Forever After: A Dark Comedy

Jester (An Idiot in Marriage) makes an unsuccessful foray into dark comedy that simply tries too hard. For the 30 years since Michael Holland’s untimely death, he’s worked as a reaper who collects the souls of the dead and turns them in for credits, like an Uber driver of the afterlife. He has the worst beat in his anonymous town: Brittleside, the home of the dregs of society. The series of interconnected vignettes, many told through Michael’s conversations with his psychiatrist, details Michael’s metamorphosis from a simple bystander in his own existence to an active but very annoying participant who’s fueled by self-righteous indignation. The catalyst for his change is an unknown force who has taken great offense at the reaper’s side assignment of sleuthing. Along with his friends Chip (who exists to be a source for toilet humor) and Naff (a record keeper whose characterization is paper-thin), Michael stumbles through cases involving mysterious werewolf deaths, clones, Santa Claus, and a serial killer. The novel’s rapid vacillation among graphic horror, psychological thriller, and Michael’s agitated musings ensures that it’s light on comedy but heavy on lowbrow jokes. Most readers won’t last to the thoroughly unsatisfying cliffhanger ending. (Aug.)