Harry Dresden, Wizard for Hire.

At the moment, I have two guys in my life who are totally addicted to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series. One of them is my husband, aged 34 -- he just finished the most recent book in the series. The other one is a patron at the library, aged 14 -- he's desperately waiting for the third book so he can devour it as he has the other two.

And really, how could they not be addicted? Harry Dresden has the voice of a hard-boiled detective AND he's a magic-user. His allies include Bob, a lecherous spirit housed in a human skull; Karrin Murphy, a super-tough homicide detective; Michael, a Knight of the Cross; a vampire named Thomas; and Ebenezar McCoy, a wizard who lives in Hogs Hollow, Missouri. As Harry can hardly walk down the sidewalk without getting into trouble, he has run-ins with vampires, werewolves, the Senior Council (the ruling body of wizards), faerie folk and a plethora of supernatural beasties. The books are smart, hilarious, action-packed and very hard to put down.

If any of that sounds remotely interesting, go ahead and pick up the first book -- you won't be disappointed. I promise.

If you're still waffling, go and read Jim Butcher's mini-bio at his website. That was what hooked me in the first place.

Links to my write-ups of the first five books:

Storm Front
Fool Moon
Grave Peril
Summer Knight
Death Masks