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    Brief Cases
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    Brief Cases
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    Brief Cases
    Audiobook15 hours

    Brief Cases

    Published by Penguin Random House Audio

    Narrated by James Marsters

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    An all-new Dresden Files story headlines this urban fantasy short story collection starring the Windy City's favorite wizard.

    The world of Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, is rife with intrigue--and creatures of all supernatural stripes. And you'll make their intimate acquaintance as Harry delves into the dark side of truth, justice, and the American way in this must-have short story collection.

    From the Wild West to the bleachers at Wrigley Field, humans, zombies, incubi, and even fey royalty appear, ready to blur the line between friend and foe. In the never-before-published "Zoo Day," Harry treads new ground as a dad, while fan-favorite characters Molly Carpenter, his onetime apprentice, White Council Warden Anastasia Luccio, and even Bigfoot stalk through the pages of more classic tales.

    With twelve stories in all, Brief Cases offers both longtime fans and first-time readers tantalizing glimpses into Harry's funny, gritty, and unforgettable realm, whetting their appetites for more to come from the wizard with a heart of gold.

    Collection includes:

    • "A Fistful of Warlocks" (from Straight Outta Tombstone, edited by David Boon), read by Cassandra Campbell
    • "B Is for Bigfoot" (from Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron, edited by Jonathan Strahan), read by James Marsters
    • "AAAA Wizardry" (from the Dresden Files RPG), read by James Marsters
    • "I Was a Teenage Bigfoot" (from Blood Lite 3: Aftertaste, edited by Kevin J. Anderson), read by James Marsters
    • "Curses" (from The Naked City, edited by Ellen Datlow), read by James Marsters
    • "Even Hand" (from Dark and Stormy Knights, edited by P. N. Elrodread), read by Jim Butcher
    • "Bigfoot on Campus" (from Hex Appeal, edited by P. N. Elrod), read by James Marsters
    • "Bombshells" (from Dangerous Women, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois), read by Julia Whelan
    • "Cold Case" (from Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie Hughes), read by Julia Whelan
    • "Jury Duty" (from Unbound, edited by Shawn Speakman), read by James Marsters
    • "Day One" (from Unfettered II, edited by Shawn Speakman), read by Oliver Wyman
    • "Zoo Day" (original), read by James Marsters

    *The author’s notes that precede each story are read by the author.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJun 5, 2018
    ISBN9780525635291
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Brief Cases

    4/5

    261 ratings30 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Brief Cases (The Dresden Files #15.1) by Jim Butcher is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. I have loved his books even before he had the TV show. I love the imagination, creativity, and the humor. This book is another one of those books! Several short stories creative characters and plots that kept me interested from beginning to the end. They also have just enough snark and wit! There were several stories about Bigfoot and a really great one about Dodge City and Mr. Earp. But in that last story there were wizards and strange creatures to ride on that did not sound like horses! That was my favorite. A fun read.
    • 4/5
      The 2nd collection of short stories set in the Dresden Files universe of which only one hasn’t previously appeared elsewhere in other anthologies. There’s a slight departure from he norm as instead of the usual Harry Dresden perspective throughout we get some other viewpoints on a few of the tales with Anastasia Luccio, Molly (twice), John Marcone & Waldo Butters all featured and the final tale has 3 (Harry, Maggie & Mouse). All of the stories get a brief introduction for the setting and how/why it came to be created and where it fits in with the main Dresden series (if it matters). Most of them are set between the latter books of the series so if you’re not up to date then some of the references may not ring a bell but I think only one or two have any real spoilers if you’re not, featuring Molly & Butters’ first experiences of their new roles.I’ve never been a huge fan of short stories but this was a nice diversion while we wait for the next full instalment in the series. They do actually help fill in a few gaps and provide some new perspectives. Just a shame there’s no Murphy or Thomas along for any of these except for a brief cameo for the latter but I guess we can’t have everything. While there’s nothing exceptional here it’s still a good companion piece to the series and I will be happy to include it when I do my next re-read of the series.
    • 5/5
      12 stories, only 7 of which actually involve--much less star--Harry. The other stories feature formerly bit characters and show us how they are struggling to grow into the new roles that have been thrust upon them since meeting Harry: Butters, Molly, Maggie, Marcone, Mouse. Be aware, though, that most of these stories make references to things that have happened in the novels and may serve as spoilers if you've not already read ALL of them. Since I've read all of the books in sequence I was able to decipher the cryptic references to items like "The Outsiders" and my knowledge helped me understand some of the context and rationale for various actions and events. Additionally are included the 3 Bigfoot stories. There are fewer pyrotechnics--at least on Harry's part--and more thoughtfulness. In summary, if you've enjoyed the novels then you'll definitely want to read this book.
    • 4/5
      A really interesting of short stories set in various times in the Harry Dresden universe. Fun additions to the story.
    • 4/5
      Brief Cases is a book of short stories from the POVs of Harry Dresden, Molly and Warden Luccio. If you don't know who any of these people are, skip this book for now and IMMEDIATELY start with the first book in the series, Storm Front. Then come back to this one. If you are a fan of this series already, then this will be entirely sufficient to tide you over until the next full-length addition to the Wizard Dresden adventures comes out.
    • 3/5
      Dresden Files short stories, some of them starring non-Harry POV characters. The best was a story about Molly’s new job as the Winter princess/enforcer and the new abilities she was learning to navigate; the silliest was a Rashomon-like trip to the zoo in which Harry, his ten-year-old daughter, and his foo dog each had their own battles to fight, only somewhat perceived by each other.
    • 4/5
      This is a great way to get back into the series. Which I totally plan to do. A reread has been in the back of my head for some time now. Just have to find the time to get to it. This has helped put some motivation on the dream. I really enjoyed seeing Harry again and especially the Zoo Day story where I got to see Harry through Maggie's eyes. I enjoy how you don't really get the impression that Harry is this intimidating and scary guy until you see how other people see him. The perks of being in his head exclusively through most of his books. I am REALLY looking forward to more books about Harry. I'm glad these stories were able to hold me over during the wait.
    • 4/5
      Interesting glimpses into the world of Harry Dresden Chicago's wizard. Many feature character's other than Harry, as Molly goes out on her own in several, one features John Marcone and another Waldo Butters. Molly gets a pretty bum deal, while Harry gets quality, if interrupted, time with his daughter, Maggie.
    • 5/5
      I've listened to a few Dresden Files books on audio a number of years ago and enjoyed them. This compendium of short stories featured Harry and some of his compatriots in various scenarios. Quick and easy to read, the characters of Harry's world are quirky, charming and engaging. I liked that the stories were short and quickly read.
    • 4/5
      I had a great time with this book. I knew that this was going to be a book that I would need to read as soon as I saw it. I have been a fan of The Dresden Files for quite some time so spending a bit of time with Harry Dresden and company was something that I was quite eager to do. I went into this book with pretty high expectations simply because I have come to expect great things from this series. I am happy to say that this book met every one of those expectations.Of the 12 stories included in this collection, 11 have been previously published. I was lucky enough to have missed all but one of the stories so almost everything was new to me. The one story that I had read previously was one that I really enjoyed the first time so I decided to go ahead and read it again and ended up enjoying it just as much the second time around. I loved how varied and original each of the stories were while giving me the taste of much loved series that I was looking for. Some of the stories feature Harry as the lead character but we do get the chance to see other characters take that role including Molly, Butters, Maggie and Mouse, and Warden Luccio. I loved getting the chance to see these other characters take the lead and enjoyed spending a moment hearing some of their thoughts.When I pick up a collection of stories, I have discovered that I will probably like some of the stories more than others. I usually come across a few that I don't really care for as well but that didn't happen with this book. I really liked all of the stories pretty equally and can honestly say that every story in the group is solid and if rated individually, I would give them all either 4 or 5 stars. I would highly recommend this book to others. These stories take place at various spots within the series but I think readers new to the series would appreciate this book. Fans that are up to date with the series will enjoy seeing favorite characters as we remember them. I can't wait to read more from this amazing series!I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.
    • 3/5
      Each of the stories in this collection is preceded by a brief explanation of the story's origin, as well as it's approximate placement within the ongoing series. That being said, it's absolutely not necessary to have read any of the books in the series to enjoy these stories. All the stories are written in first person. Most are from Harry Dresden's perspective, though some are from other characters within the series. What I liked: Jim Butcher has an engaging writing style that immediately draws you into the characters' world. Each story has a good mix of humor and mystery. Some lean more into fantasy than others, but all of them feel plausible, in a weird sorta way. I mean, seriously, I know it's unlikely that Bigfoot has a son in college, but, hey, anything's possible!I really like Harry's character. He's a cool combination of superhero, magician, and detective. What I didn't like so much:After a while, the stories began feeling a little too formulaic and predictable.I didn't like the way female characters were portrayed. They're all some combination of drop dead gorgeous, sex-crazed, and ditzy. They felt like caricatures, and I just couldn't take any of them seriously. The one exception of note is Gard, who is beautiful but also a total badass. I would have liked less male fantasy and more reality in the female cast.*The publisher provided me with an advance ebook copy, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*
    • 4/5
      I received an ARC of this book from the publisher thru NetGalley. Thank you.I would recommend this book to fans of Jim Butcher and the Dresden Files. Wonderful glimpses of happenings between the books for those who know and appreciate the characters. Not really for anyone new to the series. Harry and his friends know that power has to be paid for in one way or another and are willing to pay the price. Love the fact that when possible, logic solves problems without magic. There's always something bigger and badder than you around. Watching the characters grow and change has been a really fun trip.
    • 5/5
      Jim Butcher is one of my favorite authors!
      Very entertaining
    • 5/5
      So, I can't rate it 6 stars or I would. To be fair though Jim Butcher is one of my three favorite authors and the only one of those still alive and writing, he has a unique gift of making every character (even minor ones like a cat and dog) important to the story or at the very least important to the reader.
    • 4/5
      Brief Cases is the second collection of short fiction in the Dresden Files. It contains 12 stories that range from historical events in the Wild West to a sweet day at the zoo for Harry's first "normal" dad experience. We also get more stories from different perspectives, some I found surprising. As with Side Jobs, Butcher provides an introduction to each story with a little background about how/why he wrote it and also where it fits in the series. This is a great collection and a must read for fans of the series as it addresses small questions of things that aren't explained in the main books.
    • 4/5
      This is a collection of short stories that have been previously published in various places with one new short story at the end of the book. It was nice to reread some of these stories and see the introductions explaining where they fell in the series or why they were written. I had read most but not all of the reprints since some were either in small press publications or RPG books. A great collection for any fan of the Dresden Files and nice to see the story universe with other characters getting a turn as narrator. The last story is the new one and the furthest in the timeline of the series. So nice to see Harry, Maggie and Mouse all together in one story.

      Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
    • 3/5
      It's Harry Dresden's world all the way, in snippets of stories that happen between the books.'Nuff said.
    • 4/5
      A good introduction to the world of Dresden. Enjoyable.
    • 5/5
      If you are a fan of the Dresden Files, then by no means should you miss this book. It is a collection of short stories featuring many of the characters in Dresden's world, along with Harry himself in a few. Of the whole collection, I had only read one before, but that may be because I don't buy all the mixed author fantasy anthologies that come out. Jim Butcher does the short story well. Each one feels complete, and yet connected to the world.
    • 5/5
      If I could leave more than 5 Starts I would!
    • 4/5
      I was longing for a return to the dresden-verse, and this hit the spot. Most were things I'd read before, but I loved how they span most of the series -- it ends up being a hit list and review over time. Satisfying.
    • 4/5
      Brief Cases is a fun anthology that will help you get your Dresden Files fix while waiting for Peace Talks to publish. A few of the stories are told from the perspective of Harry Dresden but several of them are told from the viewpoints of other characters found in the series. Voices like that of Anastasia Luccio, Johnny Marcone, Molly and Butters. There is a lot to enjoy in this book. I loved all the different voices that are represented in this short story collection and that was such a treat. Also, the humor was absolutely there! You will really enjoy reading “Jury Duty” because that story is just hilarious in every way!I appreciated all the big foot stories because they were pretty unique and I loved Butters story because hey, it’s Butters after all. I even like Johnny’s story because it had a few twists in it with a whole lot of action. My favorite though was “Zoo Day.” This story is told three ways. First you read it from the perspective of Harry, then you read it from the perspective of Maggie, and finally you read it from the perspective of Mouse! Any story told from an animal’s perspective, especially one as endearing as Mouse, is a winner in my book! Maggie’s perspective was also a heart gripper because she is trying so hard to find her place with her dad.There is much to love with this collection of stories and it is quite sizable. It will also make you realize that there is a lot in the world of Dresden that you may have forgotten too. I know that things came back to me but I am also very glad that I have a little bit of time to go back and reacquaint myself with at least the last story before Peace Talks comes out (ummm, hopefully soon please?!) I definitely recommend Brief Cases to fans of Harry Dresden and for those looking to get a little Dresden fix. It was a great read!This review is based on a complimentary book I received from NetGalley. It is an honest and voluntary review. The complimentary receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.
    • 4/5
      This is a collection of twelve short stories featuring characters from the Dresden Files series. As with most anthologies the quality of the stories varies. The majority of these stories have appeared before in other anthologies, only the last story in this anthology is original to this collection. I had read a number of these stories previously in other UF short story collections.My favorite stories of the bunch were the ones featuring Bigfoot and his son Irwin; I especially enjoyed “Bigfoot on Campus”. I also really enjoyed “Cold Case” which takes a look at Molly starting her duties as the Winter Queen.This is a decent collection of Dresden stories (especially if you don’t keep up with all the short stories released in this universe). It was nice to get a dose of the Dresden Files while we suffer through this long drought between Dresden Files’ books.Overall a good collection of stories and a “must read” if you don’t normally keep up with the Dresden Files short stories. Recommended for fans of the series; most of these don’t stand alone very well. See below for short descriptions and ratings for the individual stories."A Fistful of Warlocks" (4/5 stars)Story featuring Anastasia Luccio, set in the Wild West. She ends up working with Wyatt Earp to fight a group of warlocks that are causing trouble in the region. “B Is for Bigfoot”, Jim Butcher (4/5 stars)This is a short Harry Dresden story in which Dresden is asked to help a half-Yeti boy deal with bullies. It wasn’t all that exciting but was decently written and I enjoyed it.“AAAA Wizardry” (5/5 stars)I really enjoyed this story. In it Dresden is teaching some new Wardens about investigation as a wizard. He jumps between teaching a class and telling a story about a time things went wrong for him because he didn’t look at the situation correctly. Very well done story."I was a Teenage Bigfoot" (4/5 stars)Dresden goes to check on a teenage bigfoot who supposedly has mono; however something much more sinistar is going on. I ended liking this story a lot. It was a fun read and features the same kid as “B is for Bigfoot” did."Curses" (4/5 stars)This was a fun story about Dresden tracking down a fae king who cursed the home plate at Wrigley stadium so that the Cubs never win. It was an entertaining read.“Even Hand” (4/5 stars)A story from John Marcone’s point of view. It was interesting to gain some insight into Marcone. The story was entertaining but over-all nothing mind-blowing."Bigfoot on Campus" (5/5 stars)Irwin is at college now. When his dad (Bigfoot) senses that something bad is going to happen, he hires Harry to go and check on Irwin. What Harry find involves the White Court and ends up in an epic battle involving Bigfoot, ghouls, and vampires. This was an excellent story I was completely drawn and want to read about Irwin more now!"Bombshells" (4/5 stars)This story followed Molly as she tried to deal with some Formar. There was a lot of action in here and it was good to see how Molly fared while Harry was “dead”. I didn’t really like Molly’s “voice” that much and it was hard for me to really engage in this story, it was really dark."Cold Case" (5/5 stars)This was an amazing story that feature Molly as she starts her duties as the Winter Queen. She is there to collect tribut but finds out that something is going very wrong in this town. She ends up meeting up with Carlos who helps her unravel the strange events. During the course of events Molly finds out some truly dreadful facts about what it means to be Winter Queen. This was an awesome story, a bit dark and serious but really engaging and interesting"Jury Duty" (3/5 stars)Super light and fluffy story about Dresden being called to jury duty. He ends up using his investigative skills to keep the defendant from going to jail. It was okay but my least favorite of the bunch so far."Day One" (4/5 stars)This was a cute story about Butters and his first “call” to action as a Knight. It was well done and a fun read."Zoo Day" (4/5 stars)This was the same story told three times from three different POVs (Harry’s, Maggies, and Mouse’s). I liked seeing Harry cope with being a father and seeing Maggie’s and Mouse’s thoughts were interesting. However, I am not a huge fan of this type of thing....it ends up being pretty boring reading the same thing three times.
    • 4/5
      Totally worth it just for Zoo Day. Mouse needs his own book.
    • 4/5
      The strength of this collection is the stories of those around Harry: Molly, Butters, Gentleman John Marcone, Maggie, and Mouse. My favorites were the stories of Butters' first mission as a Knight, and the final "Zoo Story," which keeps unfolding into deeper and deeper layers.
    • 4/5
      I love all the glimpses into Mr. Butcher's other characters and the more mundane parts of Harry's life.
    • 4/5
      Oh, Harry Dresden, how I have missed you! Even though Jim Butcher collated his short story collection, Brief Cases, two years ago, I used this collection to reintroduce myself into Harry’s world. The stories served to refresh my memory and filled in some blanks that I didn’t know I was missing.Within the collection, Mr. Butcher introduces new narrators with their unique points of view they provide. Not only does this go a long way to rounding out our knowledge of Harry Dresden and his character, but these new narrators also emphasize the fact that Harry’s influence is much larger than he may realize.While not necessary for the overarching series, Brief Cases provides a fun way to get to know auxiliary characters a bit more as you wait for the next book in the series. In addition, the different narrators simply served to enhance James Marsters’ consistently excellent narration. For me, Brief Cases was an excellent respite from election anxiety and made me realize just how much I missed this series.
    • 4/5
      A mixed case of stories some better some worse. Mostly set post Changes, not just Harry gets to star, they do fill in a few events referenced in the full novels. Disappointingly it also includes all three of the Bigfoot stories that were included in Side Jobs, and the weakest stories there. They're the weakest stories here too. A much better tale is Molly's and how she gained a favour from the Svartelves, along with her first job as Winter Queen, and Butter's day as Knight, these are real highlights. The final story of Harry and Maggie (and Mouse) is a little odd, esp as Mouse gets a POV, but it is fun.
    • 4/5
      want moar!
    • 4/5
      A collection of eleven short stories set in Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, including several from the POV of various secondary characters, and, oddly, three pieces featuring the teenage son of Bigfoot.Some of these I quite enjoyed, and the best of them reminded me of my I like this series so much, which I think I was beginning to forget after quite some time with no new installments. A lot of them, though, were just... okay. Perfectly readable, but completely lacking in any real spark. The more I think about it, the more I think Butcher's talents really probably really do just work best at novel length. Indeed, the longer stories in here are mostly the better ones.Anyway, it's probably worth reading if you're a fan of Harry Dresden and his weird supernatural world, but mostly it's just made me look forward to the next novel-length volume.