When Dr Miriam Price is found dead in her flat surrounded by leftovers alcoholic drinks, food and pills, the obvious thought is a death by misadventure. But Dr Miriam Price disagrees. She is dead, she is furious, and she knows she was murdered. She just doesn’t remember by whom.
This absolute gem of a novel deserves all the praise and commendation. A novel in which a ghost and an old neighbour with a proper grudge against said ghost form a tentative partnership to solve a crime – it’s a setup i did not know i needed in my life.
With some memorable scenes ( A drug bust! Fast and furious car ride!) and unforgettable characters (not just Winnie, there are so many more!) this is a book you keep on reading into the night, howling with laughter, quoting whole paragraphs to unsuspected people. The dialogue is funny, the snark is excellent, there are also some really memorable and quite moving parts, there’s banter, grief and a whole lot of feelings.
Do not miss out on this excellent gem of a book.

My Review:

Sometimes I like to take a step away from the dark side and change genre, so when I saw a few people recommending this book on Social Media it seemed like the perfect time for some light relief.

Over My Dead Body is absolutely WONDERFUL, I think I may have read the book from start to finish with a huge smile on my face (and if you know me, you will know that’s not a regular occurence!).

Firstly, I adored Dr Miriam Price – she is absolutely brilliant as the main character who wakes up dead and stuck in “limbo” because everyone thinks she killed herself. Determined to prove she was in fact murdered, she finds she is able to communicate with her elderly next door neighbour Winnie, which is rather unfortunate because the two of them absolutely HATE each other.

Over My Dead Body is Maz Evan’s first book in the adult fiction genre, having a hugely successful career as a children’s writer and I am tempted to read those books just because the wit, plotting and character development is so good in this one.

This book was so entertaining and I did snort-laugh several times throughout – causing a little embarrassment as I was sunbathing by a busy pool on holiday at the time!

If you enjoy “cosy” crime mysteries with brilliant characters, cracking one-liners, hysterical situations all tied beautifully together in a clever and original story, then I would 100% recommend you buy this book when it is published in August 2023.

5 HUGE STARS and I’m still grinning thinking about this book weeks after finishing it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! Dr Miriam Price us dead, and the fact that her body is found surrounded by empty bottles of alcohol and pills, convinces everyone that this was nothing more than death my suicide. Only one person knows differently, Miriam herself. To prove she was murdered (and move our of purgatory) she must team her with her most hated enemy, her elderly next door neighbour who is the only one who can see her. Riotous funny, Evans does a brilliant job in making Miriam so utterly unlikeable that you have to love her

I love love love this book. Its so funny. It had me grinning to myself while I was reading it. What an absolute character Dr miriam price is. Her relationship with her neighbour had me laughing out loud.
Its a murder mystery too, the plot is great with lots of twists and turns. I would definitely recommend.

Super sweet and heartwarming, surreal, and funny. I do think it wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it did make me happy nonetheless.

Cosy murder mystery- perfect for fans of “Dial A for Aunties” and “Finlay Donovan is Killing it”! I enjoyed this one a lot. Really entertaining, funny and full of twists. You don’t often get to read from the perspective of the murder victim, so this was also a unique reading experience and made this a really quick read. I would recommend this book and will pick up more from this author in the future.

I really enjoyed Max Evans’ ‘Who Let the Gods out Series’ so was looking forward to reading their adult debut!

‘Over my Dead Body’ has lots to love: realistic characters, realistic portrayals of life’s highs and lows, and a grounded but interesting plot. However, how quickly some of the big issues of the story were brushed over did dampen the reading a bit for me and as a result felt rushed. I recognise this was in aid of demonstrating how everyone has bagage/trauma and doesn’t share it but I felt as this was an exploration of a character becoming more empathetic it would have served well to explore some of the larger traumas that related to them ‘becoming better’.

Over My Dead Body is a funny, heartwarming, entertaining book, and I loved spending time with Miriam and Winnie! I did guess the twist at the end, but it was an enjoyable pay off and very cleverly written. I would definitely read more from this author in future.

Maz Evans' children's books are hilarious so I was.hoping for some great one liners and this didn't disappoint. She manages to be poignant too which is no mean feat given how vile her protagonist starts out. I found her ideas around after-death intriguing and creative and there were some moments that pulled.the rug put from under you. This would be a great event and I hope Maz does more.

Maz Evans is an extraordinary talent. Her children’s books are award winning, funny, heartfelt and entirely brilliant. All of her characters are awesome and the main character in her adult fiction debut, Miriam Price, is no different, although she is dead now!
Over my dead body is Maz’s frost foray into adult fiction and she does so with a belter of a story. We meet Dr Miriam Price as she watches the police investigate her death. She knows she was murdered but has no way to prove it.
As she arrives in limbo she is told the bad news that she will remain there until her actual time of death was supposed to be. Finding out she was meant to live until she was 96 leaves her with 50 years to plan. However, if she can prove she was murdered she can go to the afterlife.
How can Miriam prove her murder when no one can see or hear her. Luckily or unfortunately, for Miriam, there is a possibility of help. Her arch nemesis, and neighbour Winnie can see and hear her but isn’t entirely willing to help. Their 4 year feud has taken its toll and there are bridges to be built here.
A brilliant story of murder, righting wrongs and learning truths. A corker of a story!

Not as fun as I thought it be but nonetheless a decent read with an unusual premise. Characters highly unbelievable and unlikable but they are all the better for that.

Dr Miriam Price is a bit of a lush, and who wouldnt be after the life shes had (useless husband, raging workmates, a best friend whos basically an enemy). When shes found dead, the police believe its the booze that killed her and shes destined to spend the afterlife (50 years) in limbo unless she can prove she was actually murdered. What follows is a murder mystery with a twist- Miriam is investigating her own murder from the other side, helped by the only person she can communicate with on earth; her much hated neighbour Winnie.
I loved this book! It was funny and clever in equal measures. It didn't go down the route of being absurd, and was believable all the way through. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys humorous books with a murderous plot. Thanks to Maz Evans, Headline and Netgalley for the ARC.

This book was an absolute riot to read! Love the opening line.

Never say sorry.

And of course, I am a sucker for full circle moments. So, when this line and the twists came along, I was beside myself! The main character is a refreshing change of pace (at least in my recent reads). Loved the snark. There are a lot of extremely pithy and well-crafted one-liners which were a delight to read. Perhaps a tad too many, but I'm not complaining. My favourite was: 'the stygian confines of a Tesco Metro'

The business of the afterlife was funny and very reminiscent of The Good Place, which I loved. Martin was an absolute dear, and I love him. But of course, the true sweetheart is Winnie. The dynamics between Winnie and Miriam, while expected, were nevertheless endearing to read.

The final 'clue' regarding the murder was a little bit unexpected, but it warrants a reread to see where I might have missed the clues the author left. (AKA I am definitely buying the book when it gets released).

*SPOILERS BEGIN*

I suppose if there is one thing I am a bit let down by it would be that Miriam ends up becoming a purple in the end. I did anticipate it when the colours were mentioned, but I hoped against hope she would be allowed to remain a green at the very least. I understand the character arc; however, it felt like a complete 180 from the beginning of the book. Would Miriam truly consider herself to be the very best of humanity? After all, if the colours are the result of a self-grade, I'm not sure it makes sense for Miriam to be purple at the very end. But, that's a minor point.

*SPOILERS END*

I had a lot of fun with this book, trying to guess all the various clues and put together the mystery before the characters figure it out. I failed, lol. But it was an enjoyable experience nonetheless. All the little bits and pieces strewn around the first half tie together beautifully at the end, and that is extremely satisfying.

Rating: 4.5/5

It was enjoyable to read. I needed something like this. Thanks to this story, I could laugh, solve a criminal mystery and learn about the extraordinary personality of the main character, Miriam. It is also a touching novel; it tells about unusual human bonds, family and... a very original vision of life after death. The author perfectly used the idea to show how complicated the fate of people from the closest environment can be. This book made me laugh, touched me, intrigued me, and completely detached me from reality. Great entertainment.

🌟 Hilarious! Definitely one of the funniest books I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
🌟A compelling murder mystery so well plotted I had trouble putting it down when life got in the way.
🌟Miriam is rude, wholly unlikeable & I bloomin' loved her.
🌟 Had strong vibes of the Good Place which I adored.
🌟 I cannot wait for the next book! & In the meantime I'll be off to check out her middle grade books.

What a refreshing read - something different, but with everything I enjoy. Humour, intrigue and carefully created characters. I loved the narrative voice of Miriam and Winnie was just brilliant. It was a story of redemption but not in a sickly way. I won’t spoil it - but this has beef the most entertaining novel I’ve read for a while. Excellent!

Over My Dead Body
By Max Evans
Published by Headline Publishing Group

“Hello? Can you hear me? Probably not. I'm Dr Miriam Price . . . and I'm dead.”

What a way to start! Know for her fabulous YA fiction, Maz Evans has written her first adult novel and it is a brilliant gripping, page-turner from the very beginning.

Evans gives us the character Miriam; she could be you, your best friend, sister or even neighbour, and yes she is dead! But because she doesn’t know how she died she can’t move on to the “next life.”

“The local police, who couldn't investigate their own nostrils, think I drank myself into an early grave. The nerve! I was murdered. I was just too plastered to know whodunnit, that's all.”

Wildly hilarious and cleverly written, we are taken on a journey with Miriam to uncover and discover the finer details of her life, her friends and family and those crucial last few hours. Unless she proves to the inquest that her death was no 'misadventure', she is condemned to 50 years in Limbo.

So we are introduced to Winnie - her neighbour and nemesis. Miriam begins to interact with her, trying to communicate and get her on her side, something she has not been doing even when she was alive!! And so begins the story to discover her murderer. The suspects are; her husband, her best friend, her secret lover, her mother, her disgruntled colleague or Professor Plum. You’ve got it! A game of Cluedo with your best friend is what Evans has written; funny, intriguing, a reflection of life and the decisions we make. How long have you got?

“So Winnie - slap on your deerstalker and strap on your granny pants. Let's catch a killer! Assuming we don't kill each other first . . .”

You so need this fabulous new novel in your life! Pick yourself up a copy and take yourself on a journey with Miriam and Winnie. It is your tonic to life because nobody is perfect and your guess is as good as mine!

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.

#Netgalley
#HeadlinePublishingGroup

What happens if you are murdered and the afterlife isn't ready for you? It seems with the help of those about to die you can communicate and try to find out who killed you. Miriam is a brilliant doctor, but not a nice person, so there are quite a few suspects. Well written and easy to read with likeable (apart from Miriam), well rounded characters.

As a massive fan of Maz Evans’ children’s books, I was very excited when I saw her debut adult novel and immediately jumped at the chance to read it. I was delighted to find that Maz retains all the charm and wit I have come to expect from her writing. Over My Dead Body is an absolute triumph - the best adults’ book I have read for a very long time. I absolutely adored it and was gripped from beginning to end. Evans is a real talent - I laughed and I cried whilst reading this book. Not only was I amused by it, but I actually found it very thought-provoking also.

You don’t have to be dead to work here, but it helps!

Dr Miriam Price is dead. And she’s really not happy about it. Someone killed her, but the police are trying to blame her for her own death, claiming it was the drinking that killed her. Now, her lack of sobriety that might be why she didn’t see the killer — but it was murder.

Now faced with the prospect of Limbo if her death remains unsolved, she’ll have to figure it out herself. But unfortunately, the only person can seem to hear her reaching out is her neighbour, and nemesis Winnie. Which means she’s probably dying too, and Miriam doesn’t even have time to laugh about it.

But it’s all she’s got; now it’s time to catch a killer — but the list of people Who might have wanted some revenge isn’t short; her the ex lover and his disgruntled wife, her exhausted, hurt husband, her default best friend, the ex patients who blame her for their losses and problems. Maybe even Winnie for all the fish she’d hidden in her curtain poles.

Miriam has spent her entire life saving lives — can she save her afterlife?

"Guess again, Belinda Carlisle. Heaven ain't a place on earth."

Wickedly clever, morbidly hilarious and utterly absurd — this satirical murder mystery from beyond the grave had me laughing, cringing and shaking my head.

Our narrator was rude, abrupt and entirely in likeable — but that didn’t stop me being charmed by her and desperately wondering where her chaotic chase of her murderer would end up. Her voice was blunt, even professional as she speaks to us — but her cynical, dry voice was definitely refreshing when it wasn’t abrasive. We spend a lot of times alone with her thoughts, as she makes witty remarks about the invisibility of middle-aged women and the painful boredom that life, and death can bring. Admittedly at times I found her attitude a little grating and repetitive, but she’s dead so I’ll cut her a break.

The story moves along slowly, full of tangents, little snippets and moments in an almost dream-like way, as she comes to terms with her death, navigates afterlife bureaucracy and has a gloriously chaotic adventure to solve her death with the most unwanted of companions and scream silently as she watched the terrible mistakes the still living were making in front of her. I loved Evans' interpretation of the afterlife — the inane rules, the strange administration, and the entire idea was highly entertaining and refreshing.

Miriam and Winnie were delightful — they drove me insane, but I loved how their fraught relationship evolved even though they were forced together. They bickered, they fought, they insulted — but they worked together and found a strange, albeit dicey kinship, and as Winnie tried to learn about Miriam to solve her death, Miriam was learning about herself, and the people she’d left behind too.

Irreverent and riotously funny with a surprising amount of heart , this afterlife drama is definitely one you won’t forget.