The Lies of Locke Lamora

 Ive heard this book described as a 'heist story', and while there certainly is an element of that within its pages, this is so much more than that simple description. We're introduced to the protagonist Locke as a child thief, a ward of the 'Thiefmaker', and very soon discover that Locke is a bit of a handful, to say the least. What follows is his transfer to the stewardship of Father Chains, under whom Locke and his new friends develop skills to enhance their particular brand of thievery. Very soon they begin what is a very intricate heist, one which would leave Danny Ocean and Thomas Crown scratching their heads.
 We're also introduced to a complex criminal hierarchical system, and a threat to its leadership. Locke's skill set brings him to the attention of one of the parties, and his unwilling involvement in this power struggle soon sees the heist almost abandoned as lives are risked and allegiances tested.
 Flashbacks in the form of 'Interludes' give us glimpses into the bonds formed between Locke and his gang of Gentlemen Bastards.
 The world created by Lynch is brilliantly realised, and with only the briefest of backgrounds given to explain its construction, I look forward to revelations in the subsequent books of the series.
 The dialogue is also fantastic in that the vulgarity of the streets juxtaposed with the eloquence of the nobility meshes almost seamlessly and adds to the sense that there is so much more than meets the eye to this story.
 What I really liked was that although this is the first book in a series, it was a self-contained story with a clear beginning and ending, leaving us with just our heroes, and a sense of what might be an over-arcing scheme on a much grander scale to continue the adventures.

The Dresden Files: Storm Front

I have been aware of these books for quite a while, partly through the short lived tv series (of which I remember very little, to be honest), but had been put off reading them simply because I had heard that the first few were not very good. And to me, there is no point in reading a series of, to date, 15 books, if you're not going to start at the beginning. So I put Dresden off, and off, and off.
Really wish I hadn't.
This book was great. A great 'hero' and a really great magic system which is so important in carrying a series through so many novels.
There are flaws, but these are small enough to not impact too negatively on the reading, which is quick as the plot really flies along, as well as introducing us to various characters and settings.
I really liked this book, and if it is considered one of the weakest of the lot, then I really can't wait to pick up the rest.