Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

The premise of this book was a huge draw for me, and I had such high hopes. While a quick and mostly positive read, there were definitely some areas that didn't live up to my expectation.

The most pressing is the characters, and the disconnect I had from most of them. There was an element of unfinished-ness about them, which meant I wasn't really engaged or interested in anything further than *acknowledging* them. I think this is something that could have been edited and fleshed out a little more.

Overall, however, I did find this book enjoyable. It was funny in places, and imaginative in others. It was paced well, and was a light, easy read.

I'm not sure if I would pick it up again, but I don't regret reading it. Strong three stars.

This book won Rebecca a Comedy Women in Print prize and was throughly deserving of it! This book was so cleverly and wittingly written. This book felt like a refreshing departure from books I have read recently as it is has a really unique premise. I loved that all the characters were well written and developed. The mystery had me guessing right till the end and I loved it! This was such a fun read and a must for those who are fans of comedy and mystery!

A unique story about a guy Dave who wakes up to find he is dead and must then I lost the help of some angels to help him find who did it! It could be described as quite bizarre in places. There are many references to British culture so if you like that I think you will like this book

This was a fun, light read.

David is dead and ends up in purgatory, which for him is a hostel from a family holiday when he was 10. With a couple of angels on his side and a demon putting a few blocks in, David has to figure out who murdered him.

The characters were well written from David who has a number of flaws, Arial an angel with an obsession for eighties cop shows and Angel Gobe his superior. There were a few unexpected twists and turns which you just accept as part of the story.

An author I would definitely read again.

I had a lot of fun in reading this story about a murder victim trying to solve his own murder. Well plotted, witty, highly entertaining.
A solid mystery I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

A quirky, light hearted story that fans of The Thursday Murder Club series are sure to enjoy! With a fun, original plot (the main character is trying to solve his own murder from beyond the grave) this debut novel would be a great holiday read for anyone who enjoys a mystery without too much tension. A easy to follow and well pace read, I can honestly say I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in future.
Thanks to Netgalley.co.uk and Harper Collins for the free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review,

I really enjoyed The Purgatory Poisoning. The protagonist Dave finds himself in purgatory, and has to examine his life and death. This results in some hilarious scenarios which are well written and paced. Highly recommended

I really thought that I would absolutely enjoy this book the premise is very inviting and it was enjoyable but not as engrossing as I had hoped it to be most of the characters were unpleasant and quite idiotic at times, which was rather annoying like being trapped at a family gathering sat beside your least appealing relatives.
As a sit down book it was a slightly disappointing but it would make for a good holiday read.

Thank you to Net Galley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dave is a middle-aged bloke who finds himself in Purgatory following a dinner party with his closest friends. With the help of an angel and his apprentice, he must figure out the answer to two very pressing questions:

1) Is he going to Heaven or Hell?
2) Which dinner party attendee murdered him: his brother, his ex, his ex's new man or his childhood best friend?

I initially expected this to be a murder mystery with a celestial twist, but it pretty much ended up being a re-hash of The Good Place. The writer's tone of voice kept things light-hearted and witty (and I genuinely enjoy this sort of style!), but at key points in the novel I wish we had been allowed some genuine depth. Instead, any brief instance of vulnerability is glossed over by jokes - which works well in the short-term, but unfortunately got a bit tiring by the end and resulted in none of the characters feeling particularly fleshed-out (or winged-out, in the angels' cases).

Funny, but flippant - and sometimes that's fine! - but when a novel's based on family and humanity, some more heart would've been appreciated.

Just finished The Purgatory Poisoning & there's no way I could go to sleep until I'd finished 💞📚🎉🎊
When Dave wakes up in his own personal purgatory (St Ives Youth Hostel circa 1992), he’s shocked to discover he’s dead. And worse – he was murdered.

Heaven doesn’t know who did it so with the help of two rogue angels, Dave must uncover the truth.

As divine forces from both sides start to play the game, can Dave get out of this alive? Or at the very least, with his soul intact?

This book is absolutely brilliant! I can't believe it's Rebecca's debut. Despite the fact that Dave's been murdered I couldn't stop laughing, there are many moments that you can easily relate to especially the constant arguments and fighting between Dave and his little brother Andrew, these moments are hilarious more so when they were younger.

The characters are so well written, I particularly loved their Mum who cracked me up and the two angels especially Ariel who's obsessed with police drama's and who monitors God's Switchboard with such care and dedication along with the other Angel Gobe, who looks exactly like Michael Palin. I don't want to spoil this but it's such a brilliant, witty and well thought through concept. It has all the ingredients of a page turner; murder, witchcraft, satanists, protection spells and a wand. I can't wait to see what Rebecca writes next.

Thank you to @netgalley
& @rebecca.rogers.writes for the advanced copy

Dave wakes up in a youth hostel at St Ives in 1992. However, he clearly remembers being at a dinner party in London and the year was 2019.

Dave finds out he died and is now in Purgatory. The angels tell him he must repent for his misdeeds (and he committed a few of them in his short life). They also inform him that he was murdered, poisoned, at said dinner party. He doesn't remember much about his death, however, slowly, bit by bit, memories start flooding in...

I had such hopes for his but, but sadly they didn't live up to my expectations. I didn't particularly like any of the characters in the story and the part about hapless Satanists who conjured a demon felt oddly strange, rather than funny. The explanation that Dave (and his brother and their friend Jess) were 'different' from other humans because of said demon/ satanic entity felt flat to me.

It's such a shame as the book's synopsis made it sound fun and exciting, but it wasn't for me.

I would like to thank the publisher for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

The concept of a murder victim being stuck in purgatory until he can make peace with his former life and identify his killer (including recognizing and understanding the reasons behind his death) was an interesting one and the story seemed to be written in a very amusing style, but unfortunately it just wasn’t the book for me. Ultimately, I didn’t like the characters or feel engaged in the story. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review it though.

I loved it! Resolve your own murder when you're already dead? So cool! It was funny, original and really well written! Quick to read, very interesting, such a fun time!

How do you solve your own murder when you’re already dead?

Purgatory (noun):
1. Where the dead are sent to atone.
2. A place of suffering or torment.
3. A youth hostel where the occupants play Scrabble and the mattresses are paper thin.

When Dave wakes up in his own personal purgatory (St Ives Youth Hostel circa 1992), he’s shocked to discover he’s dead. And worse – he was murdered.

Heaven doesn’t know who did it so with the help of two rogue angels, Dave must uncover the truth.

As divine forces from both sides start to play the game, can Dave get out of this alive? Or at the very least, with his soul intact?
Full of twists and turns, it will keep you furiously turning the pages. Giving this one four starts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Read it!

The purgatory poisoning is an interesting read unlike anything I have ever read before. The book follows a murder victim as he comes to term with the diagnosis of death and helps to assist the angel’s assigned his case establish who was the culprit of his murder.
Although both the beginning and the ending of the book were very captivating, the middle section of the book seamed very statement and struggled to keep my entertainment. Despite it only being a short novel, it holds the record of my longest time to read a book cover-cover this year. I feel that if some of the similar events that took place within that section were either watered down or left out then it would have been a five star review.
Overall I am glad that I completed the book as it is witty and the culprit did take me by surprise. I also really enjoyed being able to follow the murder from the victims prospect, rather than a police or murders view.

A bulb lit up on God’s switchboard when ten-year-old David Walsh prayed to him during a horrible family holiday at St Ives Youth Hostel in 1992 where he hated his mother, his father and most of all his irritating younger brother Andrew. And that was just the beginning. That was the Point of Decision for Dave, the moment where he made an important choice that significantly affected another person. It’s now 2019, or at least it was, and David was at a dinner party, then he wakes up in a strange place, and realises he’s back in 1992 in his old room in the youth hostel. And what’s more, his fellow inmates explain that this is Purgatory and he is now dead, and will spend ages there hopefully accumulating enough brownie points to make it to Heaven – or not. He is visited by God’s HR department in the form of the Angel Gobe (Go-Between), a Michael Palin lookalike who tells Dave that he was murdered, and from the sound of the way he lived his life, there could be a few good suspects. Coming to terms with the revelation that his mother and grandparents were satanists, albeit terribly amateur ones, Dave tries to remember what actually happened that fateful night while Gobe and his sidekick Angel Arial try to solve their heavenly murder mystery from their end. If they all pull together, Dave just might make it up to those pearly gates.
And so begins a hilarious black comedy crime caper as the slightly maverick pair of angels find a loophole in God’s great plan. I loved this story, full of great and wonderfully portrayed characters, from Gobe and Arial to Dave’s mother Ann and her friend Elle, and of course the entire Dunstable First Satanic Society. In particular the meeting between Gobe and Beleth had me chuckling out loud and I can highly recommend this for a quirky and thoroughly enjoyable read. 5*

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, although I did not find it particularly funny, nor was it a riveting crime novel, but it was light and entertaining. A recommended read.

This is a unique tale of a dead man trying to solve his own murder whilst in purgatory.

It’s got interesting characters, an amusing, interesting mystery storyline and a cracking ending. The only reason it’s not a 5* read for me, is, there’s a moment in the story when the main character picks up a card that reads “GET ON WITH IT” and there were times whilst reading, I felt exactly the same.

However, it’s credit to the writing style that I kept going.

An imaginative, enjoyable, easy read.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview and congratulations to the author.

Very fun whodunit with a twist: The murder victim has to investigate from the purgatory!

I enjoyed the comical, sad and magical moments as well as the exploration of brotherly relationsships a lot. The charming characters are just one of many highlights of this novel. If you are looking for something entertaining to read which still gives you something to think about, I recommend this book.