Title: Jacob T. Marley
Author: R. William Bennett
Pages: 202
Source: NetGalley/Library
Genre: Fantasy/horror/ghost story
Intended Audience: Adults
Star Rating: 4 stars
Trigger Warnings: Death 
Setting: 1840s London
Recommended for: Fans of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, fans of ghost/afterlife stories
Why I picked it up: Charles Dickens is one of my favorite authors, and I always love a good retelling, especially from another character's point of view.
What it's all about: This is the story of Jacob T. Marley, Scrooge's partner and the first ghost to visit him on that fateful night. The story opens with a young Jacob Marley, who is smart and industrious and kind. We learn how he went from this child, seemingly destined to be a pillar of the community to a stingy old man who gives out hopeless loans with harsh contracts and a slumlord who evicts people the moment they are late with rent, often getting something of value from them in return. We also learn that Jacob is the one who hired Scrooge and who eventually turned him into the bitter, miserly old man of A Christmas Carol. After he dies, Marley is faced with the myriad sins he committed during his lifetime. He sees the people he has hurt, sees what happened after he took everything from them. It is not a pretty picture. He also learns that his old partner is destined to die and suffer the same fate, having failed a lifetime of tests from the universe, proving himself to be unkind in all his dealings. Marley sees how his own actions have turned Scrooge into the man he is today, and he takes on more suffering in order to save Scrooge's soul from eternal damnation. It is Marley's plea that leads the three spirits to show Scrooge his past, present, and future in one last bid to save his soul before his imminent death.  
My thoughts: I absolutely loved this book! There is a wonderful redemption arc for both of these classic characters. There is no need to read the original work, as we all know the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his otherworldly visitors (whether in the form of Alastair Sim, Bill Murray, the Muppets, etc.). Marley tells us the story before that night, how these two characters became the men in A Christmas Carol: two elderly bachelors, greedily hoarding money that they never spend. I loved getting the background story of these two, and seeing what actually went into getting the three ghosts to visit Scrooge, how Marley was able to take responsibility, and how may of the things that Scrooge does or doesn't do in a day are actually tests, to see if there is even a speck of good in his heart. We also get to see what happens after he does die (though not as imminently as originally planned).
Favorite Character: Marley. I loved that when faced with the horrible way he acted in life, when shown the consequences of those actions, he truly wanted to make amends.
Favorite Moment: The very end. I won't spoil it for you here. 
Memorable Quotes: "One school of thought would suggest that the more of these possessed by one person, the more gnashing there will be at his day of reckoning. However, this makes no account for extreme proficiency in one area." [referring to the number of the types of sins committed]