Working for Bigfoot

Pro: Jim Butchers stories! Fun and frantic! Waiting the next Dresden novel. Note, I stated "novel" not "appetizer."

Cons: I paid HOW MUCH for this?!? It's tiny!!! Damn...I should have gotten the Kindle version.

Lesson: ALWAYS read the description before mashing the Add to Cart button.

Jim Butcher strikes again, unsurprisingly. River is a wonderful addition to Dresden lore. Harry needed him, and he needed Harry. Thanks for putting the three stories together in one place. Don't forget River (and family) for future Dresden books!!!!

Bigfoot River Shoulders has a problem. He had a son with a normal human mother who keeps finding himself in trouble with the spooky side of life, trouble his mother is not equipped to deal with. He can't exactly pass for a local to g help his son, either. So, being the savvy Sasquatch that he is, he retains the services of Chicago's only professional Wizard Detective as his proxy.

From Dark Elves, to Dark Magic, Vampires and Ghouls galore, it falls to Harry Dresden to protect and guide young Irwin through supernatural troubles that the normal world really doesn't want to believe in, and does it's level best to deny. Its enough to make a wizard want to retire and drink beer all day at McAnally's Pub.

Reading so far has been decent but seriously, 31.50?!?!? For three short stories? Are you kidding me Subterranean?

That is utterly absurd and the reason I'm rating this a 3. That's just absurd.

Sorry Jim but very disappointed in this grab for cash by you and the publishers.

You want a great Bigfoot story, this is it. I love any thing to do with Bigfoot because of the mysteries surrounding Bigfoot. Is there one or not? Who knows? This is a great Jim Butcher story series with Harry Dresden, I love this Character. Who doesn't like a Wizard?

If you need your Dresden Files fix, here is the book for you. Three lighthearted and very readable short-stories or novellas, all with a central theme- that of (of course!) Working for Bigfoot! Harry is hired by a BIG Bigfoot to protect his half-human son, Irwin.

Hearken back to the Harry Dresden of old with: "B is For Bigfoot", where Harry dons a janitors uniform to help Irwin. Then at a fancy private high school ''I Was a Teenage Bigfoot,'' Harry is called in again. Lastly, Irwin is a freshman in college in ''Bigfoot on Campus,'' where we get some new entanglements with the White Court.

These are really Harry Dresden at Jim Butchers best, but you do only get 136 pages. Personally, I thought it was worth it. Your Milage May Vary- how much do you want more Harry Dresden? This is not the book for the first time Dresden reader, but rather for the dedicated fan (which I am, unabashedly). Very readable, with a few chuckles.

I chose this book because it fills in a gap between books in the Dresden Files. It was a nice short read and it introduced a character who was mentioned several times in the latest book. I think that Butcher is a master of his craft, but his novels are far better than his short stories.

Moar, I want more of the every day magical pi cases that Dresden has dealt with. Don't get me wrong I like the books, but these side stories are so fun, plus they let butcher tell more of the dresden verse while jumping out of the power and strength growth that starts to limit some challenges or further suspend our disbelief

Huge fan of Jim Butcher's work. Dresden files and Alera series are some of favorites. This book consists of 3 short stories and a very loose frame around them. Entertaining, but not nearly to the depth of his other books. I don't regret buying it, but eagerly awaiting his next full length novels.

It's a good read, especially if you like Jim Butcher. However, his other works are better. It doesn't really tie deeply into the series so you're not missing out by skipping it. If you're just looking for something good to read on a flight or to kill time it's worth the money.

This set of three short stories is like a frozen margarita, it is better the deeper down you get in. The first story was just (to quote Harry Dresden himself) "meh". The second one was much better and the third one was outstanding. If you have not read any previous Dresden books, this is probably not the one to start with. I love the Dresden stories and am eagerly awaiting the first book of his new series.

I have read all of the Dresden books and I am awaiting the next. I was looking to cure my fix but this didn't do it. The stories were alright but clearly written for various anthologies, one being for younger readers. I would say that next time I will wait for the real thing, but I still probably won't.

Working for Bigfoot is a decent collection of 3 short stories. As is true for all of Jim Butcher's work, it's reasonably well written and the stories are enjoyable. However I'm having a really hard time seeing how it's worth even $6.99 kindle price. Since reading all three stories took under an hour, the value proposition just isn't there.

If I had been foolish enough to pay the full price ($31.00!!) I would have been demanding a refund of my money.

Dresden is one of my favorite Characters but, he was kind of muted and boring in this installment. I'm tired of the repackaging of short stories that have already been in an anthology...well Played Butcher...well Played

Classic Dresden, and great to revisit Chicago's resident wizard back when he was a little less dark and angsty.

Anyone who doesn't realize this is an anthology of previously published stories didn't pay ANY attention to the item description. Anyone who leaves a negative review BECAUSE of that says WAY more about themselves than about this book.

I had not encountered these stories before, and I would say thatJim Butcher is still in fine form here!

Decent short Dresden stories, though you can probably skip them even if you read and liked the rest of the Dresden files.

The reason I gave three stars was that I got pretty annoyed by Irvine's transformation from the nice shy kid he is in the first two stories to the belligerent football jock he is in the third. Jim Butcher's usually really good at writing likable characters, and it's pretty frustrating he messed up with this kid.

Standard Harry Dresden fare. Know what you are getting when you pick this up...a light-hearted, quick read. However, in the 136 pages, you will still get drawn into the world that Butcher creates and become invested in the newly introduced characters.

A four-star book that I added an additional star for references to my now-retired college physics professor, Stu "Dr. Indestructo" Ryan.

Boomer Sooner.

Butcher never disappoints, and this is a great entry into the Dresden world. It was refreshing in a way to read a story with Harry far less weighted down by the drama of his later lifetime. Characters were great, and the witty humor was in target. Nice stuff.

While I enjoyed all 3 stories & I'm certainly glad to get a Harry Dresden fix after such a long time without anything new, describing this book as three novellas is deceptive. A novella is a short novel, these are definitely 3 short stories, I think it only took me 2 hours to get through them. If I had bought the hardcover book at the price they're asking, I would have been really angry, & this would have been a 1 star review.

As a wizard, Harry Dresden takes cases from all sorts of people -- and many of them aren't actually human.

So guess what kind of client he's working for in "Working For Bigfoot," a collection of three interconnected short stories about a Sasquatch who keeps hiring Harry to look after his young son. It's a solid three-part story spread over several years, allowing us to see the son growing up and constantly encountering supernatural dangers that Harry must rescue him from. Never ever mess with a Bigfoot's kid.

In "B is for Bigfoot," Harry is called out to the woods to meet a Bigfoot called Strength Of A River On His Shoulders, who wants Harry to check in on his half-human son, Irwin. At first it seems like a fairly standard case of bullying... but of course, Harry is never called in on non-supernatural cases. And in this case, Irwin's school has a nasty supernatural creature that has a particular fondness for bullies.

"I Was A Teenage Bigfoot" skip ahead a few years, to when River Shoulder asks Harry to investigate a seemingly ordinary occurrence: his son has developed mono. Ordinary for a human, but not for a half-Forest Person child. And when Harry does his magic woowoo, he discovers that poor Irwin isn't just sick -- dark sorcery is being threaded through his aura, leeching off his energy. And if Harry doesn't stop whoever has done it, the boy will die.

Finally, "Bigfoot on Campus" has Harry being called on again by River Shoulders, whom he is pushing to make contact with his son, since he's never actually told Irwin that his dad is a Bigfoot. In the meantime, Harry goes to check on Irwin... and discovers that Irwin's college girlfriend Connie is a White Court vampire who has no idea what she actually is. And once more, if Harry doesn't intervene -- with the help of River Shoulders -- Irwin's life might be over.

"Working for Bigfoot" is actually more like a novella like three separate stories, since the Bigfoot in question keeps hiring Harry to handle the same person's problems, and each story follows up on stuff brought up before it. In particular, there's the whole subplot about Harry pressuring River Shoulders to make contact with his son, and be a proper if mostly-absent dad -- it flows better as one subdivided story.

And of course, Butcher presents us with stories that manage to be both funny ("I can't think of a sexier first impression than a man quoting Yakko and Wakko Warner") and chillingly dark (the sociopathic svartelf). His robust prose and snarky descriptions ("The dorm sounded like a medley of pay-per-view wrestling and The Island of Doctor Moreau") keep everything moving along at a swift smooth pace, although the stories are somewhat simpler than Butcher's longer fare.

And he does an excellent job with Bigfoot Sr. and Jr -- River Shoulders is an endearingly odd depiction of the Forest People, with his constant requests for cigarettes and his ongoing relationship with a rather tough human woman, while we see Irwin evolve from a mild-mannered nerd into a strong young man who knows quite a bit about the supernatural world. And of course, Butcher indicates quite a bit about the Forest People, their interactions with the human world and their powers without even having to visit more than one of them. Quite nice.

"Working for Bigfoot" is a solid accompaniment to Butcher's main Dresden Files series, and gives us a solid look into Harry's professional life when he isn't saving Chicago and/or the world. A fun collection of tales.

Complete and utter rip-off. Only three VERY short stories and none of them first run. All previously printed in other anthologies. Butcher and his publisher owe a refund to anyone who paid for this shill.

Working for Bigfoot is comprised of three short stories, interconnected by both Harry Dresden and the son of a Bigfoot. Harry is hired by Irwin's father to watch over his son at three pivotal moments in his life. The issues that are raised are such that Harry is uniquely qualified to dispatch, which is the central premise to Working for Bigfoot.

I was entertained by the audio version of this book and was genuinely disappointed that it came to a close so quickly. Although I have not read many of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series, this compilation has definitely spurred my interest. Readers who are familiar with the character will enjoy Working for Bigfoot, although knowledge of Harry Dresden is not a prerequisite to reading this book.

Jim Butcher is a master storyteller. His Dresden File novels have a story arc that builds sequentially from novel to novel, and it is a gripping story line that leaves me panting for the next book. But I also liked the early novels when Harry Dresden is the only working Private Investigator-wizard in Chicago. Fortunately, Butcher has two books of short stories that recount more episodes of Dresden as just a PI/wizard. "Side Jobs" was his first book of short stories, and "Working for Bigfoot" adds three more short stories/novellas to the Dresden canon. the Dresden files are fun to read because of Harry's (and Butcher's) quirky sense of snarky humor. If you have never read any of the Dresden Files, "Working for Bigfoot is a good place to start.

This combination of three novellas is delightful. Its simpler storytelling and skewed more towards the young adult market than the typical Dresden Files novel, but you have to expect that with novellas and Bigfoot's growing son as the center of the stories...

I really enjoyed reading them and hope Jim Butcher decides at some point to return to the topic of the Bigfoot community and what becomes of the main character in these stories...

The sexual content is there (in the final story), but its not graphic, and the violence is there, but there's really no getting around violence in the Harry Dresden world. I wouldn't recommend these to really young kids, age ten or younger, but I expect teens have been exposed to far worse at the cinema at this stage in their lives and would find these stories tame by comparison.

4-4.5 stars

This trio of stories was really enjoyable. The description gives a good rundown of what the stories are about. I will say that I liked both Irving and his dad (Bigfoot) and was glad that Harry was able to help them out. They were very good and I'd recommend these stories....TBH, these are removed from the main series enough, I think they could be read by people that haven't tried the series.

* note - I listened to the audio version of this story and James Marsters did a great job with the narration.

This a reissue of three wonderful short stories, originally released separately in anthologies, set in the world of The Dresden Files.

It turns out Bigfoot has a half-human son, and his unique nature courts trouble from time to time. Fortunately there's a professional wizard to help out.

Since these stories take place a bit back in the Dresden Files timeline, we blessedly get more of occasionally bumbling Harry instead of superhero Harry, which suits me just fine.

Even combined, this is barely novella-length. A quick, excellent read. Given the price, I recommend using your local library's paper or digital copies.

Highest recommendation for fans of Harry Dresden.

I listened to the audiobook version, and once again, James Marsters nailed it. He has become Harry Dresden to me. When I read the books now, it's voice I hear in my head. He just does an absolutely amazing job.

As for the stories themselves, they were wonderful. Were they short? Yep. But that's what short stories/novellas are. Short. I knew what I was going in for by reading the synopsis to the book (I'm not quite sure why people complain about stories being too short when it's right there in the description). Do I want more? You betcha! But I'm very satisfied. Very content. Got my Dresden fix for a while. FYI, the final story was simply genius. The perfect climax to this anthology.

First off, I love the Dresden Files, I enjoy Jim Butchers work.
Secondly, these are not Novellas. These are three short stories. Granted three good, fun, Harry Dresden short stories, but short stories none the less.
Thirdly, all three stories have been previously published in three separate anthologies, Under My Hat, Blood Lite III & Hex Appeal respectively.
And fourth and finally, why am I going to pay $35 for 3 short stories that I can buy in three books with a couple of dozen additional stories thrown in for a price of, are you ready, $8.23 plus shipping.
Most of us who love the Dresden Files already have them anyway.
My suggestion; read the anthologies and wait 6 months to a year and buy a used copy off the store for under ten bucks.

Update, these wonderful stories will soon be available in yet another compilation due, out in mid 2018, called Brief Case's.
(Hint: What did P.T. Barnum say was born every minute? ) cha-ching!

As always, James Marsters does a brilliant job bringing Harry and the other characters to life. He takes Butchers' excellent writing to another level. Together they make a perfect team. I'm not usually a huge fan of short stories but these were entertaining. Each story is more exciting and intense than the one before it. The first one was sweet, the last was more in line with what we've come to expect from Harry and his showdowns with villains. This one is definitely only for fans. It's especially nice while we wait for the next full length novel.

I got this from a humble bundle pack, and it was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. This is a complete spinoff from the main Dresden series and is a lighthearted response to the more serious and gritty part of the series. Cute if you like Dresden files and need a break from the more serious tone of the main series.

As always, each book ends with the urgent search for the next Dresden book. The characters are addictive and the world Butcher creates is like a vacation spot you wish you could live in. Wonder, magic, snarky attitude and endings that come with enough salt and sour that they are satisfying with none of that saccharine-only stuff that ruins so many endings in this genre. Please write faster Mr Butcher.

IF Jim Butcher ever wants to leave the wizarding world of Harry Dresden for a Bigfoot series, I'll be among the first in line to buy!!

After a long reading relationship with Harry Dresden (wizard) and company (vampires, werewolves, fairies, trolls, Mafia and more), I suppose Bigfoot was the next natural storyline. And this is the BEST YET!!

I'm biased because I love the Dresdenverse, but this short collection of stories is a hell of a lot of fun and if you enjoy Butcher's writing (or others in the same vein like Patricia Briggs or early Laurel K Hamilton etc), you'll like it a lot.

A bit bland for Butcher. I’m a fan....but this fell a bit flat...kind of like expecting to bite into a juicy steak (forgive me if you are a vegetarian), and getting a dried out hunk of an old cow. He needs to finish
“ Peace Talks” and quit messing around...emphasis on mess.

I love Harry Dresden and this was no exception. My only complaint would be it was to short.
I loved the fact that Bigfoot beat the crap out of the ghouls. A follow-up with Connie and Bigfoot s son needing help from Harry seems to be a logical step in the future.

Another brilliant book from the Dresden files. It may just be a collection of short stories, BUT it worked as a whole. It was good to see Harry maintain a supernatural friendship. The twist in the 3rd story was quite good.

I love Jim Butcher, and really enjoyed this collection of short stories between full-length novels. I think all three stories were previously published, but they are all about Harry Dresden helping the son of Bigfoot. Very creative and amusing!

3.5 Three fun stories of Harry Working for Bigfoot protecting his son over the years. Great characters, sweet stories and I needed more. Love Harry. I hope we see more character driven shorts like this

All of the Harry Dresden books are intense, filled with the age-old battle of Good vs. Evil. Good (i.e., Harry) always wins, but the trip is usually dangerous and scary. For those of us who love Harry but are a little burned out on epic, end-of-the-world storylines, these three Bigfoot stories are terrific. Only Butcher could mix Harry with a 9-foot-tall Chewbacca lookalike to create a story rich with the trials of fatherhood and hysterically funny at the same time.

Jim Butcher must be getting tired of writing about Harry Dresden. Which is frustrating, because this new book is just as good as his earlier novels, but it's just a collection of three short stories. Very short stories. That's why he only gets three stars - the book is too short.I was hoping for a novel-length collection. The writing itself is great. I read the whole book in less than an hour on my lunch break today.

I have enjoyed the Dresden series, and these short stories were no exception. They are a quick read, but bring back some of the fun from earlier in the series as well as a side storyline I wouldn't mind in a future book.

I am a big fan of the Dresden Files, so I was happy to read this set of novellas about Chicago’s most famous Wizard. Each story centers on a mystery involving Bigfoot’s son, who’s raised by his human mother. These stories are fast-paced, fun reads that are over too quickly – but none of them disappoint. With Harry’s humor, a bit of mystery, new engaging characters, and plenty of magic – Working For Bigfoot is a must-read for all Dresden fans.

If you like the Harry Dresden books, you'll like this one. Fun stories that enrich the Dresden-verse. If you're new to the Dresden-verse and you aren't a purist who must start with Book 1, dipping your toe in the water with this book will be a fine choice to help you decide if you should get Book 1.