Maxi Dara chose an interesting premise in writing her new novel, A Grim Reaper's Guide to Living Twice, being published November 3, 2026 by Berkley Publishing. I was intrigued by the title, but it was the wordplay that drew me in, and created a memorable reading journey.
The book begins with an excerpt from the "Collections Agent Training Manual" for the S.C.Y.T.H.E. company. S.C.Y.T.H.E stands for the Secure Collection, Yielding and Transportation of Human Essences, or one might say souls. The company deals in death as a business, and the collection and transport of recently released souls is their trade.
Jack McCoy is dead. However he is not done living. It's not possible to possess someone yet Jack did just that when he jumped from his dead body into that of his collection agent's body when she came to retrieve him for transport. Now the young version of Jack, a self made con artist is inhabiting the body of an Asian octogenarian by the name of Margaret Chen. Margaret is still in control of some of her memories, like access to her banking passwords, but Jack controls her body and mind. Jack wants to get his old gang together for one more major scheme, but many obstacles stand in his way. First he must convince his childhood friends that he is really Jack inside his eighty year old orthopedic shoes. Then he must sell them on the idea of stealing and selling a list of upcoming deaths before someone else steals it first.
Jacks friends have moved on with their lives, but he is as compelling as ever and it isn't long before he has their buy in. Even his dead friend Dale is on board with the plan. But every time they get close, someone beats them to the list. Will they be able to find the list and the buyer before it's too late?
Dara's story is rich in satire as she uses her talent of wordplay to create the world of the S.C.Y.T.H.E. corporation. I really enjoyed her subtle wit. It was fun to watch the character of Margaret Chen merge with Jack McCoy. How he dealt with a senior woman's body as a soul of a man in his thirties was funny. The other characters were well written as well, as they were slowly developed through vignettes of their past exploits in Jack's gang. The storyline jumps from present to past throughout the novel. I found the writing method enhancing, not distracting.
Finally, Dara set the reader up for another story at the conclusion of the book. It is a cliffhanger, but one is not dangling on a precipice of frustration. It simply leaves the reader wanting more.
I am rating A Grim Reaper's Guide to Living Twice with 4 stars. I enjoyed the witty mystery and am recommending it for those interested in a lighthearted mystery, fantasy reading jaunt.
Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing (a division of Penguin Random House), and Maxi Dara for the advanced reader's copy of A Grim Reaper's Guide to Living Twice in exchange for an honest review.
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