ARC Review: The Unorthodox Chronicles #2

Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher

Publication Date: October 10, 2023

Summary from NetGalley:

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. . . .

ARC provided by Berkley Publishing Group via Netgalley for an honest review.

Confession:

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Dead Man’s Hand, last year, so was excited to get back to this world and to see what the characters had been up to. It was an enjoyable read, though it did tend to meander a bit.

Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is finally an Auditor, but he is really struggling to fit in still. He is such a wonderful character with a big heart and such compassion for others even when they are trying to kill him. His strong moral compass really helps him out, especially when dealing with his partner Mayflower. Many lives are saved, because Grimsby doesn’t feel that it is right just to harm someone when they are out of control. Grimsby is still dealing with his past, and he is still longing to belong and often has doubts about himself, but he is learning to get around all that.

Mayflower is a tough guy who will shoot first and ask questions later. His attitude toward life and people is quite jaded, but he sees the goodness in Grimsby and will listen to him and does try to not kill everyone. He is also haunted by a past that we still don’t know a lot about, but is slowly being revealed. They make a good team, both having strengths and weaknesses that help them solve this case.

The pacing is steady and flows along at a good pace. Grimsby and Mayflower follow the clues and figure out what it going on in a timely manner. There is a bit of meandering in the plot though, with some scenes that didn’t necessarily have much to do with the overall plot, but added some nice action scenes. There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the characters, especially their pasts and how it affects them in the present, but hopefully these will be resolved in the next book. I loved that we got to see more of this interesting world, where magic is out in the open, but strictly controlled and monitored. It is a very interesting urban fantasy setting that keep getting better.

I really enjoyed this second installment of the series, and I am looking forward to the next book. If you liked the first book, I think you will find this one to be a solid second book.