How I'm Spending My Afterlife

by Spencer Fleury

Attorney Alton Carver has a problem: he's under federal investigation for embezzling and securities fraud. Instead of spending the next three to five years behind bars, he's got a plan: stage his own death, take the money he stole and light out for Central America, leaving behind wife Nicole and daughter Clara. But when he sticks around town long enough to watch his own funeral, he makes the unpleasant discovery that the life he's leaving behind isn't the life he thought he had.

The shock of seeing Nicole in the arms of another man leads Alton to postpone his plan to run for the border and forces him to reconsider his self-image as a respected and admired pillar of the legal community. What comes next is a slow-burn train wreck, a tale of self-deception, revenge, and bad decisions.

Genres: Fiction

270 pages, Paperback

First published October 3, 2017

About the author

Spencer Fleury has worked as a sailor, copywriter, economics professor and record store clerk, among other disreputable professions. He is the author of the story collection I Blame Myself But Also You and the novel How I'm Spending My Afterlife. He lives in San Francisco.

Reviews

[Tiffany (OomilyReads) · Rating 1 out of 5]

How I’m Spending My Afterlife written my Spencer Fleury

Attorney Alton Carver is under fed investigation for embezzlement & fraud. He stages his death but stays to watch his own wake & realizes his life wasn’t what he thought it was & people didn’t even like him. Well I didn't either. I was expecting some fun, dark humor which I found in a couple of places but overall this was a really unlikeable story with extremely repulsive characters. I didn’t even like the 4-yo kid that much. Alton & his wife Nicole are complete morons.

Moderate spoilers ahead. This story is told in alternating POV btw the halfwits Alton & Nicole. Alton never plans anything through & when I say NEVER, I mean never. The entire novel was him saying “fuck it, I’ll burn that bridge when I get there”. AKA He never has an entire thought before he does something. Instead of getting the hell out of Dodge, he stays 6 weeks in a nearby run-down motel & breaks into his house every few days to take a nap & drink coffee. He even draws a creepy mustache using….wait for it….AN EYELINER. An EYELINER? What the hell?

“Next time I stage my own death, I’m going to remember to set myself up with transportation first. And a disposable phone.”

Surprised you survived childhood.

A week after Nicole’s husband goes “missing”, she hosts a wake (who DOES this a week after?) & gets completely trashed & that’s when we meet her lover. She starts bringing him over sloppily with her 4 yo in the house. She is just the absolute WORST mother. Someone (Alton) is breaking into the house & she does nothing to catch him. She just keeps getting drunk & getting annoyed with her daughter’s “grief” for her daddy. I wanted to reach into the book & slap her in the face!

Alton kidnaps his daughter & Nicole reacts by having sex with her lover & drinking wine. Alton ends up abandoning his daughter AGAIN but this time at a random McDonald's bathroom! Where she's could have been kidnapped & killed. What an absolute POS! I wish they actually did end up at the bottom of the ocean. I simply don’t like stories where I think all the characters were dumbasses.

[DJ Sakata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Quotes:

Chas and his light-beer-commercial friends were still tossing beanbags around. One of the girls squealed for some reason. She probably felt a thought forming. It can hurt if you’re not used to it.


My Review:

This was exceedingly clever and deftly paced - I never would have guessed it was the author’s first novel. I had trouble putting my Kindle down today and was prone to hiss or moan when my avid perusal was interrupted, as I didn’t want to miss a moment of the snarky observations and inner musings of this rather vile couple. Not one of the characters featured was an upstanding citizen or the type of person I would choose to share air with, yet I was riveted to their tale and deathly curious to know how it would resolve. I keenly followed each surprising twist and crafty revelation with fervent interest and waffled in my opinions as the layers were cunningly peeled back ever so shrewdly. Spencer Fleury is a wily storyteller with strong word voodoo. He is definitely one to watch.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

The classic story of the afterlife is of course Jimmy Stewart in Its A Wonderful Life looking back at all the good things he did and what his presence meant to do many people. This quick-reading novel is the flip-side of that theory. Gee, what happens if you come back and secretly watch your wake and find that no one could really stand you, including your wife who has already moved on. What would it be like to watch your family and see how they survive without you?

This novel is narrated in such a matter-of-fact way that it kind of sneaks up on you and you don't necessarily realize that this is s classic crime fiction downfall novel where the lead character sinks deeper and deeper into hell. Alton has a brilliant plan to abscond with three million dollars and spent the rest of his days on a hammock in Costa Rica, but like nearly every literary character who successfully obtains a sack of/ suitcase filled with money, you just know Alton is going to do something stupid and blow the plan all to hell - something stupid like hanging around town when he's already dead (or so it seems).

This novel is told in alternating narrations between Alton and Nicole, which proves to be a great choice of presentation, giving those multiple viewpoints. In the end, one has to conclude that it's just a damn good read.

Thank you to Espresso Book Tours for providing an a copy of this novel.

[Kimberly Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those quirky stories that should have made me angrier beyond belief, but truth be told, I so enjoyed reading these crazy ass characters.

Alton Carver does indeed have a problem. He’s a married man with a four-year-old child whom he adores. Alton also works as an attorney. So, now you’re probably wondering why is that a problem? Well, Alton is a thief, and he’s done some rather unfavorable things to his clients and his law firm. The feds are cracking down on his thievery, and as any criminal will tell you, they never ever want to be caught. Knowing that he’s about to lose everything he’s ever worked for, Alton comes up with the bright idea of killing himself so that his wife and daughter will be able to live off of the insurance money and go on with their lives.

Hmm, ok, so that sounds horrible, but it’s doable. The only problem is Alton doesn’t really want to kill himself. Hell, Alton has more living to do—just far, far away from the life he once lived. And besides, what would be the point of stealing your clients’ money if you don’t plan to live out your dreams? So mister genius decides to fake his own death. What the reader will quickly discover is that Alton is a damn fool, and not only is Alton an idiot, I couldn’t help but wonder how the hell he ever passed the bar exam to become an attorney in the first place? Oh, my, Alton, Alton, Alton!

His poor wife Nicole was just beside herself. What is she supposed to do being a young widow and raising a four-year-old by herself? This isn’t how she envisioned her life. But, Nicole had a few tricks up her sleeve as well. What will become very obvious is why Alton and Nicole got together in the first place? Birds of a feather definitely flocked together in this wild and crazy story. I could not get enough of these two idiots. OMG, I’m not sure if this is what Fleury was going for, but I couldn’t stop laughing through the whole story. The Carvers remind me of the couple in War of the Roses, but with completely different set of circumstances. However, as idiotic as Alton was, his beautiful relationship with his daughter, Clara, was very touching. In fact, Clara was the only thing Alton and Nicole got right. But for the two of them as a union, umm, they certainly don’t deserve the Parent-of-the-Year award.

This was the most outrageous story I’ve read in a long time and there’s so much humor in it. The characters felt so real, in fact too real, because people really do act the way the Carvers behaved. I became so engrossed in Alton’s life, I read this book in two days. It was that damn good! Fleury did an impeccable job in keeping the reader focused on the zaniness of Alton’s and Nicole’s daily lives. I just couldn’t believe the lengths these two would go and trust me, readers, you will want to take the journey with them because you, too, will find yourself saying, I know they didn’t just do this? But oh yes they did!

I give How I’m Spending My Afterlife five I-Do’s because Alton and Nicole should have said I Don’t! (chuckle). Ordinarily, I wouldn’t love characters like these because their actions were so stupid to me, but it works for them and this story. It was really quite enjoyable. Fleury, you’re all right in my book! For this to be your first time out, you hit it straight out of the park. Well done! Great work!

I’m still laughing thinking about this couple!

[Trish Mcculloch · Rating 1 out of 5]

The write up seemed like it would be light and funny but it was flat and I hated the characters.

[Krissy (books_and_biceps9155) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soooo you stage your own death, steal a ton of money from the company you work for and decide maybe you don’t want to be dead after all. In fact, your curious..so you check out your own funeral? Who wouldn’t right? Can you imagine finding out everyone hated you and your spouse was cheating? Pretty darn crummy right?
 
This book is quirky, funny and dare I say, kinda believable? The characters are all unlikeable and do some horrible things. However, they felt so real to me. They aren’t unsympathetic and at times relatable. Fleury does a really good job of keeping you engaged and focused on the craziness of Alton and Nicole’s antics. Their actions are so ridiculous your jaw drops. I just loved the two separate POVs and their own thoughts. They were both a crack up. This was fun and well written. I can’t believe it’s Fleury’s debut! If you are in the mood for something fun and a bit crazy-look no further.
 

[Scott James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The anti-hero protagonists in HOW I'M SPENDING MY AFTERLIFE are so compelling and fun to read. No one does the right thing and that's what makes the experience of reading this story so enjoyable. Fast-paced with terrific character voices. And the plot? Well, if I had to boil it down to just one word... Florida.

[Stanley McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a man who's carefully laid out a plan of escape from possible prosecution. He'll take with him a large cache of funds. Alternately told in first person by Alton, the protagonist, and then his wife, Nicole, the reader first sits in the head of the attorney rehashing the minutia of his exit, anticipating the death he has been meticulously planning--his own. He's a brilliant attorney--everything has been covered--arranged, prepared. What could go wrong?
But then he's dumbfounded by the sheer brevity of the accident account. And Nicole is already figuring out how this whole thing might work to her advantage. Of course she's stunned! But, she's already skipping ahead; how she'll proceed.
The whole time I read this novel, I'm thinking, "wait, what? You have to be kidding me!" This story has a darkly comedic sense of humor that has the power to keep you glued to the pages and occasionally laughing out loud. You can't believe he's doing what he's doing. Why doesn't he just leave? I'm shaking my head, turning pages to get Nicole's side of it, then Alton's.
I loved the self-talk and the down-to-earth dialogue. Youthful, topical, idealistic, and totally unrealistic. Alton is educated, not necessarily street smart. Nicole is "a good wife," but not totally involved. His daughter is well fleshed out and reacts much as expected a child of her age.
At this point, Alton has made so many mistakes, it's impossible to see how he will extricate himself--again. The climax turns into a nail-biter. Spencer Fleury nails his debut fiction novel. Wildly entertaining and humorous while trying very hard to be serious, a total kick of a read and highly recommended as a suspense thriller with a light side. No blood and guts, just good clean, stupid fun. I downloaded this book for a Blog Tour by Sage's Blog Tours and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review.

[Julie Lacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this book and was intrigued by the title and also the blurb, so I thought I'd give it a go.
Alton fakes his own death and the book tells the story of what happens next to him and his wife, who knows nothing of his faked suicide until the Police arrive on her doorstep.
The book is told from alternating perspectives between Alton and his wife Nicole and I must admit my views kept changing about each character the nearer to the end I got.
I still can't say who I was rooting for as I can't make my mind up!
A different story which I'd recommend if you want a good, easy read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advance copy to read and review.

[Barbara Rohde · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, light read about Alton who has stolen three million dollars from his firm and faked his own death. Instead of fleeing to Costa Rica which was his original plan, he can't resist seeing who turns up to his wake and is astonished to see that his wife Nicole already has a lover. However it is his four year old daughter Clara who keeps him hanging around despite an ongoing police investigation into his apparent death. Told in alternating chapters by Alton and Nicole, the book keeps the reader fully engaged and intrigued as it rollicks along.

[Sarah Baldwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just OK

I liked the story idea, and then with time, it became more and more unbelievable- it was exhausting to finish.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alton Carver lives in a nice house and lives with his wife Nicole and his beloved 4 year old daughter Clara. He appears to have a good life and be a real respected lawyer at his firm. In truth, he has embezzled millions of dollars from his clients and knows that he is under federal investigation. So he decides to fake his death. That way he can eliminate the chance of prosecution and jail plus his wife and daughter will be able to live well on the insurance payout. He has thought through all angles of faking his death and decides to go out in his boat, start a fire and disappear to shore on a kayak. All goes well until he realizes that it's difficult to row a kayak, that he no longer has transportation and that he really misses his daughter. He decides to stay in town a bit longer and alters his appearance by shaving his head. When he should have left for Central America, he begins making stupid decisions all of which could lead to his discovery. He watches his daughter on the playground, he sneaks into his home and he attends his memorial service. While listening to the people at the service, he realizes that he wasn't as well thought of by his colleagues and friends and was barely even liked. He also finds out that his wife has a boyfriend. This enrages him an decides to stay in town even longer to get revenge and begins to make even dumber decisions. What comes next is a train wreck, a tale of self-deception, revenge, and bad decisions.

The story is told in alternating chapters by Alton and Nicole and what we find out is that they are both very selfish and unlikable characters. Alton has a very high opinion of himself as a lawyer and a husband and Nicole has really been fed up with him for years and has a long term boyfriend. The only likeable person in the novel is Clara, their daughter. Even though I didn't like the characters, I just had to keep reading to find out how it all ended.

Despite the fact that parts of this book are unbelievable and that the characters are so selfish and unlikable, I found this to be a very quirky and interesting book. This is a debut book for this author and I look forward to reading future books by him.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! After I finished reading it I glanced at other reviews. I also read the blurb printed on the back of the book (I never read any of these before reading the book. I don’t want to be biased or have any preconceived notions.) Anyway, I can understand why other readers made specific connections, but what I got from the story was something completely different.

The way this book is written makes the story more intriguing. Essentially, Alton is the villain. The guy is under investigation for fraud and embezzlement. The primary events of the story are expressed through his eyes. We hear his thoughts, we are led to understand his reasons. We develop empathy for the man we should despise.

On the flip side, Nicole’s reactions to her husband’s actions are emotionally driven, as they should be. She tells of her breakdowns and paranoia. She confesses her unhealthy coping mechanisms. As she retells her side of the story to a counselor, her reflections seem to have shifted to an unemotional and detached state. We understand her anger with Alton. We are distraught when Clara goes missing. However, I found myself remaining faithful to Alton’s plight.

[Amanda Howlett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, the premise is great. Alton fakes his own death so his daughter (Clara) and wife (Nicole) get the insurance money with the hopes they will all one day meet up in Costa Rica and grow old together. Alton's not quite ready to hit the road yet, so he decides to stick around a bit and decides to attend his own memorial service where he sees a dude making out with his wife when the party's over.

Alton continuously going back to the house was a dumb move. I also thought it was awful how he was manipulating Clara, telling her he was a ghost and mommy doesn't believe in ghosts so don't tell her I've been here. He could have used about...3 less visits to the house to make this book more enjoyable. .

I really wanted to like this book because the premise was intriguing to me! But it seemed the author didn't know how to wrap up the book and kind of gave up 200 pages in. Wouldn't recommend.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

After coming under investigation for embezzling money from his law firm, Alton decides to fake his own death; the plan being to take enough money to start a new anonymous life in Costa Rica. This means leaving his wife and young daughter behind and letting them too believe that he's dead (although he plans to provide for them). The book is written mostly from the perspective of Alton with quite a few chapters from the perspective of his wife, Nicole. As the story goes on, something is holding Alton back from leaving the state and carrying out his plan, putting him at increased risk of discovery. The more this goes on, the more we see that Alton's life isn't quite how he thought it was, nor is he the person he sees himself to be. Neither Alton or Nicole have particularly redeeming features; people who find themselves at the mercy of their own and each other's selfish traits.

[Ramsey Hootman · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll enjoy this book if you go into it understanding that everyone is going to make bad choices and nobody is going to come out a better person in the end. It's sort of noir-ish, sort of thriller-ish, with a lot of tongue-in-cheek observational humor made by terrible, selfish people about other terrible, selfish people. (I kept thinking, this is the sort of book my dad would really appreciate.) It's a slow-rolling train wreck that's hard to look away from. In general, I prefer to feel at least some element of sympathy for the anti-hero, but Alton (the protagonist/antagonist) makes this very difficult. Nevertheless, it was fun to read and I just kept turning pages. I read it on my kindle, and when I got to the end I was very surprised to see that the print version is 400 pages - it felt much shorter!

[Linda (The Arizona Bookstagrammer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“How I’m Spending my Afterlife” by Spencer Fleury ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Genre: Character-driven Crime Heist Drama. Location: Near St. Petersburg, Florida, USA. Time: 2014-
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Alton Carter lives the good life on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Beautiful wife Nicole, darling 4-yr-old daughter Claire, partner in a prestigious law firm, a Porsche, boat, house in a desirable neighborhood. Except now the feds are after him for embezzlement. What does he do? Fakes his own death so he can run to Costa Rica with $3 million (and without Nicole and Claire). He tells himself he is doing this for his wife and child, and will send for them later.-
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And so begins a descent into paranoia-Alton’s true beliefs and personality emerge as he makes one bad decision after another. He observes his own wake, and sees his wife in the arms of another man. He goes to his colleagues’ favorite bar, and hears what they really think of him. As he becomes increasingly unsettled, Nicole is descending into her own hell, fueled by constant wine drinking.-
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The story alternates between Alton and Nicole’s points of view. The book is cleverly written, and the plot has a couple of twists. But don’t expect laughs or poignancy. All the characters are pretty unlikable. Perhaps this is a story of what happens when you consider yourself so rich, entitled, and lucky that you can do whatever you want- until oops, you get caught and have to run. What would you choose at that point? It definitely kept my interest so it’s 4 stars from me. 🌵📚👩🏼‍🦳.”

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great concept for a book. What would you do if you were able to fake your death but be privy to what is going on after you have died? Do you find out people really didn't care for you very much? Or, do you find out you were loved? Well what if we add into the mix the main character is a lawyer and a thief and decides the answer to all that is plauging him in his life, he needs to fake his own demise. This book is a good read. It is told from two different perspectives and pulls you in. The characters are developed in a way that I found myself yelling at some of the passages in the book. LOL....I encourage you to read this book. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC of the book in return for my honest review.

[Jakky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hesitated between a three-star and a four-star rating for this one. To be honest, I was leaning towards 3 stars because, well, it’s not a brilliant story. There’s nothing exceptionally moving or captivating about the plot. The characters are fairly flat. In truth, it was a bit like an almost-spectacular car crash that I couldn’t turn away from, if you’ll pardon the well-worn cliché. In the end, I gave it 4 stars because it really wasn’t a struggle to stick with the story. I was intrigued to find out what other stupid, brainless move the characters might make next. How uninspired could two supposedly intelligent people really be, after all? I don’t regret the time I spent reading this novel, but I don’t think I can recommend it to discerning readers.

[ShanKL · Rating 3 out of 5]

#thrillerthursday

How I’m Spending My Afterlife
@spencersboringpix
@woodhallpress - September 7, 2021
Paperback: 406 pages

After you’re gone, what will they say about you? Alton Carver is about to find out after deciding to flee from a federal investigation abandoning his wife and daughter.

His plan is simply:
Stage his death out in the ocean
Flee to Central America
Take the money he stole

But instead he is drawn back into life, witnessing his memorial and uncovering scores of secrets about his perfect job and family.

How I’m Spending My Afterlife slowly unravels Alton’s deception, the betrayal by his wife and every decision gone bad with his plan. The story is told through Alton’s point of view and his wife. Quick, easy read that was just OK.

Thank you @tlcbooktours and the author for the complimentary copy of the book.

[Tom Dombrock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. Nobody in this book comes across as "likable" (with the exception of Clara) which, as I see it, is a good thing. It doesn't mean they are not relatable or unsympathetic. It's their shortcomings that make them compelling. It's also a wonderful thing in that the primary character (Alton) can sanctimoniously despise another character in the story, and this person is exactly how you'd imagine Alton would have been at the same age. Funny as hell. There are strong similarities to Carl Hiaasen in both subject matter and style, but it is not by any means a Hiaasen clone (which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, BTW.) Overall a great read, and well worth it.

[Barb Eck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alton Carver is a lawyer being investigated by the feds for embezzling and securities fraud. He thinks the only way to avoid jail is to fake his death. He makes all his plans and decides to stay for his funeral. He over hears he is not as respected and pillar of the community as he thought he was.

The fun really starts when he decides not to go to Central America but to stay there for awhile. This is a well written, humorous book that I can recommend. I was lucky enough to win my copy of the book from Goodreads.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read that makes you wince at every turn of the page. Alton, a successful lawyer who has gotten himself in trouble, decides to fake his death. It all seems pretty straight forward until he starts doing stupid things.
I had a love- hate relationship with the characters of this book. They were all seriously warped. I read the book in one day because I couldn’t put it down. What stupid thing would they do next?
This is s great first novel by Fleury. If you are looking for a quick read, this is a good one.

[Mike Karpa · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me this book was all about the voice. I loved the Florida setting--very well drawn, tangible--and the story started in the midst of a high stakes event that drew me in, but the heart of the book for me was the narrator's voice. Although we really have two narrators, who are very distinct and deeply at odds, and the tension between them makes the book. The ending was satisfying--in kind of a twisted way, with the twisted part perhaps being myself, but I am owning that. If you like a crime drama that is focused on the fallout, not the heist, this one's for you.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. The alternating chapters of first person narration of the main characters lets you fully get to know their motivations and quirks, and really pulls you into the story. The suspense built around some surprising actions (no spoilers) makes you question their motivations until you remember who they are. No heroes here, just flawed characters that have a knack for adding to their own problems because of those flaws. A page-turner till the very end.

[Gena DeBardelaben · Rating 3 out of 5]

eARC: Netgalley

I just can't come up with what I want to say about this book. I struggled to even like any of the characters. A more selfish couple might be hard to find.

The pace of the story moved along okay and the dialogue flowed, but I couldn't understand the actions of the main characters.

[Rachel Stansel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very different story. After lawyer Alton fakes his death, we follow him and his unknowing wife Nicole over the next several month. The storytelling is different. I'm not sure I really like this but I felt unable to stop reading. So, it was successful in pulling me in.

Full disclosure - I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Tena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another GOODREADS giveaway win for a book that I would have missed being exposed to otherwise! - First, the title and cover sucked me in... Then the plot premies... really?... how can this end well?.. well, it doesn't, does it?... and we learn (spoilers). I had fun reading this offbeat version of "It's a Wonderful Life." Grab a copy, you wont be sorry!

[Dianne Fries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part way into this book I started to wonder why I was even bothering to finish it, but as I read on I realized that I could find nothing likeable in Alton because there was nothing. I think that this is an amazing description of a completely self-centred person. Alton is a selfish jerk, but the book is great.

[Nutty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very Snatch/Lock stock type of story. The kind that gets kind of annoying pretty fast, but at the same time it has you by the collar so you can't really look away. Turns, twists, bad decisions and characters who are not afraid of being disliked. As I said, very Snatch like.
The author is pretty funny and all in all a good read, albeit annoying.