Brief Cases (Dresden Files)

Most of these I have ready previously. None seemed as well crafted as the books. Felt a little as if I was a convenient wallet being opened... Also, not fond of the weirdness going on with Maggie... Just wanting my good old Harry Dresden books back on track again!

This is a mixture of good and ok stories. I really liked the Molly stories, the rest were decent. It is frustrating when an author throws a bunch of old stuff between the covers and offers it to fans as a complete book at a first run price. For me it was a way to placate us fans of Harry Dresden until the next full book

The entire purchase price of Brief Cases is more than worth it for the new story alone. A Mouse point of view is something that I’ve wanted forever. So happy to have it and so happy to see what Butcher used it to introduce. The other stories are entertaining and fun as well but the best parts of those are the intros by Butcher. If only because I’ve already read those short stories in their original publications. I can only imagine how much fun it is for first time readers to get to experience all of these at once.

If you have already read the bigfoot stories, several of the stories within are also previous print. I absolutely adore the Dresden series, and Mr Butcher is incredibly talented, but I was sooooooooo pissed that I paid what I did for this supposed new book of short stories. A loyal fan Incredibly let down by a lazy editor.

Been waiting patiently for new Dresden material and this one disappointed a bit. I had already bought most of the material in other collections and thought they were enjoyable. The new Butters story and Dresden zoo story seemed of a much lesser quality than the others. I've been waiting on the next Dresden book for a while now and was hoping this would be nice interlude. Overall I'd like my money back on this one. Seems to me that Butcher made amoney grab on this one to keep his publishers happy.

I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm disappointed. It felt rehashed and tired. A few hight points but not worth the money, As always,it's just my opinion. I will have to wait for Peace Talks to get my Dresden happiness back.

Just another money grab, by someone who used to be one of my favorite authors...yes when I Ordered it I knew that it was all reprints of stories that had been published before (some more than once) and while overall they are good...still it is disappointing that the one original story was so short, and the length it had was fluffed by telling the exact same story from three different perspectives. Jim really needs to sit down and deliver a anthology of all new short stories or a novel and stop milking the fan base. Ordinarily id say the author owes the public nothing...but in jim's case this isn't the first time and sadly it wont be last he pulls this stunt to drive sales.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

MORE DRESDEN! FINALLY! Okay, so, I'm not going to get into how much Butcher is driving me nuts over here with his newly found George R.R. Martinism. But I will say YAY, because finally more Dresden.

Let's be honest here, though... most of these shorties were already released in other anthologies. Only one is new and original to this anthology. But, as someone who doesn't usually purchase many anthologies unless they are author-specific (like this one, or Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock anthology, or Patty Briggs' Mercyverse anthology) or they have at least two or three shorties by authors I already know and love... this anthology was a gem. I got all of these other shorties without the expense of buying many more anthologies with things I probably wouldn't love in them. :) And we got a brand new standalone story called Zoo Day.

My favorite stories in this collection were the Molly stories, if I'm being honest. She's become a very interesting and easy to relate to character, and it was cool (pun intended!) to see things from her point of view. She's got a lot of challenges ahead of her now, and I think she's going to remain one of my favorite characters in the growing cast.

I also really loved the Butters shorty. Seriously, I love Waldo "POLKA WILL NEVER DIE" Butters. I love all the nerdy references in his stories.

Zoo Day was great... and we got to see some of the story from a VERY cool perspective... MOUSE! I loved it... and loved the quote from a dog's viewpoint: "That might be the hardest part of human heart-stupidity: how much happiness you simply leave aside so that you have enough time to worry." Ain't that the truth? The foo dog speaks truth!

I liked being able to read all of the Bigfoot stories as well, and rereading Marcone's shorty Even Hand was fun too.

Overall, highly recommended to help tide you over if you are jonesing for a Dresden fix, especially if you are like me haven't read most of these shorties.

Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

3 1/2 stars.

I’ve heard a lot of great things over the years about The Dresden Files. I think it’s safe to say it’s synonymous with the Urban Fantasy genre. Unlike most folks, I actually haven’t read the series yet but always wanted to. So when I heard about Brief Cases, a short stories collection by Jim Butcher was coming out; I thought what better way is there to get acquainted with the series then to read short stories taking place in the Dresden World. It was the perfect introduction.

Brief Cases consisted of 12 short stories from The Dresden Files World, some narrated by Harry and other characters in the same world. Most of the stories were previously published in different anthologies and take places at various timeline during the series. I personally don’t read many novellas unless it’s by my favorite authors, but as I said since I am interested in the series It was a great way for me to discover the characters and Butcher’s writing style. Which I gotta say, I really enjoyed it. I also liked that fact that there was an author introduction before each story. The author pretty much set the reader up for what to expect and/or why he wrote the story, a more in-depth explanation into the author’s mind/scene. It was interesting and very helpful.

I think long-time fan will definitely enjoy the book, it’s a great in-between book as they await the next book in the series and those new-to the series, such as myself, will appreciate this glimpse into The Dresden Files World full of all sort of preternatural beings.

While our endless wait for Peace Talks is nearing the end, Jim Butcher gave us another short story collection to enjoy. Unfortunately, there are a few issues with it. First, 4 out of 12 stories are reprints of already published stories. "Working for bigfoot" was incorporated fully into this collection as well as "Cold case" story, which was sold separately before. Nice for those who didn't read them before, but a bit of a problem for fans who already bought them earlier. 1 star off for that, Jim.
Second issue is the last story in the collection, happening in the zoo and it is written from perspective of all three characters. It is childish attempt to make them OP, which is insane since at least one of the characters is nowhere near the level needed to participate in this kind of fight and furhermore, one of the characters, Mouse, doesn't resemble anything close we saw during the fight with Red Court when he conversed with Lea. Very interesting story and I guess Jim is building a premise for the future stories, but it is too much, too soon. 1 more star off.

Overall, not a bad collection with some stories that fill in the gaps from the other books. Worth reading for that alone.

A thoroughly enjoyable collection of shorts that serve either to introduce you to the world and characters of the The Dresden Files or tide you over until the next release of the next full length novel.
Harry, Maggie and Mouse in Zoo Day was my favorite of the bunch.

I received an unexpected but welcomed Advance Reader Copy from ACE, Published by Berkley, An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC and offer an honest review.

1-A Fistful of Warlocks: wherefore Anastasia Luccio of the White Council comes for the warlock Alexander Page, is assisted by deputy Wyatt Earp, and ultimately faces the traitors Grevane and Kemmler.
2-B is for Bigfoot: When Harry contracts with a Wisconsin hairy, or to resolve trouble between scions
3-AAAA Wizardry: Harry decides to pass on wisdom in Chicago and sensitives with a hopped-up boggart
4-I was a Teenage Bigfoot: Meanwhile, back in Wisconsin the nerds are calling out bigfoot, and a poor cure for baldness
5-Curses: Bob the Skull, the fair folk and living with a Goat
6-Even Hand: John Marcone and the Unseelie accords, or training for Harry.
7-Bigfoot on Campus:River meets his son, or the trouble between fathers
8-Bombshells: Training for Thomas or Molly introduces the real Fomor Lord to the Swartavles
9-Cold Case: The ice in Molly’s veins
10-Jury Duty: You’re in the jury pool
11-Day One: the Butters dream quest
12-Zoo Day: Perceptions and experiences of paternity, childhood and dogdom

3.5 Stars

BRIEF CASES is another anthology by Jim Butcher that contains various short stories in the Harry Dresden world. If you’re familiar with the SIDE JOBS anthology, this is a bit of the same thing and considered a sequel to it. As this will release before PEACE TALKS, the stories all take place before then and kind of jump around in the series. So some of them will be before the series and some will take place between certain books. It would be nice to know those details beforehand so that you can full understand the timeline in which these stories occur.

You’ll also get various POVs, including Molly, which is a favorite of mine, so this compilation really does have a good mix for all you loyal Dresden followers. I think it’s a great way to refresh your memory on some details but probably won’t be the best first experience for readers who are looking to try this series. Since the timelines jump around so much, it can get confusing so it’s best to have read the other books in the series first before jumping into it. However, if you’re just wanting to get a taste of Butcher’s writing, I feel like this also captures his voice well.

A must-read for Harry Dresden fans, BRIEF CASES is not something you want to miss!

I have been a Dresden Files fan since I stumbled across the first book in the ship's library. Enjoyed every one and waited patiently for Mr. Butcher to write the next chapter. However after waiting this long this was kind of a let down. I enjoyed the cowboy short, along the lines of Mad Amos by Foster. But I had bought and read the bigfoot shorts so double dipping was painful for the purchase. I understand some authors don't like to write series, while some do. The Repairman Jack series was good but the author disliked having to do them. Mr. Butcher however is a series writer with a long view. Which is great. But something should tell him something when this series of rehashed and new shorts jumped to the NY Times best seller list. People like the series. If he were open to suggestions I would suggest that he pull a Clive Cussler or Patterson and have someone assist with the writings. He'd help the fan base and, God knows, have a steady income and have complete control over the characters. Also, he might get some fresh ideas from someone who knows the series. Something to consider if he reads these reviews.

While there are a lot of books that I’m looking forward to reading this year, I can easily say that Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files short story collection Brief Cases is probably the one I was most excited to see release. I’m honestly not that big a fan of short fiction because it often feels like the story ends as soon as I’m finally starting to get into it, but I’m always happy to read anything by Jim Butcher. Even though I’ve read most of the short stories in Brief Cases multiple times, I was still sucked into this collection the moment I opened the cover and I only stopped reading when I got too exhausted to stay up anymore.

One of my favorite things about the Dresden Files is how much lore and mythology Butcher has used or created over the course of his books, and how detailed and believable he has made this hidden supernatural world. One of the best parts of Brief Cases is how it really helps flesh out parts of Harry’s world that we may not get to see in the main books of the series. We also get a number of stories told from the point of view of characters other than Harry which always adds an interesting aspect to the stories for me. I mean, I love Harry’s stories the most by far, but who doesn’t want to see Luccio fighting warlocks in the wild west or witness Waldo Butters experience his first day on his new job?

We get both of those stories and so many more in Brief Cases that it’s almost impossible to pick out just which stories were the best from the collection. We may not get to see Harry grow as much as a character in these short stories as we do in something like Skin Game, but we do get to see aspects of his life that we might normally only hear about. That helps show us what kind of person he is at the time. Whether he’s training a group of young Wardens or helping watch over Bigfoot’s son, I think every story in this anthology really tells us something about Harry as a person that we didn’t know before. It’s rare for me to like a collection this much, but I would honestly rate both Brief Cases and Side Jobs as two of my favorite books in the entire series.

Now, I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, so I won’t go into many details. However, I will say that while all the stories in this anthology are fantastic, it’s the new story, Zoo Day, that really stands out the most. In Skin Game we got our first real introduction to Maggie and from the moment she was introduced I knew I wanted to see her much more often in the series. So it’s pretty awesome to not only get another story featuring her, but for it to be told from the POV of her, Harry, and Mouse. If Zoo Day is anything to go by, then she is going to be a great character and a fantastic addition to the series and I really hope we see her in more short stories or even in a spin-off series of her own. I mean, I can totally see her and Mouse solving mysteries together like they were a two-person version of the Scooby gang.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Professional authors prefer to be paid for their work. That is as it should be.

When it comes to short fiction (short stories, novelettes, novellas), there are fewer science fiction & fantasy magazines all the time. Another important market for short fiction is themed anthologies.

Authors are invited to submit a story (usually from the most popular novel series/world that the author has) that follows the stated theme. I was surprised that Jim Butcher was asked for a Wild Weird West story but he did come up with one from the Dresden Files world (since we are talking 19th Century, no, Harry Dresden himself is obviously not included in this particular tale).

The only downside, for longtime readers, is that readers may not be aware of all of the different works that get published with their favorite author's latest short story.

The answer is to let the author be paid a second time and let these stories (after a suitably long time period) appear in a collection of the author's OWN stories, all under one cover. The sweetener is one story/novella original to the short story collection.

Brief Cases is the second one such collection for Jim Butcher (Side Jobs was the first).

I thoroughly enjoyed Brief Cases. There was the aforementioned Wild Weird West story, several stories from themed anthologies that I had managed to track down on my own, a Waldo Butters story about his first day as a Knight of the Cross (with his special sword), and a terrific Harry/Maggie/Mouse story (the original tale).

I especially enjoyed even the stories I had read before because having them all under one cover I could see consequences from one story showing up in a later story (which I may have missed before because it was such a long time between when I had read the first story and when I found the second story).

And a final reason to get Brief Cases is the introductions to each story, adding considerable value to this collection!

Highly recommended for longtime Dresden Files fans and all urban fantasy readers who would like to get a taste of this world!

Book source ~ Library

What’s not to love about some short stories in the Dresden Universe? Most are told from Harry’s POV, but there are a few told from other favorite characters’. All are excellent additions to the Dresden Universe.

* A Fistful of Warlocks ~ from STRAIGHT OUTTA TOMBSTONE, edited by David Boop
A story told from the POV of Warden Anastasia Luccio in the Wild West

* B is for Bigfoot ~ from UNDER MY HAT: TALES FROM THE CAULDRON, edited by Jonathan Strahan. Republished in WORKING FOR BIGFOOT
Harry is hired by a Bigfoot.

* AAAA Wizardry ~ from the Dresden Files RPG
Harry is teaching the new wardens and telling them a story of a job.

* I was a Teenage Bigfoot ~ from BLOOD LITE 3: AFTERTASTE, edited by Kevin J. Anderson. Republished in WORKING FOR BIGFOOT.
Harry’s second job for Bigfoot.

* Curses ~ from THE NAKED CITY, edited by Ellen Datlow
Harry is hired to lift the Chicago Cubs curse.

* Even Hand ~ from DARK AND STORMY KNIGHTS, edited by P. N. Elrod
A story told from John Marcone’s POV.

* Bigfoot on Campus ~ from HEX APPEAL, edited by P. N. Elrod. Republished in WORKING FOR BIGFOOT.
Harry’s third job for Bigfoot.

* Bombshells ~ from DANGEROUS WOMEN, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
A story told from Molly’s POV right after Changes.

* Cold Case ~ from SHADOWED SOULS, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie Hughes
Another from Molly’s POV, right after Cold Days.

* Jury Duty ~ from UNBOUND, edited by Shawn Speakman
Harry actually gets a jury duty summons.

* Day One ~ from UNFETTERED II, edited by Shawn Speakman
A story told from the POV of Waldo Butters after Skin Game.

* Zoo Day ~ a brand-new novella, original to this collection
Harry, Mouse, and Maggie spend a day at the zoo. Story is told from all 3 of their POVs.

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.

This short story collection was exactly what I needed to remind myself why I love this universe. These were short, self-contained tales that each had their own unique flavor.

While all of them definitely had something different, my favorites were the Bigfoot stories and the last one in the collection. The Bigfoot stories are a set of three tales that take place at various points in the larger storyline. It was really interesting to watch how Harry handled this rather strange friendship he now has with a mythological being. We join Harry when he first meets his client (aka Bigfoot) in the woods, worried about his half-human son. The second story follows Harry as he ends up protecting Bigfoot’s son a second time. Lastly, Harry has to navigate young love and supernaturals while trying not to make Bigfoot too mad.

The last story of the collection takes place at the zoo. Harry finally gets to spend a whole day with his daughter, Maggie, and his dog, Mouse, and he’s determined not to let anything ruin it. Of course, Harry being Harry, things don’t go as planned. We get to watch this story play out from all three POVs and it was *the best*. I would re-read this one just to enjoy the insight we get into house Mouse operates. There’s magical mayhem, lots of “heart stupidity” and just oodles of love. Oh, and witty banter. So much witty banter!

At the end of this short story anthology, I wish there was a book I could immediately dive right into, but, alas, we still have to wait for the next full length Dresden installment. At least this was a fun taste of things to come.

A book about the Other Wizard Named Harry is always looked forward to in my family.

Harry Dresden is Chicago's only practicing wizard, and as a Warden of the White Council, it is his job to keep the midwest safe from ghoulies, ghosties, and things that go bump in the night. This has gotten him scarred, nearly executed by the Council, laughed at by normal people, and on one occasion, killed (he got better). This is a book of stories about him and those around him: nearly half (five and two-thirds out of twelve) of the stories don't involve Dresden at all; in fact, one of them is set decades before he was born.

The stories narrated by Dresden range from typical Dresden to, in the case of "Curses," something approaching serious art. In three of them, he aids a young half-Bigfoot named Irwin through various troubles that come with being a half-Bigfoot in the mortal world, and those are quite amusing.

The first non-Dresden story, and the first in the book, concerns Warden Anastasia Luccio, chasing a necromance across the Wild West to Tombstone. Tense but a bit off the mark, though if Butcher decides to continue the story I am totally with him.

Then, there is a story narrated by "Gentleman" Jim Marcone, the mobster who runs Chicago and is a signatory to the Faerie Accords. He wants to believe that he is totally amoral, but the monster in this book falls afoul of his "no kids" rule, and Marcone goes to the mattresses.

Two stories - "Bombshells" and "Cold Case" are told by Dresden's erstwhile apprentice, and now Winter Maiden, Molly Carpenter. Both are taught and well told.

Waldo Butters stars in "Day One," the story of his first mission as a Knight of the Cross.

The final story, "Zoo Day," is (to me) the best of the bunch. The first part is narrated by Dresden, the second part by his daughter Maggie, and the last part by a Foo dog named Mouse who hangs around with them.

All in all a good collection of stories, though probably not the best place to start with Harry Dresden.

A wonderful collection of short Dresden stories, just enough to tide fans until the next book (Peace Talks) comes out. I've recently binge read the while series (full review on my blog), so was eager to grab a copy of this novel as soon as it was out.

*** What to expect
Twelve short stories, mostly published originally elsewhere, with one I believe written specifically for this anthology. They represent smaller cases that Dresden took between the main novels in the series. The earliest is set between books 2 & 3, and the latest just after the last published book (mostly between books of the later novels in the series). Most feature Harry in his usual flippant glory, but five stories are written from the perspective of other characters: Anastasia Luccio, Marcone, Molly (two stories), and Butters.

*** What I liked
The stories are mostly on the lighter side ('Bombshells' has the punniest title), providing quick and entertaining reads. Harry spouts his usual wise-cracks, and the other character's points of view are refreshing. All the stories are excellent, but "Zoo Day" is probably my favourite, not the least of which due to it's unique viewpoints.

*** What to be aware of
While a short story collection is often a good way to introduce yourself to an author's style, because this collection happens between volumes of a long running series it is probably not a great place to start. There are a few references that will not make sense, and spoilers when you do read the series.

*** Summary
If you're a Dresden fan, you need this book! Even if you came across some of the stories in other places, it's hard to chase up each anthology. Having them all in one place (plus anything not published elsewhere) makes for a great read. Highly recommended.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.

I'll admit, when I started reading this book I was a bit... miffed. Apprehensive. It's been a long time since I'd been in the Dresdenverse, and I'd been spending a lot of time in other universes. I was impatient for a new book.

[Now don't get me wrong -- I understand authors are human beings with lives and other responsibilities and they don't exist solely to entertain me. I have sort of a cognitive dissonance going on where I am 110% patient when it comes to supporting Mr. Butcher as an author who writes on his own time, while I am also mad at Harry for being away for so long.]

But the Bigfoot stories got to me and pulled me out of my "I miss Harry" funk. The Bigfoot trilogy rose to the top of the collection and showed us the more parental side of Harry. We see this new Harry again in the final story, where a zoo trip with Mouse and Maggie forces all three to face their demons (and some real demons, too.)

Side characters are given their time to shine in this anthology. Even Gentleman Marcone gets an opportunity to be a bit heroic. We see Molly twice, one in a heartrending story of loss, and again when she earns that favor from the dark elves and we see how an illusion mage like herself handles combat magic. (Creatively.)

Waldo Butters steals the show as the new Knight of the Cross. Considering that he wields a sword that looks more like a lightsaber than a holy relic, it should come as no surprise that his first "Call" from the Almighty is quite a bit different from the still, quiet voice that pious Michael had heard.

And who could deny the appeal of Anastasia Luccio subduing some bad guys out in the Old West with Wyatt Earp?

I suppose you could skip this collection and still read Peace Talks, book 16, when it comes out. But why would you want to? This book is just FUN and gives more insight to characters that Mr. Butcher has already fleshed out wonderfully.

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.

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.

I love Harry Dresden and have for many years. I was so excited when I saw it was available for review request. Sadly there was a mix up at the publishers and I was sent the wrong book but they gave me an E-galley right away. Plus I already had the Audio pre ordered so I have actually read and listened to Brief Cases and I have to say if you are in to audiobooks at all, this is a fantastic series to pick up. James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) really is the perfect voice for Harry. But James isn’t the only narrator, each character has their own voice this time and I think they all did a fantastic job.

Brief Cases contains 12 short stories from multiple Characters and time periods. Even though this is a fairly short book and all but one of the stories in it have been published before, I think most of the stories will be new for the majority of readers. Even with all the anthologies I read I had still only come across 3 of these stories before.

If you have never read any of the Harry Dresden books before you could pick this up and enjoy it. That being said I would not recommend doing that. You would miss out on a lot of the inside jokes and Dresdenisims. But for those of us that have been waiting for the next book this is a great appetizer to hold us over until Peace Talks is out. I give Brief Cases 4.5 stars out of 5

Admittedly already a fan of the series, and I have read a lot of these stories in other volumes, but the new ones are worth it. I have yet to find a Dresden Files book that Butcher just phones in. He takes this stuff seriously and I think it shows best in his short fiction. The world building has been so diligent and consistent from the beginning that multiple POV stuff just works without having to orient the reader too hard. (I am speaking of Zoo Day in particular.) I would have not liked this story if he didn't tell it from all sides. It was a fun extension of the last cliffhanger. I reread the Marcone POV story Even Hand and appreciated the story crafting much better on a second read. The first read through of Even Hand had me really thinking ahead about where the plot was going, and I was able to just enjoy the ride. But on second read, there is a lot of character development and relationship tattles that will pay off in future reading I suspect. It was written very well. Tight action, great characters, intriguing story line. When you can be just as excited about POV from a Wizard, an angsty twenty something apprentice, a dog, a small child, and a Chicagoland gangster, you have really achieved a world worth exploring.

If I were rating this book based solely upon new content, I would have given it a 3 1/2, but considering that only Zoo was a new story, I was extremely underwhelmed. First of all, paying again for content I already have in my library was irksome, but not horrible.

Secondly, while I liked the thoughts behind Zoo, I found it quite flawed, especially the portion from Maggie's viewpoint. She didn't have the voice of a 10-year-old. Well, if she was Dr. Sheldon Cooper in female form, I might have found it more believable, but many of the phrases and words she used just don't exist in most typical 10-year-old's vocabulary or scope of reference. I did love being able to hear from Mouse again, though!

Thirdly, I think this has sealed Harry's fate for me. Maybe it's just the whole being hopeful about the new book and being summarily disappointed thing, but really, I think it's mostly that Harry has be losing his shine for me for a while. Here is every single Dresden Files Book in a nutshell - some supernatural ne'er-do-wells get up to evil mischief. Harry intervenes and gets in a fight with them where he uses fire and wind (and now ice) to discourage the aforementioned ne'er-do-wells. He runs out of gas and just about passes out, but not really, he finds a reserve tank and pulls something out of his hat to defeat the foe. All the time, he uses rudeness and a 14 year old boy's sense of humor to show his displeasure when something doesn't go the way he wants it to. Every woman is gorgeously beautiful, there are no dumpy, frumpy, middling women in his world or scope of notice. And Harry always goes off playing the poor me, it's all my fault martyr when grown ups choose to act on the little bit of information he shares with them when going to them for help.

But the worst part is that after EVERYTHING that Harry's been through, he is still exactly the same guy he was in book 1. He hasn't grown one iota outside of notching up on the magic scale. Emotionally and spiritually, he has gained absolutely zero ground and just keeps going round and round the same mountain.

A great way to dip your toes into the world of Harry Dresden. I'm a huge Urban Fantasy fan but believe it or not, I've never read any of the Dresden Files books. I know! Its hard to believe. But here comes Brief Cases and something in me says "Hey, why not give it a try?"

So I do. And I loved it. And now I need to go and binge the entire series because its just that good!

Brief Cases is a collection of short stories from the HD world—the one with Maggie and Mouse was my favorite—but whether you're a new reader of the series or a current one, I think you'll easily find something to enjoy here.

The shorts are full of compelling characters, both good and devious, and give an exciting peak into the world without the fear of a 16 book series commitment (because yes thats how long the series is at the moment once Peace Talks come outs.) But trust me when I say that you're going to happily walk into that 16 book series commitment after you read Brief Cases. 

If you love edge of your seat adventures, witty one-liners, and exceptional character development, you'll love Brief Cases

I read the first Harry Dresden book Storm Front in July of 2014 and was instantly hooked. This series about a professional wizard/PI, who was also a bit of a rebel, just resonates with me. However, it was not just Harry, but all of the other characters around him that made this series so interesting. The villians; the Fae, evil and semi-good, but espeially Harry’s equivalent of Buffy’s Scooby Gang (Karrin Murphy, Bob the Skull, The Carpenter Family, Thomas Raith, Waldo Butters, Toot-Toot, his daughter Maggie, and his dog Mouse) always drew me in, and kept me from engaged, unable to put the book down. The last book, Skin Game, was a sad moment because it appeared as if Harry’s day in books had ended. I know there are graphic novels available but it is just not the same thing, at least to me. So when Brief Cases was released I was overjoyed. This collection is a mixture of short stories, feturing Harry and some featuring others such from the family. The last story, The Zoo, told from the perspective of Harry, his daughter Maggie, and his dog Mouse was especially good. I hope that we see more Harry Dresden stories in book format.

I have been a fan of Mr. Butcher for years, but I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of short stories. However, I miss this series so much, (Oh, how I miss Harry!), I had to read this collection as I generally don’t read them included in other anthologies. Yes, most of these have already been published but not all together, so if you are expecting new “cases,” you won’t really find any. However, it was great to be back in Harry’s universe again. I really enjoyed these stories for the most part; no one can deny Mr. Butcher is a great storyteller. He is a great writer, and his stories are filled with fun, great plots, and lots of witticisms. I so enjoyed seeing Molly, Butters, Mouse, I could go on and on. One thing I will admit: this book makes me almost resent that we don’t have Peace Talks yet….deep breath. Yes, I know I must have patience, but really? This long?!? LOL! If you are fan, you will love these stories. If you haven’t read Mr. Butcher before, you can read these but will miss a lot of the subtleties. Highly recommend! I was provided a complimentary copy of the e-book which I reviewed voluntarily.

Man, I love these books so much. In this short story collection, my favorite is the last story, which features (eventually) Mouse as the near-omniscient narrator. Great stuff.

I've felt really, really sorry for Harry for about a decade now. He's always doing heroic stuff, scraping by by the skin of this teeth (or not), and he almost never gets enough to eat. Yes, you can be too thin.

In the first book, he gets a steak at McAnally's. In the next few books, that steak devolves to a steak sandwich. Soon after that, the best he can afford is Burger King, and not even all the time. (Don't get me wrong -- I like Burger King -- but it doesn't quite hit the spot every single time.) And when Harry gets pizza, it's not Chicago deep dish (which I enjoyed myself tonight). It's always Pizza 'Spress, apparently the cheapest kind possible, because he's broke and he needs a lot of pizza to bribe Toot & Co.

I know the books aren't real. If they were real, I'd stay far away from Harry, because he draws a lot of fire and I don't want to die yet. But if he were real, and there were a safe way to do it, I'd buy him and his friends a really blow-out meal from time to time. If you're going to save the world, maybe the world can stand you a few square meals, y'know? If I couldn't quite afford that -- the Dresdenverse has a very full cast by now, and it keeps expanding! and I bet Mouse and the Alphas could eat a ton -- I'd go to Costco and buy my weight in steaks, potatoes, and veg and cook them myself for the crew.

That's all. The books are great, but they're very hungry books. Now that Harry is the Winter Knight it's not quite so bad, but I've spent a dozen books wondering how he manages to rush around, do magic, and stay upright on a calorie deficit of 2-4kcal/day. Kind of distracting, half-expecting your protagonist to keel over from hunger during all those crucial scenes.

Just my 2 cents. Wonderful books. Please do feed the boy and his friends.

The Dresden Files is one of my favorite series, and it's been A WHILE since the last book (published in 2014!!). This is the second book of shorts that has come out since then - the earlier one (the Bigfoot Trilogy) is entirely encompassed in this collection, which I thought a little odd, but anthologies like this are intended to bring multiple-sourced shorts into one place, so it was alright. It's a credit to Butcher and the strength of this series (and the depth of the character and interconnected-plot-lines development) that I never mind rereading them though. There's always something new I find, and even the stuff that I remember never fails to entertain read after read... I also love that Butcher plays around with perspective in his shorts - many of them are set in alternate voices that really help bring supporting characters to life and give a sense of richness to the entire series. This is a great tide-over, but I'm SO ready for the next full book!!

Even though I've read all the stories but one in this collection I really enjoy the Dresden universe and the characters. Jim Butcher can make me feel, angry and laugh out loud all on one page. He's one of my favorite storytellers. The one new story, 'Zoo Day' was told in a unique manner; in three parts from three different first character viewpoints. I enjoyed the novelty of going back and reimagining some of the story in three different ways. We also get some rather interesting new information about Harry's daughter Maggie and his long time furry companion Mouse. It's interesting to see each player dealing with their own problems that the others are completely blind to. Some may be upset at what's tantamount to filler in the series, buying an entire book to get one short story but I enjoyed the walk down memory lane. The oddball, quirky side stories Butcher wrote along the way as he turned out the main Dresden Files books are fun, quick reads.

Spoiler-ific review

I received this book for free for the purposes of review.

The book will be published June 5th, 2018. Go buy it folks!

I read Side Jobs when it came out years and years ago and loved it. As a fan of the Dresden Files, I have to say that Butcher is just as talented at writing short fiction as he is writing long-form prose, if not more talent. While I must admit to not liking the present End-Of-The-World direction the Dresdenverse overall is heading, the smaller case-files these short stories represent REALLY do the detective-narrative style justice.

Most of all I liked 'A Fist Full of Warlocks,' a short story set in the Wild West. Starring Anastasia Luccio (aka Dresden's on-again-off-again cougar love interest) as a gun-slinging cowboy hunting down a rogue British warlock, it was a hollering good time. Quite frankly, the short was so good I would love it if Butcher wrote a book (or three) set in the Wild West. It's concept of 'The Wild West, with Kemmler's Black Council against the Gunslingers of the White Council' was truly compelling.

Highly recommended you pick up this anthology if you're even a small-to-medium fan of the series.

Stay Sunny!

Short story collections have a poor track record for me. I often really enjoy only one out of every six or more in a book, and since this one is expensive as ebooks go, I put it on my wishlist and kinda forgot about it, until some awesome friends gifted it to me for my birthday. My husband got to it before I did, and tore through it in record time, and loved it. And I? I hereby declare that this is one of the best birthday presents I've ever received. I wasn't blown away by every story, but they are all good. And the last one, "Zoo Day"? A stunner.

Yes, you really need to be current with the series to enjoy these stories, particularly the last few. If you haven't read The Dresden Files series, I envy you.

It's been way too long since we've had a new Dresden Files book! I waited and did not read any of the short stories he released since writing Side Jobs, because I figured he would do another collection. For me, all the stories were new and I enjoyed each and every one of them. These stories sated my desire, temporarily, for more from Harry's world. Having read through the series twice.... I am trying to patiently wait for Peace Talks but that's getting harder each day. The day that it comes available for pre-order, I'll be getting it!

I liked each story for different reasons but especially enjoyed the ones from Molly's perspective. I find her journey intriguing and addicting!

I, like most Dresden File fans, am anxiously awaiting Peace Talks - the next installment in the series. Until that release, I was very excited to get Brief Cases. I purchased the audiobook version because James Marsters - of course, but was pleasantly surprised to have additional narrators for Molly's stories and for Butters' as well. The only drawback for me is that the Bigfoot stories were included in this anthology. For those who have not previously read/listened to them, I can see that this would be ok. I already own these stories and felt a bit cheated. Now that I've finished, I am still waiting with baited breath for my DF fix.

I say again, Wow! Where have I been all of Jim Butcher's writing career? This is my first experience with this author and the Dresden universe, and I am delighted. There is now a whole new segment of magic and mayhem available. I especially liked the author's introduction/backstory to each short case narrative, and it has made me eager to read more, more, more. Thank goodness for the public library and K-Unltd, as the cost of these books is quite high--I am sure they are more than worth it, but I am a pensioner and have to count my pennies. Thank you, Mr. B!

When I bought this, in hardcover no less, I was hoping for a stopgap in my new Dresdenless world ( even I have to admit to taking a break in rereading previous books... for the umpteenth time) I knew they were mostly previously published works, some I had, some I didn't. I bought other anthologies before, soley for a Dresden story, Usually, I never found an author I liked ( Rob Thurman and the Cal Leandros stories being tbe exception, but that's a whole other disappointing story) so I learned to wait until they would get compiled and published in an all Dresden book .
Well, disappointed hardly seems to cover it. I could have told you which stories were new and which were older simply by the style and just enjoyability. I really didn't like the zoo story, the other character voices were just off, and while I have never been a foo dog, I have been a little girl and Maggie just sounded wrong. I did enjoy the other stories very much, I just hope this is not shades of things to come; but if it is, I can just reread the old books for the umpteenth and one time.

I've read some of these stories before, but it doesn't matter.
This is just EXCELLENT.
The last story is worth the price of the book.
I think as far as favorite books go, this ties with 'Ghost Story' and 'Dead Beat'.
Jim writes with a lot of detail but the reading goes fast, unfortunately. And the introduction before each story is insightful. Even if he did go to an Oklahoma university, he is darned brilliant. He started writing at a younger age than I did and he is a master at story telling. I'm far from it.

Earlier reviews seemed almost dismissive of this book. I frankly don't agree. The stories are varied, both in perspective and in the timeline, but they are very good stories. I would also add that this combines stories from disparate books and I appreciate getting them all in one place. Finally, there are new stories in here that are fun to read. From Capt Luccio, Irwin, Molly, Waldo, and eventually Harry, Maggie, and Mouse at the Zoo. All worthwhile stories, all told with the same flair as any Dresden novel. Some of the stories are certainly repeats, but they accentuate the new material...not detract from it. So take a breath and enjoy the masterful storytelling of a gifted writer.

Butcher does it again. Every time I have the opportunity to dive into the Dresden Files I come up smiling. It is always a treat when we get to focus on some of the lesser, and I use that term with hesitation, characters in the series. Marcone, Butters, Maggie, and Mouse all get to take their turn in the spotlight. We gain new insights into these characters that make me appreciate them even more. I actually find myself wanting to go back and reread the series again with the fresh perspective these stories have offered. The three stories that appeared in "Working for Bigfoot" are also included in this collection, but I didn't mind one bit. Revisiting my favorite Dresden short story, "Bigfoot on Campus", is always a treat.

Oh man. This is an excellent book full of excellent short stories about one of my favorite worlds. It’s great to get back into Harry Dresden’s head, and even better to also get into the heads of a few other characters from the series. The Bigfoot stories are a highlight, but the other ones do not lag behind whatsoever.

I need more main series Dresden Files books! But this collection will help anyone scratch that itch.

You never know what to expect from a collection of short stories, since they're often experimental trials of ideas that never made it into the full novel. Brief Cases was a pleasant surprise: The quality of the writing arguably is consistently better than the full novels, and the mini-stories articulated well with the central storyline of the Dresden Files. What Butcher did was to explore some tangential ideas that couldn't be incorporated in his linear narrative, but otherwise supplement the plot already laid out in the Dresden Files with some provocative added dimensions. Definitely worth the read -- especially since it's been a while since Butcher released a new Dresden File.

I love this series and I love short stories, so this was a real treat for me. All but one of the stories have been printed in previous anthologies, so several were familiar to me, but there were also a bunch that I hadn't read before. I particularly loved the stories that were written from other characters (Marcone, Molly, Butters, Maggie & Mouse) POV -- such fun! I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Most of these stories were new to me, so that was pleasant. For the most part, I enjoyed these additions to the Dresden Files universe. I was particularly delighted to read about Molly.The one story that didn't work well for me was the newest, Zoo Day, as telling the story from the three viewpoints felt repetitious and irritating. YMMV.

Brief Cases are short stories based in the Dresden World. Not all have Harry as the main character. A few have Molly, one had Butters and one even has Gentleman Jim.

The stories are all entertaining and enlightening. A wonderful taste of the world I love. So glad I saw the announcement and was able to buy the book.

YOU MAY NOT WANT TO BUY THIS IF YOU'RE A JAMES MARSTERS FAN. After the debacle of Ghost Story you'd think that Rock Books and Jim Butcher would realize that many of us buy the Dresden Files books for James' performances. I cannot believe that they didn't have James voice Anastasia Lucio or Marcone or any of the other characters who he "voices" as Harry telling his stories. Jeez! James fabulously voiced Karen Murphy and Thomas Wraith in a previous anthology. Now I have to buy this damned book like Ghost Story before they had James re-record it, so I can imagine James performing the material. This is a huge betrayal to all the Dresden Files fans who love the series because of James Marsters' performances.

I've read many of the stories previously but it's nice to have an audio version. Butcher did an excellent job reading (as well as the other performers) and should consider recording his books more often. The author notes were interesting. I have no regrets buying the anthology.

A refreshing view of magic. Short stories often centered on interesting characters who appeared in longer novels. Also some of Harry Dresden the wizard himself himself as he navigates criminal investigation for hire in modern day Chicago.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked these stories. I guess maybe I was hungry for any Dresden stories since it's been a while. The last story Zoo Day, was my favorite. Butcher really hit it out of the park on that one!!

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher , another book of short stories that fill in some gaps in between the books. Most are available elsewhere in other short story books but that last one of Zoo Day is AWESOME, Butcher has done it again.

It's been years since the last Harry Dresden story. Do we get a new tale? No, we get short stories about things that, for the most part, occur earlier in the Harry Dresden universe. They were interesting and enjoyable, but I would prefer something that occurs next in the Dresden story, not just things that occurred earlier in the tale. I did enjoy the stories, but, after waiting so long for a Dresden tale, I had hoped for more.....

Great stories - I ended up even liking the audiobook. I am beginning to think that I'd like Butcher to just write more than attempt to stick to schedules, there is a whole lot of good beginnings in this book.

Cant say enough on how I enjoyed these short stories! Every single one of them was unique and absolutely fantastic. Jim just needs to put some more out and quicker this time!! I didn't think i would enjoy Molly's stories but she is really growing on me and could easily hold her own series the same goes for Dresden's daughter! I look forward to the next Dresden series! Thanks Jim!!

Excellent series of short stories filling out the timelines of Dresden and other characters. The last is especially my favorite has it's a rashomon kind of tale which introduces a new evil I hope gets more play in coming books..

This review is strictly for the audiobook: After 16 books of James Marsters reading the Dresden Files and mastering all the characters therein, I was a bit disappointed to see that he only read about half the stories in this collection. I get that a number of the stories were from other character's perspectives (kind of missed Harry in them), but, as stated, Marsters had already mastered those characters as well and it was a bit disconcerting and disappointing to here someone else read them.

I SO MISS the Dresden Files and wish we could get more in the series! This was a tantalizing taste of why these books are so great! I was, once again, lost in Chicago and loved hearing how Molly was advancing . Come on Jim, get to work and keep on writing! We are never disappointed by your creative content and sly humor!

The Dresden Files Series is one of the most entertaining set if stories I have ever read.
The Audiobooks are even better with James Marsters excellent storytelling. Don't miss out on these stories, you will share them with everyone you know.

Another damned anthology. A money maker to tide things over until he can, if possible, ever release Peace Talks. I wish he'd either stick a knife in the series and let us all off the hook, or get on with it. What the hell do I care about snippets? They don't advance the story at all.

Some stories previously published, which I already purchased. Poor character development, which was supposedly the purpose of these very short, insignificant ‘cases.’ If they were higher quality stories with greater insight into the minds of the character, no problem. But these stories kinda make me think less of the supporting characters. I wish I could unhear his dog talking/thinking.

Very disappointing. like others that have stated, i feel like i got ripped off. Too many repeat short stories from Working for Bigfoot and Shadowed Souls. the new stuff was good but i wish i hadn't bought this.

It would be no nice if we could get something other than Dresden. He does have the ability to write some truly good stories. I loved Codex Alera and The Aeronaut's Windlass. I know Dresden is his money maker, but I've never really enjoyed them. I'm sure my opinion is probably unpopular and his fan base would disagree. Still, think of the other types of readers to be reached. I'm an epic/high fantasy lover myself and I know Butcher can pull those type of stories off.