Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Grim Reaper's Guide to Cheating Death by Maxie Dara Narrator: Jamie Lamchick
Series: SCYTHE Mystery #2
Published by Berkley, Penguin Audio on December 2, 2025
Genres: Paranormal, Cozy Mystery
Pages: 288
Length: 9 hours, 30 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
Nora Bird works for S.C.Y.T.H.E., which might seem odd for someone as terrified of death as she is. But ever since her parents died in an accident when she was six, she's been obsessed with avoiding risk, and what better place to learn how to cheat death than the company that employs the nation's grim reapers?
The work enables Nora to learn all about the myriad ways you can kick the bucket, which is comforting...until one day, a file crosses her desk with a name she recognizes. Her twin brother’s.
The twins haven’t spoken in six months, but Charlie is all Nora has left. Completely against her cautious nature, Nora steals the file and flees, racing to her brother’s house. She begs him to trust her that his death is imminent, and they hit the road (with his parrot, Jessica, who has plenty to say) in an attempt to evade both death and S.C.Y.T.H.E., whose sole mission of collecting souls has been disrupted by Charlie’s continued existence.
Alas, every time Nora saves him, a new cause of death appears in his file. Someone is determined to take Charlie out, and Nora will have to use everything she's ever learned about death to discover the culprit.
I was happy to read more SCYTHE Mysteries since I enjoyed the debut last year with Kathy and her ex, and her pregnancy. I liked Kathy and her personal growth. So I was surprised to find she wasn’t in A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Cheating Death. This could be read as a stand-along, other than the world-building about the organization.
Now we have Nora Bird who is an administrator at SCYTHE. Her parents died when she was a child, so she and her brother Charlie were raised by their grandmother.  Today her folder shows a soul to be collected – her brother Charlie. Totally against her lifelong caution to avoid dying, Nora jumps into action to save her brother’s life.
As she struggles to protect him from threats, they try to figure out where they can go. They end up heading for Virgo Bay where her father grew up. Shockingly, they find his brother, their paternal grandparents, a great grandfather, and lots of cousins. The attempts on Charlie’s life continue.
Nora learns a lot about herself and renews her languished relationship with her brother. Charlie has been living his life to the utmost all along, where Nora has been hiding in safety. It would be a lot more fun to connect with the relatives if one of them wasn’t trying to kill them.
I loved Charlie’s bird Jessica, a parrot who says the darndest things. I kept thinking because their last name is Bird and the relatives were all in sort of a family compound if they actually would shift into birds, but this is not that story. We learned a little more about SCYTHE, its enforcement group and international counterparts. I wonder if a new book will be all new characters.
Narration:
I only heard this narrator once before on the first book. Unfortunately, since I was expecting Kathy and her voice was Kathy for me, I sort of heard Kathy all the time instead of Nora. The whole point of view was Nora, so I adjusted eventually. The other characters like Charlie, and the relatives did all have distinct voices. I was comfortable listening at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
| Rating Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Plot |
|
| Writing |
 |
| Characters |
|
| Narration (Audio) |
|
| Overall: | |
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- National Park Mysteries : Death Valley Duel, Great Sand Dune Massacreby Scott Graham @sgrahamauthor @joeljrichards @tantoraudio.bsky.social @TantorAudio #LoveAudiobooks #JIAM - June 13, 2026
- Thrifty Thursday: Trail Gone Dark by Sophie Lyon #SophieLyon#ThriftyThursday #KindleUnlimited - June 11, 2026
- 🎧Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell by Gillian French #GillianFrench #SaskiaMaarleveld @macmillanaudio.bsky.social #LoveAudiobooks #JIAM - June 9, 2026
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 25-Audio
- 25-COYER
This sounds like a lot of fun. Though I do still need to read the first one. (Story of my life.) ;D
I enjoyed both books but they are only very loosely related. Both were very good.
I almost took this on, but I had a lot on my plate. I may still be able to grab it up. It sounds like fun especially with that crazy bird!
The bird is hilarious. This is the second book but they aren’t very linked. That threw me at first because I didn’t expect all new characters.
The parrot sounds great. I will see if my library has the series
It’s really enjoyable. The characters are completely different in each book though.
This series DOES sound pretty good.
The parrot is lots of fun.
This sounds fascinating, Anne💜
These are pretty interesting but also an alternate reality. The characters have been completely different in each book which makes it a little harder to settle into the world.
This sounds good. It is a bit jarring when you go in with expectations and it’s not that way. I remember that happening with a couple series back in the day, thinking the MC of the first book would carry on to the next book, and it doesn’t happen that way.
yes when the characters are totally different it made it hard at the start.
Glad you’re continuing to enjoy this series. I do love the titles and covers of them.
I do like this series. I was really surprised to find it was all different characters than the first book though.