Review: Death & Other Inconveniences

Death & Other Inconveniences by Lesley Crewe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5

This was a fast, enjoyable, farcical look at a particular family in New Brunswick, Canada. Well, as the synopsis says, "Dick dead." He choked on a ham sandwich. And the cleaning up of his various messes falls on his wife. However, this is not a good thing, considering she is fairly incompetent and hasn't quite grown into her adult responsibilities. I mean, remote controls confuse her. Although I do have to admit I can't get the hang of them anymore myself!

But Margo is going to learn—oh yes, she is. Over the next year, she will learn how to do things like stick up for herself, live alone, and even calmly help bring a new life into the world.

It is a sweet read perfect for the beach or poolside, filled with character growth and plenty of chuckles.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Nimbus Publishing/Vagrant Press, the author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS: "National bestselling author Lesley Crewe's new novel explores widowhood, complicated family dynamics, and growing up at any age. Well, Dick's dead. Now what? Margo, his widow, is trying to dodge the tsunami of paperwork coming her way. She doesn't want to deal with the details ― why do you think she was married in the first place? Dick always handled the drudgery. Monty, Margo's ex-husband (the first one, not the dead one), is trying to support Margo ― who seems to be finally entering adulthood at the tender age of sixty-two. Their daughter Julia knows Margo needs her, but between work complications, house complications, and genius-yet-useless son complications, Julia's gasping for air already. Dead Dick's ex-wife Carole and their daughter Velma consider a Margo a maneater thanks to a few long-ago indiscretions, so the funeral is a nightmare. Life in New Brunswick lately is a tornado of siblings, children, pets, marriages, health issues, and endless bureaucracies. And at the centre of it all is Margo, living alone for the very first time, trying to endure everyone else's judgements about the woman she is when she doesn't even know herself. Maybe a cat will help. (The cat doesn't help.) How old do you have to be to come of age? ....and has anyone seen Dick's will? With humour and heart, national bestseller Lesley Crewe walks readers through the incredibly disruptive domino effects of the death of one unremarkable man."