The Purgatory Poisoning by Rebecca Rogers

David is dead, there is no nice way of putting it.. he is dead and stuck in own personal purgatory in a hotel that he and his family stayed in when he was 10… and how can he leave this personal hell he has found himself in.. well he just needs to solve his own murder… and to help him.. a couple of angels..


This book was a little gem.. its well written, a good story that keeps you interested and it is really funny.. it has an unusual premise but after a while you are so sucked in that you are cheering angels on and commiserating with a murderer….

There is an angel that looks like Michael Palin (but it is not a look alike as Michael Palin was based on this angels looks) , there is a Angel called Arial who likes to watch police dramas and likes to repeat phrases from them.. it’s a fun book which had me chortling out loud…

I loved this book and I am sad it ended.. I want more from this author and more of the angels.. I loved them, totally well rounded characters who were both believable and funny and sweet and please do not let anything bad happen to them!


#Netgally ThePurgatoryPoisoning #angels #murder

It’s bad enough if you seem to have woken up in the youth hostel that you visited in 1992 with your family. But when an Michael-Palin-lookalike angel tells you that you are dead and have been murdered, you must think that all this must be a really awful dream. Bummer!
A dinner party whodunnit of a different kind.
Improbable, black, absurd, chaotic, heavenly, demonic and weirdly entertaining.

I didn't know what to expect from this book but I loved what I did get. It was well written with a compelling storyline and well developed characters. The book made me laugh out loud several times. It is a fantastic read.

Dave is dead. Worse still, he is stuck in purgatory awaiting his fate. Oh, and the cherry on the cake? He’s been murdered. But nobody knows who the murderer is - even God himself…

The Purgatory Poisoning offers up a thoroughly enjoyable read, with genuine laugh out loud moments. Dave is a likeable anti-hero whose commentary on the unfolding events is filled with humour, sarcasm and mirth despite the fact that he is dead and isn’t yet sure if he will find himself in heaven or hell for all eternity.

The book is pacy and intriguing. Rebecca Rogers’ imagining of heaven and hell, their processes and the power struggle between them is original and immersive. These were the parts I liked most about the book, along with the characterisation of the Angels, Gobe and his apprentice Arial.

The mystery aspect of the book is less of a standout for me. The story strives to be a whodunnit, with Dave responsible for solving the case of his own murder at a dinner party, but it lacks some of the mystery of traditional whodunnits. I wasn’t too invested in the earth-bound characters who were implicated in Dave’s death and wasn’t chomping at the bit for the ‘aha’ moment.

But I can appreciate it for what it is. The Purgatory Poisoning is more a tongue in cheek take on a murder mystery, with supernatural elements thrown in for good measure. There are more than a few unexpected plot twists, all of which are delivered with a humour and wit that keep the book engaging from start to finish. I particularly love the descriptions of the suburban satanists, and the way in which the author blends the ordinary with the extraordinary. That was very skilfully done.

If I could sum this book up in one word it would be: irreverent. It certainly doesn’t take itself too seriously, nor should it. The humour is what makes it such a fun read with echoes of Terry Pratchett, Jackson Ford, and Douglas Adams - to name a few.

Thanks so much to the author, HarperCollins and Netgalley for a eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.