The Good Cemetery Guide

by Consuelo Roland

Anthony Loxton, 3rd generation funeral parlour director of the Loxton Funeral Home, lives in Kalk Bay, a fishing seaside town, with his catankerous mother. Facing the prospect of a bleak dutiful future he finds some relief by living a parallel secretive existence as Tony the Fox, a guitarist who plays at music venues and has brief liaisons with women who frequent the locales. His two worlds collide when unorthodox red-haired Lily, a nubile one-night-stand, ends up on the funeral parlour bed the day after he meets her. He decides to ignore the unspoken code of conduct of the Loxton Funeral Parlour, and surprises himself by breaking his own rules.

As the boundaries separating the two worlds he has created for himself collapse, there’s plenty of collateral damage to handle. And some blessing. But until he can fall in love and exorcise his childhood demons, Anthony won’t escape the burden of the past…

Anthony pits himself against the forces of chaos and destruction assisted by his able good-luck paper puppet, a cheerful cowboy skeleton, who harks from Mexico, a fascinating remote land where ongoing contact with the dead is maintained through the annual festivities of the Day of the Dead.

Through the intervention of characters such as his golden-haired lover the seductive Alexandra (aka Akuaba) who has a passion for the art of death and displays her photographs of cemeteries at international exhibitions, and Aurora Morningstar who hides a secret, and Grethe Marais, the dark-skinned daughter of a local fisherman, who swims with seals, he discovers that the living are more tenacious than the dead and that fulfilment can arise in the most unusual circumstances.

Genres: Fiction

275 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2005

Reviews

[Jeri Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthony Loxton leads a double-life. On the one hand, he’s the undertaker of a funeral home in Kalk Bay, which is located outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. On the other hand, he moonlights as Tony the Fox, a guitarist who plays the clubs around town. As a mortician, he finds solace in the silence of the dead. As a musician, he avails himself to the attention and respite offered by the ladies who frequent music venues. His life starts to change when a one-night stand of Anthony’s turns up on the slab of his morgue.

Conseulo Roland’s literary fiction novel is a fine study in character. At the opening of the book, the reader meets the young Anthony. It soon becomes apparent his family is not an ordinary family. He is the product of three generations of undertakers. Anthony often talks to dead people or takes naps in coffins in order to steal time away from his cantankerous father and emotionally-broken mother.

He is such a lonely little boy. The author deftly reveals a portrait of a sad family and how it is sometimes easier to draw into one’s self than interact with the world and risk getting hurt. As the title hints, there is nothing morbid about Conseulo Roland’s The Good Cemetery Guide. Rather it is a story of finding one’s self, as well as a story of how Anthony/Tony finds himself.

I will admit the cover currently being used for the eBook does not do the contents justice. The cover of the print version is more fitting to the beauty of a story such as this.

In addition to writing a pleasingly quirky story, Roland undoubtedly possesses a deft ear for language. Her sentences are literally a joy to read. It’s evident the author can not only spin an interesting plot, she is adept at the craft of writing as an art form. Such beautiful sentences can enrapture some readers, or cause other readers to get bogged down in the intricacy of the prose. I, for the most part, remained enraptured from beginning to end.

JeriWB.com: 4.25 Stars (“Really Liked It”)
A complimentary copy was provided by the author in exchange for this review.

[Stephen Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can you say about a book about an undertaker who moonlights as a guitarist in a bar? That it's a surprisingly enjoyable read, that's what.

We picked it up secondhand in Hermanus, when we were beginning to run out of the books we had taken on holiday and then left at most of the places we stayed, releading them into the wild on BookCrossing. The copy we bought was even autographed by the author, and was itself a BookCrossing book of sorts, as it had a list in the back of people who had read it, and what they thought of it -- three gave it 1, and could not get into it, not liking reading about coffins. Two found it an enjoyable read, and said it wasn't all about coffins. They gave it a 3+

It is set in Kalk Bay on the Cape Peninsula, and we had passed through there a couple of times in the week before we bought it, so the setting was fresh in our minds.

But it is also well written, and the characters stand out, even though seen almost entirely through the eyes of the protagonist. It's also got a little bit of everything, sadness and happiness, joy and sorrow, romance, intrigue, humour. It is difficult to think of other books to compare it with, the only one that comes to mind is Harold and Maud.

There are a couple of jarring notes, little details that don't ring true, like referring to the Beatles as coming from Manchester, but generally the plot is believable.

I don't know how easy it would be to get a copy now -- this is the only one I've ever seen for sale -- but if you do see one, buy it. It's worth reading.

[Karina Szczurek · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I decided to create a new rule: When in doubt, act in the best interest of the deceased", says Anthony Loxton, a Kalk Bay funeral director who inherited a funeral parlour from his father in Consuelo Roland's debut novel, 'The Good Cemetery Guide', which was shortlisted for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize in 2006. It is one of those novels that have been waiting on my to-read pile for such a long time that the first copy of the book (now out of print) disappeared somewhere into the large library of my home or is still with that one friend who never returned it, but luckily I spotted a signed copy at Liberty Books in Grabouw recently and knew it was time to finally open The Guide. It is dark and quirky and endearing, and simply wonderful. I am sorry it took me ages to get to it, but the wait was so worth it. Apart from anything else, the book includes a cast of unforgettable characters, including a Polish countess who came to Kalk Bay and became a "sea witch". Who can resist a character like that? Loved every page of it and wish there would be a sequel...

[Ron Irwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine book that brings the reader into the afterlife and back. Can a rock star own a funeral home in Kalk Bay? Why not? One of the first books I ever represented.

[Manu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't be put off by the title. It's a romp! Full of larger than life characters set in a fantastical Kalk Bay and Muizenberg. Unputdownable.

[Fallon Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)

I picked up The Good Cemetery Guide by Consuelo Roland from a second-hand bookshop because the premise sounded wonderfully original. Set in the fishing village of Kalk Bay, South Africa, it follows Anthony Loxton, an undertaker running the family funeral business who secretly moonlights as a musician in the local bars. The blurb promised a darkly intriguing story when his one-night stand ends up on his mortuary table, and I expected that event to become the catalyst for an offbeat mystery.

Unfortunately, that promise never really materialised. The incident is mentioned and then largely fades into the background, leaving me wondering why it featured so prominently on the back cover.

The biggest challenge for me was simply following the story. There are a lot of characters, including Anthony Loxton Snr, Anthony Loxton and Tony, and I was so confused by the relationships that after several chapters I searched online to make sure I hadn’t misunderstood something. Some characters change their names throughout the book and some characters leave the story as quickly as they enter. I eventually discovered that Tony is Anthony’s alter ego, but even then I found their conversations and interactions difficult to follow.

The story frequently jumps between present-day events, memories, dreams and conversations with the dead. Anthony regularly sees and occasionally speaks with deceased family members, members of the community, his late father and other ghosts he doesn’t recognise. While I appreciate that this is an intentional literary device, I often found it difficult to distinguish reality from memory, imagination and the supernatural. More than once I genuinely wondered whether I’d accidentally skipped pages or whether my children had moved my bookmark because I was struggling to follow the plot.

Anthony himself is an interesting character in theory. He is socially awkward as a mortician and trapped by his abusive father’s expectations of what a funeral director should be: reserved, unemotional and devoted entirely to the family business. At night, however, he escapes into music, performing in local bars, although even then he seems embarrassed by that side of himself. And again, there doesn’t seem to be much growth in this line of the story. One of the more satisfying moments in the novel is when the local community finally discovers that the quiet undertaker and the guitarist are one and the same, symbolising his gradual freedom from his father’s control, but it is quick & fleeting.

One aspect of the novel that I found particularly distracting was Anthony’s constant sexualisation of women. Throughout the story he frequently comments on women’s bodies and experiences sudden sexual arousal, often in situations where it felt completely out of place. These observations aren’t limited to romantic interests but extend to women of all ages and circumstances, including a rather grotesque description of a nurse that somehow still results in him becoming aroused. I kept expecting this behaviour to be explained as part of his character or tied into the story in a meaningful way, but it never really was, leaving it feeling more unsettling than insightful.

There are meaningful themes woven throughout the novel—grief, generational trauma, abusive childhoods, poverty in small Cape fishing communities, dementia, and the struggle to break free from the expectations that can define a person’s life. By the end, Anthony finds love with someone from his childhood, his mother’s dementia begins to take hold, the family funeral parlour is destroyed in an act of arson, and he becomes unknowingly entangled in organised crime and a diamond smuggling ring before finally emerging with the opportunity to start again. It is ultimately a hopeful ending, despite the unusual path it takes to get there.

Despite all of this, I closed the book feeling more relieved than satisfied. The premise had so much potential, but for me the execution was too fragmented and confusing to fully appreciate what the author was trying to achieve. It felt like a lot of loose ends in the story left untied.

This wasn’t a terrible read, which is why I’ve settled on three stars rather than fewer. I can see that there is depth beneath the surface, and readers who enjoy literary fiction, magical realism and unconventional storytelling may have a very different experience. Sadly, it just wasn’t for me. I don’t think I’d recommend it, and I don’t think I’ll be picking up another novel by this author.

[Graham Downs]

Just can't get into this one. 25% in and I can't actually tell you what it's even about. :/

[Maverick Independent Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good Cemetery Guide by Consuelo Roland is a fictional novel that follows Anthony Loxton, the son of a mortician, through childhood and into adulthood as he navigates the grim and morbid world of his inheritance as an undertaker. From a young age, Anthony has been privy to the realm of the deceased, which to him feels less strange than it does normal. At nineteen, after his father dies and he inherits the family’s run-down, debt-ridden funeral parlor, he begins to realize that embalming may not be his cup of tea. The novel weaves in and out of reality, following Anthony’s colorful and complex imagination, taking readers on a journey through the macabre world of death alongside the peculiarities of the living.

The novel opens with the quote from Rainer Maria Rilke, “And we, who have always thought of joy / As rising, would feel the emotion / That almost amazes us / When a happy thing falls.” This sets a melancholic tone for the novel, creating a juxtaposition between life and death, darkness and light, expectation versus reality.

The narrative moves back and forth between Anthony’s younger and older selves. As a child, his imagination runs rampant—he imagines his parents as ghosts or hallucinations passing through his life, finds fortresses inside the funeral home coffins, and talks to an imaginary friend called Tony, who seems to exist as his alter ego. As an adult, this imaginative quality stays with him—he talks to his corpse clients, continues his dialogue with Tony, collects keepsakes of the dead, and embraces the title of the “bone collector.” He separates his work from his personal life, refusing to tell the women he’s involved with about his status as an undertaker.

His worlds collide, however, when one of his lovers arrives dead at the funeral home. This conundrum forces him to juggle his own humanity with his work ethic, as his lover’s family insists on burial while he knows she wanted to be cremated. He takes the matter into his own hands, creating a fake burial and letting Lily’s ashes float free in a black balloon. The balloon becomes symbolic of the release of his expectations as an undertaker and the beginning of his life removed from the world of the dead.

After Lily’s death, Anthony’s life begins to rewrite itself. He enters a new relationship with Lily’s friend, purchases a cemetery, and faces his mother’s developing dementia. He begins to “clean up his life,” dedicating time to his music, trying yoga at a Buddhist center, organizing his space, and befriending a stray cat. These changes reflect his desire to step away from the confines of his inheritance as an undertaker and carve out a life of his own.

The culmination of this transformation comes when a fire burns down the funeral home, leaving Anthony no choice but to step out of his father’s shadow. In the closing chapters, a quote reads: “There was a time when the son would have sunk his father in that deep blue ocean with ballast tied to his ankles, and he was certain his father would not have struggled. Now he puts his hand out and gently pushes him, letting him drift away on the tides. Mercy” (277), marking Anthony’s emotional release from the resentment toward his father.

Consuelo’s writing is vivid and almost Dali-like, evoking surreal, dreamlike images that blur the line between reality and imagination. Multiple symbols recur throughout the novel: the black balloon containing Lily’s ashes, representing release; the coffins young Anthony sleeps in, offering comfort; the Mexican puppet, providing companionship; the fire, embodying both destruction and rebirth; and the ever-present ocean, symbolizing mercy.

A central theme of the novel is death as the great equalizer, as seen in the quote, “There’s no difference between a poor man and a rich man, he’s just a dead man” (76). Other prominent ideas include the macabre versus the mundane, as Anthony navigates the fine line between ordinary life and the world of death; identity versus inheritance; escapism through imagination and music; and a commentary on human nature and social norms, highlighted in the observation, “The human race is fickle and unworthy” (61), which emphasizes Anthony’s preference for the dead over the living. The writing also frequently positions art against science in a peculiar, investigative way.

The Good Cemetery Guide offers a unique look into a world that most of us shy away from, turn our eyes from, or avoid at all costs. Through strong symbolism and surreal imagery, it explores the boundary between the living and the dead, questioning how different we truly are when we all eventually end up on the mortician’s table. Consuelo contrasts Anthony’s humanity with the stiffness of his clients to examine human nature and the choices we face, sometimes choices that feel less like options and more like predetermined destinies, while also challenging the notion that we must follow in our parents’ footsteps. Anthony’s adventures are humorous, touching, and relatable; despite the unusual nature of his career, readers recognize themselves in his quest for identity and human connection.

Review by Britain Powers

[Karen Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t let the title mislead you. This book is anything but grim. Instead, it’s a charming, quirky and darkly humorous exploration of life, death and self-discovery.
Set against the rich underbelly of Kalk Bay the story revolves around Anthony Loxton who grows up in a family of undertakers. As a lonely child he retreats into a world of coffins and conversations with the dead. Escaping his cantankerous father and emotionally detached mother he finds solace in the peace in the family’s funeral home.
As an adult he leads a double life. By day he’s the dutiful mortician prodigy. By night he transforms into Tony the Fox, a guitar-playing performer in the local music scene. The Hout Bay author skilfully constructs Anthony’s dual existence, illustrating how his alter ego serves as both an escape and a rebellion against the weight of his family’s legacy. The collision of these two worlds begins when one of Tony’s brief liaisons, the sexually mature eccentric red-haired Lily, unexpectedly turns up in the morgue. From there the story weaves through Anthony’s efforts to reconcile his past, confront his demons and discover who he is and if happiness truly exists.
The story’s strength lies in its vivid characters. From a Polish countess to Harry Sweet and Fig Love; Aurora Morningstar hides a secret while the dark-skinned daughter of a local fisherman, Grethe Marais, swims with seals. My favourite is the flamboyant Balthazar Beauchamp who swaggers around in imported leather shoes and tailor-made suits, drives fancy cars, always wears a hat at an angle and flaunts his floozy in front of the whole town. Roland writes that he took the floozy home to his private quarters and that he got a kick out of taunting his young wife.
These figures, along with Roland’s richly descriptive writing, create a tapestry of humour, poignancy and unconventional charm.
While the story occasionally shifts timelines moving backwards and forwards from one cadaver to another, Roland handles these transitions with deftness through the deeply layered story. Her writing is lyrical and captivating making even the morbid seem beautiful.
Ultimately it’s a story about life’s tenacity, the strange ways we seek connection and the unexpected paths to fulfilment. It’s a must-read for fans of literary literature and was shortlisted for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize in 2006. Initially published in 2005 the timeless story has been given a second life by Karavan Press.

[SammiKoalaReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

TW: death, loss, and mental health difficulties portrayed in the narrative

Synopsis
This book is set in Kalk Bay, which is seaside suburb in Cape Town, filled with salty air, a cool breeze and the sound of the waves breaking rhythmically. The story is so layered: filled with secret intrigue, love, longing, and other-worldly beings. The narrative follows the protagonist Anthony Loxton’s search for his sense of self. Anthony is a second-generation funeral director who expresses himself through his love of music as an underground guitarist in a cool nightclub in the evenings.

Review
When I tell you I didn’t expect to let out a giggle or two when reading a book called “The Good Cemetery Guide” with a man in a black bowler hat on the cover, truly I didn’t expect it, and yet, this is really when I can say never judge a book by its cover. I really didn’t think I’d find this story so touching.

Our dear protagonist, Anthony Loxton otherwise known as cool guy Tony the Fox is quite a quirky character that grew on me from the very first chapter. He was raised by his widowed mother and they just got by, running the family funeral home. He grew up with death around him, playing cheekily in the funeral home, and even trying out the comfort levels of a coffin or two in his time much to the chagrin of his strict father. He always thought this was what his life would sum up to, until one day someone he had a one-night stand with is brought to be prepared for their funeral at the family establishment. In that moment the book transcends into a stunning exploration of life, death, love, and the meaning of self.

It truly is a tender look at grief, human connection, dark humour, and introspection. This book is fantastic, it doesn’t take itself too seriously and shows up as itself and in that way, it is truly impressive to the reader. I said it before, but really this is a book of international standards and deserves all the accolades and attention.

In the end, I must say, I learnt something from Anthony: we all have something that can anchor us in the past, that we need to heal from. If we dare to, we can look forward to the future while living fully in the present and not let our past define us.


#TheGoodCemeteryGuide #ConsueloRoland #SouthAfricanFiction #KaravanPress #BookstagramZA #CoastalReads #QuirkyNovels #SammiKoalaReads #LocalIsLekker #LiteraryFictionZA

[Cindy van Wyk · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had to describe Consuelo Roland’s ‘The Good Cemetery Guide’ in one word, it would be eccentric. But unfortunately not in a way that I enjoyed.

Introducing us to Anthony Loxton, a funeral director who took over the family business from his father, what works about this book is the setting. Kalk Bay comes vibrantly, brilliantly to life, and there’s so many layers to the location that it becomes a character all on its own.

What didn’t work for me is mostly… everything else. This book felt like a fever dream I just could not wake up from. By day, Anthony is a funeral director, and by night, he’s guitarist Tony The Fox who has a line of women waiting to sleep with him, but he also maybe kinda sorta sees the dead? And he definitely hears a voice also named Tony, but then the author switches in between calling the main character both Anthony and Tony, and eventually it becomes difficult to see where the lines even were amongst all the blur.

Meanwhile, the narrative flashes back and forth between Anthony as an adult and Anthony as a boy, creating a rambling rhythm that never really gets anywhere.

What I thought would be the climax or at least some sort of turning point happens when Lily, a woman Anthony had a one-night-stand with, arrives at his funeral parlour after dying in an accident. There are some very uncomfortable moments describing the corpse’s bush (yes, THAT bush) and while it would have made sense for the story to find direction from there on out, things begin to unravel in earnest.

There’s very little in the way of a clear plot, so many characters thrown into the mix and so much that happens that the book honestly just left me confused and exhausted. By the second half, it also becomes difficult to tell what’s real and what’s happening only in Anthony’s head. Sprinkle in some casual racism (because what’s Cape Town without racism?) and you have a book that had an interesting premise but left me with a headache, wondering “what on earth did I just read?!”

‘The Good Cemetery Guide’ is a strange, strange book, and while I can see how that would appeal to some readers, it just didn’t do it for me.

[Booksreview · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reader who appreciates stories with emotional layers and quiet depth, The Good Cemetery Guide truly stayed with me. Consuelo Roland introduces us to Anthony Loxton, a man living between two worlds—by day, a reluctant funeral director; by night, Tony the Fox, a magnetic guitarist hiding behind dim lights and late music. When Lily, a fleeting connection from his nightlife, arrives at the funeral parlour far too soon, the story shifts into something tender, unsettling, and deeply human. I loved how the setting of Kalk Bay feels intimate and atmospheric, adding to the novel’s reflective mood 🎸🕯️

What makes this book special is its emotional honesty. Beneath the mystery and charm lies a thoughtful exploration of grief, identity, love, and the weight of inherited expectations. Anthony’s struggle with the past—and his slow movement toward healing—feels raw and relatable. The writing is gentle yet confident, touching on loss without becoming heavy. It’s easy to see why this book earned critical praise. If you enjoy character-driven stories that linger in your thoughts long after the last page, this is absolutely worth buying. It’s moving, quietly beautiful, and deeply memorable 📖✨.

[Meg Orton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: Karavan Press kindly sent me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Good Cemetery Guide is a story of death and life. And all the magic in between.

Anthony Loxton has been a funeral director all his life, and so was he is father and grandfather before him. He lives with his mother in an apartment above the Loxton Funeral Parlor in Kalk Bay, South Africa, a coastal fishing village with a passing train and an assortment of interesting characters. Anthony's childhood was spent tiptoeing around his mother's fragile nerves and observing his father's work with a morbid fascination. Anthony's father was a difficult man, and when he died, the first thing that a young Anthony did was fill the house with the books and musical instruments he had been forced to keep hidden as a child.

On certain nights, Anthony turns into Tony the Fox, a musician who plays guitar in the Kalk Bay clubs. He sometimes picks up beautiful women, and they take him home. He can never bring them to his home because the two worlds can never meet. Those who love Tony the Fox can never know that he is also Anthony Loxton, a funeral director.

One night, Tony goes home with a woman named Lilly. A few days later, she is found dead, and Anthony finds himself planning her funeral, and it isn't exactly the one her family wanted for her either. Anthony's decisions are like a landslide, and soon he is doing things he never thought possible. He begins to dream, hope, and plan trips he could never take. He imagines an unconventional cemetery for the dead and the living, and the most unique funeral parlor built to honor grief. All the while, he falls in love with Grethe Marais, a fisherman's daughter.

In the midst of his dreams, Anthony also imagines a life for himself away from Kalk Bay, a luxury he never had whilst his father was alive. The realisation that he is an important part of the community, and that he never really needed to separate his two lives, is almost a revelation. The idea that the dignity he brought to so many of the dead also meant that Anthony didn't have to give up his own life.

The Good Cemetery Guide uses magic realism to describe Anthony's home and state of mind. A common device in the African diaspora, and a wonderful way of incorporating myths and legends into contemporary literature. In the semi-fictional town of Kalk Bay, characters such as Harry Sweet, the guitar-playing antique shop owner, the flower sellers on the street, and the elderly sisters Antonia and Sophia Beauchamp, who live in a mansion overlooking the town, come alive as they dance around Anthony's unique world. Stories of rescued seals, lost fishermen, regrets, grief, and the sound of the Hit Parade on the radio frame his life. In this story of a supposedly small life, there is a call to action: think big and follow your dreams. A beautifully rendered story of life and the dignity of death. Consuelo Roland is a masterful storyteller, and this novel is a vivid delight.

[Mr Pink Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Karavan Press and the author for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love a great character-driven story, and The Good Cemetery Guide delivers exactly that. Anthony Loxton—reluctant third-generation funeral director by day, guitarist by night—is an unforgettable protagonist. He is flawed, broody, and caught between two worlds, trying to carve out a path that is entirely his own. His journey of self-discovery, forced upon him when his carefully constructed double life unravels, is as compelling as it is heartbreaking.

What made this book truly special for me is how deeply South African it is. This isn’t just a story set in South Africa—it feels South African. I know the places Roland describes; I can picture the streets, smell the ocean air, and hear the distinct rhythms of life in Kalk Bay and beyond. That familiarity made the story resonate on an even deeper level. There’s something magical about reading a book that doesn’t just take you somewhere new but also brings you home in unexpected ways.

And then there’s Consuelo Roland’s writing. It had me mesmerized from beginning to end. Her prose is lush, lyrical, and full of striking imagery that made the story feel cinematic. Some passages hit so hard that they transported me straight back to childhood memories I hadn’t thought about in years. There’s an immersive, almost nostalgic quality to her descriptions that made me completely lose myself in the pages.

“He is the chosen spectator. he has a sense of being taken walkabout, that the room is a sacred place in the outback of her mind that has been turned inside out for the visitor, that this tall overpowering room on the edge of the sea where the photos share the same zone of time and space in their natural gallery. the older photos appear to be the more recent, as if the cycle of life and death has been dispensed and redispensed so many times taht the wheel can turn any way it wants. He lets the silky monochromatic images of death and carnage wash over him, barely breathing.”

One of the aspects I found particularly intriguing is the timeline. While it isn’t explicitly stated, I believe the events take place somewhere between the early 1970s and the very early 2000s. That detail made the novel even more personal for me because it means Tony and I would be around the same age. That kind of subtle connection between reader and character is rare, and it made my experience with the book even more meaningful.

Though The Good Cemetery Guide is often humorous, it is also profoundly moving. It explores love, loss, family legacies, and the fragile nature of the living with great depth and heart. And just when you think you know where it’s headed, it surprises you with moments of unexpected joy.

This book was an absolute gem, and I’m totally looking forward to reading more from Consuelo Roland. And the best part? She signed my copy! That alone makes it even more of a treasure.

If you love books that are character-driven, beautifully written, and filled with heart, this one is a must-read.

[Gail Gilbride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony Loxton, the parlour director of the Loxton Funeral Home, lives in Kalk Bay, with his mother. He finds relief from his day job, by becoming Tony the Fox, a musician who enjoys occasional liaisons with his groupies.

The two worlds collide when Lily, a new one-night stand, ends up on his slab. This time, Anthony ignores the unspoken Loxton code of conduct and breaks his own rules.

As the boundaries of Anthony’s two worlds blur, he needs to decide who he really is. But can he escape his dark past?

Consuelo Roland creates a clutch of quirky characters including, Alexandra (aka Akuaba) who has a passion for the art of death, the secretive Aurora Morningstar, and Grethe Marais, daughter of a local fisherman, and lover of seals. They help Anthony to discover that the living can be more tenacious than the dead …

I am never quite sure of the definition of literary fiction. But I know that Roland perfects it in this novel. Her dark humour, evocative imagery and incredible characterisation, serve to create a mind- boggling masterpiece.

I dare you to read this!






A

[Darcia Helle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This unique story follows Anthony Loxton from childhood through to his adult years. Anthony grows up in a funeral home. His father is an undertaker, and Anthony spends his youth playing in coffins and talking to dead people. As an adult, he tries to shed the funeral director image with his persona as Tony the Fox, a carefree guitarist. When both worlds collide, he is forced to decide which person he truly is.

Consuelo Roland takes us on a fascinating journey into the world of a man who spends most of his life with the dead. The characters are memorable, the writing crisp and full of imagery. The only drawback for me was the amount of going back and forth in time. The author handles this well. It's more of a personal quirk of mine. I find it more difficult to get sucked into a story when the timeline keeps shifting. Still, I enjoyed Anthony's story and recommend it to anyone who enjoys literary fiction with a unique perspective.