It took quite awhile for me to “get” this book and invest in the story and principal characters. But once it made an emotional connection, the story found me sympathetic to what was occurring. Will be curious how the author will do in his next book.
Thanks to #NetGalley and publisher for an advanced digital copy.

I loved this.
When Andrew interviews for a new job, a misunderstanding occurs, and his new boss now thinks Andrew is happily married with two kids.
When in reality, Andrew lives alone and his only “friendships” are in an online train forum.
When a new girl joins the workplace, he grows fond of her. But how does he tell the truth now? After years of piling up made up stories, spats, etc about his “wife and kids”?

There are other things going on, like his relationship with his sister, Peggy’s marriage, etc.

Also so heartbreaking that there are so many people who die, with no family or friends. (Andrew’s job is to go into their homes after they pass, to try to find info on any family etc), and he ends up being the only one to attend these funerals. How sad.

I won’t go into more. But I will say it was a great read!
Heartwarming, heartbreaking, funny, quirky....

It’s never too late to start living!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
Comes out the end of May!

Andrew works for the local council handling death. Not death as in the coroner’s way of handling, Andrew looks after those who have passed without family or friends to take care of them. Otherwise known as “public health passings.” Tasked with checking the deceased’s home for anything that might lead him to a relative or money to pay for the funeral, Andrew is very respectful of the dead. Well, why not? He might be one of them one day.

Poor Andrew. He lives alone in a sad little bedsit with his model train collection and Ella Fitzgerald records. Andrew has a small group of online friends through his model train forum, but even those don’t really count, as he’s never met them. He works with three people he barely knows, nor really wants to know. Until Peggy comes along. Peggy comes to work with Andrew and assist him with the processing of the dead. And possibly shake up Andrew’s world in a way he never could have imagined.

How Not to Die Alone is a wonderful novel about being alone, not necessarily lonely. Roper has gifted us with a story that resonates with what it is like to be a full adult, working full time and living, but not really living. Andrew truly believes that his life is perfectly fine the way it is, and Roper makes us believe that as well. Right up until something, or someone, shakes it up and tosses it to the wind. Andrew is sad but loveable. Peggy is the kind of woman everyone needs in her life - bold, outspoken, honest. Rich, full characters with plenty of flaws make this book believable and fun. I loved every minute of this story (and would love to know what happens next!)


This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com close to publication date.

This is a fast, chuckle-inducing read with poignant moments of sadness and reflection. Andrew’s job is to go to the homes of the deceased and find out if they have any family and any money to pay for a funeral. Sometimes the bodies have been rotting for months but no one realizes it until the money in the bank runs out and they can no longer pay bills through automatic deductions.

Andrew has lived alone for twenty years. His parents are dead and he is largely estranged from his sister. His entire social life is an online group of model train enthusiasts. But a misunderstanding during his job interview five years ago grew to become a huge lie that he has a wife and kids. He likes the fantasy, but his lies start getting harder to maintain after changes at his office, including befriending the new employee Peggy, who is going through a rough time with her marriage.

This book is a lot of fun. I recommend it. Also, points for originality. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES MAY 28, 2019.

If you enjoyed "Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine" or "A Man Called Ove", you're bound to enjoy "How Not To Die Alone." Yes, there's a lot about death here, but it's mostly about living and about appreciating your family, your friends or even your neighbors. It's also about moving beyond our comfort zones to make connections with others. For me, this was a feel good book, but it wasn't at all sappy. #HowNotToDieAlone #NetGalley

This was a very unique book. The character tries to find out about people who have died alone. There were many sad things about this book but I did really like it. I think that this will be a popular book at the library because I have never have read any thing like it.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC copy. ARC was given in exchange for an honest review.

This has got to be one of the most strangest, uniquely set book that I have read in a long time. I do not recall ever reading a book where the majority of the it is set around an agency like this one.. It is both ludicrously morbid and spectacularly brilliant in one. Why? Because Andrew, the main character, has a job working for a government agency that requires him to sift through a dead person's belongings to find any sort of next of kin. Since most of the dead are of the lonely sort, there is normally none and Andrew will then arrange the funeral. Although it is not part of his job description, Andrew often attends the funeral so the person is not entirely alone which is actually kinda sweet.

Andrew is also a lonely sort due to his past until he meets Peggy. Peggy makes his realize his loneliness and Andrew begins to see he needs to live his life instead of going through it with implicit numbness. I really enjoy being able to watch characters personally grow like Andrew does.

With all this said, I don't know what to make of this novel. Although, the story itself is unique and humorous at times, it is extremely sad. Depressingly sad. And to top it all off, there were one too many times where I became extremely bored reading and ended up skimming most. I am a reader that needs / wants more entertainment and this severely lacked it.

A solid THREE STAR read, with likable characters and an agenda to recognize how many people experience loneliness in our society, Richard Roper is ambitious in his work "How Not to Die Alone".

The main character, Andrew, is used to address the topic of loneliness in several different aspects of life. Andrew experiences loneliness and trauma as a child, loneliness and loss as a young adult, and continuing loneliness in the workplace and in his own home in his middle age. He is not really living, just making it through the day. And to top it off, his work includes perusing the belongings of those who have died alone in his city in order to determine if they have anyone at all who would care enough to attend (and perhaps pay for) their funeral.

Amazingly, Andrew seems OK with all of this, until Peggy enters the picture as a work associate who is tasked to help him out. She is funny, down-to-earth, and treats him as a real person. She reminds him of what real friendships and relationships are all about. Unsurprisingly, Andrew's world is turned upside-down by his realization of what an empty life he has, and how much he wants to change things and matter to someone else.

Andrew's boss, Cameron, is eager to connect with his employees any way he can, and ultimately recommends a monthly dinner with hosts rotating amongst Cameron, Andrew and the other co-workers. This results in Andrew having to confront the facade that he has put forth to his co-workers, which helps him build a community of friends and is in turns humorous and heart-warming.

While I found the characters, especially Peggy and Andrew to be appealingly real, warm and interesting, the book felt a bit flat to me. I liked it, and read it quickly, but it did not leave a huge impact on me nor were the characters highly memorable. I do admire the author's attempt to address loneliness, not only in the lives of his main characters, but in society in general. Peggy's idea to start a company to work with folks who live alone and don't have any interactions or visitors is certainly a timely topic.

Recommended for general fiction readers who like their characters to be involved in social causes. A solid, genuine novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and to Penguin Group Putnam for the Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #HowNotToDieAlone #Fiction

Andrew's been feeling stuck.

For years he's worked a thankless public health job, searching for the next of kin of those who die alone. Luckily, he goes home to a loving family every night. At least, that's what his coworkers believe.

Then he meets Peggy.

A misunderstanding has left Andrew trapped in his own white lie and his lonely apartment. When new employee Peggy breezes into the office like a breath of fresh air, she makes Andrew feel truly alive for the first time in decades.

Could there be more to life than this?

But telling Peggy the truth could mean losing everything. For twenty years, Andrew has worked to keep his heart safe, forgetting one important thing: how to live. Maybe it's time for him to start.

A witty, yet melancholy book..The book has a good amount of witty, dark humor, I did find it entertaining. Poor Andrew had a made-up family and knew he had to come clean. It had some touching moments and a bit of sadness.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy.

I have heard so much about this book so I was super excited to receive an ARC. It isn't the kind of book I normally read, but I wanted to get outside my comfort zone of contemporary romances and this was definitely out of my normal zone. This book was surprisingly uplifting given the darker themes it explored. I found myself really enjoying this book even when I didn't think I would (not a huge fan of Andrew and Peggy's relationship). This definitely wasn't a lighthearted read and it definitely left me with a book hangover. This book was exactly what I thought it would be based on the description which I definitely appreciated.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this free ARC!

Deserves every one of the 4 stars!

Andrew has one of the most interesting jobs. He is the guy that goes into the homes of people seeming to not have any relatives or friends after they die. His job is to look for any clue of a relative or friend or any hidden money or property to pay for their funerals. I never thought about it before, but what happens to these people that have no one? Apparently, they get a bare minimum casket and funeral that no one attends but Andrew. That's until Peggy comes onto the job, and now he has someone to share investigating through stench and hording with.

Andrew also has an accidental pretend family at home which makes dinner parties with the co-workers a lot more interesting.

All in all, a very entertaining read that makes you think about who will take care of you if you die suddenly. And maybe I should be REALLY nice to my kids so I don't end up like these poor people.

*ARC Provided by Netgalley for an honest review. Thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Richard Roper and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC.

I really liked this book. Andrew is a great character and you just want to reach into the book and give him a hug. Great debut novel from Richard Roper. I wish we had more closure on Andrew though; what happens, what does he do, etc.

This book made me grateful for my life and remembered to appreciate what I have. I even recognize the small things now that I usually take for granted nowadays. A lot of people can relate to this, especially us the introverts. Some of us are lucky than Andrew to have a family and companion of our own before we hit our forties and a comfortable job that we are proud of.

Andrew is a loner in his early forties and without REAL friends outside of home and work. He’s been living in a lie in the world he created and now it’s spiraling out of control and he wants a way OUT. At first, he doesn’t know how but he knows he MUST.

How Not to Die Alone is a poignant and moving story albeit the story dragged on the first few chapters.

I highly recommend this book for people who need to be reminded that there is HOPE.
Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for receiving an electronic copy of this book for an exchange of an honest review.

https://librocubicularist.home.blog/

Courtesy of Netgalley, I got to read this book and let me tell you! Well, wait.

Set in the U.K., Andrew works for a government council that deals with people who pass away that seem to have nobody in their lives. The council's job is to look around the person's home to see if they can find next of kin or some kind of funds to have a simple burial. Sounds like a dreary job, but Andrew takes it to the next level. If the deceased seems to have nobody in their life, Andrew takes the time to attend the small church service offered. He feels that it is the least he could do.

However, in the book, you know something bad has happened to Andrew, but we don't know what it is right away. Andrew spends his days at work and lonely nights living in a drab apartment. The only thing that keeps him going is his love for model trains and the online forum where he feels he can talk to his online "friends." Andrew also has a secret. I am not giving anything away here, it's in the description of the book, but Andrew's loneliness has driven him to create a fake family for the sake of his co-workers.

He weaves tales of his wife, Diane and two children. He feels this is going along fine until the boss wants each employee to hold a dinner party at their respective homes. Well, I knew the secret was going to come out but couldn't wait to find out how.

Also another wrench in the works is new hire at the job, Peggy. Peggy is married (really she is!) with children and has her own issues. Both Peggy and Andrew strike up a friendship that proves to be beneficial to both parties.

I couldn't wait to find out how Andrew's secret was going to come out, how it would affect his very rigid constructed life and also how it would affect his real friendship with Peggy. The author did a phenomenal job with the development of these characters, from Andrew to Peggy to their horrible co-workers (ha!), they all seemed real to me.

i found this book very touching and it made me smile and even laugh in some parts. In all honesty, the way Andrew's friends rally around him in the hour of his need had me teary eyed. What a well rounded, thoughtful, engrossing story. I think a lot of people will enjoy it. Thank you so much to Netgalley and to the publisher!

Coming May 28, 2019!

Andrew is a member of the Council. That means his department is in charge of dealing with deaths under the Public Health Act. They meet with funeral directors, organize services, write death notices, among other duties. The most important is trying to find family members or friends that have lost touch and may want to attend the funeral.
It's a hard job. Sometimes people have been dead for great lengths of time. Weeks even months.
This book has a tongue in cheek look about how not to die alone. Family lose touch because of hurt feelings, people move, people lose touch.
This was a fun look at a serious subject. It has humor, life lessons, friendship, love, lies and truth.
Excellent read!!

Absolutely charming. A first purchase for all adult fiction collections. Particularly good recommendation for fans of Eleanor Oliphant.

An uplifting and wonderful story of a man who has lived alone for some time with a secret that he has been keeping from his coworkers. Through an honest misunderstanding, he has led them to believe he is married with children when in reality he lives alone and is interested in building his model trains. Andrew works dealing with those who pass away and need to be given a "pauper's burial" by the government in the UK. He finds any next of kin, and then arranges affairs after their passing. This tale is at time beautiful, heartbreaking and kind. I was blown away with the attention to detail and character arcs, leading to a great resolution to the book. If you have enjoyed the works of Fredrik Backman and Helen Fielding and were hoping for a kind of Bridget Jones for men, look no further!

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I can't believe this is a debut! It's so well-written, the humor is so subtle, it almost sneaks up on you. Very dry, dead-pan humor from a sweet story about a man challenged to really LIVE. This is great for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, A Man Called Ove, and The Rosie Project.

Have you ever told a lie so big that you felt there was no way out of it? This is precisely what Andrew’s world has become. What started as an innocent lie turns his world upside down when asked to host a dinner party for his co-workers.

First of all let me just be honest and say I had no idea a thing called a ‘council’ existed. A Public Health branch where people search for next of kin for those who have died alone. It turns out there is such a thing and this book takes us into this sad world where a person could be given a funeral for no one to attend. But Andrew, our wonderful hero of this amazing story, does his best to make this sad world a better place -one lonely funeral at a time.

On the surface Andrew seems to have the perfect life. A lovely wife, two wonderful children, a beautiful home and a job where he knows he’s making a difference. In reality things are much more different and complicated for him. At 42, Andrew is aware that his life is not what it could be but has no desire to change.

As we get to know Andrew, we begin to see just how lonely he is. He hides his emotions behind Ella Fitzgerald and his miniature trains. There is something in his past that torments him every time he hears the song ‘Blue Moon,’ by Fitzgerald, which causes panic attacks. It’s heart-breaking to see this wonderful person go through life in such pain!

There he meets Peggy, who is starting a job at the council. Andrew likes to do his job alone so when he is chosen as Peggy’s trainer, he’s not very pleased. This is where his life begins to change. Soon they become friends but Andrew has too many secrets preventing him from living the life he so desperately wants.

This is a wonderful story of friendship and loss. A story about strength, acceptance and the resilience of the human spirit. It will make you laugh and cry. It will break your heart and put it back together. I love how simple yet complicated each character is and how each is developed in a way that works perfectly with Andrew’s story. I wish I had an Andrew in my life, that’s for sure. Beautifully written.

4.25

Touted as: "A darkly funny and life-affirming debut novel for readers of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine..." [the male version], I totally agree. Andrew is a social misfit caught in his own web of lies. He has invented a wife and two children.

Although some readers criticized this book for its defying logic, I just didn't care.

Many times I found myself chuckling over descriptions. I loved the humor in this novel especially as Andrew's job working for the council, searching for next of kin for those who die alone was sad. He entered their homes [often after a body had been there for weeks as the deceased had died alone] where a solitary existence and usually stench and a mess prevailed [though occasionally, an organized home].

His is a lonely existence. He has his work, his model trains [and its online forum--his only real social network], and devotion to Ella Fitzgerald. And his imaginary familty for which he is always fabricating a story for his workmates.

Some of my favorite descriptions:

"He wished he had some sort of squidlike defense that meant he could shoot ink into their eyes."

"Sitting on the train to work (wedged into the armrest by a man whose legs were spread so far apart Andrew could only assume he was performing some sort of interpretive dance about what a great guy he was)..."

"...brandishing a heart attack between two slices of bread."

re going to the bathroom--"...until Keith had started eating burritos for lunch, and now Andrew was in dire need of a miner's canary to send into each cubicle before going in."

"...stinging lemon aftershave the barber had splashed unbidden on his cheeks, which made him smell like a sophisticated dessert."

and for a dinner offering "...several courses, all of them seemingly varieties on the theme of hedge cuttings..."

I could go on and on.

My only real criticism was the storyline of Andrew and his sister, Sally. Though pivotal towards the end of the book, this just did not resonate and was a bit of a disconnect.

Still, I'd recommend though not for everyone.