History Literature / GravePeril

* NeverMyFault: In ''Storm Front'', when Harry visited Bianca in her brothel, she attacked him and he protected himself. Bloodlust set on her so much that she killed her partner/slave. Who does she blame? Harry.

* GoofyPrintUnderwear: Harry is in ducky print boxers during the last fight with the Red Court.

** In his first appearance, Michael comes off as more prudish than he does in later appearances.

* ContrivedCoincidence: A superpower for the Knights of the Cross. In this book, for instance, Harry and Michael need to [[spoiler:go rescue Charity,]] but Harry does not want to leave Michael's kids alone. Michael simply opens the front door to show [[GoodShepherd Father Forthill]], just about to knock, standing on the steps because his car just ''happened'' to break down. He looks between them and says, "You need a babysitter again, [[SeenItAll don't you?"]]

* ChekhovsGunman: Pretty much ''everyone'' at Bianca's party. Particularly the pair of {{Black Cloak}}s with the athame, who later reappear in ''Literature/DeadBeat''.

* ContrivedCoincidence: A superpower for the Knights of the Cross. In this book, for instance, Harry and Michael need to [[spoiler:go rescue Charity,]] but Harry does not want to leave Michael's kids alone. Michael simply opens the front door to show [[GoodShepherd Father Forthill]], just about to knock, standing on the steps because his car just ''happened'' to break down. He looks between them and says, [[GenreSavvy "You need a babysitter again]], [[SeenItAll don't you?"]]

'''''Grave Peril''''' is book #3 in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''. Now has its own [[ShoutOut/GravePeril Shout Out]] page.

* HeroicBSOD: After the events of this book, Harry has a total meltdown due to [[spoiler:the loss of Susan]], to the point where he looks like a crazy hermit and has not done paying detective work in months.

** Even deeper is [[spoiler:with Marva and the above mentioned Black cloaks working to either cause war between the White Council and Red Court or kill Harry Dresden.]]

* ChekhovsGun: Bianca's party introduces several of them, in addition to being a who's-who of Chekhov's Gunmen (see below). The gravestone (and the cemetery plot that goes along with it) become significant in ''Literature/GhostStory'', and the black athame is referenced again in ''Literature/ProvenGuilty'' and ''Literature/ColdDays''.

** Later, Harry warns [[spoiler:Lea of making a deal with Michael. As Harry just consumed a deadly poison and Michael had a milk made of a thistle used to counteract it, but not completely cure Harry, Lea almost accepts the thistle as a gift, meaning she would be deeply indebted to Michael. Harry provides his own deal in exchange for the drink and Lea admits he played her well.]]
* DidWeJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu: Harry and Michael run into Ferrovax at Bianca's party. [[spoiler:The dragon treats Michael with courtesy, despite the Knight's having killed one of his kind. Harry, not so much]].

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Even though Rudolph is a {{Jerkass}} to Harry and skeptical of the supernatural in this book, he also shows genuine concern for Murphy, promising to kill Harry if he lets Murphy gets hurt, and Harry takes the threat seriously. This is in stark contrast to his appearances in later books, where he has become something of a SitComArchNemesis to Murphy within the police department, and ends up flagrantly breaking the law himself in order to depose her and get Harry arrested, [[UngratefulBastard even after they save his life]]. This change could be attributed to his becoming so fed up of working on cases he can't let himself believe are genuine that he's willing to try anything to get out of the department, but it's still pretty jarring to contrast the apparent JerkWithAHeartOfGold in this book with the JerkWithAHeartOfJerk in the later ones.

* LaserGuidedAmnesia: [[spoiler:Susan trades one year of her memories to Lea in return for releasing Harry from the aftereffects of breaking his bargain with her. It's ''so'' laser-guided, Lea is able to select just the memories of her choice ... namely, all Susan's memories of Harry, Michael, or the exchange itself.]]

* NeverMyFault: [[spoiler:in ''Storm Front'', when Harry visited Bianca in her brothel, she attacked him and he protected himself. Bloodlust set on her so much that she killed her partner/slave. Who does she blame? Harry, for defending himself. That's why she goes after him, and helps the Nightmare.]]

** When Harry and Michael manage to focus Agatha's attention by reminding her of what she did in life and telling her to cross over, she goes ''completely and utterly AxCrazy'' and turning their attention from the babies to them.

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Harry faces a choice: [[spoiler:allow Susan to be taken away by Bianca, likely turned into a full monster and walk away with peace and staying in the safety of the laws of the supernatural world, or save his beloved and make one final act of violating Sacred Hospitality he previously violated and set off a war]]. Harry takes the later.

[[quoteright:252:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dresden_03_2700.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:252:He's got spirit.]]

%% And please no spoilers for future books.

* DidWeJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu: Harry and Michael run into Ferrovax at Bianca's party. The dragon treats Michael with courtesy, despite the Knight's having killed one of his kind. Harry, not so much.

** Ferrovax paralyzes Harry with an effort of will when the wizard annoys him. [[spoiler: ''Many'' of the heavy-hitter entities Harry encounters later, from Vadderung to the Lords of Outer Night to Mother Winter, will display this same ability. It's like the signature party-trick of dragon-caliber beings in the Dresdenverse.]]

* HeroicBSOD: After the events of this book, Harry has a total meltdown due to the loss of [[spoiler: Susan]], to the point where he looks like a crazy hermit and has not done paying detective work in months.

* IdiotBall: Susan grasps this pretty firmly [[spoiler: by showing up at a party hosted by vampires, with a forged invitation, therefore unprotected by the Accords, and shortly loses part of her humanity]]

* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode: Although this is the third book in the series, it has serious implications reaching all the way out until ''Changes.''
** Even further than that. ChekhovsGun's from this book are still being fired as far down as Literature/ColdDays. And some are still waiting to be fired!

* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Susan trades one year of her memories to Lea in return for releasing Harry from the aftereffects of breaking his bargain with her. [[spoiler: It's ''so'' laser-guided, Lea is able to select just the memories of her choice ... namely, all Susan's memories of Harry, Michael, or the exchange itself.]]

* StoryArc: This book kicked off [[spoiler:the war between the White Council and the Red Court]] that would blaze along merrily in the background for quite some time and set in motion most of the plots of the following books.
** Even deeper is [[spoiler:with Marva and the above mentioned Black cloaks working the Black Council's machinations to either cause war between the White Council and Red Court or kill Harry Dresden.]]

* UnstoppableRage: When [[spoiler:confronted by a horde of vampires holding Susan hostage, Harry unleashes ''Pyrofuego'', to their ''thorough'' dismay.]]

** Ferrovax paralyzes Harry with an effort of will when the wizard annoys him. [[spoiler: ''Many'' of the heavy-hitter powers Harry encounters later on, from Vadderung to the Lords of Outer Night to Mother Winter herself, will use this same ability on him. It's effectively the signature party-trick of dragon-caliber beings in the Dresdenverse.]]