Twelve Steps to a Long and Fulfilling Death is an intriguing, quirky debut from Australian screenwriter Sarah Smith.

“If Stacey had known she was going to die on Friday night she might have done things differently.”

Stacey is livid when she arrives home to find Emily Jackson in her kitchen, and her fiancé Liam giving her the cold shoulder. Liam knows how much Stacey dislikes his ‘business consultant’, but he looks straight through her when she demands answers. It takes a while before Stacey realises that Liam can’t hear her, because Stacey is dead. She doesn’t remember why her car careened off Mulholland Drive, but Stacey realises she needs answers if she wants to move on.

Something about the accident scene raises suspicion for Detectives Ed Beaufontaine and Rose Garafino, who begin to investigate the possibility of foul play. Smith puts multiple suspects in the frame, among them Stacey’s fiancé, her best friends, a violent ex, and even her therapist. It makes for a twisty mystery as possible motives are uncovered and hard truths revealed, the plot definitely kept me guessing.

Stacey is stunned not only by what she learns about her family and friends, but herself, as she lingers in the ether. To be honest, few of the characters in Twelve Steps to a Long and Fulfilling Death are likeable. Alive, Stacey was self-involved and petty, and those around her generally not that much better. I thought Stacey’s slow process of self realisation was well done as Smith touched on themes such as grief, guilt, betrayal, and redemption.

The story is well paced, with chapters shifting between the past and present. Smith ably balances poignant moments with dark humour.

A slick and entertaining read about life after death, I enjoyed Twelve Steps to a Long and Fulfilling Death a lot. ( )

For some reason the plot synopsis made it seem like this would be humourus - it was not funny at all.
The only likeable characters were the cops. The mystery element was the driving factor in me finishing this book. ( )