This is not like any book I’ve ever read. It’s set in Hell and, the descriptions are vivid and graphic. Basically, everyone has a job, some of them work on the lower floors and torture people. If you reach a certain level your job is to get people on earth to sign away their souls in exchange for something they desperately want. Getting five generations of a family to sign their souls away gives you the opportunity to live life on earth again.

The main characters, Peyote and Calamity, work together. I don’t want to give anything away but they have an interesting relationship!
The premise of this book is so creative and the characters are fascinating. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A quick, enjoyable read! Fast paced, family saga mixed with Hell and redemption. Told from multiple POVs, Lux offers well done dark humor and a plot sparking my obsession.
Pey has spent an eternity in Hell - starting a lower level, working his way up to the Fifth Floor. Steadily working on collecting the final soul from the Harrisons, Pey has to contend with Cal - a new hire from the lower floors.
The Harrisons are off to their summer house - Sean, introvert oldest; Mickey, friendless teenager; Silas, family loving husband; Lily, cheating wife. This family carries a deep secret - what really happened to Sarah all those years ago?
The reflections into Lily are just devastatingly spot on - women are raised to carve sections of themselves out to become more manageable, more desirable, more successful. Lux ties it all up at the end - I mean I just loved it!

Peyote Trip works in the deals department in Hell, where the torture is more subtle - the coffee machine never works, the pens are always out of ink, the towels are always damp, and the songs you loathe are always on repeat. Peyote is determined to meet his goal of getting one more member of the wealthy Harrison family to sell their soul.

This was an entertaining, witty, and clever debut novel! I preferred the Hell storyline to the chapters set on Earth because it was unique and humorous, but the Harrisons were an interesting bunch to say the least. Although there were a lot of characters to keep track of, they each had their own personality and they were all necessary to the story. I wasn’t expecting so many secrets and twists! It’s difficult to say much more without giving spoilers, but I really enjoyed this original and fun book full of mystery, dark humor, and family drama!

With comedic wit that is guaranteed to knock your socks off and its astoundingly intricate and dark plot, it absolutely blows my mind that Sign Here is a debut novel and only the beginning of what is sure to be a successful literary career for author Claudia Lux.

I picked up Sign Here because the concept of a comedic tale that details living and working in Hell (yes, literal Hell) was too good to pass up. I learned the coffee makers in H-e- double hockey sticks are always broken, the bars only serve Jager, and you can listen to music in purgatory, but only the type of music one loathes the most. However, Grady Hendrix-ish humor aside (with which Sign Here is abundant of) I was pleasantly surprised to find that the story line becomes dark, complex, and gripping.

The book follows Peyote Trip (Pey) and his feisty coworker Cal whom are employed as the "deal makers" in Hell. Kind of like the equivalent of telemarketers here on Earth. Pey and Cal are in charge of making deals with the living on Earth in exchange for their poor souls. It also follows multiple members of the Harrison family who are well on their way to damnation. I found that even though there are multiple POVs, the storyline is still easy to follow and everything ties together beautifully in the end.

If you are a lover of Horror, Humor, and Thrillers that will keep you guessing then this would be a great book for you. I personally look forward to more from this author. My profuse thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the opportunity to provide an honest review of an ARC of Sign Here.

Working in Hell is, well, hell. The temperature is never quite right, puddles of indeterminate depth randomly appear, coworkers are horrible and bosses worse, Jägermeister is the only drink besides water available, and don’t even ask about the food. Peyton Trip has suffered through these discomforts (and worse) for eons, but he has a plan—he just needs to get one member of the Harrison family to sign away their soul. Cal, a new recruit to the Deals department, has her own secret schemes that could undermine Pey’s carefully laid groundwork.

Unaware that they are marks, the Harrisons—Silas, Lily, Sean, and Mickey, along with Mickey’s new (and first) best friend, Ruth—travel to their summer house in New Hampshire where generations of the family have vacationed. Pey, though, might not be the biggest threat to the family; instead it could be the secrets in their midst.

SIGN HERE has such an original premise with details that make hell such a vivid setting (though very disturbing when considering Downstairs where the worst punishment is carried out). The comedy is dark Vonnegut-style rather than LOL humor.

At fourteen, Mickey undergoes the ups and downs of adolescence, idolizing the confident and more experienced Ruth who also makes indelible impressions on the rest of the family as cracks in their relationships allow the past to infect the present.

Pey is a fiendish and manipulative narrator, though sympathetic enough I hoped he escaped hell while Cal thinks she is the smartest person in the room and may be right.

I really enjoyed the book and its messages about love, trust, and redemption. It was a very satisfying read though not light-hearted as I expected. Recommended for readers who enjoy family drama, mysteries, and a touch of something new, and different.

This book wasn't really for me! There's something alluring about the family secrets and the whole hell aspect, but I simply could not feel any sympathy for literally any of the characters in this book. Definitely a me problem—I know people who would love this book.

👹I finished this book nearly a week ago and I’m still thinking about it. Claudia Lux’ debut is fresh, different and compulsively readable.

👺Everything that annoyed you on earth is to the max in hell. The bars only server Jäegermeister (blast from the past) and as time passes, you lose control over remembering who you are on earth. There’s only one way to get a do-over — get a complete set — that is get a whole family to sign their soul away to stop something from going wrong.

👿Pey is on his way to getting a full set. The Harrison family’s dysfunction (a millennia in the making) is making Pey’s chances look really good. Then he meets Cam on the inside (hell) and things start to go awry.

👿This book is strange and I loved it. It is genre defying and I can’t stop thinking about it. The synopsis does not do it justice. I actually passed it over on BOTM thinking it would not be for me.

😈Thank you @berkley for the free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know where to begin describing this book. It mixes fantasy, horror, mystery, thriller, and dark humor. There are multiple POVs between Hell and Earth characters. It was sure entertaining but made me question the characters throughout the book. We follow Peyote, who is a mid-level employee of Hell. He’s trying to get the final Harrison soul to sign on the line for a deal. At the same time, the Harrison family has a dark history revolving around their New Hampshire vacation home.

I cannot believe this was a debut novel, and it’s so creative! Unlike anything, I’ve read. This is a perfect read for the spooky season.

This book is so good and not at all what I expected. I fell in love with it. Hilarious and thoughtful is my jam.

The darkest, twisted fun I've had with a book for ages. Engaging characters, impeccable plotting, and plenty of twists will keep you reading all night.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Caro

Peyote Trip works in the Deals Department in Hell. His acting boss is KQ and his nemesis is Trey, and
although they are always budding heads, Pey’s life in Hell is going just as planned until the new addition
to his team decides to take over. Calamity Ganon seems to be the quiet type, new transfer, eager to
learn and make friends, but she has plans of her own.

In an effort to gain more human souls for Hell, KQ teams Pey, Trevor and Cal. Pey takes compassion of
newbie Cal, but quickly learns her true nature. Feeling betrayed, Pey begins investigating Cal’s
background and how she managed to get from Downstairs all the way to the Fifth floor. At the same
time, Pey has to keep an eye on his human souls, one being the Harrison family, which he has had the
pleasure of signing four Harrison generations. One more, and he will have a complete set, just what
Pey’s plan needs.

Meanwhile, in the land of the living, the Harrison family consists of Silas Harrison, his wife Lily, eldest
son Sean, and youngest daughter Mickey. Lily has been having an affair for quite some time, with Silas
slowly noticing a change in her behavior. Sean spends most of his time in his room playing video games
and on the internet. On the other hand, Mickey tries to keep active mostly to have something to do so
her parents won’t bother her. But one day, for the first time, Mickey is happy to be on the soccer team.
During practice several kids start making fun of her until, unexpectedly, fierce girl Ruth comes to her
rescue. Mickey feels an instant connection to Ruth and they begin hanging out. Silas notices how Ruth
makes Mickey happy and invites her to their summer trip to New Hampshire to Silas’ family’s lake
house. Lily immediately disagrees, but is out numbered.

While at the lake house, everything seems to be going smoothly, but Ruth begins to stir old family
secrets, slowly floating to the surface. The Harrisons personalities begin to change, all while being
monitored by Pey.

This was an intriguing debut novel. I liked the description of how Hell works in this world, just like any
office trying to gain customers. I could even relate to the repetitive music that plays in Hell to my own
office hahaha. The reader gets small descriptions here and there about details that make being in Hell
torture, such as having bad beer all the time. Smells that one wouldn’t pay attention to become a living
Hell. Pey’s side of the story and learning about Hell is very interesting, just like the information about
Calamity while she was alive. Cal’s story could be a short story of its own. I’m still very interested in
knowing more.

Finding out about Lily and Silas’ past gives the reader pieces for the big reveal, but Ruth led me on a
different path right until everything unfolded. Having the younger kids gives the story a coming of age
touch that goes well with the mystery. At the end, everything comes together with some plans going
well and some failing. Not to mention the hidden puppeteers that are exposed when everything comes
together.

If you’re looking for an intriguing mystery with its own take on Hell’s customer service, I recommend
Sign Here. Don’t forget to read the small fine print!

This gave me dark twisted The Good Place vibes and I loved it. The worldbuilding of Hell was perfect. The author took all those little things in life that are annoying or aggravating and threw them in Hell = perfection. This story was told from dual timelines although dual seems a bit of a stretch since the guy in hell really wasn’t in any specific “timeline” along with multiple POVs between Peyote, our hellraiser, and three members of the Harrison family for a twisty story with more than a dash of dark humor. There have been a lot of mixed reviews on this book but for me, I loved it. It literally made me laugh out loud a lot, and also kept me in suspense with a murder mystery mixed in, adding a few plot twists for hell’s sake, what was not to love.

"𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥."

I love books that go all in on a concept and 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 is one of those books. This darkly funny and hugely entertaining look at what life is like in Hell and how it affects life on Earth is a page-turner that also left me thinking about choices and consequences.

Claudia Lux creates such a vivid and plausible version of Hell that you can't help but get sucked in. The short chapters from multiple POVs made me invested in the interconnecting stories and made me care about characters I never thought I would. This was the perfect October read for me - clever, irreverent and just the right amount of twisted with surprising depth.

And I just have to say I knew Jägermeister was a construct of Hell.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing for the copy to review.

Two interlaced suspense stories: a family drama about a failing marriage and intergenerational secrets, and a fantastical drama taking place in hell. Both of the stories had good elements, but the advertisement of this novel as "darkly funny" is extremely misleading. It just wasn't comedic at all! Not in the slightest. Not even a chuckle. Perfectly good suspense stories though, although the two didn't really fit together, thematically.

I loved the premise of Sign Here. Peyote’s job is literally to make deals with people on Earth, sentencing them to an eternity in Hell. It’s a deal with the devil, even though Pey isn’t actually the devil – he’s just a guy who died and went to Hell and is now stuck working a never-ending corporate job. What a deliciously awful setup! How much fun this novel could be! 😈

Alas, Sign Here ended up being more middle-of-the-road for me. There’s a lot I liked about it, but there’s also a lot I would have changed. I’ll start with the good:

Claudia Lux offers some imaginative and laugh-out-loud descriptions of Hell. On the one hand, Hell is basically an eternal sales job (*shudders*). Everyone has to communicate with beepers, and the music is always whatever they most hated on Earth, and just a bit too loud. The details are a lot of fun and paint Hell as awful, but in a more creative and silly way than usually depicted. I loved that aspect of the novel.

Peyote is also an interesting and nuanced character. I enjoyed getting to know him, why he ended up in Hell in the first place, and what his evil plan for escape is. There are some minor shocks which add to the story’s impact. His boss and coworkers are mostly terrible, but in a way that drives home how hilariously bad Hell is.

His new coworker, Calamity, is a character I’m conflicted about. I liked the dynamic she brings, both in her interactions with Peyote and in her muddling of his plans. She’s fun to have on page. But I didn’t really like the way her backstory unfolded – it was interesting yet odd, and ultimately it could have been stronger.

Then there’s the Harrison family down on Earth. Parents Silas and Lily have their own issues (some going back two decades), and their teenagers – son Sean and daughter Mickey – are facing some potentially life-changing problems, too. Mickey’s new friend may be the catalyst none of them saw coming.

Herein lies my second problem with Sign Here: While I kind of liked the chapters following the various Harrison family members, I didn’t love them. The characters range from flat to unlikable, and the backstory and present story are also letdowns. It does get fairly exciting and nerve-wracking near the end, but ultimately the whole plot didn’t hit hard enough for me.

In essence, I enjoyed Peyote and all the descriptions of Hell and his job, but everything else fell flat. It was somewhat fun and funny, a little bit thrilling, but never enough of either to make an impact.

Sign Here is a fine read, and with its fast pace, it goes by quickly. But despite some great qualities, the payoff isn’t quite there. The premise is great, though, and I hope I can find another book that delivers.

why my nose was in this book:
This was an odd one for me - I wasn’t invested in one of the character stories and glazed over most of hers, but the Harrison family kept me coming back because I’m a sucker for a dysfunctional family story bound by secrets
Honestly, because I skimmed a lot of Cal’s story, I felt like I missed major holes in Pey’s, but also felt like that part wasn’t as enjoyable for me, so was okay with it
The chapters were short and held my attention and the setting of Hell was amusing and fun
This was one of the most original stories with a one two sucker punch of surprise twists

I’ve seen Claudia Lux’s debut novel, Sign Here , described as horror, mystery, supernatural suspense, and family drama. It has aspects of all of those. Pey has worked his way up from being tortured to torturing souls to being responsible for getting humans to make deals for their souls. He has a plan. What he needs is a complete set, one member from five generations of the same family, the Harrisons. Meanwhile the Harrisons plan to spend six weeks at the lake house in New Hampshire. Daughter Mickey brings her new best friend, Ruth, with her. However, things don’t go according to plan for anyone.

Pey, his coworkers Cal and Trey, Ruth, and the Harrisons: Silas, Lily, and Mickey are fully developed characters. However, Sean Harrison was not as robust a character. They’re characters that readers either will like or be disturbed by their actions. They have flaws that make them more realistic, but they’re not always relatable. There is one very inappropriate fantasy by Silas that was disturbing. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect well with most of the characters.

With dual plotlines, the point of view frequently switches back and forth between Pey, Silas, Lily, and Mickey. There is a little dark humor in this novel. Rules, goals, contracts, and time limits exist in the Deals Department where Pey, Trey, and Cal work. It almost had a corporate feel to it. The working relationships in the Deals Department were an interesting exploration of office politics. There’s plenty of family drama for all of the main characters.

This book has a clever premise and a solid mystery with some twists that will keep readers guessing and others that were somewhat predictable. The suspense built slowly, but steadily. Friendship, family, lies, death, grief, loopholes, deception, morality, and much more are at the heart of this story. The world-building is done well, but this is a slow-paced novel that took a while to draw me into the story line. The chapters are short and the dialog felt natural and consistent for each character. The ending left me with a few questions that weren’t resolved, but I admired how the author brought the two storylines together. There are threads woven into the plot that added depth and complexity.

Overall, this unique, thought-provoking, and entertaining novel has great characterization, and a tense and suspenseful part three. Those who relish mild horror with family drama and suspense may enjoy this book.

Berkley Publishing Group and Claudia Lux provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for October 25, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

DNF - I read about 60 pages and nothing was happening? I was pretty bored & it felt like no progress was being made. Unfortunately this was a miss for me.

What a fun and thoughtful debut! I really enjoyed Peyote’s voice and pov as well as the Harrison family. My biggest complaint is that the two stories take almost the entire novel to come together and I had to re-read the last 30 pages to make sure I understood it all. Definitely a little rushed at the end after a long build. Great characterization though and I felt for many of the characters, mostly Peyote and Lily. A solid debut and voice.

I don’t think I was expecting Sign Here to have as much depth as it did, maybe because of how playful and cheeky the cover art was, though also as a result of the early comparisons. There are so many mentions of the comedic beats of the story, which are definitely present and exceptional, but comparatively little about the its emotional impact, which I found a be substantial by the end.

The book is split into several perspectives but two major storylines, the first in Hell following an agent from its Deals Department named Peyote Trip, who’s tasked with finding humans on earth that are willing to sign deals in exchange for their immortal souls. The second is a family he’s been tracking for generations, the Harrisons, who are spending the summer at their New Hampshire vacation home. While they have their own interpersonal conflicts to sort through, the Hell scenes are very separate from that story until they’re suddenly not. The early depictions of Hell reminded me a lot of another popular piece of media about the afterlife: The Good Place. The initial parallels are pretty evident—both feature a similar mundane misery in the day-to-day, in addition to the tedious corporate structure. The descriptions of ‘Downstairs’ and ‘The Bad Place’ are also comparable, though Sign Here’s characters seem to take its horrors more seriously, likely because they experienced that torture at one point in a prior millennia.

Then there’s the Harrisons’ family dynamic and arrival at the property, which is reminiscent of the Harmons in American Horror Story: Murder House. In some ways Lily takes on Ben Harmon’s role, though Silas slowly builds the case for himself as we learn more about his history and haunted family secrets. And Ruth’s influence over Mickey isn’t unlike Tate Langdon’s over Violet, though to be clear the paranormal aspects of the story are strictly limited to Hell and its agents when they visit Earth.

Though Peyote is arguably the main character, both the Hell and the Earth storylines center around the protection of young girls, with every major conflict rooted in the betrayal of a girl by a man in her life. The exploitations and manipulations echo one another across time and space, as Sign Here is nonlinear (if I haven’t mentioned that yet), and later forces those men to face the wreckage left in their wake, one way or another. Even with some bleak outcomes for a few characters, these confrontations strike an emotional and deeply satisfying chord. But despite the majority, if not all, of those betrayals being committed by men, the story’s women levy smaller, yet still vicious blows against one another; but they’re not given a clear narrative redemptive track to follow along. It could almost be harder to forgive those transgressions as a result, and if I had one critique for the author, it would be not giving some of her ‘imperfect girls’ that same chance. I would have loved for them to be granted space to correct their own failures, ideally by directly addressing the ways in which they were failed up until that point.

And I will not spoil either the book or shows in this review, but I have to mention how differently Sign Here and The Good Place differ in tone; instead of reckoning with larger moral questions and the idea of divine justice, the characters must make peace with decisions made within an inherently unjust system. It’s an ending that’s more befitting of a western than a traditional hero’s journey, focusing on the path to an individual’s redemption, often at the cost of their own happiness and/or ‘fixing’ the unfairness of the situation. There’s even an interruption of a scene that feels plucked straight from True Grit, instilled with themes of self-sacrifice for the sake of another but also as a way to balance the scales narratively.

The familiar, hokey elements present in this iteration of Hell could cause readers to expect characters like TGP’s Michael and Janet, or even someone like Crowley from Good Omens. But the story’s sincerity, mystery and emotional depth would be a departure from that format. It manages to be serious without becoming self-serious, accepting Hell as an inevitability instead of something to be vanquished. Any preliminary similarities noted between Sign Here and those works are eroded after its first sharp tonal switch; the flip between the lighter moments and its capacity for ruthless inhumanity. Basically it’s a lot, but in a good way. I’m not sure which of its moods you’ll finish with by the end, but there’s a good chance you’ll like it.