I really wanted to love this book. I was very intrigued with the concept and it had a lot of promises.
Unfortunately I found that I was left dissapointed and even ended up DNF did not finishing the book.
I just dont think the story was meant to be foe me at this time.

I was thrilled to be able to read and review this and I devoured it in a day! I picked up my Kindle to pass a bit of time on whilst I was travelling and could not put it down. This is a very different style to what I normally read but it kept me gripped throughout with the changing writing style and format. It was very thought-provoking and a lot of the storyline resonated with me. Salena Godden writes beautiful prose and her words will stay with me for a long time after reading.

Let me start by saying that Mrs Death Misses Death completely caught me off guard. It, in no way, was what I thought it was going to be about. I hadn't heard of the author before and as it turns out Mrs Death Misses Death is Salena's first novel, away from her regular poetic writing, which clearly resonates in her book, and so I'd say that this book isn't for everyone. If you're expecting a thriller based read of gruesome death then you'd be wrong. This is more of a biography written by Mrs Death, sharing her connection to the universe and mostly sharing that connection with a boy named Wolfe, who's mother, along with others died in a building fire.
There are a lot of true life events in this book and there are extracts taken from true deaths like Sarah Reed, Myra & Ian Hindley, and even Jack The Ripper, which gives you a lot of pause for thought.

All in all I found this a brilliant, but sad read,

There were times when the words tumbled from the page in an intoxicated, hallucinogenic struggle. At others, these raging thought-frenzies were extinguished by the wave of tranquillity circling overhead.

Despite the clear chapter titles, the uninhibited exchanges often made it difficult to separate ‘Mrs Death’ and ‘Wolf Willeford’; their roles overlapped erratically and were nimbly entwined throughout.

Occasionally the narrative was injected with streams of poetry. Undoubtedly, this was hauntingly graceful in places. But I don’t believe I could ever fully embrace its depth, as I’m afraid poetry has never been my bag.

My verdict? Well, it’s certainly unusual and that IS my thing! Yet as I reached the end I felt utterly exhausted, without being able to offer a single explanation as to why.

This for me was a very strange book and me thinks it went straight over my head.

I am not a fan of peotry and alas will not be reviewing this book on my social medias

If you like contemporary, quirky books then you should like "Mrs Death Misses Death" by Salena Godden. Reminiscent in parts to Claire North's "The End of the Day", the book has two main characters, Wolf and Mrs Death.
It's an interesting concept, interviewing/chatting with Death and one that hasn't been (pardon the pun) done to death just yet. It sometimes captured my attention, especially the parts featuring Wolf and then sometimes annoyed me when it was poetry written by Mrs Death. There are probably some themes explored in this book - the concept of death being male vs female, and the new popular topic of Black Lives Matter.
About 3/4 of the way through the book , there is a plot twist (similar to "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" .
and it really gets you thinking. I can't go into too many details without giving it away but it made the book a little bit more "real".
Definitely one for a bookclub discussion.

Thank you to Netgalley, Canongate and Salena Godden for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to start off by saying that I think this is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. The writing style is gorgeous, Salena Godden moves from a beautifully written prose to incredibly moving poetry and script. The differentiation between chapters makes it incredibly accessible and all the more moving.

Mrs Death Misses Death follows the author Wolf, who is attempting to write about Mrs Death and her life. The disclaimer provides a witty insight into what you can expect from the book, and the disclaimer had me hooked. Then moving into the first chapter you begin to understand more of what Godden is doing, not only is she exploring the lives of Mrs Death and Wolf, but she is making a brilliant social commentary as she does so, on things such as Grenfell, the inequality that Black women face among many other things.

I won't lie, it is a strange book, but it is beautiful and creative and captivating. The story is compelling, and I would highly recommend it. I genuinely feel that a review cannot entirely do justice to this artwork, and I think that it is one I will keep thinking of in the future and coming back to. Thank you.

This is extraordinary! Brimming with originality, imagination, power and heart, this ranges widely through literary form (prose, poetry, play-script), and through time though it has its political eye firmly on our present from the intimated Grenfell Fire to Sarah Reed ('Mrs Death in Holloway Prison: Say Her Name: For Sarah Reed, Black Lives Matter').

Through the acquisition of a 'magic' desk, Wolf (whose mother perished in the tower block fire) learns to hear the voice of Mrs Death whose silenced profile and invisibility make her, of course!, an old, Black woman. A struggling writer, Wolf has found his subject.

It's hard to convey the genius of this book: it's such easy reading in the way it slips down effortlessly yet the subject matter can be hard at times. For me, the quality of the writing is part Dickens neo-Gothic, part up-to-the moment social commentary, part lyrical poetry. A thrilling piece of writing that deserves to win literary prizes.

The robin was once seen as a messenger from the land of the dead, sent to summon those about to die. Yet, yet still, in the dying moments of a winter's evening, high in a cage of bare twigs it opens its throat and breaks your heart with rapturous song. If 'Mrs Death Misses Death' is haunted by the presence of the dead, still Salena Godden's prose sings and her poetry defies the approach of night. For if the day is short and the dark certain then the trick is to live life while we can. Poignant and lyrical, poetry and prose tangle and entwine, and whisper, warm and witty, hot breath on your cheek. Speaking to you and you alone, as only a poet can. Entrancing and memorable like a melody heard once and never quite forgotten.
There is no need to seek death out, to climb a tower and scan the horizon, to force your head into cold water and search amongst the discarded shopping trolleys, to brave midnight graveyards, she is always there, at your shoulder, one cold hand clutching your sleeve. There is no use in running away, she is always a little distance ahead, she will wait for you to arrive.
The business of death is a lonely one and Mrs Death has stories she needs to tell, histories that need recording. She has passed unseen down the dark alleys, the battlefields, the hospital wards of history, with no one to hear her tales, until now. Wolf Willeford has seen death at work, in flame and smoke, in blackened towers, Icarus falling, now she meets Death herself and the troubled young writer begins to write the Life of Death. She travels through time recording the lost lives of lives lost, sat at an old desk purchased from a curiosity shop, a desk through which the memories pour. In a hungover, strung-out, chaotic dawn, Wolf leads us through the time-drenched streets of London, the London of child exploitation, of the Ripper and the Kray twins. Who is the black woman, head down on a passing bus? The woman buying wine with small change, the beggar, the hospital cleaner, the figure caught by a lightning flash leaning over a body in a dark alley, need you ask?
And I think of Aphra Behn, of Blake and Dickens, who wandered these same dark streets, of The Wasteland and Nina Simone leaving Ronnie Scotts with a plastic carrier bag in her hand. I am haunted, haunted as I was by Carol Morley's Dreams of a Life, a drama-documentary about Joyce Carol Vincent, who lay dead among the Christmas gifts she was wrapping, television on, for three years, lost.

Willmore: There is no sinner like a young saint.

Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.

I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow.
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

Unreal City
Under the brown fog of a winter dawn,
A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many,
I had not thought death had undone so many.
Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled,
And each man fixed his eyes before his feet.

This is the end of the line
I've clearly read every sign
The way you glance at me
Indifferently
And take your hand from mine

For all its darkness, 'Mrs Death Misses Death' is full of joy, for all the tragedy there is humour and warmth, and hope. Salena Godden has written a book that lives in the memory, infused with poetry, song, and spoken word, but greater than the sum of these, a novel, bearing powerful witness to the distant voices of the forgotten.

To start with, we got hit with some very strange but true disclaimers. If anything, if perfectly set the tone for what was to come.

It was so lyrical and beautiful, mixing traditional story telling with poetry and a strange but haunting lilt and flow to words that made it at times frenzied and urgent, but soft and sing-song, simultaneously and separately.

I would say to definitely go into this book aware that it will probably trigger your anxiety, it certainly did me a little bit, and that there are themes very similar in content to what happened with the Grenfall fires. I guess because it's recent and nothing has still been done, it instantly brought those thoughts up.

This was such a unique piece of art. It was weird and wacky, harsh but true, bold but beautiful and stirred within me so many feelings... The main one being that of feeling understood!

I really enjoyed that Godden took this concept of Death, usually portrayed as male, and wove into a different personification, using the most unseen person in this world: an old, black, woman. It was fantastic and what the author did with it was fascinating! I also liked the idea of death being a rabbit too!

It kind of reminded me a little of Melmoth at times. I think it just vibed similarly.

I feel like I have so much to say that I can't contain myself, but at the same time not knowing how to express my thoughts, so for fear of rambling on, I'll keep this one short.

I absolutely loved this book. It was beautifully written and easy to read. It puts death into perspective and actually that death may be a female. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to everyone.

trigger warning
<spoiler> death by fire, suicide, transphobia, being orphaned, mental illness, sexual violence towards children, slavery </spoiler>

A writer purchases an antique desk that lets them communicate with Mrs Death, interview her, write down her life, her work.

A big topic of this is when Mrs Death misses death - when someone nearly dies, but somehow survives, and the possibility of puns. The nature of death, and what kind of life a personified death might lead, which people Mrs Death came in contact with.
That, somehow, the Grim Reaper is depicted as male, but the most invisible person is a homeless black woman.

This book is short, and the author recommends reading it in one go, which I nearly did, and I agree it's the best way to consume it. Give it room to breathe, put away all distractions, and see where it takes you.

Not only would I recommend this book, I'll make sure to keep a look out for further works by the same author.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

This book is to be appreciated rather than enjoyed after all it is about death. Having said that it is a book really about life and it’s scary in places. This book is in parts poetic, in part observations and in parts a story. This is the type of book that should be read by all ages and should be studied by the young. It is about the World, it is about Black Life’s Matter, it is about all life’s matter, it is about the silly things that people say and do around death, it’s about the mad and bad things people do in life, as Death says “unless the Humans change the way they are living, they cannot change the way they are dying.” It is actually about so many things. This book is quite profound and will win awards. I would definitely recommend this book, you might not enjoy it but you will definitely appreciate it and it’ll stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it. And I feel grateful to have been gifted an advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate Books for the arc of Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden

This follows Mrs Death who spends eternity doing her job and now in which she seeks someone to unburden her consequences... She meets Wolf who is a young writer who is troubled whom is also well acquainted with death itself,

Interested and gripped by her wolf decides to say in which to write her memoirs he travels with Mrs death through time to witness deaths of past and future, and what does the future hold.....?

This was a very gripping and interesting read something different to what I usually read ☺️☺️ but I thoroughly enjoy it❤️

4 stars recommend ❤️

spoiler alert ** 3. 5 stars


What a strange and interesting book,that's left me feeling a little strange myself.
Told in different styles by different voices, it dragged me in and I read it in one sitting (it is admittedly not very long)
The story of Tilly tuppence and Myra stood out for me.
An unusual book,that's going to be much talked about I think.
Memorable to say the least.

Mrs Death Misses Death is a technically accomplished novel, touching on death (unsurprisingly), race, poverty, inequity and mental health, using a variety of formats (prose, verse, interview) - i admired it, but unfortunately i.didn’t really enjoy it. There are brilliant sections that play with narrative form and would even work marvellously out of context, but others where the tone is somewhat preachy and the text fails to fly. I did read in two chunks as i abandoned it a fortnight back, but the central conceit and promise was enough to bring me back again... worth a read, but not as essential as i expected. Damn expectations!

Mrs Death Misses Death is a transformative, thought-provoking novel that looks at death, storytelling, and what really matters in the world. Mrs Death has spent eternity doing her job, but things have gotten a bit much, and she finds herself sharing her story with Wolf, a young writer in London who has an acquaintance with death but not Mrs Death. Through Wolf, we learn about past deaths and about what Mrs Death thinks makes life worth living.

This is a difficult book to describe, written in different styles and blending prose, poetry, and script at times. The move between short prose chapters and short poems is particularly good, bringing a sense of seeing into Mrs Death's thoughts through poetry as well as seeing Wolf's narration in prose. Despite being a novel, there's also a lot you can take as have non-fiction elements, with reflections on the common depiction of Death as male and on various issues as they come up, and this makes the novel more powerful, as it becomes not only the story of a strange unreal friendship, but a look at good and bad, life and death.

If you enjoy books that blend prose and poetry and that muse on larger issues whilst focuses on two main characters, this one is for you. It is fast-paced, easy to read quickly, and unlike most other novels you'll read.

This is truly one of the most creative books I’ve read in a long time. The writing flows and you’re carried alongside Mrs Death, who wants someone to write her memoirs. All manner of life and death is mentioned as she recounts her life’s work (her death’s work?) to writer Wolf Willeford. From the offset you know this is a very special read and the writing style – which offers a variety of formats – adds to the sense of someone repeating their life’s events. Along the way you read what could be described as affirmations: positive messages that urge you to live your best life (not a social media post in sight) and to rage against the dying of the light. I found it to be skilful and effortless reading. Thoroughly enjoyable.

I picked up this short read and was immediately immersed in what I can only describe as a fever dream. Sometimes I was gripped by beautiful prose, sometimes by the story. Where would it go? Was Mrs Death real? Who was Wolf? Was I reading a tale about mental health issues, murders or make-believe? I'm not exactly sure I can answer any of those questions and I'm afraid I sort of lost interest towards the end of the book - something about it seemed scatty or unresolved - but perhaps that's exactly what the author intended with such an unconventional narrative and style. That said, this has definitely piqued by interest about Godden and her poetry. I'd certainly give other things she's written a try. Oh, and I love that Death is a woman. It's a very comforting notion.

This is an energetic read, full of emotion. The cadence of Godden's writing is poetic and fluid, I found Mrs Death Misses Death to be energetic and easy reading, but laced with a profundity that hits the reader at the end. The characters of Wolf and Mrs Death are beautifully described; they come to life from the first page. I was intrigued by this presentation of Death too, woven into the novel through poetry, pop culture references and history. Thoroughly original and highly recommended, and I look forward to reading more of Salena Godden's work.