This was supposed to be the one. The clencher. The book in the Dresden Files that convinced me that the series was worthwhile. That Butcher had learned his lessons, and from here on out, it was smooth sailing.

Did Dead Beat live up to that expectation?

Yes...

... And also no.

Part of that is on me. Part of that is on him. Here's a few examples:

• There's a lot more attention paid to threading the plot together than previous books... BUT he still loses his handle in certain sections, has moments of "bweh?" randomness, and struggles with pacing his final scene and ending.
• The mystery is a lot more compelling and the stakes are higher than ever... But the villains remain cardboard cutouts with paper thin personalities, and some of the characters are more caricature than they are person.
• He clearly put more thought into how the individual story elements work in the overall plot... But the book buckles and breaks under the amount of stuff he wants to cram into a relatively short novel. That will always result in some things feeling rushed or glossed over.
• He tones down the boobie descriptions, and doesn't apply them to other characters... But then he goes off the deep end with them on one person specifically to the point of frustration. I don't care if it's plot relevant. I don't care if he was using it to wink at the audience. I've had now seven books in a row of this nonsense, and I'm sick of it.

For a lot of ups there were downs. For a lot of "YEAH!" there was also a "sigh...". Is it the best of the bunch thus far? Sure, but it doesn't do enough to make me more than "like" it in the end.

And as I mentioned before, part of that is on me. These books are meant to be funny. I don't find them amusing. I don't laugh at the jokes. That's my sense of humor being tuned a different way than others, and is completely subjective. Being a key conceit of the book is lost on me likely doesn't help in how I receive it.

Now, with seven books under my belt and several disappointments beforehand, this one being a "like" and not a "love"... Was this enough to keep going with the series?

... Yes*.

*: After I take a break.

I love Butcher's world building. I love Harry as a character. He just does some things that grind on me, and I think a break given to finish some other things on my TBR is a good idea before I start the road to "Changes".

Bottom line: A good read. A few spots that felt uneven and had me unhappy. And yes, still too many boob descriptions.