound like the Harry I have grown to love and respect. No I think the next book will feature a Harry that is even more determained to do good. A Harry that is far more confident. A Harry that will be spitting so many wise cracks at the enemy that he just might defeat them with that alone. You might notice that call called this Harry's greatest "setback". Why? because Harry has never been defeated, Harry has never lost. You can't lose until you give up. You can't be defeated until you decide not to fight anymore. No matter how many times you get you butt handed too you, the battle is still waiting. You either give up; you die fighting, or you fight till you win. In my eyes only one of those is true defeat. I'll let you guess which one.

I play video games, watch movies,and read books and I have come across lots of great charaters. Harry has been one of my favorites for awhile now. However if the Harry I think will be coming in the next book does indeed show up. Harry will be my favorit charater. Not my favorite charater in a book. My favorite charater period. No pressure Jim. I very much look forward to the next book but when we look back on this series years from now and try to figure out when Harry truely got firmly on the path to being one of the most important and powerful beings in the world of The Dresden Files, most of us will look back to Turn Coat as that moment.

Morgan has always been a major thorn in Harry Dresden's side. So of course, he appears on Harry's doorstep, half dead and convicted of murder.

But that's only one of the problems facing Jim Butchers wizard PI in the eleventh Dresden Files Book,. The aptly named "Turn Coat is half whodunnit and half magical thriller, with plenty of explosive magic, hard-nosed wizards, deadly conspiracy and plenty of grotesque monsters and vampires. What's more, Butcher pulls some brilliant plot twists out of his hat, including some that are sure to wrench the heart.

An injured Morgan turns up at Harry's door, hunted by Wardens and convicted of murdering Aleron LaFortier for the Red Court. Even worse, it's an airtight case against him.

But Harry can't bring himself to believe that Morgan could ever do something treacherous (even if Morgan is a big bottom-pain). His investigations take him on an unpleasant tightrope to vampire hangouts and the Council HQ, where he learns that LaFortier's death could -- if left unpunished -- lead to a very messy civil war between the weakened wizard factions. In other words, the Black Council is making a move.

And Harry has problems close to him as well -- a price on Morgan's head, the Binder's ectoplasmic hordes, and a chilling immortal monster of Native American legend called a naagloshii (skinwalker). When the naagloshii kidnaps Thomas and trashes the Raith mansion, Harry must find a way not only of saving his brother and Morgan from certain death -- but unveiling the traitor within the Council as well. Hard to do when everyone is very, very mad at you...

"Turn Coat" is definitely a turning point in the Dresden Files series, where the Black Council becomes a widely-known -- though not widely-acknowledged -- reality, and Butcher is clearly setting up a massive conflict. Relationships are shattered, alliances are strained, personalities are changed, a traitor is revealed and the White Council is more openly threatened by the Black Council. A few people even die.

And Butcher does a pretty brilliant job meshing together fantasy, political thrillers and Agatha Christie-style murder mystery. He fills the story with sharp dark-edged noir prose, fun dialogue ("Mission accomplished, my lord of pizza!"), and some literally explosive action scenes (including a pitched battle on a rainy magical island). But despite the dark, grim cast of the plot, Butcher doesn't forget to add some humor to the mix. Where else can you find a spell that uses Silly String?

What's more, he fleshes out the rather mysterious Council, and shows the motivations and sacrifices that it has been built on, as well as its reasons for being so strict and reclusive. The one problem is that the murderer is a bit obvious, and I expected someone a bit more... important.

Harry proves himself to be the right kind of guy simply by wanting to prove Morgan innocent, and by forging ahead with some really risky magic that even the Gatekeeper blanches at. But his quest for justice takes away some people that he cares about as well, leaving some terrible long-term repercussions for his brother Thomas. And Butcher takes great care to show that while Morgan is annoying and self-righteous, he's also strong and honorable. And once he was more like Harry.

"Turn Coat" also fleshes out the Council considerably, showing them more as real people -- the Merlin eats sandwiches, Mai is revoltingly rigid, and there are even bureaucromancers. And "Injun Joe" shows the incredible range of his power, as well as the sadness of his past. Butcher needs to show a bit more of this awesome old wizard, because he rules.

"Turn Coat" is a brilliant turning point for the Dresden Files series, as well as a painful series of lessons for Jim Butcher's wizard anti-hero. And the battle is hardly over yet.

Harry is at home one night when a rap on the door changes time for him forever.

Morgan is a bounty hunter for the Wardens and he had been after Harry for years, so Harry is very puzzled when he shows up injured on his doorstep and needing help. Morgan is a reluctant guest and causes friction in Harrys happy home with his assistant Molly,

It gets even weirder with a dangerous shapeshifter in town get thrown into a mix of Vampire politics, Warden Rules and werewolf codes.
Thomas, Harry's vampire brother is captured by the shapeshifter and used as a leverage for trade. Will Harry get Thomas back in one peice and how is he going to shelter a renegade warden that hinted him down at one time.
Would have liked to see more bob the skull but the Pixies put up a brave front and are intertaining at best.

Harry Dresden is the same wise-cracking wise guy we've come to love, still up to his eyeballs in arcane plots and facing evil-doers of such supernatural power that it's a wonder any landmarks in Chicago are still standing. But there's a touch of maturity about both Harry and this installment of the Dresden Files.

Harry opens the door to find Morgan, the top enforcer for the council of wizards. Morgan used to want to execute Harry so much that he would follow Harry around hoping to catch him in an infraction. Harry should just slam the door and let Morgan bleed, but anyone familiar with Harry's prior career knows that he's a sucker for anyone with a sob story. Morgan has been unjustly accused of murder and it's up to Harry to find the real killer...

In this book, Butcher manages to pile pressure on Harry with one hand and build toward a fabulous climax with the other. The breakneck pacing of the previous books unfolds at a slightly slower speed, but the author generates such suspense that I recommend clearing the deck to read this. This isn't "edge of the seat" material because it will keep you glued to your favorite armchair, turning pages, unable and unwilling to stop for any reason short of the house burning down. Then, I predict you will go outside with the book and attempt to read by the light of the flames.

Butcher throws in some gut-wrenching plot twists. While this book has a satisfying and optimistic ending, I'm likely to be camped outside the local bookstore when the next one is due out...just to see what happens next.

This was a riveting story with twists, turns and Traitors! Morgan, the warden that's always been suspicious of Harry, turns up at his doorstep, accused of being a traitor. The action is nonstop from there. This was a page turner and when I got to the last page, I couldn't believe it was finished. You will love this book and it will make you want to read the rest of the series.

In the last book, it had way too much of a churchy feel to it. Yes, I KNOW it fit considering the characters... but still. It didn't feel like Harry to me. And one of the thorns from the last book, for me, is still a thorn but at least removed somewhat.

This one, however, is much better in my humble opinion. I like seeing the White Court in play. Personally, I am happy when they pop in.

The one bit that not many people seem to point out anywhere is the headache. I mean, that has foreshadowing all over it but for what? I don't think I was aimed at anything in this book, more like a future point of interest I hope. I could think of a couple things that have been in his head that it could point to, and one I would LOVE to have back, but who knows? It's all conjecture till Butcher fills it in.

I know I'm kind of off topic but I don't want to spoil anything, to those that haven't been spoiled and are bothering to read yet another blabbering view on the book, I just think this one was so much better than the last one for me. Hell, I even liked the short story in Mean Streets better than the last book for various reasons. No matter.

In short, a good read. Got home with it and finished it by morning. Read it again now, to catch anything I missed, and just as good the second time through. Can't wait for the next installment, despite some claims of it being formulaic, honestly, what book isn't?

All Harry books can be boiled down to him getting punched around by bigger powers, almost giving in to his dark side ( which I wish he would more just to make it interesting ) being offered the proverbial carrot of power he might need by something darker ( though not so much in this one ), solving mysteries some of us do or do not see before him, and generally wise cracking and scrapping his way through it.

But it's the narrative and characters we come to love that drives the stories home. As long as that is spot on to our own likes of these stories, the formula matters little if you ask me. And the ending to this one... anyone else feel bad for a certain White Court brother?

A great book. Once again a little bit more of the big picture is being developed. This time Morgan, our favorite Warden to hate, shows up on Dresden's doorstep accused of murdering a member of the senior council. The adventure Dresden goes through is filled with conspiracies and paranoia, but in the end all of it just may pay off as long as Dresden can keep alive. This book does not have the happiest ending for all those involved but it is building onto a larger tapestry that Butcher has been setting up for some time now. I highly recommend this book.

Do I love Harry, yes I do. My heart breaks for him with each book. Can't he get a break ? His brother, his apprentice, his enemy, his council, his wolves and of course his life is on the line again. [Sigh] He is forced by his own good nature to stick his neck way out to help someone he never thought he would. (His heart is bigger than his anger) A terrible upset has happened that might lead to an even bigger upset if Harry and the gang can't figure it out in time.(and live through it) Two deaths to the series rock the book, one- A major character dies, and shockingly. Harry is touched by more hints at his true power and what other's perceptions of him really are. A very interesting look at Harry.

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden is a tall man dealing with narrow minded people who happen to have annoyingly powerful magic. Harry as always is dealing with insurmountable problems with numerically superior forces intent on harming kith and kin. In true Lewis Carrol style, Harry finds himself down the rabbit hole defending an implacable foe for unlikely reasons.

Repeating what I have written in previous reviews of Jim Butcher, Butcher causes Harry to question his value system in each and every book. Soul searching seems to be a hallmark. Insurmountable odds and monumental tasks are also in each book. In spite of a similar formula, I have really enjoyed each book. Why would you ever get tired of deep, rich, yummy chocolate cake anymore than you would the Dresden Files. Harry's emotional fragility in his personal relationships and his inability to recognize how much he is respected contribute to his likeability. You see a slow maturation of Harry Dresden as the series proceeds. I highly recommend the entire series.

Butcher's use of current but often obscure vernacular within Harry's dialogue always elicits a laugh.

I've mentioned my preferences for emotionally provocative writing. Butcher's portrayal of loyalty and perseverance against all odds is always laudable. Harry Dresden lives his life by the Golden Rule and it serves him well. Molly, his apprentice, shows growth in this book and Harry as well. Mouse, Toot, Murphy, Will and Georgia display the same courage and convictions we have seen in previous stories.

I highly recommend it.

Believe it or not an 80+ year old woman first brought Jim Butcher to my attention. I started the series with Book 1. Since then (just this year) I have read through the first eleven books. My greatest fear at this time is that Mr Butcher will not be able to stay ahead of me. Turn Coat was as tight as a novel can be.i'll not give away a word of it here suffice to say I was sorry to see it end.

Turncoat is one of the best in the Dresden Files series. Although it, or maybe I, may lack some of the freshness and charm I found in the earlier books, Turncoat has more complexity and may therefore be more interesting. When a friend recommended this series, I made sure to read them in order to avoid any spoiler effect, noting that Mr. Butcher weaves in some background material for readers that are not as compulsive as I or don't have eidetic memories. It's not too intrusive, but slightly alters the suspension of disbelief that makes a "fantasy" book enjoyable for me (as it's clear the tenth description of the Blue Beetle is intended to make the book accessible for as wide an audience as possible, not just something for the loyal band of Constant Readers). Writing a series is a delicate business though, what with readers popping in and out, and this is as well-done as I've come across, and underscored when to my horror my wife casually lifted my unread copy of Turncoat as her introduction to the series. My wife is not a fan of fiction, particularly anything in the fantasy/scifi realm, and she read the whole thing in two nights, and then started in on the next one, and said, averting her eyes when mocked/queried, "Well, it's not bad." One can find things to criticize about Mr. Butcher's writing, but the fact is that his writing makes the books compulsively readable, enjoyable, and it's clever and funny. (Particularly when contrasted to the unfortunate preview of Burning Alive in my paperback copy, which neither my wife nor I enjoyed, with apologies to Mr. Butcher's family.)

Turn Coat was...well, great.

Butcher did a fantastic job of weaving the overall plot of the series into this episode of it without losing focus on the events that were immediately happening.

Not to mention, I found myself the whole time thinking: hey, how is Harry getting into MORE trouble than he's been in in all the previous books.

The beautiful thing is that, in Harry's world, the events that carry him into such multitudes of trouble are believable. It's tough to maintain suspension of disbelief when you get into trouble like Harry, but Butcher pulls it off.

I've tried to write this completely without spoilers and just general comments. So, if you REALLY want to know how the book is...read it, any Dresden fan won't be disappointed.

If you haven't read the series: GO BUY STORM FRONT. It's imperative that you start from the beginning, and Storm Front is the first in the series.

Don't forget action packed. It's full of memorable fight scenes. Amazing cover, great format, fun, fast-paced, and the toughest of the Dresden Files to read (I'm 15. I am surprised at how hard the last 4 are, considering the ones before them were a bit hard but not too tough).
Dresden has finally matured a bit, so some fans might be put off by the lack of dry humor. Don't worry, it's there, but in parts.
The whole book leads up to an unexpected twist. Which I didn't see coming even a bit.
This is true literature, folks. Action, complexity, entertainment, and an amazing character facing a bizarre case. One word. WOW.

I have mixed feeling about this book, as I do about many of the books in this series. On the one hand, I had some trouble caring...the whole plot revolves around trying to prove innocent a guy we don't like. The author undercuts his victory with hints that "maybe this is what the bad guys wanted all along". (In a series, this makes me care less and less about the resolution.

On the plus side, Dresden actually does some detective work for once...he succeeds through planning and ingenuity rather then destiny or just surviving a big battle.

Anyone who reads this far into the Dresden Files is obviously a fan. It took me a while (four books) to really buy in, but Butcher has a knack for continue to increase the stakes. Turn Coat and the next book in the series offer what could be Harry Dresden's two biggest challenges of his career. The drama and intrigue of Harry's battles with the White Council come to a head here, and it's highly entertaining stuff. Certainly one of my favorite books in the series.

When Morgan, the Warden best known for trying at every opportunity to decapitate Harry Dresden, shows up at his doorstep broken and bleeding, with an airtight murder case against him, Harry knows he is in for a long day.

Harry Dresden novels are known for there explosive magical combat, awesome storytelling, twists and turns that manage to be original, and wonderful characters. None of these things change in Turn Coat, but there is one simple problem: this book should've been three or four. If you're not intimately familiar with the HD storyverse, this is more tangled than a ball of yarn that a kittens gotten at. Rather than one gunman on the grassy knoll, there appear to be five, with a knifeman hiding in the trunk and a doppelganger replacing Mrs. Kennedy for good measure. While I appreciate Butchers passion for his work, he could've broken this out into 3 or four novels easily, with one of the attendant monsters easily a climax battle of a book in its own right.

This lacked one of the things that's sadly vanishing from Dresden novels: quiet time. While running from combat to combat, flinging spells and bullets and flying through the air on Matrix inspired winds is great, when that's your whole novel, it becomes frustrating that you never catch a break. The most intense scenes of these novels are never on a battlefield to begin with, so making the entire book feel like the invasion of Normandy, with you dropped into the action within the first ten lines, you're losing a lot of what made Harry so charming to begin with.

I wanted to give a 4.5 but thats not possible. This book, like Codex Alera that was published this year has a very transition type feel to it. This I think will be THE pivotal book once the whole series is complete. It is one of the best written ones to date. It is also a great self contained story, and doesn't visit a lot old friends or new myths. It also wraps up a minor point of a major plot and asks a lot more questions.

You can definitely feel a change in tone in this book, and certain things are starting to take shape... The allegories are also starting to become more defined (obvious?) and the underlying questions more philisophic.

As a fan, I really wish the next book were out already because I now have so many more questions than answers...

Well done Mr. Butcher.

In the series, this book is my favorite. Butcher, not only provides clues to the mystery, but brings together threads from his other books in a manner that is convincing and well-paced. The book grabs your interest in the first chapter, never letting go until the final page. The tension builds steadily as Harry gets closer and closer to the real killer while struggling to keep events under his control and protect those he loves. What I enjoyed most was the character growth. Harry and his friends have changed, and by the end of this book, they will change even more. A wonderful combination of fantasy, mystery, and suspense.

I admit I got hooked on the Harry books in a backward fashion. My daughter got me hooked on the Sci Fi channel show...and i couldn't resist. Some books are literary crack...you start reading, you get hooked...and you then become a pitiful geek waiting around for the Next Fix.

I got to book 11 without ever thinking..."Hmmm...getting a little weak, there bucko". Nope...Butcher has his stuff DOWN. More Bob...oh pretty please?

In this visit to Harry's World (Chicago), he faces the most difficult task anyone can deal with. He has to protect, and defend someone he hates...who has tried to kill him more than once. Even the best person in the world could be excused for thinking..."Tough...you're on your own, fella!" But Harry rises to the top. I don't want to add spoilers---suffice to say if you've gotten past the first couple, you are also waiting for the next fix...and this one is worth it.

Loving it...

Jim Butcher has done it again. The Dresden Files just keep on ticking--each book has been great and Turn Coat: A Novel of the Dresden Files is no exception. Faced with a traitor within the ranks of his own kind, Harry Dresden stands up for the Warden who has made most of his life a living hell. The book starts fast and rushes forward at an exhilirating pace. Well written, and most of all, it has that touch of the sardonic that Butcher does so well. I definitely recommend this book. If you haven't read the entire series, it does read a little better if you do them in order.

****SPOILER ALERT****

I'm not trying to blow the story for anyone here, but I may drop some hints that will give some things away. This review is a little jagged because I'm filling things in as I think of them.

I'm skipping the story summary since that's been done.

This story starts out fast! Action from page one. It was glorious. By the middle of the book, I was practically in tears at how good this story was. I love the previous books, but I've been waiting for a story like this for awhile. Something with some real meaty revelations about the bigger picture.

It was vintage Harry (like there's any other kind), dealing with most of his surrounding characters we've all become so attached to. There was Molly, Mouse, Morgan, Mister, Murphy (Lotta "M"s here), Thomas, and lots of others.

Jim Butcher is hitting his stride with this series. The books just get better and better.

I was LOVING this story right up until we got to the resolution part.

I was thinking "Wow, finally a breakthrough! This will be major. A big player in the Black Council was going to be dealt with. Most of the major players were there, so it was finally time. Alas, it wasn't to be. It was like bracing yourself for an explosion and only getting a *pop*. It was a big letdown, especially since the suspense was building so well with the rest of the story.

My only other point of contention was with how Luccio was handled. That whole thing had a nasty deus ex machina smell to it. I should be happy that it wasn't all a dream sequence, I guess, but it wasn't that far from it. I understand why it was done. We couldn't have Harry in a happy relationship yet, it just isn't him. It's the "how" that was annoying.

Honestly, though, even the letdowns aren't as bad as they could have been because the rest of the book was completely awesome. Action, touching moments, etc. It's all there in spades.

The door has been opened for lots more political intrigue with the Council (yawn) and some of Harry's relationships are back to square one, so not many doors were really closed and more were opened.

Breaking it down, I'd give this book 5-stars for three quarters of it and probably a 3-star for the ending. That'll make it a four.

Jim Butcher's story of the Chicago wizard, Harry Dresden, takes a deeper, darker turn and is thoroughly entertaining. His multi-layered world is complex and fascinating. All the while, the wise-cracking Dresden is able to keep (mostly) one step ahead of his foes as he helps the less fortunate. I very much appreciate the humor, complexity and forward velocity of this book. I can't wait to read the next one!

Thank you Jim Butcher!! I'm always worried when a series I love starts getting into this many installments. There always seems to be a point when the books lose their way. That has been the case for so many of my favorite series this year- until now! Here we are at book 11 and it is every bit as thrilling as it was from the start of the series. Butcher does a fantastic job of blurring the lines between the good guys and the bad in this one. The plot is top notch. I LOVED it and could not put it down. I found this one to be more emotional for me, especially the last part. I'm not going to discuss the plot or give any spoilers here but any fan of the Dresden Files series needs to get this one now. You're going to love it!! My only problem is having to wait another year for the next book!

To be concise, I started reading the Dresden files about a year ago.

I love many aspects about this series. I mean, I power through these books. But, Turn Coat's prime enemy was evident to me the very first time we were introduced to him/her.

Certain things about a certain Warden were obvious to me too.

Still gave it a 4 star review. And I am sooo glad that it is made apparent that we are going to go against the Black Council in further novels! Finallly!!!

In the past I'd really enjoyed this series, but after picking up books 9-11 and reading them all one right after the other in less than two weeks, I found this book especially to be too repetitious to thoroughly enjoy. The same descriptive phrases are used over, and over, and over again. Harry snarls, Molly whimpers, and Mouse pads. Murphy takes every opportunity to point out she's a cop. I felt like I knew every description of every character and their behavior before it even happened. Even the new twists at this point feel old and familiar, and not in a good way.

I'm disappointed there was no real follow up on Michael. I'm tired of hearing about the black counsel, when several books into the idea, it's still just a theory. Eventually I think I'll pick up book 12, but I think this is a series that you definitely need to have breaks between books.

Loved this one really more, because Morgan in distress was a thing f beauty. Karma is a b*tch! By the way, he is a very well made character. The ending has a very cool twist to it as well, a little sad, but cool. Totally puts a good spin on the whole series.

I, too, felt a little let down at the reveal of whom the White Council traitor was. Sort of a cop-out, although after the reveal, it was dealt with brilliantly. No mention of Susan in the entire book, but I see the next one is centered on her, so I'll forgive the omission! LOVED the character development with Morgan, Luccio, some of the senior council members, Molly, and most of all, Thomas. He is so reminiscent of Joss Whedon's Angel. Can't wait to see what happens next in Changes!

Another engaging book in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher.

I think this one is the fastest paced of the series so far. Harry is juggling so much that it's hard to keep up. There are significant changes to a couple of major characters, but most of the book is action.

I found myself reminded a bit of early Miles Vorkosigan books (also excellent) where the protagonist is desperately, but INTELLIGENTLY trying to keep up with events that just keep coming at him. Similar high-speed pacing, wit, and interesting characters. Always keeps you wondering "what's going to go wrong next?!".

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

After finishing Turn Coat I am convinced that my theory about Jim Butcher being a mutant genius/author should now be confirmed. I have read every book of The Dresden Files as well as the Codex Alera series and have yet to read a bad book written by Butcher. (considering that is a combined total of 16 books id say that's pretty impressive on his part) Turn Coat isn't the greatest book in the series but is still a solid read. Butcher keeps the pressure on throughout the book and doesn't let up until the very end.(very minor spoiler!!) I wasn't too happy that Micheal wasn't in the book or that you're given no information on his current condition other than Harry saying he's crippled. other than that the only real complaint I had is probably something a lot of people enjoyed. The trouble literally starts on page one, and while im sure many people prefer it that way, i always enjoyed seeing a little bit of Harry's normal life before the action started. all in all a very good read and a great addition to the series. highly recommended.

I have been enjoying this series very much. I have been reading all the books, in order. This book had a few slow spots and that was the first time I hit that in any of the series. I am still enjoying immensely. I don't want the series to end!

An excellent follow up. I will not go into details, since so many others have done so more eloquently than I could. I was not overly impressed with the 2 books prior to this one, but Butcher returns to the writing style that I enjoy. Beside the book being excellent, the best thing that happened was that it arrived when I had several days off, since I stayed up all night reading it on its arrival.

Calvin Poole

Butcher does everything right in this novel. The scary stuff is actually scary. The moral dilemmas aren't easy or clear cut. You don't like all the characters, but how Harry Dresden interacts with them is wonderful.

I wish I could read more books like this one. An intelligent plot, lots of action, and triumph and failures of good people. This one is worth the money folks.

I just finished this book. What a ride! I LOVED IT!!!! I've read them all and I can honestly say this series is like a fine wine ... it just keeps getting better and better. Ever since I first started reading The Dresden Files series, I've been hooked. And after each book, I think to myself, "this is the best one ever!". But along comes the next one, and it's even better. Wow! Thank you Jim Butcher!!!!!!!!!

Excellent read as all his books seem to be and I'l pre-order the next when available. My only point is nitpicking.

Water Moccasin's range doesn't include Chicago.

A shotgun's pattern being the size of "My outspread hand at 150 yards." The guy obviously knows nothing about shotguns and probably guns in general. How no one caught this I don't understand. Extra full choke pattern at 35 yards is probably 18" and 35" at 60 yards. Normal field loads and "birdshot" I'll stand 150 yards away wearing denim and a motorcycle helmet and let him shoot at me.

Plain and simple - I love this series. Usually I will listen to it and the narrator they got is great! You canNOT start this series at this point or even 1 or 2 books back - you will get lost because stuff in previous books is not really recapped and for that I am actually happy. Start at book 1 and you won't be sorry or lost. I am anxiously awaiting the next book.

But. Jim gives you characters that are intriguing, mysterious, ruthless, faithful and. Most of all memorable ever. You care about the good guys an d want them to be victorious over evil and in the end even tho some of the good guys don't make it evil is once again thwarted.

Great Stuff. This series has stayed strong for a long time. If you compare this to something like the Anita Blake - Vampire Hunter series (Laurell K. Hamilton) you will realize how lucky we are (i.e you need a shot of penicillin after you read her creepy rotten-core porn scenes - and I'm a guy) . Start at the first book but get this one when you get to it. Great Stuff.

I started not to purchases this book. I've read all the Dresden books and I figured how far can Jim take this series? What more can he do with the character? Well he showed me in Turn Coat. The best Dresden so far in my humble opinion.. This one I can see being made into a movie. I can not wait to see who would play that sexy Laura Raith!!!!!!

I keep waiting for this series to peter out, as so many long series do, but Butcher keeps maintaining a high level of interest and development. This entry was the best in a while, or at least the most thoughtful and complex, featuring not only non-stop action but some resolutions, some questions, some twists, some personal growth, some fleshing out of heretofore undeveloped characters, and best of all (for my tastes) a good bit of insight into the complex politics of the world of wizards. Colors have always played a big role in this series--white, black, red--but the dominant color in this one is gray: not so much a blending of colors as the absence of any clear consensus on the definition of a particular color. Let's just say that every time Harry thinks he has a handle on his moral compass, the needle starts spinning.

This book seemed longer than the previous Dresden books, but despite a solid story all it's own it feels like the middle book in a trilogy. It lacked the breakneck pace of some of the middle and or early books.
the characters are well done, there is a plot, and it has all the needed pieces, but just isn't quite five star material.

This is the eleventh in a series of books that pits Harry against the wizards, demons, and black magic around Chicago. This is a easy read that will sink it's claws into where you want to know if Harry will survive against evil.

Anyone who enjoys fantasy and fun will absolutely adore the Dresden Files Series. This is the 11th book and it is just as delightful as all that have gone before. Jim Butcher is a great writer and has a great sense of humor.

As with every single Dresden book, this is an epically enjoyable ride and any Butcher fan should love it. However, I found that, as great as it was to find out the true identity of the traitor...it wasn't what I expected, and not quite in a good way.

For much of the series we have known that there is a traitor in the White Council, and speculation as to who it was ran wild. Finding out this traitor constitutes a huge plot point. And I did not find the big revelation to be all that stunning. Unexpected, sure...interesting, not really.

What should have been one of the biggest turning points ever in the series was, unfortunately, anti-climactic; I'd almost say disappointing. But still, this is a Dresden book, so everything else is what we've come to expect. Great new enemies, fantastic action scenes, brilliant humor (Mouse is my hero in this book), and even some very tragic moments.

Dead Beat, White Night and Small Favor I consider to be three of the best books ever written, and Turn Coat is not quite up to par with them. If it were any other series a book this good would get a 5 star rating, but Butcher has set himself a very high standard, and with the lackluster revelation, this book gets a 4.

First I would like to point out to anyone rating this book low b/c of formatting on the kindle, I think you need to learn which product/person or whatever you need to put your rating on. If you liked the book, let someone know by giving it a good rating and maybe mentioning that in the review if they are looking to download it to the kindle that there is a formatting issue and leave it at that. You wouldn't say you hate coke or pepsi b/c of the can design would you?
Second to the anyone saying Butcher uses the same words too much in the book or any particular area of the book...come on, if the word describes what he's trying to get across, just let it go. If you haven't noticed, Butcher isn't the type of person to try to impress someone by using big words. He makes the point and moves on with the book so some of us don't have to have a thesaurus near by so we fully understand what's going on. And if you're going to use words like THESAURUS, at least spell THAT correctly or else your point is just lost in translation. Can someone buy that guy a dictionary before he rates anything else so he can at least spell the words correctly on those.
Aside from that...I think the entire series is awesome and hope Butcher does keep going with it as I will continue to buy the books as soon as I can and read them as fast as I can.

This book can be described in one word: PERFECT! The eleventh book in the Dresden files does not disappoint. There is plenty of action and story development. The bottom line is that if you don't have this book you need to run not walk and get it. Every page leaves you wanting more it is hard to put the book down and the plot keep you on the edge of your seat. It is utter perfection.

I love all of the books in this series. Jim Butcher has a way of writing that makes you feel that you are sitting right there with him. He writes the way he talks. I definitely recommend this book and the entire series.

This novel starts with action and moves quickly from intense scene to more intense scene leaving the reader breathless and unable to stop reading more. I came late the dresden files and enjoyed the first six books in six weeks, then set aside to reread Robert Jordan's wheel of time series from the start to finish. A year later I've continued the series and can't remember why I set it aside at all. One of the best books so far, looking forward to the next, come on kindle Don't fail me now.

I've read all of the Dresden Files book and continue to be delighted by how Jim Butcher has not only maintained the high lever of excellence, but also continues to "top himself" from book to book. Unlike certain other nameless supernatural-themed authors with initials such as LH, who go from excellent to "have some sex and violence and call it a book."

More soon please, Jim!

As with the previous books by Butcher I devoured this one in a single day. I was almost wondering if the intensity and questions of past books would be matched and surprisingly they were. I continue to be impressed with the level of detail and character development in these stories. Not the happiest of the series but I know I'll wear out my copy re-reading it while trying to patiently wait for the next one (final Codex Alera out this winter!)

This novel is one of my personal favorites in the entire Dresden Files series. It introduces us to some new entities within the Dresdenverse, as well as giving us further glimpses of the mysterious Black Council, and it features some excellent character development, especially with the relationship between Dresden and Morgan. It features plenty of action, and good number of developments that I personally cannot wait to see come to fruition in later books.

I've been a Butcher fan for several years. I love both his series, the Dresden Files and Codex Alera. So its not surprise I love this book.
My only complaint, Jim doesn't write fast enough. I want the next Dresden File book NOW!

Blast you Jim Butcher!!

I know you put some kind of spell or hex or something on this book. As I read through Turn Coat I can tell, looking back, that something supernatural made me stay up until 4:30am to finish this book. Now I am suffering through the day trying to think clearly.

Great work. Still thinking about it the next day. A thrilling adventure and mystery.

Paul

Harry Dresden continues to grow in power and wisdom in this latest installment of the Dresden Files. Since this is among the first of what will undoubtedly prove many favorable reviews, I'll limit the spoilers to what you can find on the book jacket, but Harry is again engaged in protecting the unjustly accused and unraveling the doings of evil. Intricately plotted, the House of Raith is again prominently involved, along with the ever-present Murphy and a couple of old friends.

As always, the wit is sharp, the characters are deftly drawn, and the scenes of battle palpably raise your heartbeat.

This is a top-notch addition to this now extensive series, leaving at least this reader with continued anticipation for many, many more.

I've loved the Dresden Files series since the first book and the ongoing evolution of Harry Dresden and his friends and enemies continues to keep me turning the pages and not wanting to put the book down. Turn Coat continues this highly engrossing series effectively.

This may be the best book in the series. Excellent plot development as Dresden starts to transition. A must read... probably best reserved for the weekend as the book is hard to put down. I read all my butcher books in a day... this one Iwent back as reskimmed when I was done.

This book is yet another great book in the Dresden files series. I couldn't stop reading it once I got the book home. I look forward to many more of his book, the only downside being now I have to wait for the next book to be written.

This was a great book, but I do not feel that it answers any major questions about the series. Don't get me wrong I really liked it. It has just moved the answers one step back and we have removed the first wrapping on a mystery. I have so many questions. Good action, quick moving plot and the ending was something that I did not see coming in that shape. Over all I give it 4 out of 5 stars, and it is a great book even if raises more questions then it answers.

The Colorado Submariner

Well, it isn't too bad, but it's not his best. For one thing, the pacing is too rushed--from the first paragraph the reader's thrust into a head-long journey without the chance for an occasional insight or deep breath. The editorial quality is slipping (watch that Jim--don't want to turn into Hamilton) and it was a cheat to only mention Michael once without letting loyal fans know how he REALLY is after the last book. Butcher also didn't bring the funny as well as he has in the past. Usually we love the LOL moments in the series as well as the great characters, twists and the rest. With this one, not so much. I sure hope the next one comes back stronger and better. Meanwhile, if I have a few extra moments between other books, I'll re-inhale Dead Beat to remind myself why I LOVE this series!

Another great book in the Dresden series. Not my favorite, I thought some of the humor was not as sharp as the earlier books, but all in all a great read. The plot thickens and I can't wait to see how Harry does in the future.

Look, I can't complain - I am an avid reader of Butcher's stuff - all great, all page turning fantasy - very good stuff. I almost hate to say this, but, has anyone else noticed (i) that pretty much everything about the Dresden series seems to be awfully similar to Glen Cook's old and still on-going series on Garrett, P.I.? The coincidences between the two series are more than a bit odd; and (ii) is it just me, or does anyone else get the smell that the author might have a slight problem with folks of the Jewish faith? Just my odd thoughts.

I love the way Jim Butcher writes Harry Dresden. He's sarcastic and fun, and an extremely likable character! I salivate for months ahead of time when the book is expected to be out!! By far one of the best read series!! If only his Codec series had been written in the same way, I would have loved it too...but alas, Dresden is just an amazing character!!

I'm a big fan of the Dresden Files. I look forward to reading each book to see what Harry has gotten himself into.This book like all of the others is impossible to put down once you've started reading.

I won't spoil it for you but this Dresden Files adventure starts with a twist. Butcher once again reveals just enough of the big picture to make you want the next book there as you finish this one. Enjoy but be careful. You never know if the Black Council is watching.

Jim Butcher returns us to the daily not-so-mundane life of Chicago's only professional wizard. For fans of the series, there is a lot to like about the intrigue of the wizarding world that Butcher returns to the fore. The action starts in the first chapter and doesn't let up until you reach the dust jacket at the back of the book.

More of the same characters and action, but it doesn't get old. I admit that Harry's excessive sarcasm does go a bit too far at times (like Hawkeye in the old MASH TV series), but that's the only flaw.

Ahhhh. I read Turn Coat by Jim Butcher and it most definitely lived up to my expectations. Lots of action, comedy, and conspiracies...I loved it. But now I am SO ******** SAD! Becuase now I will have to wait another year for a book that I will once again devour in a couple of hours....

Really great book though. Totally satisfied me.

True to form, Mr. Butcher uses and abuses our hero in this book as much as, if not more than, he has in the previous 10 novels. If you have an ounce of compassion then you must join in the effort to save Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden from the sadistic mechenations of Mr. Butcher. To my shame, I bought this novel and quite enjoyed it. Please don't be like me. Save Harry. Do not buy this book.

This was the most recent book in th Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. I have the complete series and waited for this book. I was disappointed in the story line and I will no longer buy his books if the author does not fix what he did at the end of the book. Everyone I know who reads this series is upset about this book. Get back on track, Jim Butcher!!!

This book was incredible. It really shows Harry's growth, and continues to force him to grow and move around outside his comfort zone. There was almost constant action, some of which built up almost comically (at least to me). I can't wait to read it again.

Jim Butcher once again rivets the reader to his book for the entire length of it, the flow is perfect and the new characters he introduces are not only unique in butcher's own style but also have their own nuances that are perfect for the type of character.

This is easily the best book in the Dresden files. Jim Butcher does an amazing job as usual, but this book went above and beyond. It feels like you are actually in the universe, feeling everything the character feels as he feels it. This is a must read for any fans of the series.

I have just finished reading the book, I spent most of the day devouring it. As a big fan of the series and Jim Butcher I can say without a doubt I was impressed and this book finally answers nagging questions fans of the series will have. In addition it sets up the next book with a great conflict and more intrigue. I would recommend though that those just getting started with the Dresden Files not make this their first book. So much in this book is dependent on previous books. Once again if you are a fan of great writing I recommend this novel.

I've enjoyed my Kindle, and I've loved having the ability to download some of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files and Furies of Calderon series. I've never noticed any problems with the formatting or editing in the works I've downloaded.

Whoever prepared Turn Coat for the Kindle did a terrible job. Multiple lines show up at random between paragraphs, for no reason. Sentence fragments repeat, and rudimentary editing mistakes were made ("role" for "roll" is one instance, for example). In short, it's the most poorly formatted work I've purchased in the year I've had my Kindle.

This sort of amateurish publishing shows a disregard for the Kindle community, and I suspect it hampers the adoption of the Kindle.

I love Dresden, and the story in Turn Coat is a page-turner. But the formatting should be corrected, and is the sole reason for the poor rating on this item.

The Dresden Files sets a high bar for itself, and meets it every time. This one is no exception. The only thing that disappointed me about Turn Coat is that I correctly guessed the culprit before the end of the first scene he was in. But that doesn't really spoil the rest of the book and there's plenty of other things to be in suspense about.

I'd give it four stars except for the concerns about formatting of the Kindle edition. For more, see the earlier review about it by Saintly Brees.

Edited to quote some pertinent info I found in the forums about the formatting:
Sverre Amundsen says:
I received a new reply from the store, this one more promising:

"We are currently working with Penguin, the publisher of all the books you've mentioned, to try and get the triple-spacing changed. This has been common with a majority of the content they have been providing in the Kindle Store. However, they do have final say on whether each of these books receives a change to the formatting, so we cannot promise that the fixes will definitely occur."

Edit: There is word that the problems with excessive blank lines have been fixed, but removing the copy from my Kindle and then re-downloading it did not resolve it for me. I'll add a star to this review when I can get a copy with the issues resolved.

I picked up "Storm Front" about two years ago and quickly ready through the first 10 books. I love the characters, the relationships and the Chicago setting. "Turn Coat" has Harry trying to exonerate fellow warden Morgan - a nemesis throughout the series. The story has all of the traits that have made the series popular - lots of familiar faces and new and improved magic. I love the idea of Harry continually getting more powerful and how he uses that power to fend off his advisories. I won't spoil the end, but after the action has subsided, the last 40 pages offer some very unexpected twists that frankly, I hated. But I hated them in a good way - they make sense and I want to see what happens in the future.

For the bad part - turns out "Turn Coat" is written like every other chapter of the Dresden files. Each turn is described in similar fashion, the twists and turns through the first 90% of the book are expected, and it turns out that Harry can do things Wizards hundreds of years older than him cannot - again. I really enjoyed Harry outsmarting foes like he did in the earlier books versus turning into a modern era Gandalf. In short - new tricks are okay with me, becoming a God, not so much.

I used the word "turn" five times in the above paragraph. That is my major gripe with Butcher and the series. I enjoy them and really want to see what happens to the characters, but it would be nice if someone would buy him a thesaurus. How many times are the words "padded" (how Mouse ALWAYS moves), "Growled/Snarled" (how angry Harry Talks), "sneered" (how all bad guys monologue) in any given book? In "Turn Coat", I noticed three instances where the same imagery or phrases were used within a few pages, but in separate context. I'm not sure if it's a deadline that causing a rush in the books or his editor won't speak up and make changes; but for an accomplished writer to be that lazy is unacceptable. I've heard Butcher wants to go 20 books in the series, here's to hoping he keeps up the great story arc AND tightens up the writing.

Great book, loses a point because the double-spacing after each paragraph made it kinda hard to read on the Kindle, at least at the default font size; it was hard to tell whether or not you were at the end of a section.

I can't even download the Kindle version of this book, due to the store's restrictive DRM. I get this message instead: "Due to publisher restrictions, this book cannot be delivered wirelessly and must be downloaded and transferred via USB. You currently have no devices registered that support transferring via USB."

I do not have, nor do I plan to purchase a hardware Kindle. I use the Kindle app on my Android tablet. I can't believe that the store is putting books out there for sale and lending that can't be read by the Kindle reader.

I'm sure this is a great book, based on the others in the Dresden Files series, but this is seriously annoying.

From reading the first few chapters at Jim Butcher's website. It has the makings of a very interesting and dramatic story. Here is the website of the author's teaser preview his upcoming book.

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