Long Past Dues

The Unorthodox Chronicles, Book 2

By: James J. Butcher

Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin

Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Grimsby, the newest Auditor in the magical Department of Unorthodox Affairs, finds himself in hot water when he intercepts a friend’s case in this fast-paced and thrilling urban fantasy.

Against all odds, Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby has become an Auditor, enforcing laws about magic for Boston’s Department of Unorthodox Affairs. But Grimsby soon realizes the daily grind of his job is far removed from the glamour he imagined. Overlooked for every exciting case, Grimsby tires of being told to handle mundane magical troubles, and appropriates a case file intended for a friend.

Alongside Leslie Mayflower, the temporarily unretired Huntsman, Grimsby aims to crack the case and discover the origin of a strange, unfinished ritual—one that seems to imitate the handiwork of a foe Mayflower put down twenty years ago.

Together, they’ll have to deal with escaped werewolves, a cursed artifact, and a perilous journey to the mysterious subterranean city below Boston, all to uncover the shocking truth. At any cost, Grimsby must stop this ritual from finally being completed. Yet the cost may be paid not by himself but by his friends. . . .

©2023 James J. Butcher (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Butcher’s deft dialogue continues with tongue-in-cheek humor, wry commentary, and snark, while this magical Boston setting is both familiar and fantastical. . . . This well-paced urban fantasy is a delightful addition to the subgenre.”—Library Journal

Can't wait for more

We are so spoiled by Butcher talent, that it has been impossible to find a series to satisfy us while we wait. We have hundreds of audible books, but Butcher is becoming the one to anticipate most .

Series coming into its own!

love the book and really enjoying the series. it's good to see the characters evolving a bit and getting more interesting.

Bette than the first book

I enjoyed this one more than the first. It felt smoother and it had a nice pace. Keep up the good work to all involved!

weak pseudo hero

so I listened to the 1st book. thought I would try number2. hoping the m.c would get stronger...nooo he crys about hurting monsters he crys at the drop of a hat.. he's a weak whinging crybaby...can't stand a m.c. so weak

If you love Butcher listen to it.

I love Dresden and this series is growing on me as well. I recommend it.

A good second book

The book can be a little slow but it still holds your attention and you don’t want to put it down.

Long Past Dues

Interesting book series. I enjoyed the characters and the story! Lots of action. Good narration but a few words like rune annoyed me how it was pronounced.

Be patient. Worth it.

I had written a somewhat lengthy review and just accidentally wiped it out. Got to love Android phones. Short version: there were kind of a lot of small mistakes in this story early on that I thought the editor(s) should have caught. for example, why would the Grimsby who has so much respect for the elsewhere in the first book enter the elsewhere in his jammies as he does in this book? Seems out of character.
The were also a few short conversations between Grimsby and Mayflower that just didn't seem consistent with both of their backgrounds and experience.
I found the first scene in the elsewhere to be boring and seemingly endless. so far the Elsewhere is not interesting to me, and neither is Wudge, though he is sometimes entertaining.
But once that was over, things improved quite a bit and got steadily better.
I like the reader overall, but he is missing a lot in the tone and humor department. There must have been a dozen times when I couldn't help but be distracted by what he just missed. Dude, you could have had so much fun with that! So maybe the production team can give him some coaching on catching the wry semi-sarcastic humor that comes frequently from Grimsby's point of view.
Complaints aside, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next story.

excellent sequel!

Butcher's second installment contains everything good about the first book with more besides. A gripping plot with plenty of action, twists, and suspense. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Loved this book

I loved The Dresden files and I think this will be just as great, can’t wait.