Happy November! While I get caught up on my wrap up for October and get my TBR put together, here is my first review for the month
Thanks to TLC Book Tours and Woodhall Press for the free copy in exchange for my honest review
HOW I’M SPENDING MY AFTERLIFE – Spencer Fleury (Released September 7th, 2021)
Book Description:
After you’re gone, what will they say about you? Alton Carver is about to find out. Alton’s got a problem: he’s under federal investigation for embezzling and securities fraud. Instead of spending the next three to five years behind bars, he’s got a plan: stage his own death, take the money he stole and light out for Central America, leaving behind wife Nicole and daughter Clara. But when he sticks around town long enough to watch his own funeral, he makes the unpleasant discovery that the life he’s leaving behind isn’t the life he thought he had. When he overhears the way his former colleagues talk about him now that he’s “gone,” Alton is forced to reconsider his self-image as a respected and admired pillar of the legal community. Then the shock of seeing Nicole in the arms of another man leads Alton to postpone his plan to run for the border. What comes next is a slow-burn train wreck, a tale of self-deception, revenge and bad decisions.
My Thoughts: 3/5 stars
Talk about an interesting story. HOW I’M SPENDING MY AFTERLIFE is about Alton Carver – he’s under federal investigation due to the millions of dollars he was embezzling from his company. So what’s the logical thing to do? Fake your death and run off with the money, of course. His plan seemed perfect until he decided to wait on leaving for Costa Rica so he could see who was at his funeral. To his shock he finds out that he wasn’t as well loved by his coworkers and he sees his wife, Nicole, has already found another man. So instead of leaving everything behind he decides to hang around a little longer despite the investigation into his death still actively going. We get alternating POV’s between Nicole and Alton, neither of which I particularly liked, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I think there were a few places it felt a little rushed or fell a little flat for me, but overall I did really enjoy watching Alton’s bad choices unravel into quite the train wreck. Even though this wasn’t my favorite, I’ll still pick up more from Fleury in the future.
About the Author:
Spencer Fleury has worked as a sailor, copywriter, record store clerk and economics professor, among other disreputable professions. His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and has previously appeared in outlets including Utne Reader, Ascent, and the anthology City by City: Dispatches from the American Metropolis. This is his first novel. He lives in San Francisco.
Jessicamap Reviews 