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The Late Adam James: Misprints, DMV Lines, Social Security, Bank Accounts, Lawyers and the Marriage That Out-Stapled Bureaucracy
What do you do when the morning paper declares you dead—and the government agrees?
Author Adam James opens his Morning Chronicle to find his own a flattering portrait, invented circus skills, and a tidy farewell between two dates. Before the coffee cools, bureaucracy makes it official. Social Security freezes his benefits. The bank folds his accounts into an “estate.” The DMV computer flags him as a nonperson. Even the pharmacy informs him that his blood-pressure pills are “ineligible for the afterlife.” Only the cat remains unconvinced.
Enter Mary—wife, realist, and newly appointed Director of Resurrection—armed with blue pens, an accordion file, and a patience that could outlast hold music. Together, Adam and Mary plunge into the paper a courthouse that invents the category “provisionally extant,” a grocery store that refuses to sell to “the deceased,” a will reading he’s not allowed to attend, and an almost-funeral where the semicolon bouquet steals the show. Just when things can’t get stranger, a second obituary appears—for a baseball legend named James Adam—and the mix-up multiplies.
Part farce, part love story, The Late Adam James skewers red tape while celebrating the stubborn pleasures of ordinary shared jokes, strategic snacks, and the sacred art of keeping receipts. It’s a comedy about identity in a world where forms get the last word—and a reminder that the people who stand next to you at the counter and say “He’s with me” are the true miracle workers.
Inside you’ll
A courtroom circus featuring neighbors, casseroles, and a judge who coins “provisionally extant.”
An administrative quest through SSA windows, DMV kiosks, insurance portals, and one very skeptical ATM.
A small town that throws an almost-funeral with surprising enthusiasm—then throws it again, correctly.
A marriage filed in triplicate, proof that love can out-staple bureaucracy.
Why readers love it
If you enjoy the warm, witty chaos of Frederick Backman, the satirical bite of Christopher Buckley, or the cozy civic absurdity of A Man Called Ove meets The Office, this novel will feel like your favorite clerk finally waved you forward. You’ll laugh (often), tear up (unexpectedly), and leave with renewed respect for the unsung heroes of modern spouses with folders.
Large Print Edition
Designed for high-contrast text, generous leading, and reader-friendly layout.
Themes & notes
Mistaken identity, marriage resilience, community comedy, and the strange tenderness of public systems when real people push back. Clean language, zero gore, light romantic warmth, maximal bureaucracy.
The Late Adam James is for anyone who has ever fought a form, loved a person who makes the fight worth it, or wondered what their obituary would get wrong. Open the book, take a number, and step to the window. Mary is already there, tapping the glass and smiling.
Author Adam James opens his Morning Chronicle to find his own a flattering portrait, invented circus skills, and a tidy farewell between two dates. Before the coffee cools, bureaucracy makes it official. Social Security freezes his benefits. The bank folds his accounts into an “estate.” The DMV computer flags him as a nonperson. Even the pharmacy informs him that his blood-pressure pills are “ineligible for the afterlife.” Only the cat remains unconvinced.
Enter Mary—wife, realist, and newly appointed Director of Resurrection—armed with blue pens, an accordion file, and a patience that could outlast hold music. Together, Adam and Mary plunge into the paper a courthouse that invents the category “provisionally extant,” a grocery store that refuses to sell to “the deceased,” a will reading he’s not allowed to attend, and an almost-funeral where the semicolon bouquet steals the show. Just when things can’t get stranger, a second obituary appears—for a baseball legend named James Adam—and the mix-up multiplies.
Part farce, part love story, The Late Adam James skewers red tape while celebrating the stubborn pleasures of ordinary shared jokes, strategic snacks, and the sacred art of keeping receipts. It’s a comedy about identity in a world where forms get the last word—and a reminder that the people who stand next to you at the counter and say “He’s with me” are the true miracle workers.
Inside you’ll
A courtroom circus featuring neighbors, casseroles, and a judge who coins “provisionally extant.”
An administrative quest through SSA windows, DMV kiosks, insurance portals, and one very skeptical ATM.
A small town that throws an almost-funeral with surprising enthusiasm—then throws it again, correctly.
A marriage filed in triplicate, proof that love can out-staple bureaucracy.
Why readers love it
If you enjoy the warm, witty chaos of Frederick Backman, the satirical bite of Christopher Buckley, or the cozy civic absurdity of A Man Called Ove meets The Office, this novel will feel like your favorite clerk finally waved you forward. You’ll laugh (often), tear up (unexpectedly), and leave with renewed respect for the unsung heroes of modern spouses with folders.
Large Print Edition
Designed for high-contrast text, generous leading, and reader-friendly layout.
Themes & notes
Mistaken identity, marriage resilience, community comedy, and the strange tenderness of public systems when real people push back. Clean language, zero gore, light romantic warmth, maximal bureaucracy.
The Late Adam James is for anyone who has ever fought a form, loved a person who makes the fight worth it, or wondered what their obituary would get wrong. Open the book, take a number, and step to the window. Mary is already there, tapping the glass and smiling.
81 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 18, 2025
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