Absolutely charming! Okay, I have to admit, the first two chapters where a bit slow for me and I almost gave up (yes, I know, I give up easily) but by chapter three I found myself chuckling out loud with a strange feeling I had met Andrew before.
And then I realized where...If you’ve ever seen Channel 4’s “Peep Show”, you’ll know what I mean. Andrew is “Peep Show’s’ Mark. A nice, albeit awkward guy who somehow manages to get himself deeper and deeper into situations that are easily avoidable. Someone who is satisfied, not happy, satisfied with the status quo. And then enter the girl. Overall, highly recommend!

Have you ever read a book that was simultaneously easy and difficult to read? This meandering, yet moving, story swept me along while sometimes reading through fingers (a la horror movie) and often zipping page after page to reach the crux of the chapter. The writing had moments of brilliance and the characters were nicely fleshed out. And while the storyline was difficult at times, relatable even (ugh no!), and most assuredly true to human nature if caught in an identical situation. But who would really be caught in an identical situation? In the beginning? Any of us.

While this book had promise, it missed the mark a bit for me. It was heartbreaking that Andrew felt so lonely that he needed to lie about having a family, but I just never really felt connected to any of the characters. I can see how people that loved Eleanor Oliphant would enjoy it. I didn’t really love that book so I should have taken that comparison as my hint to skip this one.

I received an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC for my honest review.

This was a cute quirky book. It was a relatively quick read and the story came together nicely in the end. I would recommend it.

I rather enjoyed this zany take on life. The characters were well written and had complex lives outside of work. The job was quite the surprise.

I really enjoyed this book. The content was unlike any other book I have read. It really made me think! While at first I was taken aback by Andrew and his giant lie, I found myself cheering him on by the end. This is a great “feel good” book for one that has so much sadness in it. My first book by Richard Roper and I really enjoyed. Thanks for the chance to read!

Andrew started with one small lie. That snowballed. To find out why he lied is sad, but then as you read the story and the hurt and grief he has not handled for years is heartbreaking. Andrew is laugh and loud funny and the type of person you want to have a drink with and tell them, “it’ll be ok!” When he faces his coworkers, and best friend Peggy, a weight is lifted and Andrew is able to find new life and maybe even love.

HJ Recommends!

In How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper, Andrew's job with the city council in London might seem dismal to some. But it means the world to him to be able to give those citizens who pass away with no next of kin a proper send off. It is admittedly not a job for the faint of heart. Particularly the home inspections, which can range from being outright sad in their starkness to a horror show with the level of decay and trash he encounters. So when Andrew is set to train new hire Peggy, he tries to warn her of what they might encounter. Little did he know that she would be the one who would give him a fresh outlook on life, teaching him a few things about how to deal with his job–and with their frustrating coworkers who insist on butting into everyone's lives.

Andrew is also faced with a big decision when it comes to his friendship with Peggy. A tiny fib he told when first hired for the job about five years ago has now snowballed into having created a fake family complete with enough details to make it seem real to his coworkers. But if Andrew is to have a real go at a relationship with Peggy, he'll have to decide if living with his lie will push her away or if admitting the truth will be their downfall. Andrew has lost a lot in his forty-something years. And he's not sure how to press forward without going through that hurt once again.

How Not to Die Alone might have a macabre-sounding title, but debut author Richard Roper somehow wove bleak subject matter together with a charming (if not bumbling) hero whose messy life, slowly spinning out of control, finally saw a spark of hope for the future.

I do have to warn readers right away that where the hero's job was to inspect people's homes, sometimes months after they had died, the vivid descriptions of the messes inside might be too much for some. (Think Hoarders to the Nth degree…) And poor Andrew's job itself, from going through those homes for clues about the deceased to his horrible coworkers, it had me instantly wondering how the poor man dealt with everything. But there was sadly a lot that Andrew endured over the years, which we found out about little by little. As I was reading this, I just knew there was some traumatic event he'd been through–and it wasn't until the last quarter of the book that we found out the details. It was a bit of a surprise in some ways, but it certainly made Andrew's decision to live with his white lie for so long understandable and utterly bittersweet. And it made his lifestyle, from his love of model trains and Ella Fitzgerald to staying in a crappy apartment for two decades, make perfect sense.

The few secondary characters we met along the way each played an important role in Andrew's debacle. I thoroughly enjoyed his coworker Peggy and found her to be a refreshing addition to his life who turned things upside down for our hero. The friendship between them was sweet and absolutely lovely. They were so much alike in some ways: kindhearted, loyal to a fault, stoic in some regard. On the flip side was Andrew's other coworkers Cameron, Meredith and Keith, as well as his sister's boyfriend, Carl. They all took turns being at the top of my bad list with how they treated him–and each other, really. It may have taken a long time, but I loved how things progressed for Andrew by the end of this book and thought it left off in a wonderful place, full of promise.

Introspective, poignant and superbly written, How Not to Die Alone was the type of novel to make you think, reflect on your life and even on how you interact with others. It might sound like a morbid premise, but I thought Richard Roper showed us the beauty that can sometimes come out of grim events–as well as how healing after any type of loss can open up a whole new world to us.

Several reviews compare this book to "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine", but How Not to Die Alone is the first one that might actually fit that blurb. Andrew has an unusual job: He works for a council in London, inspecting the homes of people who have died alone to determine if there is any family to notify or enough money to pay for a funeral. Roper tells in great detail the horrific, stomach turning findings that his job often turns up. There are people who have been dead for weeks or months. Don't let these gruesome details stop you from reading this outstanding novel,

Like Eleanor Oliphant, Andrew is a loner living in a small flat with his Ella Fitzgerald record collection and his model train sets. Except for his distant sister, Andrew has no family or friends. His trauma is alluded to every time he hears the song Blue Moon, which always results in a panic attack.

Years before, when applying for this job, Andrew found himself inventing a wife and children and describing, when asked, his life with them. Enter Peggy, a new employee he mentors. A mother of two in a bad marriage, who ends up becoming Andrew's friend. This changes everything in his life.

Written with wry humor and interesting characters, How Not to Die Alone is worth your time. Its insight into how unforeseen events can impact and change us can make you think introspectively about your own life.

The only discordant note is the scene near the end which reads like a slapstick comedy Alan Ayckbourne might have written like in Noises Off. Still, it's a minor glitch in an absorbing and worthwhile book.

Thanks to GP Putnam's Dons and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy.

I wanted to like this book. Richard Roper is an interesting writer whose books I've enjoyed. For some reason this book was not for me. The main character Andrew works for the Death Administration. He is socially awkward so this solitary job fits him perfectly. He visits the homes of people who' have died to see if there is information on family or friends who can help to pay for the funeral costs. Being American I'm not sure if there's actually a Death Administration in England. I stayed with the book to the halfway mark. It's possible there could have been something after that point that might have helped spark some understanding on my part.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy from G.P. Putman's Son through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I was unsure about this book at first - what was it really about? Why should I care about Andrew? What was really going on? But I stuck with it and I’m so go glad I did. I did NOT see the twist coming with Diane’s death and it was a complete shock and gut punch. I figured something had happened in Andrew’s past but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until it was revealed of course. At points of course I was so frustrated with Andrew but also so uncomfortable on his behalf - but by the end I was rooting hard for him. What will really stick with me though are the snippets of the people that Andrew and Peggy found. The ones who died alone. Those scenes were heartbreaking and quirky and dark and really just sad when you think about the overall picture. I was happy at the end to see that Andrew wanted to help Peggy further her idea for the charity to ensure people don’t have to die alone anymore and it is something that I will think about for a long time now in real life.

I loved the writing style of this book - hearing Andrew’s inner monologue with his dry humor was a great contrast when dealing with a heavy subject. I thought the length of the book was perfect and I’ll definitely recommend this to others!

As much as I wanted to LOVE this title, I saldy just LIKED it. The whole premise was fun, and dark, Andrew was a character with (IMO) some wit, but also represented the 'loner' that has to pretend in order to keep people at bay and not ask him about his personal life. His job is sad. SAD, and the fact that he voluntarily walks into every funeral and attends is even more sad. Peggy's character was the light of the story. their newfound friendship was somewhat of a breath of fresh air for Andrew, to the point he's actually questioning his actions thanks to her. She's a mom, with two kids and that, I think, has some sort of meaning to Andrew who sees her as somebody special. they both have a lot of realizations throughout the story and that I think is the peak that every author should hope to achieve. Richard Roper did a magnificent job I think, and to be a debut novel, you can easily be fooled he is a veteran cause some of the topics here are a close call for many like me, who is single, childless and has never been married, and are so well crafted thru Andrew and Peggy that you have to stop in some scenes to catch your breath and hold your tears.

Thank you to the publisher for the privilege of granting me this book. Even though I did not fell head over heals for it, I think what caught me off guard was the meaning behind the story and the fact that I myself are a loner in desperate need of that light, to bring me back to life.

Powerful read, with a pinch of sweet.

I picked this up because the comparison to Eleanor Oliphant. And let me tell you...this did not disappoint! I LOVED this book. Just like Eleanor, this book made me laugh and cry. I just loved everything about this story: the characters, the budding friendships, the dialogue, the take on family and relationships and death. It just makes me happy. I can't wait to buy a final copy!

Thus book made me think. It wasn’t the type of book that I usually read. It was so sad and depressing reading about his life. I really thought he was crazy during the whole book. Finally at the end everything cane together.

Darkly comedic, but ultimately heart-warming. I was concerned about this book falling into the Manic Pixie Dream Girl troupe, but the characters were fully fleshed out and relatable. I definitely recommend this book.

Andrew Smith’s day-to-day life sits on the side of life that most would have zero desire to experience. Every day he goes to houses of people who have recently died but have no next of kin, no one to claim their body, no one who will attend their funeral and no one to remember them. It’s Andrew’s job to go through their effects, hoping to find money hidden away so that the cost of their funeral will be covered. Sometimes, he is able to locate a long-lost relative or an old friend but most of the time, there is no one to remember that person.

It’s gruesome, it’s sad and it’s unnerving. Some of Andrew’s cases involve people who have been deceased for long periods of time and no one has noticed. Not only does Andrew go through their home looking for long lost family members but when there are no signs of family, he will go to that person’s funeral to sit beside them as their casket is lowered into the ground. He does this because Andrew understands what it is like to be utterly alone and to worry every day that he, too, will be found months after he’s died with no one to attend his funeral. Although, to Andrew’s coworkers, they have no idea just how alone he is.

His coworkers believe Andrew has an adoring wife and two beautiful children. They think that because that’s what Andrew told them.

It isn’t until the newest hire, Peggy, begins working alongside Andrew that he begins to think that coming clean about his “family” is the best thing to do. What ensues, is a quirky, dark and entertaining book that made me feel all the feels. This is definitely a great pick for anyone who enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and the Kiss Quotient.

I loved Richard Roper’s How Not to Die Alone. It was everything that I hoped it would and then some.
Have you ever read a book that hit the nail on the head with something that you’ve always feared? That’s what this book did for me. I knew when I read the synopsis that I would most likely have moments of “I can completely relate to that” and boy, did I ever. As a fellow introvert, I can greatly relate to Andrew; sometimes it’s difficult to get out there and meet new people, especially if you enjoy the sanctuary of your own home. And, because I enjoy being at home, there have been countless times that I have feared what my future holds and whether or not I will die alone and no one will be there to claim all of the things I have collected throughout my life. How Not to Die Alone touched my heart in so many ways.

Andrew’s character can serve as a lesson to others on overcoming setbacks in life. He has experienced an insurmountable amount of loss but yet he continues to do what he does and face his fears head-on. He continues to be there for people before they are buried and does what he can to find their lost family members.

I can’t sing the praises of this book enough. Thank you to Netgalley, GP Putnam’s Sons Publishing and to Richard Roper for the ARC of this book. I anticipate other wonderful stories from Richard Roper in the future.

The book was well written, and the premise of the storyline was good, but there were times the story felt like it was dragging along and taking too much time to get to the point. I got about halfway through and then skimmed multiple pages to reach the end. It was interesting to learn about Andrew and his “family” because at first, I thought they had left him, but you find out what happened at the end. It is evident that once Peggy appeared, she would become a love interest for Andrew.

What kept me reading was the house scenes when Andrew and Peggy would sift through the debris to find clues about the dead people and also the funeral scenes of how sad it would be to die alone with no family to attend the services.

Overall, it was just an okay read.

Andrew Smith is a city worker whose job is to visit the homes of recently deceased people who have no apparent family. He examines their possessions, looking for contacts or assets to pay for their funeral. Oftentimes, there are neither, and the town must foot the bill for the internment. Andrew feels compelled to attend these funerals- to give the deceased the dignity of a mourner. Andrew shares many of these lonely people's characteristics-he is looking for a human contact of his own
This book is quirky, funny, and touching ll at the same time.

I really tried to enjoy this book. It may be that my expectations where high when it was compared to Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. However, it fell short for me.

How Not to Die Alone should be on your "To Read" list! Thank you #netgalley for the ARC. I enjoyed the story of Andrew, a 42 year old single, lonely man whose job is rather grim: he visits the homes of recently deceased people who died alone, looking for hidden funds to pay their funerals and/or evidence of family to contact. Andrew's story and past slowly unfold throughout the story, and I became invested in his life and possible (?) future happiness. I love character driven novels and British authors and settings so this one worked for me. Bits of humor and some unexpected situations kept it moving.