Darkly humorous and dangerously hip, this novel breathes new life into the business of death.
Steve knew something was wrong the moment he saw the dead girl in the Wintergarden food court. Nothing new, he saw dead people all the time, but this one was about to save his life…
Steve works in the family firm. He is a Pomp – tasked with easing spirits from this dimension to the next after death. And he s kind of OK with that, until someone high up the corporate hierarchy makes a bid to be Australia s new Regional Death. This means killing all of the current Pomp necromancer he ever knew has been killed, Steve is left to make a reluctant stand.
But to do this he must stay alive. Threatened at every turn, Steve and the dangerously attractive (and dead) Lissa go on the run to save what s left of their world.
I have to admit that I've been interested in reading this book since the first time I saw the cover and read the blurb. And now that I've read it, I'm very happy to say that I've been sucked into this series.
Steven de Selby is a Pomp who lives in Brisbane. It's in his blood, and while he doesn't actually love the job, it's a way to pay the bills and not have to do/think too much about the job. You see, Pomps help the spirits of the dead to pass over after death. All it takes is a touch, and the spirits use him as a conduit to the next phase in their life... or should I say, death? It's a business, and there are many Pomps to keep the job balanced between them in their separate regions of the world.
But the day that a beautiful dead girl (Lissa) appears, warning him that he's in danger, his world changes--turns upside down. All of a sudden, he's getting shot at. He's continually being chased, his house blows up, and he's forced to go on the run. And not only that, but his family, friends, and co-workers are being slowly killed off. One after the other, until the number of Pomps is so small that most of the dead are using him as a gateway.
Oh, and then there's the problem with the Stirrers. These are horrible creatures who reside in the Underworld and like to literally suck the life out of people, and then inhabit the bodies of the dead. Someone's helping them make this easier by killing off the Pomps, since they're the ones who keep them in check with their blood and touch.
Soon, Steven and Lissa find themselves in the middle of a Regional Apocalypse and are forced to travel from one side of Brisbane to the other, and even into rural Queensland. As they try to save a ravaged Australia from being totally killed off and consumed by these disgusting things.
Death Most Definite is an amazing roller-coaster ride of a book that hooked me in from the very beginning and wouldn't let go. I pretty much strapped in for the ride and stayed with it until I got to the end, which only took me about a day. This is an urban fantasy story that has a bit of everything in it: action, betrayal, secrets, surprises, vivid locations, a real Aussie feel/appeal, a little romance, an intoxicating plot, and characters that get under your skin and you just can't shake. It's also got some pretty awesome world building, and a voice that makes the story flow.
I loved everything about this book, and really liked Steven. He might be a bit of a smart–aleck with his snarky humour, and carefree attitude, but I loved that about him. And hey, I always get a real kick out of reading an urban fantasy book set in Australia.
This one's a total keeper! And I want to read the next book in the series. Now. ;)
If you like urban fantasy, you've got to check this out!
Death Most Definite: Death Works #1, August 2010, ISBN 9780733624834, Orbit Paperback
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