Dead Man’s Hand

Dead Man’s Hand by James J. Butcher

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Dead Man’s Hand is the debut novel of James J. Butcher. In an interview with Writer’s Digest, the author said, “One of the tropes I wanted to do away with that is common in the urban fantasy genre is the idea of the fantasy world being liminal to the “real” world. It creates a dichotomy where everyone is either in the know about the secret magic world, or totally and blissfully unaware. I decided very early on that this was one of the things I didn’t want to be a part of my urban fantasy setting.” He succeeded with this first book of The Unorthodox Chronicles.

When a powerful witch is murdered, the only clues are the words Kill Grimsby. 

The Huntsman intends to.

Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby – barely more than a kid – isn’t hard to find. He’s working at Mighty Magic Donald’s Food Kingdom (aka MMDFK) where he entertains children with magic in ridiculous costumes. MMDFK is close to the murder scene, with no security cameras to prove the witch was at work when Mansgraf died. 

To make matters worse, Grimby has no kind words for the deceased, who crushed his dream to be an Auditor for the Department of Unorthodox Affairs. On her recommendation, Grimsby was cut from the program. She’s the reason he’s forced to dress up as a Taco Fairy on Tuesdays, barely scraping by with a job he hates.

Only, while Grimsby has motive and opportunity, the Huntsman cannot imagine the weak – physically and magically – witch could ever stand a chance against legendary Samantha Mansgraf. So instead of killing Grimsby, he cuffs him and takes him with on his hunt for the real killer. Mansgraf had a case with her before she died, and Grimsby and the Huntsman both agree that finding the case should lead them to the killer.

Grimsby isn’t a strong witch, but he’s persistent. He’s also flippant and stubborn – very much an unconventional main character. There were times I preferred the Huntsman’s part of the story to Grimsby’s. His storyline starts off quite campy as he entertains kids in a tutu, but as the investigation proceeds, Grimsby grows into a likable character with strong feelings about doing the right thing and avoiding violence. 

I started reading Dead Man’s Hand because of the author; he is the son of one of my favorite authors, New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher. I was very curious to see if the younger Butcher was anything like his father. The storytelling skill is there, as is the ability to bring fantastical characters to life. He creates an urban fantasy world that could very well outshine the world of The Dresden Files, and as a reader, that’s very exciting. 

I will absolutely read anything else he writes, including the sequel, Long Past Dues, that just came out on October 10th. Expect my review of that book soon.

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Dead Man’s Hand cover art credit: Chris McGrath.

Audiobook narrated by James Patrick Cronin.