Dead Man's Hand cover art

Dead Man's Hand

The Unorthodox Chronicles, Book 1

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Dead Man's Hand

By: James J. Butcher
Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
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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.

©2022 James J. Butcher (P)2022 Penguin Audio
Action & Adventure Fantasy Paranormal Fiction City Magic Users Witchcraft

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

What listeners say about Dead Man's Hand

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Bloody brilliant

A bloody brilliant book with funny characters. I binged this in one day and can’t wait for the next one to be released

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Came for the surname stayed for the story

I really enjoyed this. Great world building, decent humour and a story with nice twists, characters and plot. Definitely continuing on

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Great romp with strong characters

James Butcher has started fashioning an image interesting world. Grimsby and Mayflower are terrific characters although perhaps a trifle indestructible ( one too many close calls maybe?) Still I enjoyed it a lot and will definitely read a sequel.

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comfort food

this book was very much comfort food. it was a little predictable, but gave the same comfort that Jim Butchers books do (funny that).
my only complaint is with the performance. I wish the performer had used more range of different voices. I found myself confusing some of the voices between characters.

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Good story but man character is uninspiring

Good story.
Good world building for a 1st book
Decent prose
Character building is where it falls down. The main character is so uninspiring, only alive due to plot armor, he’s very carebear, not very capable for someone who trained as an auditor and whose mum was apparently a witch, knows only 3 spells. Lacks grit and determination. May let the serious improve before I give it another go

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Excellent first book

James J. Butcher shows he is a talented writer in his own right, and not carried by his last name. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.

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Great story combined with a Great performance

Loved it. Highly recommend. I'm so looking forward to the next book in the series.

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Fantastic!

James J Butcher has an easy style, great character development & dialogue. He opens up this world in dead man's hand with a class that belies a debut novel. Will definitely read more & be following this author!

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honestly hard to complain about this book

The protagonist has some nice limitations to overcome, good story arc, and narrated by one of the best.

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Butcher 2.0

The influence is obvious but in a style all his own. Effortless storytelling. Coming back for more.

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