Side Jobs by Jim Butcher is a collection of short stories set in the world of the wizard private investigator Harry Dresden. Fans of Butcher will enjoy this look into Harry’s life and Butcher’s own thought process, since he does offer a little background and chronological insight before each story. I enjoyed seeing what Butcher thought about each short story, and what inspired him to write them. Some stories I had already read in collaborative anthologies that Butcher had worked on, but there were also stories that I had not seen. I was especially excited to see the last story in the book, Aftermath, as it gave me a look at life in Chicago shortly after Butcher’s most recent novel, Changes, ended. However, do not expect be revelations about the ending in Changes, for that we will all have to wait for Ghost Story.
Readers that have not yet explored the word of Harry Dresden, I suggest starting at the beginning of the series. The first short story, A Restoration of Faith, takes place before Storm Front and is chronologically the first story about Harry. Therefore, you could read that short tale without ruining the mystery and relationship developments that are really at the heart of the series as a whole. The stories that follow are from different moments between other books, and jumping ahead would take the wonder away from the reading. The stories included range from funny, watching poor Harry trying to enjoy a day off and show someone a good time while beset upon with countless irritations that poise any series danger, to intense, dealing with a priest that has gone too far in the wrong direction and willing to do anything to do what he believes is right.
Butcher’s humor and love for throwing in bits of his favorite books and movies is still clear in Side Jobs. Others have said that they do not think that Butcher does his best work in short stories, but I found that these little snippets give fans a better understanding of the finer points about Harry’s mindset and a few relationships. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys the Dresden Files series, but I must reiterate that it is not for readers new to the series. I do suggest the entire series to fans of classic nior mysteries and anything supernatural. If you enjoy the idea of the mystery side of the series but do not normally read anything paranormal, then I suggest reading the series anyway. Harry is a classic character with a big mouth, and bigger heart, who just happens to avoid being killed several times a week, sometimes an hour. If you enjoy a well-written urban fantasy, this is also a great series for you. The one-liners, well built world, multi-dimensional characters, and twists that the series gives you are well worth the read. For those of us that are fans of the series already, Side Jobs gives us a nice fix until we can get a hold of Ghost Story, which will hopefully give us the answers and resolutions that we are all craving.
