Morris:  That does indeed show that they are trying to destroy the books.

Yuillegan:  That's a cool observation.  I read Dead Beat in 2007.  I've listened to it on audio a few times after that, but I never looked at how it was spelled.  Its funny because I've been a lurker on the forums for a while, and I never noticed the spelling.  It's like when you read and you come across a word with a missing letter. Your brain kind of just places the letter in there. 

Not all of these people can be working with each other.  In Dead Beat everyone wanted a copy of Peabody's book on the Earlking.  Cowel wanted Harry to give him the book.  Harry refused, so Kumori proposed that Harry destroy the book as a compromise.  This suggest a few different scenarios. 

1.  Cowel was confident he could get another copy of the book or he already had a copy of it.  If he was on the same team as Peabody, you would think Peabody would've either given him an author copy, or just told him what he needed to know. 

2.  Cowel thinks he can kick the other the necromancers asses and get a copy from one of them.  The question is why would Cowel risk it?  The other necromancer seem to be more dangerous than Harry.  Does Cowel simply like Harry, or does he think Harry could be useful to him.

3.  The other necromancers wanted the book, so did they not have access to Peabody? 

4.  Peabody doesn't want to tell Cowel or the other necromancer what they need to know or share his author copy with them.

5.  Peabody was not working for the same team as Cowel during Dead Beat, but some time between then and Turn Coat changed teams.

6.  Kumori's offer was bs and they would've just take the book from Harry as soon as he set it down to destroy it.

I'm trying to figure out how Peabody fits in with the characters in Dead Beat.  He wrote the book, so I think it would be kind of strange if he wasn't involved to some degree.

What do you think?

Mira: Who raised Harry's mother is a great question.  I think Eb had to know about Malcolm.  I think he alluded to meeting him or at least watching him in Blood Rites.  We know Morgan knew.

I too was thinking Thomas's arrest could be related to his Venatory work.

Ebeneezer probably knows.  He knows approximately when Maggie Sr was with Raith and the White Council probably had enough intel on the White Court to have an idea of when Thomas was born.       

I've wondered if Harry is Merlin also.

Ok I had some to go look at Jim's twitter.  Christmas Eve dropped on 12/25/18.  Jim tweeted The End on  7/22/19.

I don't know if the decision to split it into two books happened after he finished the manuscript or some time during the process of writing it. 

I think Christmas Eve was written before the decision to split the book was made. 

I just reread Christmas Eve which takes place after Peace Talks and Battle Ground.  Harry seems to be on good terms with Molly, Mab, and Kringle, so i think its safe to assume that they aren't in on whatever the plot against Harry is.  In the story he refers to himself as a wizard of the White Council, so the plot isn't successful. 

Let's look at some people that it might be.

I think Carlos is being shown as a likely candidate since he ask Dresden to help with security, which means he won't able to be at the upcoming council meeting.  I don't think its him.  He's Harry's peer, so he can't really order Harry to be involved in the security operation.  He couldn't stop Harry from going to the council meeting.

Luccio is someone Harry trust who could definitely screw him, if she wanted to.  I don't see that happening.  She was the unwilling black council pawn in book 11, so I doubt she would be an unwilling pawn again.  As for her joining the black council of her own free will, after what they did to her, I don't see that happening. 

I don't know why Ebeneezer would betray Harry.  If he wanted Harry out of the way all would need to do is...nothing.  He could just let the Merlin and Ancient Mia get rid of him.

I wonder if we'll see Elaine, she could easily screw Harry, and she's shady as hell.

Lara would throw Harry under the bus if she thought it would benefit her.  I don't think he's stupid enough to let his guard down around her. 

Murphy would be a gut punch, and she wouldn't do it willingly.  Note that she isn't mentioned at all in Christmas Eve.

Thomas has a kid on the way, if the Black Council threatens Justine, he may feel he has no choice but to help them.  Note that he isn't mentioned at all in Christmas Eve.

It could be Native American Joe.  He definitely doesn't want a civil war within the council and was willing to let Morgan die to avoid that.  He fights the Black Council at the island,and he does come to Harry's aid at the council meeting at the end of Turn Coat.  He could go either way.

Fix might turn on Harry he may blame him for Lily's death.  Maybe he went after Nemesis and ended up getting turned. 

It could be a minor character like, Yoshimo, Wild Bill, Chandler, or Martha Liberty.  We know very little about them.