Cold Iron Task

By: James J. Butcher

Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin

Grimsby, a junior Auditor in the magical Department of Unorthodox Affairs, finds himself on the other side of the law in this spellbinding urban fantasy.

Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby may have one case under his belt, but he’s still a novice Auditor in Boston’s Department of Unorthodox Affairs. And he’s already made mistakes.

Desperate to repair his fraying friendships, he doesn’t ask too many questions when a mysterious patron offers him the chance to join a heist of an otherworldly vault—and in the process find answers that could make things right.

Complications arise when Grimsby learns that his partner, Mayflower, is keeping secrets about his past. Between facing new demons, old horrors, and monsters—both Usual and Unorthodox—Grimsby soon realizes nothing is how it appears and that not asking enough questions just might be his downfall.

Critic reviews

“Solid action and quippy dialogue will keep readers engaged for the long haul.”—Library Journal

"Cold Iron Task does an excellent job of building on the previous books. . . . where The Unorthodox Chronicles shines is its characters. . . . I fully enjoyed Cold Iron Task . . . and devoured it in only a couple of sittings, and I can't wait to see how Butcher continues to weave the threads he has started laying out in these early books."—Game Vortex

"If you love urban fantasy, compelling character dynamics, and a perfect mix of action and heart, Cold Iron Task is a must-read. Whether you’re here for the magic, the mayhem, or the mentor-mentee banter, this book has something for you."—Tessa Talks Books

"With each new installment Butcher fleshes out the world, the magic and allows his protagonist to grow. If you love urban fantasy, I highly recommend this series. . . . The story that unfolds was addictive and well paced with plenty of magic, demons, secrets, and twists to keep listening into the wee hours."—Caffeinated Reviewer

Praise for Long Past Dues
"Butcher proves that this series has legs."—Publishers Weekly

"Butcher’s deft dialogue continues with tongue-in-cheek humor, wry commentary, and snark, while this magical Boston setting is both familiar and fantastical. . . . This well-paced urban fantasy is a delightful addition to the subgenre.”—Library Journal

Praise for Dead Man’s Hand
“Woot! Get set for a wild ride! Debut author James J. Butcher hits one out of the ballpark. Nonstop action in this character-driven urban fantasy that is both laugh-out-loud and terrifying—sometimes at the same time.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs

“Clear your schedule. You won’t want to put this down. . . . An entirely enjoyable read that proves once more that snark is indeed a deadly weapon. Read it. You will not be disappointed. I eagerly await the sequel.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison

“Dead Man’s Hand is splendid, a spectacular debut novel and the best book I’ve read in years. James J. Butcher is an outstanding storyteller, and I can’t wait to read what he comes up with next.”—New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter

“A fun twist on hard-boiled urban fantasy thrills. . . . Sure to capture genre fans.”—Publishers Weekly

Better character development and improved continuity and dialogue flow

I like Grigsby and Mayflower. They have become partners. The contrast between the Huntsmen give Mayflower more depth. I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first. Enjoyed Wudge too

Best Book Yet

Although there were a few of the inevitable Heist tropes, I thoroughly enjoyed Cold Oron Task. James Butcher's alt Boston continues to get fleshed out and the characters are as well written as ever. Every book the story gets better and I can't wait to see what's next for Grimsby and Mayflower.

Absolutely beautiful story

Every book so far from him has been great. I have enjoyed the rollercoaster of emotions this has been.

Pretty good story, but narrator could use a bit of work

I like the story, and didn’t mind the narrator in the first two. I don’t usually like criticizing a narrator’s performance, but there are a couple things I hope he fixes before the next book.
1. The upspeak. There’s only been one other narrator that I’ve heard this with, and it was bad enough that I almost quit the series. Thank goodness the narrator was changed before the next book. If this continues with this one, I’ll stop the series too.
2. Robotic sounding voices. Just because a person’s voice is flat or cold, doesn’t mean they turn robotic.

This is my favorite of the series (so far).

It feels like the characters and world building have fallen into stride, or like it reads as though they are better at acting or comfortable with their roles,) like in a tv show where the pilot is still pretty good but then you hit like episode 3 or 4 and then hooked.