Dead Man's Hand cover art

Dead Man's Hand

The Unorthodox Chronicles, Book 1

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About this listen

 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. Action & Adventure Fantasy Supernatural Thriller & Suspense Magic Paranormal Fiction Magic Users Witchcraft Feel-Good

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 comrades-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

"Hits all the right notes for an entertaining urban fantasy series. Readers will want to see what happens next."—Library Journal

"A fun twist on hard-boiled urban fantasy thrills . . . . sure to capture genre fans."—Publishers Weekly

"Butcher manages to create relatable, believable characters with real flaws, real needs and wants, fleshing them out with tongue-in-cheek humor. . . . A roller-coaster fun book that will have the reader waiting impatiently for the next Grimsby tale.”—New York Journal of Books
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James J Butcher has managed to simultaneously capture the essence and spirit of his father's legacy, whilst building up a world and story of his own. I enjoyed every second of this book and will be immediately picking up the second. I have read everything his Jim Butcher has written more than once and I will definitely be doing the same for his sons work.

Brilliant story and a well crafted world

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James has a great talent that is very much his own style. He has made a world of urban fantasy which is very polished. All my favourite authors started out with a good story that improved with each book they wrote. If this is an early example of his work great things are coming.

A New series born

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The world, characters and story are all fantastic I thoroughly enjoyed it and will listen over and over as I do with all my favourites. Can't wait for more!

Fantastic

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The performance and story were great it has echos of Jim but James is very much his own author, I cant wait to dig deeper into this world. one not to miss if you kike Urban fantasy.

fantastic first book

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I quite enjoyed Dead Man's Hand by the end, though it took a while to really get going and for Butcher to building the world and characters. I liked Grimsby, our main character, and he has an interesting history that helped drive the plot forward. World building was done slowly and steadily and reminded me very much of the way the early Dresden books were done. Very interested to see where he takes this series from here.

An interesting novel, and promising series

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