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The Purgatory Poisoning
Winner of the Comedy Women in Print Unpublished Prize! How do you solve your own murder when you're already dead? Purgatory (noun): 1. Where the dead are sent to atone. 2. A place of suffering or torment. 3. A youth hostel where the occupants play Scrabble and the mattresses are paper thin. When Dave wakes up in his own personal purgatory (St Ives Youth Hostel circa 1992), he's shocked to discover he's dead. And worse - he was murdered. Heaven doesn't know who did it so with the help of two rogue angels, Dave must uncover the truth. As divine forces from both sides start to play the game, can Dave get out of this alive? Or at the very least, with his soul intact?
400 pages, Paperback
Published March 2, 2023
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April 19, 2023A debut novel selected for a 'funny unpublished books by women' prize. There's lots to like here: some very good lines, shrewd observations, and a cheery absurdity in the premise, which blends a ludicrously suburban middle-class vibe with eschatology and a touch of horror, reminiscent of early Tom Holt (a good thing). It's likeable, and it has that elusive quality of readability: I wanted to know what happened. I hope the author writes more.
But it really needed editing. It reads like--well, a good self-published book that didn't go through a professional process, basically, and a thorough edit would have done wonders. One might have thought HarperCollins would do better for a prize-winner debut but here we are in publishing, 2023 style. :/
But it really needed editing. It reads like--well, a good self-published book that didn't go through a professional process, basically, and a thorough edit would have done wonders. One might have thought HarperCollins would do better for a prize-winner debut but here we are in publishing, 2023 style. :/
March 9, 2023
The Purgatory Poisoning is a prize-winning first novel by British author, Rebecca Rogers. One minute Dave Walsh having dinner with friends in a posh house in North London in 2019, the next, he’s in the bottom bunk bed, in that sleeping bag with the dodgy zipper, in the Youth Hostel in St Ives where his family vacationed in the summer of 1992. Only, no doors or windows, and five other people in PJs and dressing gowns, how bizarre!
One of them, Laura kindly explains he’s in Purgatory, and hands him a handy laminated sheet “Purgatory: what to expect”, but it takes a while for him to be fully convinced. Things get even stranger when Angel Gobe turns up. He’s the Go-Between to God for the souls in Purgatory, and bears a striking resemblance to Michael Palin (he explains later).
Gobe tells Dave that he was murdered, but some sort of glitch prevents the Angels from seeing which of the dinner guests did it. Meanwhile, Dave has to spend who-knows-how-long repenting, until he’s judged suitable to be sent to Heaven or Hell. And Dave admits he’s done plenty for which he should repent; in fact, more things keep popping into his head.
Turns out God is pretty annoyed about the whole mess; Gobe’s apprentice and IT expert, Angel Arial reveals some weird things going on with some of the party guests that include Satanists and protection spells, a hazel wand and a dark guy called Bethel. The upshot is that Gobe decides Dave has to go back in time, under the heavenly radar, if you please, and solve his own murder. Dave is convinced that it’s his ex-girlfriend’s awful new boyfriend, but is he right?
Rogers gives the reader an original plot that includes a twist or two before all is revealed. There’s plenty of humour, both in the story, the dialogue and the cultural references. Dave isn’t terribly likeable: neglectful of his girlfriend, lazy, dishonest, a bit entitled, not terribly mature, but he does redeem himself during his second chance.
Arial’s obsession with American TV and his naivete with human interactions will draw some laughs; God’s true nature will amuse and delight; but Gobe is the one the reader will probably most hope to succeed in his tasks. Quite entertaining.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins UK.
One of them, Laura kindly explains he’s in Purgatory, and hands him a handy laminated sheet “Purgatory: what to expect”, but it takes a while for him to be fully convinced. Things get even stranger when Angel Gobe turns up. He’s the Go-Between to God for the souls in Purgatory, and bears a striking resemblance to Michael Palin (he explains later).
Gobe tells Dave that he was murdered, but some sort of glitch prevents the Angels from seeing which of the dinner guests did it. Meanwhile, Dave has to spend who-knows-how-long repenting, until he’s judged suitable to be sent to Heaven or Hell. And Dave admits he’s done plenty for which he should repent; in fact, more things keep popping into his head.
Turns out God is pretty annoyed about the whole mess; Gobe’s apprentice and IT expert, Angel Arial reveals some weird things going on with some of the party guests that include Satanists and protection spells, a hazel wand and a dark guy called Bethel. The upshot is that Gobe decides Dave has to go back in time, under the heavenly radar, if you please, and solve his own murder. Dave is convinced that it’s his ex-girlfriend’s awful new boyfriend, but is he right?
Rogers gives the reader an original plot that includes a twist or two before all is revealed. There’s plenty of humour, both in the story, the dialogue and the cultural references. Dave isn’t terribly likeable: neglectful of his girlfriend, lazy, dishonest, a bit entitled, not terribly mature, but he does redeem himself during his second chance.
Arial’s obsession with American TV and his naivete with human interactions will draw some laughs; God’s true nature will amuse and delight; but Gobe is the one the reader will probably most hope to succeed in his tasks. Quite entertaining.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins UK.
March 3, 2023
- 2.5 STARS -
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book!
When I started this book, it was the intriguing premise that drew me in; the main character, Dave, wakes up in purgatory with no memory of his own death and upon discovering that it was no accident, must solve his own murder.
Unfortunately, the book itself didn't live up to my expectations.
Most of the characters felt unpolished and lacking in personality beyond what they needed to be for the plot to continue. Several other people attend the dinner party where Dave dies and I couldn't tell you huge amounts about any of them, as they are all defined by their role in Dave's life (brother, quirky childhood BFF, ex-girlfriend, ex's toxic new boyfriend...) above all else. Sure, this meant they could fit in wherever they were needed to ensure that the narrative continued towards its end point, but it also meant that I didn't really care what happened to them.
As I continued reading, the plot felt both unsurprising and all over the place at the same time. In particular, I disliked the chapters about the Satanists, which just didn't do it for me as a plot device to explain why Dave is ***different*** to other humans. The whole afterlife system was reminiscent of a more Christian version of "The Good Place" but the worldbuilding felt too haphazard to ever buy into it.
I've covered a lot of negatives, but I actually feel as though this book could be really enjoyable to the right person! Humour is subjective and whilst The Purgatory Poisoning didn't work for me, I can imagine some of my friends really getting on with it. Also, in many ways it reminded me of the Richard Osman Thursday Murder Club books - a series that I personally dislike for similar reasons to this book, but that has found widespread love from a huge number of readers.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book!
When I started this book, it was the intriguing premise that drew me in; the main character, Dave, wakes up in purgatory with no memory of his own death and upon discovering that it was no accident, must solve his own murder.
Unfortunately, the book itself didn't live up to my expectations.
Most of the characters felt unpolished and lacking in personality beyond what they needed to be for the plot to continue. Several other people attend the dinner party where Dave dies and I couldn't tell you huge amounts about any of them, as they are all defined by their role in Dave's life (brother, quirky childhood BFF, ex-girlfriend, ex's toxic new boyfriend...) above all else. Sure, this meant they could fit in wherever they were needed to ensure that the narrative continued towards its end point, but it also meant that I didn't really care what happened to them.
As I continued reading, the plot felt both unsurprising and all over the place at the same time. In particular, I disliked the chapters about the Satanists, which just didn't do it for me as a plot device to explain why Dave is ***different*** to other humans. The whole afterlife system was reminiscent of a more Christian version of "The Good Place" but the worldbuilding felt too haphazard to ever buy into it.
I've covered a lot of negatives, but I actually feel as though this book could be really enjoyable to the right person! Humour is subjective and whilst The Purgatory Poisoning didn't work for me, I can imagine some of my friends really getting on with it. Also, in many ways it reminded me of the Richard Osman Thursday Murder Club books - a series that I personally dislike for similar reasons to this book, but that has found widespread love from a huge number of readers.
February 12, 2023
It’s always hardest to review books that were “OK”, a sort of damning with faint praise.
I kind of enjoyed this, although I really wouldn’t describe it as a comedy. There wasn’t much of a mystery either. It was an easy, light read. A bit disappointing as there was a lot of room for more, but I didn’t hate it.
I kind of enjoyed this, although I really wouldn’t describe it as a comedy. There wasn’t much of a mystery either. It was an easy, light read. A bit disappointing as there was a lot of room for more, but I didn’t hate it.
March 14, 2023
In The Purgatory Poisoning, by Rebecca Rogers, we meet Dave Walsh, an ordinary man in his late thirties who’s just died and found himself in his own particular purgatory: a youth hostel in Cornwall where he stayed with his parents and younger brother Andrew in 1992, when he was ten.
He’s not alone: there are a handful of other residents whose purgatory is the same location, though they see and hear things there that he can’t and vice versa, because they were there at different points in time when they were alive.
They receive regular updates on their progress to Heaven or Hell from Angel Gobe (who looks uncannily like Michael Palin), but Dave warrants special attention because Gobe and his apprentice Angel Arial are mysteriously blocked from seeing who murdered him.
The angels therefore arrange for Dave to replay the last hour of his life - when he was poisoned at a dinner party - to find out whodunit.
I found The Purgatory Poisoning very entertaining and imaginative. Rogers’ model of what happens after death is inspired and thorough, from the notion that an individual’s personal purgatory is the place where they committed their first good or bad act that really affected someone else; to the vast Heaven’s Hub, God’s switchboard where all human behaviour is monitored; to the diabolical habitats of and problems caused by demons.
I especially liked the juxtaposition of David and his family and friends’ average, suburban, typically British lives and settings with the supernatural elements of angels and demons. As well as making for quirky and humorous scenes whenever the two worlds collided - putting me in mind of Gabby Hutchinson-Crouch’s Rooks novels, which I adore - this gave the angels opportunities to make amusing observations about life on Earth.
These observations come from a place of curiosity about, and affection for humans, reminding me of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s excellent Good Omens. I enjoyed Gobe and Arial’s interactions with Dave and one another a lot.
Dave is pitched perfectly as the main character precisely because he’s so ordinary. Flawed and blundering, he’s neither saintly nor evil, and for a long time, he can’t even remember what he did that was good or bad enough to make that fateful family holiday his “Point of Decision”.
He - and the reader - struggles to comprehend that anyone would hate him passionately enough to poison him (the prime suspect is his ex-girlfriend Rose’s unpleasant new partner, Ian).
What’s more, the odds are stacked against Dave uncovering the truth, especially under enormous time pressure, as he can be so awkward and clumsy, so the tension goes off the charts during this part of the story. I wanted Dave to succeed, not only because I wanted to know who murdered him, but also because I didn’t want the angels to get into trouble with God, or for Dave to end up in Hell.
The Purgatory Poisoning is entertaining and inspired.
He’s not alone: there are a handful of other residents whose purgatory is the same location, though they see and hear things there that he can’t and vice versa, because they were there at different points in time when they were alive.
They receive regular updates on their progress to Heaven or Hell from Angel Gobe (who looks uncannily like Michael Palin), but Dave warrants special attention because Gobe and his apprentice Angel Arial are mysteriously blocked from seeing who murdered him.
The angels therefore arrange for Dave to replay the last hour of his life - when he was poisoned at a dinner party - to find out whodunit.
I found The Purgatory Poisoning very entertaining and imaginative. Rogers’ model of what happens after death is inspired and thorough, from the notion that an individual’s personal purgatory is the place where they committed their first good or bad act that really affected someone else; to the vast Heaven’s Hub, God’s switchboard where all human behaviour is monitored; to the diabolical habitats of and problems caused by demons.
I especially liked the juxtaposition of David and his family and friends’ average, suburban, typically British lives and settings with the supernatural elements of angels and demons. As well as making for quirky and humorous scenes whenever the two worlds collided - putting me in mind of Gabby Hutchinson-Crouch’s Rooks novels, which I adore - this gave the angels opportunities to make amusing observations about life on Earth.
These observations come from a place of curiosity about, and affection for humans, reminding me of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s excellent Good Omens. I enjoyed Gobe and Arial’s interactions with Dave and one another a lot.
Dave is pitched perfectly as the main character precisely because he’s so ordinary. Flawed and blundering, he’s neither saintly nor evil, and for a long time, he can’t even remember what he did that was good or bad enough to make that fateful family holiday his “Point of Decision”.
He - and the reader - struggles to comprehend that anyone would hate him passionately enough to poison him (the prime suspect is his ex-girlfriend Rose’s unpleasant new partner, Ian).
What’s more, the odds are stacked against Dave uncovering the truth, especially under enormous time pressure, as he can be so awkward and clumsy, so the tension goes off the charts during this part of the story. I wanted Dave to succeed, not only because I wanted to know who murdered him, but also because I didn’t want the angels to get into trouble with God, or for Dave to end up in Hell.
The Purgatory Poisoning is entertaining and inspired.
March 7, 2023
In the past 3 weeks I have read 2 books about dead people trying to solve their own murder. Both were hilarious, but that's where the similarities end.
The Purgatory Poisoning finds Dave, not the most likeable of characters, in purgatory immediately following his death, which he can't remember. Here he meets 2 angels, Gobe and Arial, who are giving him the opportunity to increase his 'good' points so he might escape being sent to hell.
What follows is an exciting tale, told with great wit, about Dave preparation in purgatory before the angels return him to earth to try to solve his own murder.
I laughed out loud throughout this and I enjoyed the nostalgic flashbacks to Dave's childhood, particularly St Ives as a holiday destination - I used to go there myself as a kid and returned for a visit not too long ago. I loved Arial's obsession with 80s cop shows too.
A stunning debut with the potential to expand as a series.
Thanks to @netgalley @harpercollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Purgatory Poisoning finds Dave, not the most likeable of characters, in purgatory immediately following his death, which he can't remember. Here he meets 2 angels, Gobe and Arial, who are giving him the opportunity to increase his 'good' points so he might escape being sent to hell.
What follows is an exciting tale, told with great wit, about Dave preparation in purgatory before the angels return him to earth to try to solve his own murder.
I laughed out loud throughout this and I enjoyed the nostalgic flashbacks to Dave's childhood, particularly St Ives as a holiday destination - I used to go there myself as a kid and returned for a visit not too long ago. I loved Arial's obsession with 80s cop shows too.
A stunning debut with the potential to expand as a series.
Thanks to @netgalley @harpercollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2023
The Purgatory Poisoning by Rebecca Rogers is a great debut mystery full of laughs, fun and mystical goings on.
As the title says, a poisoning is committed leaving our hapless protagonist ‘Dave’ both confused and more to the point - Dead and stranded in Purgatory.
Tasked by an Angel to find out the who, why and wherefore of his unfortunate visit to Purgatory, Dave tries to pick apart this Cosy Agatha Christie type mystery.
Written in an inviting and easy to read style, it’s a book that will appeal to many, as it’s fresh and funny, whilst keeping enough seriousness about Death and what becomes of us.
Full of quirky characters, it’s paced nicely and whilst there are no explosive moments it probably fits the story well that it all kind of happens how you might expect it to - suspect wise that is - and it all comes
To a very pleasing ending.
Great stuff!
As the title says, a poisoning is committed leaving our hapless protagonist ‘Dave’ both confused and more to the point - Dead and stranded in Purgatory.
Tasked by an Angel to find out the who, why and wherefore of his unfortunate visit to Purgatory, Dave tries to pick apart this Cosy Agatha Christie type mystery.
Written in an inviting and easy to read style, it’s a book that will appeal to many, as it’s fresh and funny, whilst keeping enough seriousness about Death and what becomes of us.
Full of quirky characters, it’s paced nicely and whilst there are no explosive moments it probably fits the story well that it all kind of happens how you might expect it to - suspect wise that is - and it all comes
To a very pleasing ending.
Great stuff!
July 22, 2023
This could be Heaven or this could be Hell…
When Dave wakes up to find himself in St Ives Youth Hostel in 1992, it comes as a major surprise – just a few minutes earlier he’d been in a house in London in 2019. The other people in the hostel break it to him that he is dead, and is now in his personal Purgatory where he will wait while a decision is made on his final destination – Heaven or Hell. Meantime, his companions in Purgatory tell him, the best thing to do is some serious repenting of his earthly sins. But Dave’s a bit of mystery to the angels who monitor Purgatory. It transpires he was murdered though he has no recollection of it, but unusually Heaven’s monitoring system has failed and they don’t know who did the deed. So with Dave’s help they set out to do a bit of investigating…
This book won the Comedy Women in Print Unpublished Prize in 2021, a newish prize created by Helen Lederer which gains the winner a publishing contract with HarperFiction. While it only made me laugh out loud once or twice, I found it entertaining and fun, with characters – human, angelic and demonic – whose company I enjoyed. It’s very much at the cosy end of crime despite the Hell and demons theme, although there are enough touches of darkness in it to give it a bit of bite. The whole religion bit is very tongue-in-cheek and not to be taken too seriously, though it probably won’t appeal to anyone who thinks that Harry Potter should be banned! It certainly doesn’t set out to offend nor, happily, to preach. Its purpose is to provide light entertainment, and it does it very well.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot since it’s only revealed gradually and that’s what makes it fun. We learn that the reason Dave’s Purgatory is the hostel in St Ives is because his parents took him and his brother Andrew there for a holiday when they were young children. The guide to Purgatory handed to all new arrivals explains that people are sent to the place where they first made a conscious decision that affected another human being, for good or ill. So part of the mystery is Dave trying to remember what happened during the holiday that became his POD – Point of Decision. The other part is what happened at a dinner party in 2019 that led to Dave’s murder. Unsurprisingly the two events will turn out to be linked!
Helping him along the way are a couple of angels. Angel Gobe (short for Go-Between) is in charge of liaising with humans in purgatory, and he’s very worried about the failure in the system that blocks him from seeing what exactly happened at the dinner party. They don’t want an undetected murderer slipping into Heaven, after all! His assistant is Angel Arial, whose fascination with humanity has led him to become a huge fan of detective programmes from the ‘80s and ‘90s, which makes him super-enthusiastic at the prospect of investigating a real-life murder. Solving murders isn’t really their job, though, so they have to go rogue and break a few rules, which doesn’t come easily to angels. Dave, meantime, as well as repenting some of his earthly actions, is having to come to terms with the fact that every time he swears another few points are added to the Hell side of his personal accounts. (An excellent Heavenly rule, in my opinion, though it does mean we probably won’t meet up with too many contemporary crime writers if we head upwards…)
Although lighthearted and based in the realms of demonic and angelic influence, the actual mystery plot is good and well paced. It’s not the most baffling mystery in the world – I had a pretty good idea of the solution from fairly early on – but the cosy feel meant that it didn’t matter. The real question is what will Dave have to do to get out of Purgatory, and which way will he be headed when he does? We do get glimpses of both Heaven and Hell, but Rogers wisely doesn’t delve too deeply into either. Gobe and Arial’s department of Heaven is portrayed as a massive administration centre, a vast spy network that keeps tabs on everything humans do, say or think, for later judgement. But it’s a kindly kind of judgement – they’re doing their best to get as many of us into Heaven as possible.
I unexpectedly enjoyed this a lot and raced through it. Perfect light reading – entertaining, inoffensive, humorous, warm-hearted and with a bunch of likeable characters. And the ending brings it all to a satisfying conclusion that left me with a smile on my face.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, HarperCollins.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
When Dave wakes up to find himself in St Ives Youth Hostel in 1992, it comes as a major surprise – just a few minutes earlier he’d been in a house in London in 2019. The other people in the hostel break it to him that he is dead, and is now in his personal Purgatory where he will wait while a decision is made on his final destination – Heaven or Hell. Meantime, his companions in Purgatory tell him, the best thing to do is some serious repenting of his earthly sins. But Dave’s a bit of mystery to the angels who monitor Purgatory. It transpires he was murdered though he has no recollection of it, but unusually Heaven’s monitoring system has failed and they don’t know who did the deed. So with Dave’s help they set out to do a bit of investigating…
This book won the Comedy Women in Print Unpublished Prize in 2021, a newish prize created by Helen Lederer which gains the winner a publishing contract with HarperFiction. While it only made me laugh out loud once or twice, I found it entertaining and fun, with characters – human, angelic and demonic – whose company I enjoyed. It’s very much at the cosy end of crime despite the Hell and demons theme, although there are enough touches of darkness in it to give it a bit of bite. The whole religion bit is very tongue-in-cheek and not to be taken too seriously, though it probably won’t appeal to anyone who thinks that Harry Potter should be banned! It certainly doesn’t set out to offend nor, happily, to preach. Its purpose is to provide light entertainment, and it does it very well.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot since it’s only revealed gradually and that’s what makes it fun. We learn that the reason Dave’s Purgatory is the hostel in St Ives is because his parents took him and his brother Andrew there for a holiday when they were young children. The guide to Purgatory handed to all new arrivals explains that people are sent to the place where they first made a conscious decision that affected another human being, for good or ill. So part of the mystery is Dave trying to remember what happened during the holiday that became his POD – Point of Decision. The other part is what happened at a dinner party in 2019 that led to Dave’s murder. Unsurprisingly the two events will turn out to be linked!
Helping him along the way are a couple of angels. Angel Gobe (short for Go-Between) is in charge of liaising with humans in purgatory, and he’s very worried about the failure in the system that blocks him from seeing what exactly happened at the dinner party. They don’t want an undetected murderer slipping into Heaven, after all! His assistant is Angel Arial, whose fascination with humanity has led him to become a huge fan of detective programmes from the ‘80s and ‘90s, which makes him super-enthusiastic at the prospect of investigating a real-life murder. Solving murders isn’t really their job, though, so they have to go rogue and break a few rules, which doesn’t come easily to angels. Dave, meantime, as well as repenting some of his earthly actions, is having to come to terms with the fact that every time he swears another few points are added to the Hell side of his personal accounts. (An excellent Heavenly rule, in my opinion, though it does mean we probably won’t meet up with too many contemporary crime writers if we head upwards…)
Although lighthearted and based in the realms of demonic and angelic influence, the actual mystery plot is good and well paced. It’s not the most baffling mystery in the world – I had a pretty good idea of the solution from fairly early on – but the cosy feel meant that it didn’t matter. The real question is what will Dave have to do to get out of Purgatory, and which way will he be headed when he does? We do get glimpses of both Heaven and Hell, but Rogers wisely doesn’t delve too deeply into either. Gobe and Arial’s department of Heaven is portrayed as a massive administration centre, a vast spy network that keeps tabs on everything humans do, say or think, for later judgement. But it’s a kindly kind of judgement – they’re doing their best to get as many of us into Heaven as possible.
I unexpectedly enjoyed this a lot and raced through it. Perfect light reading – entertaining, inoffensive, humorous, warm-hearted and with a bunch of likeable characters. And the ending brings it all to a satisfying conclusion that left me with a smile on my face.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, HarperCollins.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
May 17, 2023
Okay, so...I think my friends are expecting a scathing review after following my updates (looking at you, Hancock). Here's the thing.
I picked up this book because the library was 5min from closing and it caught my eye and sounded like an interesting concept.
Except, it's not funny. At least, not until the last 7ish chapters. Even that's generous, because the humor comes from the irony and ridiculousness of it all. Perhaps my sense of humor is incompatible with the majority of other readers holding this book.
I need to address some (non-spoiler) things that I feel like other reviewers haven't touched on:
1) Dave was 37 when he died. He will try to convince everyone he was in his 40s. This doesn't matter in the slightest, but I spent the first half of the book flipping back and forth, trying to keep track of the inconsistency. Dave was 37 when he died. Andrew was 35 when Dave died. Don't worry about it.
2) You will meet characters such as Jimmy the Mod and Thomas, and you will want to know more. You won't find out. Take them for who they are.
3) The Great Beyond apparently only covers the UK in this story. The rest of the world doesn't exist. Don't try to pretend it does.
Anyway, back to the actual review:
I don't usually read Whodunits, so it's difficult for me to view this as one. Coming in with a boarder knowledge of Agatha Christie and Mystery as a genre, I found that I held no desire to "solve" the mystery. I wasn't made to feel like I had to find out. Moreover, it read like a post-mortem, satirical account of a dude's mediocre life on Earth. When I finally did find out whodunit - with a solid chunk remaining in the book - I was apathetic. After finding out, I was then taken through a rapid attempt at tying up lose ends...leaving every single character with less personality than they had at the beginning of the book.
To build on above point 3, the celestial beings in the story are entirely too human. Some people might be into that. I personally don't see the point in having a group of angels that use more pop culture references than an Influencer at a Convention. At first, it earned a chuckle. Angels just trying to relate to the humans, right? And then it Never. Stopped. It only got worse.
I need to stop researching authors. I was convinced that Rogers hadn't set foot in the UK. Turns out she's an academic writer who has spent most of her life here. Oops.
I did try to remain patient, knowing that it was Roger's first novel and especially because its a genre that I don't typically choose. The trouble is that it's inconsistent in many ways, and often feels like it was pushed to print with minimal editing. While a little bit annoying at times, it was easy to read and mildly entertaining. If anything, it's pitfalls are what kept me going! I wanted to know what happened next! Would I read it again? Nah.
This is probably the longest review I have written (and probably will). There's a LOT going on here. And I mean a LOT. I could write my own book reviewing everything that happened. Pick it up for some tomfoolery. Have fun. Enjoy the next read even more.
I picked up this book because the library was 5min from closing and it caught my eye and sounded like an interesting concept.
Except, it's not funny. At least, not until the last 7ish chapters. Even that's generous, because the humor comes from the irony and ridiculousness of it all. Perhaps my sense of humor is incompatible with the majority of other readers holding this book.
I need to address some (non-spoiler) things that I feel like other reviewers haven't touched on:
1) Dave was 37 when he died. He will try to convince everyone he was in his 40s. This doesn't matter in the slightest, but I spent the first half of the book flipping back and forth, trying to keep track of the inconsistency. Dave was 37 when he died. Andrew was 35 when Dave died. Don't worry about it.
2) You will meet characters such as Jimmy the Mod and Thomas, and you will want to know more. You won't find out. Take them for who they are.
3) The Great Beyond apparently only covers the UK in this story. The rest of the world doesn't exist. Don't try to pretend it does.
Anyway, back to the actual review:
I don't usually read Whodunits, so it's difficult for me to view this as one. Coming in with a boarder knowledge of Agatha Christie and Mystery as a genre, I found that I held no desire to "solve" the mystery. I wasn't made to feel like I had to find out. Moreover, it read like a post-mortem, satirical account of a dude's mediocre life on Earth. When I finally did find out whodunit - with a solid chunk remaining in the book - I was apathetic. After finding out, I was then taken through a rapid attempt at tying up lose ends...leaving every single character with less personality than they had at the beginning of the book.
To build on above point 3, the celestial beings in the story are entirely too human. Some people might be into that. I personally don't see the point in having a group of angels that use more pop culture references than an Influencer at a Convention. At first, it earned a chuckle. Angels just trying to relate to the humans, right? And then it Never. Stopped. It only got worse.
I need to stop researching authors. I was convinced that Rogers hadn't set foot in the UK. Turns out she's an academic writer who has spent most of her life here. Oops.
I did try to remain patient, knowing that it was Roger's first novel and especially because its a genre that I don't typically choose. The trouble is that it's inconsistent in many ways, and often feels like it was pushed to print with minimal editing. While a little bit annoying at times, it was easy to read and mildly entertaining. If anything, it's pitfalls are what kept me going! I wanted to know what happened next! Would I read it again? Nah.
This is probably the longest review I have written (and probably will). There's a LOT going on here. And I mean a LOT. I could write my own book reviewing everything that happened. Pick it up for some tomfoolery. Have fun. Enjoy the next read even more.
April 23, 2023
I was offered an eARC for review and for an honest opinion.
"The Purgatory Poising" is Rebecca Rogers's debut novel and what a debut it is!!
We meet Dave, who wakes up in Purgatory, dead of poisoning. The last thing he remembers is having dinner with friends. He's not alone in this 'halfway house' to heaven or Hell. There are other residents waiting for their fate. There is a particular criterion for entering heaven. You'll have to check all the boxes. If you don't, then while in purgatory you can redeem yourself.
Quote
It's not every day you find out you've been murdered, he thought. Or that your mum came from a family of - what did he call them? Diabolists? Or that the angel at God's right hand was the image of Michale Palin.
Angel Gobe and his sidekick apprentice Angel Arial are assigned to Dave's case to find out who murdered Dave, but he is special he has some kind of 'blocks' or 'walls' placed during his lifetime that Arial can't lift or break so drastic measures have to come in place, Dave is sent back in time (without God knowing of course because it's forbidden) to solve his own murder.
What followers is a hilarious read and highly entertaining. I loved Rececca's interpretation of Purgatory which was quite intriguing, there is a switchboard in which there are lightbulbs, they represent every human being and what they do throughout life, whether good or evil, is recorded waiting for when your time comes to meet God. Found it hilarious.
It was a delightful read and highly recommended. Looking forward to what she comes up with next.
"The Purgatory Poising" is Rebecca Rogers's debut novel and what a debut it is!!
We meet Dave, who wakes up in Purgatory, dead of poisoning. The last thing he remembers is having dinner with friends. He's not alone in this 'halfway house' to heaven or Hell. There are other residents waiting for their fate. There is a particular criterion for entering heaven. You'll have to check all the boxes. If you don't, then while in purgatory you can redeem yourself.
Quote
It's not every day you find out you've been murdered, he thought. Or that your mum came from a family of - what did he call them? Diabolists? Or that the angel at God's right hand was the image of Michale Palin.
Angel Gobe and his sidekick apprentice Angel Arial are assigned to Dave's case to find out who murdered Dave, but he is special he has some kind of 'blocks' or 'walls' placed during his lifetime that Arial can't lift or break so drastic measures have to come in place, Dave is sent back in time (without God knowing of course because it's forbidden) to solve his own murder.
What followers is a hilarious read and highly entertaining. I loved Rececca's interpretation of Purgatory which was quite intriguing, there is a switchboard in which there are lightbulbs, they represent every human being and what they do throughout life, whether good or evil, is recorded waiting for when your time comes to meet God. Found it hilarious.
It was a delightful read and highly recommended. Looking forward to what she comes up with next.
March 20, 2023
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author, HarperCollins UK and Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
This is a fascinating concept for a story – investigating your own murder from purgatory – and I felt it worked really well, even though the actual investigation of the murder only occurred briefly and quite late in the narrative.
That is because Dave’s murder isn’t really the main mystery at all. The heart of the story lies in Dave’s decisions at key points in his life and his relationships with his close friends and family who were affected by the consequences of his actions. There is a heavy nudging towards repentance and redemption, via acceptance of your past and a second chance to put things right in the present.
I started off not really liking Dave much – a necessary side effect of any redemption novel is the main character must start off in need of said redemption! – but he did grow on me and I was rooting for him to succeed by the end. And, while there is less focus or development in the side characters like Jess, Rose, Hannah, Ian and Andrew, there was just enough to make me feel sympathy for some, deep dislike for one, and general suspicion for the whole lot.
Angels Gobe and Arial really stole the show though, character-wise, and I could see them having loads of potential for further stories in the future. For example, I would have loved to know more of the stories behind the other inhabitants of Dave’s personal Youth Hostel purgatory – we get just enough to spark interest here before moving on into Dave’s personal quest.
If you enjoy reading about the battle between good and evil within each of us, and more literally in the form of actual angels and demons, and like the sound of middle-class Satanists and celestial TV crime nerds, then this is the morality/mystery romp for you!
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
This is a fascinating concept for a story – investigating your own murder from purgatory – and I felt it worked really well, even though the actual investigation of the murder only occurred briefly and quite late in the narrative.
That is because Dave’s murder isn’t really the main mystery at all. The heart of the story lies in Dave’s decisions at key points in his life and his relationships with his close friends and family who were affected by the consequences of his actions. There is a heavy nudging towards repentance and redemption, via acceptance of your past and a second chance to put things right in the present.
I started off not really liking Dave much – a necessary side effect of any redemption novel is the main character must start off in need of said redemption! – but he did grow on me and I was rooting for him to succeed by the end. And, while there is less focus or development in the side characters like Jess, Rose, Hannah, Ian and Andrew, there was just enough to make me feel sympathy for some, deep dislike for one, and general suspicion for the whole lot.
Angels Gobe and Arial really stole the show though, character-wise, and I could see them having loads of potential for further stories in the future. For example, I would have loved to know more of the stories behind the other inhabitants of Dave’s personal Youth Hostel purgatory – we get just enough to spark interest here before moving on into Dave’s personal quest.
If you enjoy reading about the battle between good and evil within each of us, and more literally in the form of actual angels and demons, and like the sound of middle-class Satanists and celestial TV crime nerds, then this is the morality/mystery romp for you!
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
May 15, 2023
I actually really had fun with this book. It was light and frivolous and even made me giggle a few times. Just what I needed after some very heavy reads.
February 19, 2024
Enjoyable and interesting take on life after death.
I like a mystery within a mystery.
Easy to read with characters that really grew in me.
I like a mystery within a mystery.
Easy to read with characters that really grew in me.
January 19, 2023
Rating: 3.8/5
This debut novel from Rebecca Rogers is a thoroughly entertaining variation on the murder mystery theme. As if waking up to find that you are, in fact, dead and residing in your own personal purgatory (a youth hostel in Cornwall), Dave also has to contend with the revelation that he was murdered. With the assistance of maverick angels, Gobe and Arial, Dave has to investigate the cause of his own premature demise and find out who killed him.
Whilst I don't think the concept could be truly described as unique, there is more than enough of the content that is fresh and approached in a sufficiently original fashion for this to be far more than simply a facsimile of the various media that have influenced it. The style of the humour often betrays the author's love of Monty Python and at various times I was reminded of films such as "Ghost" and "A Matter of Life and Death", television shows such as "Good Omens" and "Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)" and the witty alternative realities created by writers such as Jasper Fforde and Jodi Taylor.
The murder mystery element itself probably won't satisfy many committed readers of that genre, as the culprit is quite obvious from an early stage - but that really doesn't matter. "The Purgatory Poisoning" isn't intended to be an out and out piece of mystery fiction, but rather an entertaining and amusing story that draws on a variety of genres as its eclectic narrative wends its way towards its conclusion. Some elements work better than others, but the overall impression is certainly a positive one and I will be looking out for more from Rebecca Rogers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
This debut novel from Rebecca Rogers is a thoroughly entertaining variation on the murder mystery theme. As if waking up to find that you are, in fact, dead and residing in your own personal purgatory (a youth hostel in Cornwall), Dave also has to contend with the revelation that he was murdered. With the assistance of maverick angels, Gobe and Arial, Dave has to investigate the cause of his own premature demise and find out who killed him.
Whilst I don't think the concept could be truly described as unique, there is more than enough of the content that is fresh and approached in a sufficiently original fashion for this to be far more than simply a facsimile of the various media that have influenced it. The style of the humour often betrays the author's love of Monty Python and at various times I was reminded of films such as "Ghost" and "A Matter of Life and Death", television shows such as "Good Omens" and "Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)" and the witty alternative realities created by writers such as Jasper Fforde and Jodi Taylor.
The murder mystery element itself probably won't satisfy many committed readers of that genre, as the culprit is quite obvious from an early stage - but that really doesn't matter. "The Purgatory Poisoning" isn't intended to be an out and out piece of mystery fiction, but rather an entertaining and amusing story that draws on a variety of genres as its eclectic narrative wends its way towards its conclusion. Some elements work better than others, but the overall impression is certainly a positive one and I will be looking out for more from Rebecca Rogers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
March 21, 2023
How do you solve your own murder when you’re already dead?
Purgatory (noun):
1. Where the dead are sent to atone.
2. A place of suffering or torment.
3. A youth hostel where the occupants play Scrabble and the mattresses are paper thin.
When Dave wakes up in his own personal purgatory, he’s shocked to discover he’s dead. And worse – he was murdered.
Heaven doesn’t know who did it so with the help of two rogue angels, Dave must uncover the truth.
Rebecca Rogers won the Comedy Women in Print Unpublished Prize 2021 with her debut novel, The Purgatory Poisonings. I understand the novel’s success, because the first page immediately grabbed and held my attention. Thirty-seven year old Dave unexpectedly finds himself at a youth hostel in St. Ives, Cornwall, in 1992. This strikes him as odd, because he lost consciousness in a friend’s dining room in North London in 2019. Gradually it dawns on Dave that he has died and landed in Purgatory, which is a ‘halfway house’ between Heaven and Hell. This unusual premise reminds me of a passage in Sweet Dreams by Michael Frayn, where the main character arrives in Heaven to find a treasured gift waiting for him. It is the pencil case he was given for his sixth birthday, and it still has its ‘new smell’. Unfortunately Dave’s version of the afterlife does not smell so good. The hostel, where he spent a holiday with his parents and younger brother when he was ten, reeks of ‘damp clothes, bleach and burnt fish fingers’.
A technical glitch has disrupted God’s monitoring system, and vital information has gone missing. As a result Dave cannot move on to eternal happiness in Heaven unless he finds out who murdered him. Dave’s ‘sidekicks’ as he struggles to resolve this sticky situation are Gobe, a senior angel who in human form is the double of Michael Palin, and Arial, an apprentice ‘Switch’ angel whose task is to maintain God’s switchboard. Arial tries to run the murder investigation like his idea of a mortal detective, and some of the funniest moments arise from his passion for Eighties cop shows.
The Purgatory Poisonings will especially appeal to fans of fantasy humour, because its unusual premise gives Rogers plenty of scope for quirky plot twists. Her humour is in the style of Terry Pratchett, so Dave and the angels meander through the decades digging up apparently random clues which eventually guide them to a solution. Along the way the reader is introduced to many funny and sinister characters. They also experience Heaven’s broom cupboard, afternoon tea with Satanists in Dunstable and a mansion full of clocks.
Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley, for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
Purgatory (noun):
1. Where the dead are sent to atone.
2. A place of suffering or torment.
3. A youth hostel where the occupants play Scrabble and the mattresses are paper thin.
When Dave wakes up in his own personal purgatory, he’s shocked to discover he’s dead. And worse – he was murdered.
Heaven doesn’t know who did it so with the help of two rogue angels, Dave must uncover the truth.
Rebecca Rogers won the Comedy Women in Print Unpublished Prize 2021 with her debut novel, The Purgatory Poisonings. I understand the novel’s success, because the first page immediately grabbed and held my attention. Thirty-seven year old Dave unexpectedly finds himself at a youth hostel in St. Ives, Cornwall, in 1992. This strikes him as odd, because he lost consciousness in a friend’s dining room in North London in 2019. Gradually it dawns on Dave that he has died and landed in Purgatory, which is a ‘halfway house’ between Heaven and Hell. This unusual premise reminds me of a passage in Sweet Dreams by Michael Frayn, where the main character arrives in Heaven to find a treasured gift waiting for him. It is the pencil case he was given for his sixth birthday, and it still has its ‘new smell’. Unfortunately Dave’s version of the afterlife does not smell so good. The hostel, where he spent a holiday with his parents and younger brother when he was ten, reeks of ‘damp clothes, bleach and burnt fish fingers’.
A technical glitch has disrupted God’s monitoring system, and vital information has gone missing. As a result Dave cannot move on to eternal happiness in Heaven unless he finds out who murdered him. Dave’s ‘sidekicks’ as he struggles to resolve this sticky situation are Gobe, a senior angel who in human form is the double of Michael Palin, and Arial, an apprentice ‘Switch’ angel whose task is to maintain God’s switchboard. Arial tries to run the murder investigation like his idea of a mortal detective, and some of the funniest moments arise from his passion for Eighties cop shows.
The Purgatory Poisonings will especially appeal to fans of fantasy humour, because its unusual premise gives Rogers plenty of scope for quirky plot twists. Her humour is in the style of Terry Pratchett, so Dave and the angels meander through the decades digging up apparently random clues which eventually guide them to a solution. Along the way the reader is introduced to many funny and sinister characters. They also experience Heaven’s broom cupboard, afternoon tea with Satanists in Dunstable and a mansion full of clocks.
Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley, for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
January 30, 2023
Oh dear. I am all for supporting (in particular) women comic writers, as it is a particularly difficult genre to get right, and I'm sure that the author is a very funny person in real life. Unfortunately, I would be doing a disservice to other readers if I were not to give a proper review, and they need to be saved the purgatory (yes, this is both pertinent and funnier than anything you will read in this book) of reading this book.
Where to start? Well, all of the characters were either thoroughly unpleasant or idiotic, with very little development e.g. one character's mother was called Elle for short - her real name was Elvis; this was not referred to again until her passing, which had some Elvis paraphernalia added - to give atmosphere, I'm guessing? At any rate, pointless and not funny. And the main characters themselves had no interesting or redeemable features at all, despite being involved in satanism and murder.
There was also a huge dearth of logic in SO many of the characters' actions that it made a nonsense of the narrative, to mention just a few, the unlikely friendship of the two mothers, the shortcomings of the so-called angels, the failed and pathetic love triangle, the relationship between the two brothers, and most of all, the whole point of solving one's own murder when one is dead. There are other books and films where the ghost at least has the chance to change the lives of the still living by their actions in the afterlife, but this is not really the case here, so who cares who killed Dave?
I could go on, but you get the idea. The writing style was atrocious as well (I feel so bad saying that, but it is the truth.) If I hadn't felt honour-bound to review this because I got it as an ARC from Netgalley, I most certainly wouldn't have gotten past the first 5 pages, and after that it was...well, purgatory. Consider my time there already paid!
Oh, and one last thing, the unkindest cut of all: this is marketed as being mildly like Good Omens. I cannot stress how untrue this is. Possibly like an unfunny, lacklustre version of Adrian Mole, with boring characters, but NOT in any shape or form in the same universe as even the merest scratchings of the great Terry Pratchett.
Where to start? Well, all of the characters were either thoroughly unpleasant or idiotic, with very little development e.g. one character's mother was called Elle for short - her real name was Elvis; this was not referred to again until her passing, which had some Elvis paraphernalia added - to give atmosphere, I'm guessing? At any rate, pointless and not funny. And the main characters themselves had no interesting or redeemable features at all, despite being involved in satanism and murder.
There was also a huge dearth of logic in SO many of the characters' actions that it made a nonsense of the narrative, to mention just a few, the unlikely friendship of the two mothers, the shortcomings of the so-called angels, the failed and pathetic love triangle, the relationship between the two brothers, and most of all, the whole point of solving one's own murder when one is dead. There are other books and films where the ghost at least has the chance to change the lives of the still living by their actions in the afterlife, but this is not really the case here, so who cares who killed Dave?
I could go on, but you get the idea. The writing style was atrocious as well (I feel so bad saying that, but it is the truth.) If I hadn't felt honour-bound to review this because I got it as an ARC from Netgalley, I most certainly wouldn't have gotten past the first 5 pages, and after that it was...well, purgatory. Consider my time there already paid!
Oh, and one last thing, the unkindest cut of all: this is marketed as being mildly like Good Omens. I cannot stress how untrue this is. Possibly like an unfunny, lacklustre version of Adrian Mole, with boring characters, but NOT in any shape or form in the same universe as even the merest scratchings of the great Terry Pratchett.
March 2, 2023
Books rarely make me genuinely laugh loud out loud. A grin, a chuckle, or perhaps a snort at most, but only a very few authors have made me cackle with glee, like proper belly laughs. I can count them on one hand: Jane Austen, PG Wodehouse, Sir Terry Pratchett, and Dawn French (an odd mix, to be sure). And now, one more for that list… Rebecca Rogers, with The Purgatory Poisoning.
I had no idea what to expect with this book. I liked the cover and heard mention of a comparison to Good Omens and thought, ’Ooh, go on then.’ Bloody hell, I’m glad I did.
I’ll spare you a summary of the book and instead tell you that this is one of the most delightful pieces of writing I’ve encountered for a while. I understand the comparison to Good Omens – yes, it’s similar in the subject matter, angels and demons gallivanting about England, but it’s the tone of the book as well. I don’t give this praise lightly: there is an essence, a hint, a whiff of Sir Terry here. (Obvs I know Neil Gaiman also co-wrote Good Omens but I’ve only read the Sandman comics so far so can’t compare him.)
The absolute absurdity of prim and proper sorts being Satanists, trying to paint a pentagram on the floor of the living room but somehow painting a rhombus instead, tea and cake and summoning demons – delicious. ‘God’s switchboard’ being monitored by specially trained angels, one of whom has a love of 80s police dramas – superb. Purgatory being a youth hostel with Take That playing on a loop and nothing to do but play Scrabble with your fellow inmates – marvellous.
A mystery to solve and some delightful twists round this book off nicely. I’ve already looked up to see what else the author has written but alas, I must wait, as this is a debut novel. Please, Ms Rogers, hurry up and write more!
I highly recommend this book for fans of Terry Pratchett (possibly Neil Gaiman) and anyone who enjoys a cosy mystery and a good laugh!
Thank you, @randomthingstours, for letting me be part of the tour for this brilliant book!
I had no idea what to expect with this book. I liked the cover and heard mention of a comparison to Good Omens and thought, ’Ooh, go on then.’ Bloody hell, I’m glad I did.
I’ll spare you a summary of the book and instead tell you that this is one of the most delightful pieces of writing I’ve encountered for a while. I understand the comparison to Good Omens – yes, it’s similar in the subject matter, angels and demons gallivanting about England, but it’s the tone of the book as well. I don’t give this praise lightly: there is an essence, a hint, a whiff of Sir Terry here. (Obvs I know Neil Gaiman also co-wrote Good Omens but I’ve only read the Sandman comics so far so can’t compare him.)
The absolute absurdity of prim and proper sorts being Satanists, trying to paint a pentagram on the floor of the living room but somehow painting a rhombus instead, tea and cake and summoning demons – delicious. ‘God’s switchboard’ being monitored by specially trained angels, one of whom has a love of 80s police dramas – superb. Purgatory being a youth hostel with Take That playing on a loop and nothing to do but play Scrabble with your fellow inmates – marvellous.
A mystery to solve and some delightful twists round this book off nicely. I’ve already looked up to see what else the author has written but alas, I must wait, as this is a debut novel. Please, Ms Rogers, hurry up and write more!
I highly recommend this book for fans of Terry Pratchett (possibly Neil Gaiman) and anyone who enjoys a cosy mystery and a good laugh!
Thank you, @randomthingstours, for letting me be part of the tour for this brilliant book!
March 17, 2023
David has eaten a bad curry and is deeply regretting it. Without knowing how he’s got from toilet to bed, he awakes to a familiar smell from the past. Feeling the thin mattress, he thinks he must be mistaken. Granted he’s not on a memory foam mattress with luxurious bedding but surely, if he’s not at home then he must be in hospital?
He probes his mouth for evidence of last night’s meal and discovers that the halitosis which has plagued his adult life has also gone. The only thing that is unmistakable is the smell of his 1992 family youth hostelling holiday to St Ives – the first time his life was rendered so interminable that he’d called on God’s help.
The chortle out loud humour and character portrayal of poor, unfortunate David have been wonderfully developed in Rebecca’s debut novel and winner of the Comedy Women in Print Prize. The humour is masterfully developed. David and his family’s grotty holiday accommodation in St Ives is easily conjured from its smell: damp clothes, bleach and burnt fish fingers. His father’s milf-crush adds to this image with her immortal line, ‘Of course, it’s not Butlins but we can’t all live like Kings and Queens.’
This holiday is to be the one where David arrives at his POD the point of decision where he’s not only responsible for his decisions but as a result it’s also the point from which he must work off the sins of his lifetime to earn his place in heaven or hell. No one in purgatory has counted on Dave introducing his own third option …
The humour throughout is brilliant and I had to share a snippet:
‘Betty walked into her living room to find that Eric had pushed the sofa to the edge and painted a pentangle on the floor. At least Eric thought it was a pentangle.
“I think that’s a rhomboid, love.” Said Betty as kindly as she could … In the event, Eric left the rhomboid in place … his knees wouldn’t take all the rubbing out.’
He probes his mouth for evidence of last night’s meal and discovers that the halitosis which has plagued his adult life has also gone. The only thing that is unmistakable is the smell of his 1992 family youth hostelling holiday to St Ives – the first time his life was rendered so interminable that he’d called on God’s help.
The chortle out loud humour and character portrayal of poor, unfortunate David have been wonderfully developed in Rebecca’s debut novel and winner of the Comedy Women in Print Prize. The humour is masterfully developed. David and his family’s grotty holiday accommodation in St Ives is easily conjured from its smell: damp clothes, bleach and burnt fish fingers. His father’s milf-crush adds to this image with her immortal line, ‘Of course, it’s not Butlins but we can’t all live like Kings and Queens.’
This holiday is to be the one where David arrives at his POD the point of decision where he’s not only responsible for his decisions but as a result it’s also the point from which he must work off the sins of his lifetime to earn his place in heaven or hell. No one in purgatory has counted on Dave introducing his own third option …
The humour throughout is brilliant and I had to share a snippet:
‘Betty walked into her living room to find that Eric had pushed the sofa to the edge and painted a pentangle on the floor. At least Eric thought it was a pentangle.
“I think that’s a rhomboid, love.” Said Betty as kindly as she could … In the event, Eric left the rhomboid in place … his knees wouldn’t take all the rubbing out.’
March 20, 2023
A bulb lit up on God’s switchboard when ten-year-old David Walsh prayed to him during a horrible family holiday at St Ives Youth Hostel in 1992 where he hated his mother, his father and most of all his irritating younger brother Andrew. And that was just the beginning. That was the Point of Decision for Dave, the moment where he made an important choice that significantly affected another person. It’s now 2019, or at least it was, and David was at a dinner party, then he wakes up in a strange place, and realises he’s back in 1992 in his old room in the youth hostel. And what’s more, his fellow inmates explain that this is Purgatory and he is now dead, and will spend ages there hopefully accumulating enough brownie points to make it to Heaven – or not. He is visited by God’s HR department in the form of the Angel Gobe (Go-Between), a Michael Palin lookalike who tells Dave that he was murdered, and from the sound of the way he lived his life, there could be a few good suspects. Coming to terms with the revelation that his mother and grandparents were satanists, albeit terribly amateur ones, Dave tries to remember what actually happened that fateful night while Gobe and his sidekick Angel Arial try to solve their heavenly murder mystery from their end. If they all pull together, Dave just might make it up to those pearly gates.
And so begins a hilarious black comedy crime caper as the slightly maverick pair of angels find a loophole in God’s great plan. I loved this story, full of great and wonderfully portrayed characters, from Gobe and Arial to Dave’s mother Ann and her friend Elle, and of course the entire Dunstable First Satanic Society. In particular the meeting between Gobe and Beleth had me chuckling out loud and I can highly recommend this for a quirky and thoroughly enjoyable read. 5*
And so begins a hilarious black comedy crime caper as the slightly maverick pair of angels find a loophole in God’s great plan. I loved this story, full of great and wonderfully portrayed characters, from Gobe and Arial to Dave’s mother Ann and her friend Elle, and of course the entire Dunstable First Satanic Society. In particular the meeting between Gobe and Beleth had me chuckling out loud and I can highly recommend this for a quirky and thoroughly enjoyable read. 5*
September 5, 2023
The Purgatory Poisoning is a debut novel by the talented British author Rebecca Rogers, and it is a delightful rollercoaster ride through the afterlife that blends humour, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural.
The story begins with Dave Walsh, an ordinary man, suddenly finding himself in a rather unusual situation - stuck in a bunk bed in a Youth Hostel in St Ives from his family vacation in 1992, with no apparent way out. Here, he meets a group of equally perplexed souls, one of whom, Laura, explains that they are in Purgatory.
The introduction of Angel Gobe, a Michael Palin look-alike who acts as the intermediary between the souls in Purgatory and God, adds an extra layer of quirkiness to the story. Dave learns he was murdered during a dinner party in North London in 2019, but a glitch in the heavenly system prevents the Angels from identifying the culprit. The plot takes unexpected twists and turns as Dave reflects on his life and past actions.
Despite his flaws, Dave is a relatable character who undergoes significant growth as he grapples with the consequences of his actions. The supporting cast, including Angel Arial, with his fascination for American TV and God's whimsical nature, adds depth and mirth to the story.
The Purgatory Poisoning is an original and imaginative plot. The idea of solving one's own murder in Purgatory is both clever and entertaining, and the story keeps readers guessing until the final reveal. Rogers seamlessly incorporates elements of the supernatural, such as Satanists and protection spells, while maintaining a lighthearted and humorous tone.
While Dave may not be initially likeable, his journey of redemption and self-discovery makes for a compelling character arc. If you're looking for a novel that combines mystery, humour, and the supernatural in a thoroughly enjoyable way, this is the book for you.
The story begins with Dave Walsh, an ordinary man, suddenly finding himself in a rather unusual situation - stuck in a bunk bed in a Youth Hostel in St Ives from his family vacation in 1992, with no apparent way out. Here, he meets a group of equally perplexed souls, one of whom, Laura, explains that they are in Purgatory.
The introduction of Angel Gobe, a Michael Palin look-alike who acts as the intermediary between the souls in Purgatory and God, adds an extra layer of quirkiness to the story. Dave learns he was murdered during a dinner party in North London in 2019, but a glitch in the heavenly system prevents the Angels from identifying the culprit. The plot takes unexpected twists and turns as Dave reflects on his life and past actions.
Despite his flaws, Dave is a relatable character who undergoes significant growth as he grapples with the consequences of his actions. The supporting cast, including Angel Arial, with his fascination for American TV and God's whimsical nature, adds depth and mirth to the story.
The Purgatory Poisoning is an original and imaginative plot. The idea of solving one's own murder in Purgatory is both clever and entertaining, and the story keeps readers guessing until the final reveal. Rogers seamlessly incorporates elements of the supernatural, such as Satanists and protection spells, while maintaining a lighthearted and humorous tone.
While Dave may not be initially likeable, his journey of redemption and self-discovery makes for a compelling character arc. If you're looking for a novel that combines mystery, humour, and the supernatural in a thoroughly enjoyable way, this is the book for you.
January 29, 2023
The Purgatory Poisoning by Rebecca Rogers is a murder mystery in the setting of the afterlife. Our protagonist, with assistance from heavenly beings has to solve his murder and make good before being able to move on to either heaven or hell; stuck in the interim as the title suggests in purgatory. It won’t be a spoiler to tell you his death was by poisoning and early on we know the where and when, what is left to unscramble is the who, how, and why. I have to say I guessed wrongly on the who - always a sign of a good read for me.
The book itself is hard to define as one genre, it combines the magical with hints of JK Rowling in the early interaction between the boys as kids and their mother, the fantasy of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, by which I’m referring to their book and subsequent tv show ‘Good Omens’ and finally with its lack of grisly horror and mild humour it also ticks the currently popular ‘cosy murder mystery’ box. It’s a gentle read but does make you stop and think a little about your own mortality. I have awarded it 3 stars as whilst I enjoyed its gentleness there weren’t really any shock horror moments or major plot twists; even the identity of the true villain was understandable and so did not come out of left field once revealed.
My only issue with the writing was a continuity issue. In chapter 34 a huge fuss is made of Dave, our protagonist, removing his jumper, however in chapter 35 reference is made to the heat of the kitchen - ‘like a steam room’ and Dave being so hot that ‘he wished he wasn’t wearing a jumper’. I don’t know if that can be resolved before publishing?
I’d like to thank NetGalley UK, Harper Collins UK and Rebecca Rogers for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book itself is hard to define as one genre, it combines the magical with hints of JK Rowling in the early interaction between the boys as kids and their mother, the fantasy of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, by which I’m referring to their book and subsequent tv show ‘Good Omens’ and finally with its lack of grisly horror and mild humour it also ticks the currently popular ‘cosy murder mystery’ box. It’s a gentle read but does make you stop and think a little about your own mortality. I have awarded it 3 stars as whilst I enjoyed its gentleness there weren’t really any shock horror moments or major plot twists; even the identity of the true villain was understandable and so did not come out of left field once revealed.
My only issue with the writing was a continuity issue. In chapter 34 a huge fuss is made of Dave, our protagonist, removing his jumper, however in chapter 35 reference is made to the heat of the kitchen - ‘like a steam room’ and Dave being so hot that ‘he wished he wasn’t wearing a jumper’. I don’t know if that can be resolved before publishing?
I’d like to thank NetGalley UK, Harper Collins UK and Rebecca Rogers for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 8, 2023
The concept for this book is like nothing I have read before. Dave is dead. He doesn't realise that fact immediately as he wakes up in a Youth Hostel in St Ives. A place where he spent a family holiday as a child. But it soon becomes apparent that he is in dead. He is in Purgatory. An inbetween place. Awaiting the decision as to whether he goes up or down. But that's not all. He also discovers that he was murdered... Dave is now tasked with solving his own murder. Not on his own though. He has a couple of assistants to help (or hinder) Gabe and Arial - angels.
This was all things entertaining and amusing. Vibrant and unique. Ok so the crime wasn't that tough but that wasn't really the be-all of the book. It was, and I know you're going to groan, a coming-of-death-asleepening for Dave. #SorryNotSorry. All of which makes it very much a marmite kinda book which also means a great BookClub book too.
It also falls nicely into my Bonkers genre which I have been campaigning for recognition for for absolutely ages. It contains some great banter and dry sense of humour, both of which I absolutely love. Almost at times a bit reminiscent of Good Omens and the humour in that.
For a debut book, it's a brave concept and the author does manage to do it justice. It's an easy read and kept my attention nicely the whole way through and left me satisfied at the end with a feeling of having been thoroughly entertained.
I wonder what is next for the author? Build on this concept and have another poor soul go through what Dave went through or deliver something completely different? Either way, I'll be looking out for her next book... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
This was all things entertaining and amusing. Vibrant and unique. Ok so the crime wasn't that tough but that wasn't really the be-all of the book. It was, and I know you're going to groan, a coming-of-death-asleepening for Dave. #SorryNotSorry. All of which makes it very much a marmite kinda book which also means a great BookClub book too.
It also falls nicely into my Bonkers genre which I have been campaigning for recognition for for absolutely ages. It contains some great banter and dry sense of humour, both of which I absolutely love. Almost at times a bit reminiscent of Good Omens and the humour in that.
For a debut book, it's a brave concept and the author does manage to do it justice. It's an easy read and kept my attention nicely the whole way through and left me satisfied at the end with a feeling of having been thoroughly entertained.
I wonder what is next for the author? Build on this concept and have another poor soul go through what Dave went through or deliver something completely different? Either way, I'll be looking out for her next book... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
February 23, 2023
This is one of those books where you can tell by the cover that you are really going to enjoy it; and it didn't disappoint.
There are so many laugh out loud moments due to Rebecca's humour, twists and narrative; which leaves you waiting for the next one, whilst, in my case, often reading the last gem again and having another laugh. Chapter 8 " Purgatory" in particular had me laughing out loud with nearly every sentence, with tears running down my face by the time I had reached the end of it.
As Dave, and his two angels, try to find out who murdered him by looking at the different relationships from his "life" and trying to work their way around " The Blocks", Rebecca creates characters that you can envisage, hate, sympathise with , and often relate to with people in your past.
Earning "Brownie" points in order to get to Heaven, and lighting up "buzzers" on God's switch board creates more funny moments and there are some interesting heavenly and earthly surprises in the latter part of the book.
The thought of an angel using modern technology and watching crime programmes to gain an understanding of how a murder may have been committed shows the type of humour Rebecca uses throughout her plot and - is God male- or female ?????
This is a very easy read which is difficult to put down and leaves you feeling like you have watched a good comedy drama; in fact this would translate very well onto the small screen.
I, for one, cannot wait for Rebecca's next novel as she breathes a breath of fresh air and tongue in cheek humour into our lives.
Thank you Rebecca for a 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 novel
There are so many laugh out loud moments due to Rebecca's humour, twists and narrative; which leaves you waiting for the next one, whilst, in my case, often reading the last gem again and having another laugh. Chapter 8 " Purgatory" in particular had me laughing out loud with nearly every sentence, with tears running down my face by the time I had reached the end of it.
As Dave, and his two angels, try to find out who murdered him by looking at the different relationships from his "life" and trying to work their way around " The Blocks", Rebecca creates characters that you can envisage, hate, sympathise with , and often relate to with people in your past.
Earning "Brownie" points in order to get to Heaven, and lighting up "buzzers" on God's switch board creates more funny moments and there are some interesting heavenly and earthly surprises in the latter part of the book.
The thought of an angel using modern technology and watching crime programmes to gain an understanding of how a murder may have been committed shows the type of humour Rebecca uses throughout her plot and - is God male- or female ?????
This is a very easy read which is difficult to put down and leaves you feeling like you have watched a good comedy drama; in fact this would translate very well onto the small screen.
I, for one, cannot wait for Rebecca's next novel as she breathes a breath of fresh air and tongue in cheek humour into our lives.
Thank you Rebecca for a 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 novel
February 14, 2023
This is somewhat of a difficult book to review as I find it hard to respond without sounding negative. I didn’t dislike it, it was humorous and a clever idea, but I was never really that engaged. I would also say that I am English so I did get the references, but this is very British humour and probably won’t travel well.
When Dave dies, he finds himself in purgatory, which resembles, in every detail, the youth hostel in St Ives he visited in 1992 with his parents and younger brother, Andrew. At the time he was ten and Andrew eight and, as the book progresses we discover why this was such a pivotal moment in Dave’s life. Purgatory is, well, boring. Plenty of time to consider your actions and repent for them. However, twenty-seven years after his childhood holiday, Dave is dead at a fairly young age. The last thing he recalls is feeling ill after eating a prawn curry at a dinner party in North London. What caused his life to end so young?
We follow Dave’s sojourn in purgatory, while visited by an angel who resembles Michael Palin, trying to come to terms with what happened and discover the reason for his death. This is a pleasant enough, if rather bizarre, journey, but rather a literary snack than a main meal. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
When Dave dies, he finds himself in purgatory, which resembles, in every detail, the youth hostel in St Ives he visited in 1992 with his parents and younger brother, Andrew. At the time he was ten and Andrew eight and, as the book progresses we discover why this was such a pivotal moment in Dave’s life. Purgatory is, well, boring. Plenty of time to consider your actions and repent for them. However, twenty-seven years after his childhood holiday, Dave is dead at a fairly young age. The last thing he recalls is feeling ill after eating a prawn curry at a dinner party in North London. What caused his life to end so young?
We follow Dave’s sojourn in purgatory, while visited by an angel who resembles Michael Palin, trying to come to terms with what happened and discover the reason for his death. This is a pleasant enough, if rather bizarre, journey, but rather a literary snack than a main meal. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
April 14, 2023
This was a great refreshing change of pace and had me giggling out loud.
Plot - Hilarious, I loved both the idea and the execution of not only the purgatory, but the unsolved murder too. I found it captivating and thoroughly enjoyed the whole book.
Writing Style - Flowed well and was naturally funny. How can someone confuse a pentangle and a rhomboid - especially a satanist?!
Characters - Dave was amusing, but I especially liked Arial with his enthusiasm (he loves his 80s cop show references) and Gobe with his mannerisms (plus he bears quite a resemblance to someone we all know).
Believability - I hope this isn't what happens, but the story itself was very believable. It had me trying to think what my own purgatory location might be...
Pace - Good pace for the main storyline, but I wish a bit more time was spent on some of the other elements (Beleth and Gobe). I also wanted more time spent in purgatory, as I found that crowd amusing.
Ending - An enjoyable ending but I am so hoping there is a sequel, it can't be left like it is...
Congratulations to Rebecca for winning the Comedy Women in Print Prize with this - it's very well deserved and everyone should read this book!
*I received a complimentary copy of the book from RandomThingsTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Plot - Hilarious, I loved both the idea and the execution of not only the purgatory, but the unsolved murder too. I found it captivating and thoroughly enjoyed the whole book.
Writing Style - Flowed well and was naturally funny. How can someone confuse a pentangle and a rhomboid - especially a satanist?!
Characters - Dave was amusing, but I especially liked Arial with his enthusiasm (he loves his 80s cop show references) and Gobe with his mannerisms (plus he bears quite a resemblance to someone we all know).
Believability - I hope this isn't what happens, but the story itself was very believable. It had me trying to think what my own purgatory location might be...
Pace - Good pace for the main storyline, but I wish a bit more time was spent on some of the other elements (Beleth and Gobe). I also wanted more time spent in purgatory, as I found that crowd amusing.
Ending - An enjoyable ending but I am so hoping there is a sequel, it can't be left like it is...
Congratulations to Rebecca for winning the Comedy Women in Print Prize with this - it's very well deserved and everyone should read this book!
*I received a complimentary copy of the book from RandomThingsTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
February 25, 2023
This was a mystery filled with laughter, funny stuff, witchy stuff and I actually enjoyed reading this so much!
Dave finds himself in a bunk bed that he used to share with his brother back in 1992. When he asks around, he realizes that he was in some sort of a purgatory--and that he is already dead! Worst of all, he finds out that he was murdered. Dave is clueless as to what really happened on the day he was murdered and so with the help of the two rogue angels, Dave is set to find the truth and clues as to what really happened...and atone for the past mistakes that he would have committed when he was alive.
Honestly, this was a very different type of thriller that I have read. I actually enjoyed reading the book a lot. There were some funny parts in the book that would make you laugh out loud and above all, I felt the story was really intriguing. It wasn't boring and it was engaging as well and I was drawn into the story. This book also reminded me slightly of the TV show called The Good Place a little bit.
Overall, this was a funny, enjoyable novel and worth 4.5 stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Dave finds himself in a bunk bed that he used to share with his brother back in 1992. When he asks around, he realizes that he was in some sort of a purgatory--and that he is already dead! Worst of all, he finds out that he was murdered. Dave is clueless as to what really happened on the day he was murdered and so with the help of the two rogue angels, Dave is set to find the truth and clues as to what really happened...and atone for the past mistakes that he would have committed when he was alive.
Honestly, this was a very different type of thriller that I have read. I actually enjoyed reading the book a lot. There were some funny parts in the book that would make you laugh out loud and above all, I felt the story was really intriguing. It wasn't boring and it was engaging as well and I was drawn into the story. This book also reminded me slightly of the TV show called The Good Place a little bit.
Overall, this was a funny, enjoyable novel and worth 4.5 stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
March 11, 2023
3.5
When Dave wakes up at St Ives Youth Hostel he’s shocked to discover that it’s actually purgatory and he is in fact, quite dead. It was no accident either; Dave was murdered and apparently God has no idea who did it, which is simply unacceptable. With the help of two angels Dave has to try and recover his memories to establish why someone wanted him dead and why Heaven has such a blind spot where he’s concerned.
This was no ordinary murder mystery and actually, I found that this wasn’t really the focus of the plot. Yes, the driving force was to find out who killed him and why but any armchair sleuth would have that figured out pretty early on. The main story as far as I was concerned was the mystery of why Dave and some of his friends had blocks on them, interference which meant Heaven couldn’t really ‘spy’ on their lives. As Dave starts to remember significant events from his past we start to realise that his isn’t an ordinary family.
The book is written in a light hearted tone and there were lots of amusing moments, I especially enjoyed Arial the Angel and his love of tv cop dramas. I wasn’t expecting the level of magical elements and this was a nice surprise to me as I’m a big fan of anything fantastical. The ending left me wondering whether Rebecca Rogers has more in mind for this world as there were certain threads left hanging.
A fun and unique read which blends together murder, comedy and magic. Some of my very favourite things.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
When Dave wakes up at St Ives Youth Hostel he’s shocked to discover that it’s actually purgatory and he is in fact, quite dead. It was no accident either; Dave was murdered and apparently God has no idea who did it, which is simply unacceptable. With the help of two angels Dave has to try and recover his memories to establish why someone wanted him dead and why Heaven has such a blind spot where he’s concerned.
This was no ordinary murder mystery and actually, I found that this wasn’t really the focus of the plot. Yes, the driving force was to find out who killed him and why but any armchair sleuth would have that figured out pretty early on. The main story as far as I was concerned was the mystery of why Dave and some of his friends had blocks on them, interference which meant Heaven couldn’t really ‘spy’ on their lives. As Dave starts to remember significant events from his past we start to realise that his isn’t an ordinary family.
The book is written in a light hearted tone and there were lots of amusing moments, I especially enjoyed Arial the Angel and his love of tv cop dramas. I wasn’t expecting the level of magical elements and this was a nice surprise to me as I’m a big fan of anything fantastical. The ending left me wondering whether Rebecca Rogers has more in mind for this world as there were certain threads left hanging.
A fun and unique read which blends together murder, comedy and magic. Some of my very favourite things.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
January 28, 2023
If you want to read something different in the realms of crime fiction, this is the book for you. David finds himself in purgatory, which in his case resembles the hostel he stayed in as a young boy in 1992. If learning he is dead isn't enough, the angels who are looking after him, tell him he was murdered and they need him to solve his own murder! The suspects include his brother Andrew, his ex-girlfriend Rose, his long time friend Jess and Rose's possessive new boyfriend Ian. This is a hilarious story told with all the quirkiness of stories in the same vein of writers such as the late lamented Douglas Adams. It very quickly had me hooked so I literally couldn't put it down. There are lots of quirky touches, such as the angel who looks exactly like Michael Palin trying to attend David's funeral without being noticed and his sidekick angel Arial who is addicted to watching TV detective shows, all told in a distinctive and original style. I would highly recommend this book for its originality and high entertainment value.
March 1, 2023
My favourite book of 2023 so far!
The Purgatory Poisoning is a fantastic debut novel by Rebecca Rogers full of mystery, laughs and witchcraft from the outset!
The title confused me at first glance - where could this story be taking us? Well, it is exactly as it says on the tin! A murder via poison is committed and poor David is killed and wakes up in Purgatory. Although it’s not Purgatory as you’d expect…
Angel Gobe sets Dave the task of finding out who poisoned him in the hope that Dave can make it to heaven. Dave starts to question everything and everyone to see if he can help solve the mystery!
This book had me drawn in from the beginning with Rogers east and fun writing style. It also had me questioning things about what happens when we die - but not in a doom and gloom way as one might expect. The pace is set lovely with the story unwinding at just the right moments, all to lead to a pleasing end for the reader.
Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and Rebecca Rogers for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Purgatory Poisoning is a fantastic debut novel by Rebecca Rogers full of mystery, laughs and witchcraft from the outset!
The title confused me at first glance - where could this story be taking us? Well, it is exactly as it says on the tin! A murder via poison is committed and poor David is killed and wakes up in Purgatory. Although it’s not Purgatory as you’d expect…
Angel Gobe sets Dave the task of finding out who poisoned him in the hope that Dave can make it to heaven. Dave starts to question everything and everyone to see if he can help solve the mystery!
This book had me drawn in from the beginning with Rogers east and fun writing style. It also had me questioning things about what happens when we die - but not in a doom and gloom way as one might expect. The pace is set lovely with the story unwinding at just the right moments, all to lead to a pleasing end for the reader.
Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and Rebecca Rogers for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 11, 2023
Thank you to Net Galley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Dave is a middle-aged bloke who finds himself in Purgatory following a dinner party with his closest friends. With the help of an angel and his apprentice, he must figure out the answer to two very pressing questions:
1) Is he going to Heaven or Hell?
2) Which dinner party attendee murdered him: his brother, his ex, his ex's new man or his childhood best friend?
I initially expected this to be a murder mystery with a celestial twist, but it pretty much ended up being a re-hash of The Good Place. The writer's tone of voice kept things light-hearted and witty (and I genuinely enjoy this sort of style!), but at key points in the novel I wish we had been allowed some genuine depth. Instead, any brief instance of vulnerability is glossed over by jokes - which works well in the short-term, but unfortunately got a bit tiring by the end and resulted in none of the characters feeling particularly fleshed-out (or winged-out, in the angels' cases).
Funny, but flippant - and sometimes that's fine! - but when a novel's based on family and humanity, some more heart would've been appreciated.
Dave is a middle-aged bloke who finds himself in Purgatory following a dinner party with his closest friends. With the help of an angel and his apprentice, he must figure out the answer to two very pressing questions:
1) Is he going to Heaven or Hell?
2) Which dinner party attendee murdered him: his brother, his ex, his ex's new man or his childhood best friend?
I initially expected this to be a murder mystery with a celestial twist, but it pretty much ended up being a re-hash of The Good Place. The writer's tone of voice kept things light-hearted and witty (and I genuinely enjoy this sort of style!), but at key points in the novel I wish we had been allowed some genuine depth. Instead, any brief instance of vulnerability is glossed over by jokes - which works well in the short-term, but unfortunately got a bit tiring by the end and resulted in none of the characters feeling particularly fleshed-out (or winged-out, in the angels' cases).
Funny, but flippant - and sometimes that's fine! - but when a novel's based on family and humanity, some more heart would've been appreciated.
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