Zombie t-rex. Enough said!

So, this audiobook was pretty epic. End review. No, but seriously there's Necromancers, a zombie t-rex, Harry gets a wizardly promotion, there's a weird love triangle going on, although I don't think anyone is actually getting any, Bob gets kidnapped, and then there's the whole Lasciel thing. I loved this installment to bits; there was action to the max, tons of future possibilities open up for this series, and I bow down to James Marsters' grasp of Dresden's character. Butters made for an awesome sidekick, and Mouse was something else too. Highly recommended! 4.5 Stars

15 people found this helpful

I wish it was about 20 hours longer

Would you listen to Dead Beat again? Why?

Yeap. This book introduced Butters, a Chicago medical examiner, and a perfect foil to Dresden. Jim Butcher's books are always peppered with humor, but between Butters, the almost full-grown Mouse, and a third plot point (that I will not spoil) this book was one guffaw after another. Past Dresden books have been dark, with Harry just getting pummeled time and time again. Harry picks up some new bruises and sutures in this book too, but the whole tone of the story is lighter.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dead Beat?

Avoiding Spoliers: Right towards the end, when Harry finds the perfect weapon against the baddies. I rewound that scene twice before moving on with the rest of the book

27 people found this helpful

Harry finally gets a little respect

If you're like me and have been reading this series in order, then you won't be disappointed by this installment. Harry finds himself in yet another peril of life and death, and finally gets recognized for his efforts. Thomas and the werewolves are back, with a few cameos here and there, but Harry finds a new alliance with Butters, a rather eccentric medical examiner. The story has the usual non-stop action, and Harry is forever fleeing and facing death. James Marsters does his usual excellent job of narration, bringing Harry and friends to life. I just can't say enough about this book, except don't miss out on it.

11 people found this helpful

Polka will never die!

A late addition to 'The Dresden Files' Audible lineup, this is one of my favorites of the series. In Dead Bead, Mr. Butcher fills out the character of Waldo Butters, who plays a major role in this story, gives us additional glimpes into Bob's dark history, and reintroduces us to some old friends...and enemies. The story is fast paced and exciting with Mr Marster's doing the usual fantastic job of caturing Dresden's emotional intensity. Dresden's resolution of the current crisis is, in a word, audacious! A credit worthy listen.

17 people found this helpful

POLKA WILL NEVER DIE!

Absolutely brilliant book, the best in the series so far! Harry Dresdan is funnier than ever and becomes even more of a bad ass. Zombies, necromancers, animated dinosaurs, old and new enemies grace the pages of this book as Harry struggles to keep his friend Karrin Murphy's reputation safe. The book is unpredictable and ties together loose ends from previous books. Harry is learning to adapt to having and living with his brother, Thomas. He is adjusting to life with a crippled hand and is struggling to over come fears he is not even aware that he has. The war is still raging against the red court vampires and a terrible new threat has come to Chicago threatening to kill thousands. Action packed and full of Harry's wonderful friends with the new addition of Butters, the polka loving waif of a coroner that grows a back bone while hanging out with our hero.

I always make a point of listening to the Harry Dresdan books on audio because James Marsters does such a wonderful job with the narration and this book was no exception. Fantastic, I am already tempted to listen to it again.

10 people found this helpful

A little jumpy.

This books sets a weird pace. At first you think it’s about one story line then it jumps to another. Not a bad book in the series. The writer just seems like he had a hard time arranging his thoughts.

3 people found this helpful

Minor League Dresden

The narration of James Marsters is wonderful and really helps make this audiobook lots of fun.

That being said, I find the overall book to be lacking in depth. Previous offerings, such as the Summer Knight were much stronger. I felt like this would have been better served as a short story to cut out many of the details that did not add value to the plot nor move the character of Dresden forward. I will continue to read these books because I find them to be enjoyable Leisure reading but do not find them to be much more than simple urban fantasy.

3 people found this helpful

Problem with recording

In Chapter 30, around five minutes in, the recording is messed up. The sound cuts out mid-sentence and picks back up in a different spot.

3 people found this helpful

Glad I Started This Series

When I started the Harry Dresden series, the stories were a bit thin and the production values were pretty poor. James Marsters' (I swear I only recognized him after starting the first book) performance was credible, but plagued with weird mispronunciations. Fast forward to book 7, Dead Beat, and things have improved. Quite a lot.

The writing has gotten sharper, even more organically witty. The plots improve by degree, but there's only so much one can do with this material; Butcher does quite a lot. And Marsters is downright brilliant. Some of my favorite narrators are weak on voice characterization; Marsters is a genius at it. If the occasional spell intonation seems overblown, you just accept it because ever other thing he says is pitch-perfect. This is not an exaggeration; if you think carefully about the text and Marsters' delivery, you'll see that his subtlety is pretty impressive... and effective.

So, to sum it up: the stories, though a bit on the genretastic side, are getting better. The writing is well past good. The narration leaves many perpetual favorites in the dust. I do recommend starting at the beginning, though. If you do, stick with it. I almost didn't, and that would have been a shame.

9 people found this helpful

Somewhat disappointing, but (grr!) still worth it.

It might be just me, but it seems like the author didn't craft this story as carefully as he did in the preceding volumes. There are several weak plot points, in fact, and the entire story is considerably more predictable than before. The most disappointing part, however, is that Butcher made Dresden mess things up a few times too much for the book to be anything else but an annoying experience one can't wait to be over with. A couple of surprising near-awesome twists at the end of the story almost make up for the blunders made throughout this installment of the series.

2 people found this helpful