The idea behind this book was an interesting one and the mystery held my interest throughout. Death is determined to uncover the truth, following leads and putting herself in danger as she does it. This book throws higher beings into the human world, with different entities given different roles while Death is ensconced in the human world on a unexpectedly stressful break from her day job. It was interesting to see her integrating into human life and building relationships, but we also get to see how her relationships are with other entities like herself. Despite their powers and roles, these characters don't often seem much different to humans so perhaps I would have liked that distinction better made. Overall this was an easy read and an interesting concept but I was expecting it to be funnier, but the humour was more playing on Death in the 'real world' and how silly it was than anything. I also didn't feel very connected to any of the characters, with the romance in particular falling flat to me as though I liked it in theory, I also didn't feel any chemistry or emotional connection between the two, but I do have high standards so you'll have to judge this on your own! I do think this is going to be a hit with readers, as it's more personal taste than any real issues in the book that knocked down my overall rating so don't let this put you off.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

This was a fun read, and I do like the idea of Death being a woman! Death has been doing her job forever, and she helps those at their final moments, whether human, animal, insect, or other. Time works differently for Death, and it just as well.

She decides she needs a sabbatical and so gets a job in London. The one thing about being Death is that she knows when people are to die. While she is in London she does have a temp standing in for her. She is shocked, though, when there is an unauthorised death, something that should not be possible.

She is trying to work out if this death and then another are connected and how. But when you are living a mortal life, with a basic wage and a small and cheap flat, well, money becomes an issue... welcome to real life, Death! She does have her sister Life to talk to, yes, her sister is called Life... but Life is not that fussed with her sister, so they have a slightly tentative relationship that goes back to something that happened a very, very, very long time ago. The Boss does have a say, and he puts Death in danger.

This is a humorous book at times and there was a lot I really enjoyed about it. It definitely made an impression, and there is, of course, the murder and the mystery to be solved behind said murder. Once I got into this I enjoyed it a lot and it is something that I think those that like fantasy murder mysteries would enjoy. It is a book I would be happy to recommend.

Death is fed up with people thinking that she is a man dressed in black with a scythe when she's really a nice being who tries to make people's transition to the afterlife as nice as possible. She finally gets the boss to agree to a sabbatical and has the Temp covering. However, once she arrives in human form on earth she is confronted with some unplanned deaths which if she doesn't solve them could cause serious problems for mankind.
Hampered by her annoying sister, Life, pursued by the VP who wants the death job himself, she is running out of options when the Boss binds her death essence. Knowing that in human form she can be killed, she has to think carefully about her options and how to solve the problems presented to her.
A fun journey which at times may make you cry (well I did). I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for approving me to read this, I’m rating it 4.75 - 5.0

I saw the blurb and thought a book where death is investigating death in a murder mystery format, but death has a personality? I couldn’t request this book sooner.

Firstly, this book had so much humour and banter I laughed a lot, but towards the end it had emotional moments that were so unexpected. If you had told me I would actually shed a tear at this book I would’ve been confused as hell, but I did. The story was so well told and engaging that I really will recommend this to anyone whether they ask or not.

Death needs a break. She’s been doing the thankless job of shepherding all of Earth’s creatures off this mortal coil for millennia but the old routine is growing stale. So she comes to Earth in the body of a human woman named Delara to work a regular human job and get to know her subjects a little better. Oh, and to get some rest from being the most feared entity of all.

But it turns out, she’s not the only powerful being walking the Earth—and the others certainly aren’t there to take a break. No, they’re looking to create chaos, and Death’s absence is their chance. So when three humans die under mysterious circumstances—on dates that weren’t Planned—that raises Delara’s suspicions.

She enlists the help of a human parasitologist named Marco and, with an occasional assist from her sister Life, they set out to investigate why these people died before their planned time, and who is behind the murders. What they uncover goes deeper than they ever could have imagined and requires Delara to do things Death was never created to do.

This book was not what I was expecting; usually, when anthropomorphic gods and entities are involved on Earth, things get truly Biblical, fast. And while things definitely go in that direction, Delara’s path is much more grounded in her sense of humanity. Her burgeoning relationship with Marco is beautiful and shows how multi-faceted Death is beyond her job. Her love for her sister Life and all of her creations is also lovely to witness and may well surprise you in its quirkiness.

That’s not to say you ever forget you’re dealing with ethereal beings but the humans they use as their bodies or aides add a rather comical twist, thanks to their physical limitations, so they must figure out ways to adapt without their powers (or sometimes, with). You’ll find yourself giggling despite the world-ending stakes as the writing walks the line between emotionally charged and devilishly clever. And the inciting incident of the Unplanned deaths turns this into a murder-mystery romp through existence, with the list of potential suspects growing longer and more powerful.

The way Death and Other Occupational Hazards tears down all the pre-conceived stereotypes you might hold about Biblical beings and rebuilds them in a somewhat satirical way is hilarious; even without being told who they are, you’ll instantly recognize them from the fun the narrative has at their expense. It’s all at once whimsical and snarky but never truly offensive (although if you’re not into entertaining and probably slightly blasphemous takes on God and his creations, this might not be for you).

Death and Other Occupational Hazards has an acerbic yet utterly charming voice that you can’t help but fall for. You’ll be entertained the whole way through as this offbeat take on Death gives way to refreshingly deep themes of sisterhood, love, and the beauty that can be found in every walk of life.

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.

The premise and idea behind this book is fun and Whimsical, with the opening few pages capturing my attention and making me want to carrying on reading.
However as the book goes along I found the whole thing quite protracted and sometimes difficult to follow, especially if not read in one sitting.
That being said, I did enjoy the book and thought that the author took the time to carefully write the characters.

I wanted to enjoy this book as the blurb read good, but I just couldn't get into it so gave up. Netgalley insists on a rating for each book to keep my feedback up.

"No matter how much anyone complained while the deceased was alive, most people are treated like saints when they’re dead. It would make far more sense to be that forgiving and nice to them while they’re alive."

Death needs a break so she decides to take a sabbatical in London. There's just one problem someone's killing people who aren't on the list to die. Death decides to investigate there's no one better to do it than her.

It was great to see Death in a different light I thought it was a great concept and had a good cast of characters. A real page turning murder mystery.

"It’s wonderful to be human, sometimes."

An interesting, quirky and funny read. The concept of Death encapsulated in human form and experiencing life as we know it is very novel-you do have to expand your imagination to embrace the premise of the book fully. It is so much more than a murder mystery but that element of it keeps you guessing until the end and has a good twist. Characters are well portrayed and endearing. I thoroughly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review and to the author for her excellent work.

This was certainly a different read and I enjoyed its genre bending, irreverent style describing Death's earthly sabbatical. It was surprisingly moving in parts and a pleasant change to read something which put a lot of emphasis on friendship, love and the joys and small pleasures of life.
The only bit that didn't really work for me and I got a bit fed up with was the Ndrangheta thread, but overall it was a great read which I'll be recommending to others
Thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

This is such a heartwarming read.

Death, desperate for a holiday, takes a sabbatical, in the body of a human. Unfortunately, rather than it being a break, she discovers what it is to be human - emotions, love, earning money, the importance of family, and paying bills.

In with all of this…something is going on that shouldn’t be, and it needs to be resolved. Can Death resolve it?

This is an easy read, and just lovey, heartwarming and a little bit exciting!!

My thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Genre-bending and unexpectedly moving, Death and Other Occupational Hazards is part comedy, part mystery, and part metaphysical exploration. Steve Jones takes the concept of Death - a figure feared and mythologized - and turns her into a deeply relatable protagonist in search of a break. But Death’s sabbatical is cut short when murders start occurring outside of her jurisdiction, pulling her into a search for meaning alongside her sister (and polar opposite), Life.

Along the way, Death navigates friendships with her human colleagues and Marco, a parasitologist who may hold the key to solving the mystery. The novel balances dry wit with poignant moments, and while I expected humor, I didn’t expect to cry by the end. As a former theology student, this story resonated with my own philosophical musings in ways I didn’t anticipate.

A clever, thought-provoking, and unexpectedly emotional read. Four stars.

i love plot bending books like this. it feels like the best kind of English lesson when you have to find or look into a different perspective or investigate a different way of doing things.
this book takes that option by the horns and runs with it. she takes death. no not the black draped bony figure you imagine or are told shes just trying to do her job. but like many people just doing a really hard job and trying to do it well, death needs a break or something like that. so her boss agrees to give death sabbatical and to do so comes down to earth and inhabits a human. trouble is she has to be with her sister....Life. but they feel out yeeeeeears ago. but down on earth she finds there is an unexplained death. this doesnt happen. this isnt how death does things. she knows every single death. so who or what is behind this. could it be a one off? nope, not when more keep coming. so taking it into her own hands she decides whilst on earth she will find out just whats going on. someone's giving her a bad name after all. because only she is death.
i cant really describe this book apart from that its a really great read. i enjoy things like this that make me think. or that puts a new slant on what we are so used to knowing about something. and this author did it well. it doesnt pretend to be all knowing and like it actually wants to change your thinking or tell you something isnt or is true. its just an original take on a character so familiar to us all.

Tired of always being the bad guy, Death has talked her way into a sabbatical on Earth, where she intends to learn about the law to argue her case with the humans (There's no point being frightened of Death, she's honestly just being kind). But on day 1 of her sabbatical, she discovers a death that wasn't on the list. Her temporary replacement doesn't seem to know about it; her sister, Life, is freaking out about it. Really, what else is there to do but investigate herself?

Dapunt has tried to walk the fine line between comedy, murder mystery, and philosophical musing in this book. There were elements of all three that it sometimes did well, but I didn't feel the three elements really gelled here. I struggled to connect to the book as a whole for longer than I liked, only really starting to enjoy myself in that final third (at which point, the book really does settle in for some good build up and drama).

Overall, I can see where this book intended to land, but it didn't quite work for me.

Loved the characters in this book and loved seeing death from a human point of view, great perspective! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this before its release.

Absolutely brilliant! I loved everything about this book, from the great characters to the clever storyline.
Who'd have thought that I'd find myself on the side of death, and hoped that she would have a happy ending!
This book is one not to be missed.

I absolutely loved this book. Death’s sabbatical as a human is a genius story. I loved all the characters and would highly recommend this book.

I struggled a little more with this one than I expected although it is a really good book. Gaiman-esque and a really interesting story but perhaps it just wasn't for me? Easy to read and a satisfying puzzle to be solved.

"Death and Other Occupational Hazards" by Veronica Dapunt is a wildly imaginative and engaging read. When Death takes a sabbatical and inhabits a human body, chaos ensues, and unplanned deaths threaten to unleash an apocalypse.

As Death navigates the human world, she forms unexpected alliances with animals and humans, gaining a deeper understanding of her sister Life's creations. With its breakneck pace and clever plot twists, this book keeps you guessing until the very end.

A true genre-bender, "Death and Other Occupational Hazards" seamlessly blends elements of thriller, romance, comedy, and mystery, making it a must-read for fans of quirky, offbeat fiction.