June 13

Dead is Beautiful – Jo Perry

“These books are weird, unique, funny and sad all at the same time.”

DEAD IS BEAUTIFUL, finds Rose leading Charlie from the peace of the afterlife to the place he hates most on earth, “Beverly Fucking Hills,” where a mature, protected tree harboring a protected bird is being illegally cut down.

The tree-assault leads Charlie and Rose to a to murder and to the person Charlie loathes most in life and in death, the sibling he refers to only as “his shit brother,” who is in danger.

Charlie fights-across the borders of life and death–for the man who never fought for him, and with the help of a fearless Scotsman, a beautiful witch, and a pissed-off owl,

Charlie must stop a cruel and exploitative scheme and protect his beloved Rose.

 

My thanks to Emma at Damppebbles for the chance to join the blog tour.  I received a copy of Dead is Beautiful from the publisher – Fahrenheit Press.

 

The 4th book in the Charlie and Rose adventures and one of the most loved (and unusual) series which I follow.  Here are the need to knows:

Charlie is dead. Shot in the chest and life extinct.

Rose is a dog. She too is dead. Left tied up with no access to food or water until life drained away.

Charlie and Rose can visit the living world if they choose to do so but cannot interact or influence anything which happens.

Dead is Beautiful can be read as a stand alone story but I’d urge you to read all the Charlie and Rose books as they are hugely enjoyable.

 

Now you’re caught up on the basics – lets consider Dead is Beautiful.  Guided by Rose, Charlie finds himself in Beverly Hills or “Beverly Fucking Hills” as he calls it – this area seems to represent everything Charlie hated about society when he was alive.

The story begins with a tree being felled – Rose is a frenzy of spirited activity as she tries to prevent (ineffectively) the destruction of a protected tree which is home to an equally protected species of owl.  Fortunately for Rose a very naked woman is also nearby and willing to put herself into harms way to save the owl from murder.

Needless to say the presence of an angry woman and the arrival of the police to investigate an attempted murder allegation grants both owl and tree some reprieve.  However, there are people at work who need that tree gone and will not permit a small owl to thwart their plans – they consider there are much bigger priorities to address.

As you may have gathered, Dead is Beautiful takes a dark humoured view on society and our priorities.  Charlie and Rose will watch events unfolding and guide the reader through the story, the reader learns what is happening as they do.

For Charlie the events in Dead is Beautiful will be personally challenging as this return to the real world sees him encountering his “shit brother”.  Clearly there was no love lost between the brothers and Charlie finds it hard to be sympathetic to the problems his brother will face. Actually he rather enjoys quite a lot of the misfortune which shall befall his elder sibling.

Although they cannot interact with the real world there is a distinct threat for Charlie to face in Dead is Beautiful and the consequence of his failure was just too grim to consider. The fact ghosts can also be unpleasant bullies should (with hindsight) not have been too much of a shock but when a ghostly bully turns on our heroes I can’t say I enjoyed seeing them reeling.

I did very much enjoy the bonus appearance of an outspoken Scottish punk who was happy to have a vocal and very direct opinion on many things which were occurring.  I always enjoy seeing a fellow Scot displaced from their native land and bringing a touch of “home” to far flung places! These scenes were joyous and had me grinning like a loon as I read them.

Jo Perry once again delivers a cracking story with her oddly paired protagonists.  Dead is Beautiful is recommended – as are all the Charlie and Rose stories.

 

Dead is Beautiful is published by Fahrenheit Press in paperback and digital format.  You can order a copy here: http://www.fahrenheit-press.com/books_dead_is_beautiful.html

Remember: if you order a paperback copy of a Fahrenheit Press book they also make sure you receive a digital copy of your purchase too.

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January 5

Dead Is Best – Jo Perry

 

Charlie and Rose are back in their much anticipated new adventure. Charlie’s step daughter lies dying on a beach. She needs help. Some serious help. But how did she get there and what can on earth can a dead guy and his dead dog do? Plenty as it turns out. As Charlie & Rose ride to the rescue in their own unique way it soon becomes clear that the body on the beach was only the beginning…

 

 

 

One of the most unusual (but enjoyable) partnerships I have encountered while blogging. Charlie is dead. Rose, a dog, is also dead. Together they can drift in and out of the real world and spectate but their capacity to interact is virtually nil.

Dead is Best opens with Charlie’s step-daughter Cali suffering a near-death experience. She sees Charlie and Rose and begs for their help before she is returned to her unhappy existence. Charlie and Rose return to the world to keep a watch over Cali and the full extent of her problems soon become clear.

I love how Jo Perry tackles events in Dead Is Best. While Charlie and Rose cannot intercede during events Charlie is a highly effective narrator.  He can travel to where Cali is but when necessary he can move to a different location, for example to see how Cali’s mother (Charie’s ex-wife and her new husband) are handling their “difficult” child.  Not Well it would appear.

Charlie begins to understand how tough life is for Cali – a troubled teen who appears to have fallen in with a bad crowd. As the story progresses and Cali finds herself in trouble with the law we see the true strength of her character come to the fore.

As non-corporeal entities Charlie and Rose can be anywhere they need to be and often witness the worst of people.  They see acts of violence and bullying which the protagonists would never let a “human” observe and Charlie’s frustration at his inability to intercede seeps through – brilliantly written by Jo Perry.

The Charlie and Rose stories are quite unlike anything else I read and I cannot recommend them highly enough.  Hunt them down…or use this handy link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jo-Perry/e/B00PEG4T9I/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

 

Dead is Best is published by Fahrenheit Press in digital and paperback format.

 

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