Dead Man's Hand

The Unorthodox Chronicles, Book 1

By: James J. Butcher

Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin

In the tradition of his renowned father, James J. Butcher’s debut novel is a brilliant urban fantasy about a young man who must throw out the magical rule book to solve the murder of his former mentor.

On the streets of Boston, the world is divided into the ordinary Usuals, and the paranormal Unorthodox. And in the Department of Unorthodox Affairs, the Auditors are the magical elite, government-sanctioned witches with spells at their command and all the power and prestige that comes with it. Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is…not one of those witches.

After flunking out of the Auditor training program and being dismissed as “not Department material,” Grimsby tried to resign himself to life as a mediocre witch. But he can’t help hoping he’ll somehow, someway, get another chance to prove his skill. That opportunity comes with a price when his former mentor, aka the most dangerous witch alive, is murdered down the street from where he works, and Grimsby is the Auditors’ number one suspect.

Proving his innocence will require more than a little legwork, and after forming a strange alliance with the retired legend known as the Huntsman and a mysterious being from Elsewhere, Grimsby is abruptly thrown into a life of adventure, whether he wants it or not. Now all he has to do is find the real killer, avoid the Auditors on his trail, and most importantly, stay alive.

©2022 James J. Butcher (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Woot! Get set for a wild ride! Debut author James J. Butcher hits one out of the ballpark. Nonstop action in this character-driven urban fantasy that is both laugh-out-loud and terrifying—sometimes at the same time.”—Patricia Briggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Clear your schedule. You won’t want to put this down. With awkward heroes, convincing villains, and reluctant deadly mentors, James J Butcher’s Dead Man’s Hand is a gem. Uneven alliances evolving into comrade-in-arms, personal growth, and, most important to me, inventive world building all make Dead Man’s Hand an entirely enjoyable read that proves once more that snark is indeed a deadly weapon. Read it. You will not be disappointed. I eagerly await the sequel.”—Kim Harrison, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Dead Man's Hand is splendid, a spectacular debut novel and the best book I’ve read in years. James J. Butcher is an outstanding storyteller and I can’t wait to read what he comes up with next.”—Faith Hunter, New York Times bestselling author

the characters are good

good read and awesome story and character are well play with a dresden file feel to it

I enjoyed this paranormal mystery

Overall impression: Quick read with an interesting paranormal mystery & an amusing character dynamic between Gimsby & Mayflower. Also, Wudge is the best character lol.

I'm an enjoyer of paranormal detective stories and this one was a pretty good book that I saw on the shelf at work (I work at a library) and I decided to read on a whim. This book is set in an urban fantasy setting and follows to unlikely partners as they uncover the mystery behind a tough witch's mysterious death. I liked the character dynamic and the humor scattered throughout the book. I found the plot to be interesting enough to binge this book. I had an audiobook to go along with my physical copy and couldn't stop listening as I worked. Finished the book in less than a week and I would recommend this to anyone who's looking for a fast-paced paranormal mystery novel.

Another thing that Butcher gets props for is his easy to comprehend writing style. I struggle with reading comprehension, but while reading this book I didn't have many moments of confusion due to the language being too complicated for me to comprehend. So kudos to Butcher for writing something that didn't have me re-reading paragraphs over and over again to figure out what it was trying to say. I like it when I read books that have simple language that don't get in the way of me enjoying the story.

Honestly, I don't really have anything super bad to say about this book. It was a good book and I enjoyed reading it for what it was. I will say though, I wish I would've gotten a little more in terms of world building. I love reading about urban fantasy worlds, so it would've been neat to get more info about the magical elements in the world of this story. Hopefully book 2 will expand more on the worldbuilding. I'll be picking up book 2 in the Unorthodox series today and I'm excited to read what's in store for Grimsby and friends in the next book.

An OK 1st book

Not a bad story had a few laughs. Overall is pretty good.. Got a little too silly for silly's sake.

Engaging and enjoyable magical combat.

The characters are believable and you will care about them while they figure out what the Jabberwocky is going on. I can’t wait for the next installment.

Fun adventure

Following in his fathers foot steps. He knows. A good story and a good setup.

Magically delicious adventure!

Lovably flawed characters. He does his pop proud. Nicely done. May i have some more? Cheers!

Impressively good combared to his Father's work

I won’t lie. Jim Butcher is an all-time hero of mine. His work with Dresden Files shaped me as an author. But HOLY HOT DAMN!!! James is a hell of an impressive artist in his own right.

Looking at it from an author’s perspective, foreshadowing was impressively well done. Red herring work is top-notch. Character design is both relatable and intriguing with backstory hints that have me asking questions even at the end of the book. The meshing of the start components of the story with the end climax was seemless. At that Epilogue… GAHH!! I already want the next book and I can’t wait to see how James works with what he has already used.

I only have one issue with the story and the only reason I spotted this plot hole is because I’m an actively practicing witch in my downtime. His Ogham is off. I can’t say too much without serious spoilers but, but I’m reasonably fluent in the script of the druids and the layered meaning doesn’t fit.

But even with that issue I still give the story 5/5.

the horror of the TACO FAIRY!

I loved this book;
I can relate to the main hero character; who hasn't been trapped into working a customer service job, been treated like slave labor by your boss and customers, with nothing but the hope that it won't get worse.
Grimsby is very good as a hero in training, but Mayflower is a great hero who's glory is slowly fading away. He reminds me of Clint Eastwood/Chuck Norris after the cameras stop filming.
I love the way the narrator almost losses it when he gets to the part about the "Taco Fairy" uniform: pink tutu and taco wings. Only a true hero could wear that in public with any amount of dignity

A Very Fun Read/Listen!

I want to say I was a little hesitant to read a book by Jim Butcher’s son, after being disappointed by efforts of other authors to pass on their writing to their offspring. I want to give James J. Butcher a round of applause! This is a book set in his own world, with interesting characters who grow, develop and learn, I love that the main character is a young man who lives with real limits and struggles. This book is NOT a Dresden knock off! Read it for its own sake, and forget who the writer is related to. I think you will enjoy it.

Amazing story

Great story well written , characters felt real. James Patrick Cronin did a great job narrating as usual. I hope to see more to come from these characters.