Long Past Dues
by James J. Butcher
Long Past Dues is the second in James J. Butcher’s The Unorthodox Chronicles. Grimsby is a young witch who has achieved his dream of becoming an auditor at the elite Boston Department of Unorthodox Affair, but his dream job isn’t what he expected; his partner is depressed and refuses to leave his home, his friend he has a crush on is aloof, and he seems to only get the most boring of cases such as checking in with werewolves that they will be appropriately contained during the full moon. However, when he accidently becomes cursed, he must face creatures from the other realm based on myth like Echidna, a part woman/part snake monster, as well as creatures out of Butcher’s own imagination. I hadn’t read the first novel in the series, Dead Man’s Hand, but still was able to thoroughly enjoy it and quickly pick up characters and “the rules” of Grimsby’s world; warning though it ends on a cliff hangar that will lead you eagerly awaiting book three. Butcher is the son of Jim Butcher who also has written the Dresden Files, another Urban Fantasy I had previously blogged about.
Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies
by Misha Popp
Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies is the first in Misha Popp’s Pies Before Guys Mysteries. It is an unusual novel in the fact that though, Daisy, the protagonist is likeable in many ways, I still had trouble connecting with her character, similar to how I felt about the protagonist in Dexter. This is because both characters are murderers, in the case of Dexter, he kills serial killers and in the case of Daisy she uses magic pies to murder men who have violently abused women. Her pies can also give positive gifts like boosting confidence and giving a sense of calm to those who needed it. Much of the novel has a cozy mystery feel as Daisy tries to discover who is blackmailing her and starts seriously contemplating dating one of two love interests for the first time in her life; she is also entering a pie baking competition which probably could have been enough for an enjoyable read, but meanwhile Daisy is also finding women who she can make vengeful murder pies for. Usually when the main character is this morally gray in nature, the book tends to be quite a bit grittier, but there is a lot of whimsy in this story. Some of how you feel about Daisy and this book will likely be based on your feelings about vigilantism and certain political stances, but fans of the similarly whimsically dark TV series Pushing Daisies might want to check this novel out. I found it a truly unique reading experience. The third book in the series is scheduled to be published in May of 2024.
Written by:
Aimee Harris
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