Death and Other Occupational Hazards - An Honest ARC Review

Peter Arnaudo • June 7, 2025

How often do you read outside of your preferred genre?

My answer to this question is never.

I've been an avid reader since early childhood, always pestering my parents for new books. After almost 20 years, I know exactly what I like. I can practically read a blurb and know instantly whether it's going to be worth my time.

So, imagine my surprise when '
Death and Other Occupational Hazards' by Veronika Dapunt spoke to me almost instantly. While slightly fantastical (in the sense that it brings the Grim Reaper to life), it certainly isn't fantasy. Cozy murder mysteries are so far outside of my comfort zone that I tend to avoid them at all costs... until now.


Last month, I headed into The Book Cow as usual - keen to find something new to read. I browsed through the Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) that publishers had sent us that week, seeing if anything jumped out at me.


'Death and Other Occupational Hazards' practically hit me in the face. It sounded fun, light-hearted, and, for want of a better word: goofy. Instead of rejecting it because of its genre, I decided to give it a go.

Now look at me.

This book absolutely blew me away. I couldn't put it down. In fact, I was so keen to keep reading that I had to get the audiobook - allowing me to listen in the car, as I did chores, and on my daily walk. It's
seriously addictive. Thank you, Penguin!


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


About the Book

Her job is to die for. Literally.


Most people think that when they meet Death, it’ll be a skeleton in a black potato sack. Maybe with a scythe. Truth is, she’s just a woman doing a job, and she’s very good at it.


But when Death takes a much-needed break to live on earth, things start to go terribly wrong.


Someone’s killing people not on her list (well, not yet anyway) and it's down to her to find the culprit before it’s too late.


To make matters worse, her sanctimonious sister, Life – whom Death hasn’t got on with in millennia – won’t stop blaming her . . . and then there’s the slight problem of the charming (sexy) parasitologist she’s suspicious of.


But she’ll be fine, right?


After all, who better to investigate a murder than Death herself?



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