The Life and Death (but mostly the death) of Erica Flynn

by Sara Marian

Erica Flynn never expected to die in a car crash just minutes after a fight with her husband, Dominic. But then, a modern, down-to-earth skeptic like Erica never expected to end up in an afterlife somewhere between Greek mythology and quantum theory gone haywire. Despite the allure of the Underworld and a happy reunion with her deceased Uncle Jeff, Erica can't rest in peace until she resolves her fight with Dominic.

Just when it looks like haunting a medium might give her a chance, Hades--ruler of the capitol city of the Underworld--forbids her to make contact with the Upper World again. Against all advice (which is how Erica usually does things), she pits herself against Hades and faces the treacherous road back to the Land of the Living, determined to make things right.

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 18, 2014

About the author

Sara Marian was raised in the woods by wild English teachers, and has been writing for as long as she can remember. In addition to writing fiction, Sara writes for the Clio history website, is a partner in Per Bastet Publications, and is a professional archaeologist. She is an avid reader of a wide range of fiction, especially classic literature, fantasy, and historical fiction mysteries. Sara is the author of "The Life and Death (but Mostly the Death) of Erica Flynn. You can find her at www.saramarian.com.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful romp through a life and death richly illustrated. Marian's underworld is equal parts sarcastic and beautiful, as is the story itself.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining dead-people fantasy romance

Clever variation. Wife dies, discovers Hades is a real place but a lot more fun than expected. She is still insistent on finding a way back to life and her husband.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this very interesting to read!

[Katina French · Rating 5 out of 5]

The good news: there's an afterlife, and it's pretty spectacular.
The bad news: Erica Flynn is too darn stubborn to enjoy it.

I really enjoyed this book. The humorous, cheeky tone kept what could have been a pretty grim story fun. Through the story of Erica, who dies right after saying some terrible things to her beloved husband Dom, Sara Marian explores some of the bigger questions about life. If not its meaning, then what things really are meaningful when you're in a position to look at your life objectively. The descriptions were wonderfully vivid... the author really made the experience of being dead come to life (*rimshot!*)

Hades isn't quite the evil villain you'd be expecting if your sole exposure to the myth is Disney's "Hercules." More like an antagonist--he is petty in the way that all ancient Greek gods seemed to be, and is equally stubborn and determined to keep Erica from getting back to make things right with Dom.

I love offbeat, funny science fiction and fantasy, especially when the characters feel like real people. The story kept twisting and turning and kept me engaged. A very well done debut from Sara Marian--looking forward to her next effort!

[Matthew Barron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the description of the physics of the afterlife, the atheist's graveyard, and religious guys anonymous. The story slowed down quite a bit in the middle and I wondered if the author knew where it was going, but the story got moving again once the main character had a plan of action and there was a payoff at the end.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and the world that the author built. I gave it 4 stars because I felt like the middle of the book really dragged. I found myself wanting to skip pages and chapters just to get on with it. Overall it was an interesting take on the afterlife and I enjoyed the read.