This was enjoyable! I didn’t expect the comedy aspect of a book with Death as the main character. While there is a serious side to it, I found the novel otherwise humorously clever.

Death is feeling worn out and asks the Boss for a sabbatical. He sends her to London as a young woman. Death, now called Delara, meets with her sister Life, who helps her get a job as a paralegal. Delara loves to wear outrageous outfits. The banter between Delara and Life is hilariously amusing.

Suddenly there are “unplanned” deaths. Delara knows there are no unplanned deaths; everything is planned and plotted out with schedules to be adhered to. Delara must investigate, and the novel becomes a murder mystery. Death and Other Occupational Hazzards is a fun, witty, delightful read.

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Death and Other Occupational Hazards
Author: Veronika Dapunt
Pages: 384
Rating: 5/5
Spice/Romance level: ❤️

This was such a quirky unique read. Death is a strong knows her own mind female, who loves daisy heeled shoes, heart sunglasses and feather boas. She decides that she needs to take a sabbatical. However, she discovers unplanned deaths and starts to investigate.

This was hilarious. A book containing miscommunication tropes, fabulous fashion, devoted dogs, love Vs duty. And I definitely wish the news was produced by death!!!

I loved how the book was gentle where it needed to be giving you time to process the heavy, and the uplifting humour that walked you through the plot. The characters were strong and likeable. Satan even had a Lucifer vibe about him!

It was cleverly written. I did guess the outcome but it was still an enjoyable fun read!

I definitely would recommend this go on your preorders if you want a light-hearted, fun, dark empowering read that makes you appreciate the world, your friends and yourself that little bit more.


You'll love this book if you like
- comedy fantasy
- unique take on death
- comedy murder mysteries
- dark comedy
- good boy doggos
- strong female characters
- sisterhood

Death and Other Occupational Hazards by Veronika Dapunt is a whimsical, witty and thoroughly entertaining mash-up of fantasy, comedy and mystery that offers a delightful twist on the classic figure of Death. Far from the stereotypical skeletal figure with a scythe, Death here is a woman simply doing her job—and she’s very good at it.

When Death decides to take a break from her eternal duties and experience life on Earth, things quickly spiral out of control. Someone is causing deaths that weren’t on her list, and it’s up to her to uncover the truth before it's too late. Along the way, she must navigate family drama with her sanctimonious sister, Life, and deal with the growing attraction to a charming parasitologist who might know more than he lets on.

Dapunt’s Death is a refreshing take on the character: bright, quirky and endearingly human, with a fondness for garishly patterned clothes and a deep appreciation for nature. As she embarks on a murder investigation while working as a paralegal in a criminal law firm, the pace is fun and fast, with a perfect blend of humour and suspense. The plot twists are unexpected, and Death’s sharp, sarcastic voice will stay with you long after the last page.

Death and Other Occupational Hazards is a clever, light-hearted read that perfectly balances fantasy, mystery and romance, offering a refreshing take on the figure of Death and a truly unique adventure.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A unique story that is well written and entertaining.
A really enjoyed the premise that death goes on holiday to London. Her sister, Life tries to protect her.
Unplanned deaths are not allowed but death investigates them during her time as a human.
Love, loyalty and betrayal are all mixed in.
A fun and light-hearted read.

Sometimes even Death herself needs a break—which is how she ends up on sabbatical, posing as a paralegal in the heart of London, leaving the Temp to take care of her usual duties. Unfortunately, things don’t go quite to plan, when she discovers a death has taken place that was distinctly Unplanned. Can Death find out who’s behind the Unplanned death before it’s too late?

A genre-bending debut novel that combines comedy, fantasy and murder mystery (along with a dash of romance) in a show of relentless creativity, ’Death and Other Occupational Hazards’ is full of humour and heart and is a joy to read.

From the very first page, the voice—and its dark humour—had me hooked, and the fast pace whisked me through the story, with the short (but not too short) chapters driving me forward with that ‘just one more chapter, just one more chapter’ feeling. I often found time slipping away from me, I was so immersed in the story.

That said, the romance felt perhaps a little forced and it didn’t really work for me, but the way it was resolved was perfect for the story, and this won me over in the end. I particularly liked the focus on sisterly love in the story and that this didn’t come second to the romantic relationship, as is the case in so many other books. As for the rest of the ending…it felt a little convoluted and contrived, and like more than a few other details of the novel, it felt like it would fall apart with too much probing. This is definitely a book suited to readers who are willing to go with the flow and not ask too many questions or think about it too deeply.

The only real negatives for me were the portrayal of the mental health unit and the patients (which I felt resorted to stereotypes), the suicide coercion, and the animal harm/death. But, these points aside, overall ‘Death and Other Occupational Hazards’ was a fun read, and I look forward to seeing more from Veronika Dapunt in the future!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Veronika Dapunt and the publisher for the ARC. My review will be posted on Instagram, Amazon UK, GoodReads and The StoryGraph closer to the book’s publication date.

This is quite an unusual and quirky read, a mash-up of lots of different subgenres rolled into one. Death and Other Occupational Hazards is a piece of magical realism mixed with a thriller and a comedy, with the grim reaper taking a sabbatical from her work until she learns that unplanned deaths have been occurring on her patch.

In all honesty, I loved the premise but the execution fell a bit flat for me. I could see this story panning out either as a farce with Death figuring out how to act human, or as a witty game of 4D chess against other powerful and mythical beings residing on Earth. What we got kind of fell somewhere in the middle, being somewhat humorous but not laugh-out-loud, and a little complicated without the depth of a master scheme. My main gripe is in how these great powerful beings had limitations placed upon them regarding how they can act on Earth, which felt like it was for plot reasons aside from anything else.

There were a few unexpected and excellent elements of the story though, particularly the sibling rivalry between Death and her sister, Life. Their complicated but ultimately loving relationship was a really nice touch to the story, and I thought the compassionate and empathetic side to Death’s character was a wonderful and wholly unexpected angle to take. The whole corporate structure which Life and Death work inside was very entertaining, and I would have loved to see this pantheon expanded to see other mythical figures and deities from around the world included too.

In this book, death is portrayed differently—a vulnerable, flawed woman just doing her best. It makes death feel less terrifying than we usually think of it.
I really enjoyed was how this book shifted my perspective on death. Personally, I’ve never been afraid of death itself, though the idea of dying is another story. Fear of death tends to stem from the unknown—what comes after, if anything—but this story presents death in a softer, more peaceful light, offering a sense of calm and the possibility of a beautiful afterlife. While it’s a fun, light-hearted read, the book sneaks in some deeper, philosophical moments that I wasn’t expecting.

There’s a large cast, but the main focus is on Death, her sister Life, and Marco, a charming parasitologist. We also hear from Death’s superior (likely God) and the Devil. But at its core, this is Death’s story. The relationship between Death and Life is an interesting one, sometimes feeling like your typical sibling dynamic, which brings a fun layer to the plot.

At first, the romance seemed a little forced and unnecessary, but by the end, I actually felt it added depth to the story. Marco turned out to be one of my favoUrite characters, and the way he interacts with Death is absolutely brilliant.

This book mixes fantasy, murder mystery, comedy, and a bit of romance. At times, I wondered if it might be trying to do too much, but Veronika manages to strike the right balance. It really shouldn’t work on paper, but somehow, it totally does

I had read some quite intense books before this but it sound really fun, and even though it resolves around death, it looked quite funny and light-hearted.

It is narrated by death and she is instantly likeable. I loved this side of death. We all know the typical stories, images of death as a morbid, evil character dressed in a black down. But with this book, death is more of a vulnerable, flaws woman who is just trying her best. And it makes death not seem as frightening as we generally perceive it.

I also liked how it made me think of death. I have never actually been scared of death - dying, yes, but death, not so much. But the general feeling towards death in humans is fear, because none of us know what it entails, what happens to us, is there another life after this one. But this book gave us a more tender side to death, it is more peaceful and calming, and just sees like there is a beautiful afterlife coming. And so whilst it is a light-hearted, fun story, it does have these sort of philosophical moments that makes you think, which I wasn't expecting.

There are lots of characters, but our main players are, of course, Death, and her sister Life, and the dashing parasitologist Marco. We also get bits from Death's boss (God, one assumes) and the Devil. But this is really Death's story. Life is a great foil to her and it's a great exploration of their relationship which at times just seems like the everyday sibling relationship which was fun.

I did feel the romance was a bit unnecessary to begin with, a bit forced. But having finished it, overall I'd say it definitely added an extra depth, and Marco became one of my favourite characters, and his interactions with Death are fabulous.

It is a mixture of fantasy, murder mystery, comedy, and a touch of romance. At times I worried it might have felt too much but I think Veronika has found the right balance overall. On paper it shouldn't work but it really does.

Whilst I came to this book for a bit of light-hearted fun, I came to really enjoy the mystery element of it, and it had me rushing through the pages to find out what happened. I read it in less than 24 hours, it was so addictive, and if you're after a funny, light-hearted, but sometimes serious, book about love, life, and death, then definitely pick this up, I would highly recommend it.

Quirky and fun, but I found there was too much pontification and I it was confusing at times. I think this is a book that some will love and some won't enjoy as much.

fun and made choices I was not expecting, in the best way possible. an easy going read that still had an emotional impact on me, a tough balance to find!

I expected this to be a funny, witty novel based on the premise but it is also an insightful commentary on human behaviour and society.

This novel has a similar vibe to the show ‘The Good Place’. Filled with quirky moments as Death tries to get used to all that living on Earth entails, this story is perfect if you’re looking for something to make you smile. The mystery element had me hooked; I needed to know what was going to happen.

I also enjoyed the more softer philosophical moments as Life and Death shared their experiences.

Thank you, Random House for sending this arc. I’m forever grateful.

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I requested Death and Other Occupational Hazards on a complete whim, usually preferring to stick to the fantasy genre. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and found myself eagerly turning the pages to find out what happened.

I enjoyed the novelty of Death taking a holiday from billions of years of work, with only a single day off. Unfortunately, while trying to navigate new relationships, fit in with humans, and repair the bond with her sister, Death finds herself having to solve the mystery of someone posing as her and reaping Unplanned Deaths.

Fans of the works of the late Sir Terry Pratchett, especially Good Omens, will enjoy this book.

Death walks amongst us. No seriously. Hear me out. Having grown weary of the day to day grind of transporting the recently deceased to the underworld, Death, soon to be known as Delara, asks the Boss (aka God) is she can take a sabbatical. He grants her request, much to the chagrin of her sister, Life, who really isn't sold on the idea. Leaving the Temp in charge of logistics and overseeing execution of 'the plan', Delara takes up a new existence as a paralegal in the heart of London. Now, if I had the world within my reach, I'd probably have chosen a life a touch more glamorous, but Death wants the whole human experience, and it doesn't come much more human (?) than the city. Right? Now so far, so good, until Death/Delara is made aware of an 'unplanned' death. That just should not happen. Noone is allowed to go off script and whilst we (humans) may believe in unexplained deaths, God never plans for an unplanned one.

As you can probably imagine, this is not your most serious of murder mysteries. I mean, murder is never a laughing matter, and the deaths in this case have a very unnaturally organic explanation, but this is a book tinged with great, if a little dark, humour. I love the way in which Veronika Dapunt has built Delara's character, her very factual and incise observations of those people around her. I really liked her, which is an odd thing to imagine myself saying about 'Death', but there is just something very starkly charismatic about her. There is a strange kind of compassion, in spite of her cynicism, and, strangely, aside from her very unusual dress sense, I often found myself identifying with her. Perhaps because she said and thought all the things that, societally, we are conditioned not to (even if we really want to). She was fun to spend time with in a very direct, sometimes abrupt, way, and the barbs and interactions between her and Life, their 'brother, the Devil, and even with 'The Boss', really did make me smile.

There is a serious side to the book - the 'victims' of the unexplained deaths are hardly all the most virtuous of people and in any other circumstance you'd probably struggle to be saddened by their demise - but whilst the book does touch upon some very keen social and corporate led issues (animal experimentation, modified food stuffs etc), it is not about that as such. The author creates such a vibrant and fully fleshed out world for Delara to inhabit, with a cast of supporting characters who can both delight and dismay, that I found I just flew through the book. There is a mystery to be solved and we are right there alongside Delara, as she tries to find out who is killing people and why. And when the long, possibly bony, finger of suspicion points in her way, it's not hard to see why, but it probably made me read faster, just to see if she was going to be able to prove her own innocence.

There are a number of surprises in this book, a touch of romance, an almost totally and utterly taboo moment of tragedy (which is ultimately atoned for and despite initial appearances works out perfectly in the end), and a strangely emotional core. I loved a cameo from one of The Bosses other 'children', known to Delara as the HCD, and so many of the scenes and scenarios in the book had me chuckling along that it really did leave me with a big smile on my face at the end (and maybe a slight tear in my eye too). A word to the wise, if you don't like spiders there is perhaps one bit of narrative you'd want to rush through. Wasn't the best time for my resident bedroom spider to decide to put in an appearance dangling from the lampshade over my bed, put it that way, but it's not gratuitous and it's only fiction. Although I am now avoiding bananas but that's nothing particularly new anyway.

Yes, I guessed who was ultimately responsible. Did I care? No. The story plays out in such a fresh, fun and unexpectedly dramatic way that the pay off, the moment when Death (for she is truly herself by this point) realises what is going on really is worth it. So, if you love your crime fiction on the slightly more off kilter, humorous side, I really would recommend this. A really fun way to spend a couple of evenings and I look forward to seeing what is next from this author.

"Have you ever felt like, despite your best efforts to be considerate and helpful, no one appreciates you? Well assume you've felt like that for three and a half billion years."

Afterlife bureaucracy as you’ve never read it before. A dazzling cocktail of murder, mystery and death with a little dash of romance - this is a brilliantly unique story with so much heart.

Introducing Death (and her sister Life) who just wanted a some time off work, not for people to start dying. Dapunt creatively and delicately plays with our ideas of the Grim Reaper, the afterlife and the beautiful fragility of life to create something new and unusual that I absolutely adored.

"In her eyes, I see life in all it's complexity: kind and cruel. Peaceful and violent. Hateful and loving. Happiness and Sadness. But above all I see her love for creation and every single element of it."

Somehow managing to read like a fun summer novel but packing in the intensity of a murder mystery and a whole boatload of dark humour, this was far too easy to read in one sitting. Our darling Death is a fabulous narrator, making a dreary office, a battle between celestial or a mafia boss seem the same kind of fun and irreverent action that kept me hooked. My one and only bugbear was the constant repetition of the name of a specific criminal organisation, italicised and just said so much in certain sections where it didn’t need to be that the formatting kept pulling my eyes to it and breaking what was otherwise an expertly written pace.

Reading this was some of the most fun I’ve had during an existential crisis in quite some time. A beautiful story about human nature wrapped up in a cataclysmic mystery and a razor sharp wit.

A good read. The idea of Death coming to Earth has been done many times. I like how Life was added along with the business world roles for entities like Satan etc.
I would've liked more comedy rather than occasional long philosophising.

This was such a different book, in a good way. I read a lot of the same type and this was a good break and was entertaining.

Thanks to @NetGalley for this ADC.

It was great to see Death was a female character who cared about those she took to the afterlife, and not portrayed as a grim morbid character. Focus on her relationships with those around her- especially with Life (her sister). This was very very very far fetched and not serious AT ALL but it was an enjoyable and quirky book. Fast paced - It’s not horror or comedy, not sure how best to describe it. There’s romance, family drama, and the subject of God etc as a corporate structure and serving him being a job. The ending was predictable I think but this was a great palate cleanser book. But it was a great take on a story that’s been done numerous times!

I loved the premise of this book, and found a lot of Death's inner monologue to be intriguing. Unfortunately though, there was just a bit too much of it and I didn't connect with the writing style. The plot was fantastic though - definitely one to pick up and try!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

What even was this book? Fantasy? Mystery? Comedy? I've honestly no idea but what I can say for certain is that this book was ridiculous and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really liked Death as a character and thought that actually, she was quite relatable, even though I've never been the Grim Reaper ha ha ha..... Death comes to Earth and gets a job as a paralegal with a mission to investigate some 'unplanned' deaths that had the potential to bring about the end of all life. There were some dark moments and some humorous moments and I think the author wrote these very well. There were some big ideas and it could have gone horribly wrong but the author did a great job. I have to say, the plot didn't go the way I thought it would, which was a great twist for me, and again, it made me think that the author was putting the effort in and not taking the easy storylines.
With the way the book ended I feel like there's probably not much scope to do a sequel. But if there ever was one then I'd certainly read it.

This was really fun. A spin on the 'Death Takes a Holiday' idea, we have the poor, frustrated reaper living in a tiny flat in London, in the body of a woman trying to find work and navigate the contemporary world... which goes about as well as you'd expect.

What elevates this book is the narrator's voice. Death is immensely likeable from the first - we've all been in their situation, as they work through each day wanting something more (and let's face it, Death's been doing the same job for a LONG time!). But is the grass greener on the other side?

Having been a young woman working in London, I could relate to a LOT of Death's struggles! Fortunately not the actual death part, but the lack of logic that so much of the modern world is set upon. Yes, the mystery was intriguing and the romance subplot fine, but the fun of recognising rent struggles, everyday sexism and navigating the Tube is what kept me reading. I know what that's like, and Death tells it like it is!

I did find it a little frustrating that Life was so negative. The reason why is hilarious, but it would've been nice for Death to have an old friend alongside to chat to. Perhaps that's my memories of the 'Endless' version sneaking in, or Pratchett's Death with Albert and Susan.

This Death finds her voice beautifully and navigates today's London as well as anyone can be expected to! A fun ride that I'd have loved on my commute into Zone 1.