How Not to Die Alone

by Richard Roper

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I bought this book to read as part of an online book club, so I really had no expectations for it. It turns out that it was a great read and one that I eventually found too hard to put down.

The story is centred around Andrew, an English man in his 40s, who works for the local council in the department that deals with the affairs of people who die alone. He also lives alone, but has lived a lie with those he has worked with for the past 5 years, who think he is happily married with 2 children. The lie of his other life grew from a misunderstanding at his interview for the job and has grown ever since, with Andrew unable to put things straight as it has gone on for so long. A new female employee comes into the office and bring a fresh breath of air into Andrew's life, but how can he be honest with her without compromising himself in the eyes of the other employees.

I loved the characters in this book, as well as the British humour. For sure at times it was heartbreaking, but there were also moments of hope and times when it was uplifting. As the story unfolded many questions were answered, such as why Andrew was alone and why he had chosen to weave the lie of the other life.

This is the author's first novel and I look forward to more from him in the future.