Dresden Files 7 Dead Beat Jim Butcher

Description:

It’s three days before Halloween and nearly a year after the events in Blood Rites. Mavra is still alive and she’s out for blood - and blackmail. Dresden has three days to locate The Word of Kemmler (The Word) and deliver it to her. If not, Chicago PD will receive photos of Lieutenant Murphy shooting one of Mavra’s mindless minions. But to the police, it will look like Murphy killing a homeless man in cold blood.
Dresden has not heard of The Word, so he consults Bob. As luck would have it, Bob used to belong to Kemmler. He was a powerful necromancer, who was hunted down and killed by the White Council. The Word presumably completed Kemmler's teachings on the mastery of life and death. If any of his surviving apprentices got their hands on it, they could become as powerful - and just as evil - as their deceased master. Being very territorial, Dresden is not about to let necromancers run amok in *his* town. During the conversation with Bob, Harry allows him out to show him, what he was like, when he was Kemmler's (since his personality changes with his owner). In this encounter, Harry nearly gets killed and the reader gets an idea of how powerful Bob really is.
These necromancers would probably leave a telltale trail of bodies. Dresden consults Dr. Butters, the Chicago assistant coroner, about any peculiar recent deaths. Butters is practicing with his one-man-band for the Oktoberfest polka contest. Eager to help, Butters scours the coroner’s database, but there isn’t anything which might have been a ritual killing. Just then, they are attacked by zombies controlled by a necromancer named Grevane. He offers Dresden a job as his lieutenant. Dresden isn’t interested in black magic, so he and Butters escape to Dresden’s warded apartment. Dresden leaves Butters with Mouse to follow a lead. Grevane was holding Die Lied der Erlking, so it must be an important book.
At Bock Order Books, a small bookstore near the University of Chicago, Shiela the shop assistant finds a copy of the Die Lied der Erlking for Dresden. He shells out half of next month’s rent to store owner Artemis Bock for this rare book. Two black-robed figures are waiting for him outside. Kumori and Cowl want that book, right now, or else. Naturally, Dresden picks the "or else." That was a mistake. Cowl’s spells are more powerful than DuMorne’s, or Ebenezar’s, or even Leanansidhe’s. Without conscious effort, Dresden’s spell is infused with Lasciel’s Hellfire. This hellacious spell blows Cowl backward and drops a car on him. Cowl shakes it off like water and comes for Dresden. Having put everything he had into that spell, Dresden is unable to raise his shield bracelet. He’s a sitting duck. Then, the Alphas show up and the police sirens get closer. Kumori and Cowl leave before the police arrive. The Alphas carry Dresden to a safe house where he can sleep and recover.
Dresden visits his old friend Mortimer Lindquist for some answers. The spirits are restless. They sense the necromancers’ powers and are afraid of being controlled or destroyed. The spirits locate six areas of Black Magic. Dresden goes home to check on Butters, touch base with Thomas, and read the Erlking book. The next day, Dresden begins investigating the six locations. The first one is a sidewalk murder. No one saw anything; no one knows anything. The second location is in the Field Museum. Dr. Bartlesby was murdered, but was it necromancy? Only an examination of the corpse will tell.
All is quiet at the morgue. Grevane had removed the guard’s body and re-armed the security alarm, so the authorities are unaware of his activities. Dresden and Butters walk in like nothing happened. Dresden confirms that Bartlesby was ritually murdered. By ac