A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Cheating Death

Dara’s witty sequel to A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer smartly expands on the universe its predecessor introduced. Nora Bird works as an administrative coordinator at S.C.Y.T.H.E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences), assigning grim reapers to collect the souls of the recently deceased. As she sorts through her case files one morning, Nora is horrified to see the name of her twin brother, Charlie. The siblings have barely spoken for months, but with both of their parents dead, the typically risk-averse Nora is galvanized to protect what little family she has left. She scoops Charlie from his apartment and embarks on a road trip in hopes of evading her colleagues. Every time they manage to avoid the death listed in Charlie’s file, however, the method changes, leading Nora to believe he’s been marked for murder by someone at S.C.Y.T.H.E. She becomes a sleuth, sniffing out clues that point to buried family secrets. A long list of suspects, a dark sense of humor, and surprisingly weighty meditations on mortality carry the day. It’s a killer good time. Agent: Melissa Edwards, Stonesong Literary. (Dec.)