Storm Front (Book One of the Dresden Files)

By Jim Butcher
This is a surprisingly good debut novel. It’s a real page-turner, and lays down the exposition and introductions without being too heavyhanded doing so. Harry Dresden, wizard, is more Sam Spade than Gandalf. He’s a classic gumshoe who happens to have magical powers. When the Chicago Police come to him to help with a strange case, Harry finds himself facing down both an incredibly powerful magician and the incredibly powerful mob boss in town. It’s a cross between hardboiled detective fiction and classic high-magic fantasy that works surprisingly well. Butcher has a great authorial tone and has created a terrific reluctant hero in Harry.