Meet Charlie Asher, a self-proclaimed 'Beta Male' content with his unassuming life running a second-hand store in San Francisco alongside his eccentric employees. His world is perfectly ordinary, even blessed, with a loving wife, Rachel, who is about to give birth to their first child. However, Charlie's normalcy shatters the moment he encounters a peculiar man in mint-green at Rachel's hospital bedside – a man only Charlie can see. This unsettling encounter is merely the prelude to an extraordinary and terrifying transformation. As mysterious deaths plague his surroundings, giant ravens perch ominously, and a shadowy presence whispers from beneath the city streets, Charlie discovers he's inherited a most unexpected and macabre profession: Death. He's now a 'Death Merchant,' responsible for ushering souls to the afterlife, a task as bizarre as it is essential. Plunged into a hidden world of supernatural bureaucracy, ancient beings, and the very fabric of life and death, Charlie must navigate his new, utterly dirty job, all while trying to protect his newborn daughter from unseen forces and grapple with the surreal realities of his new existence.
Critical Reception
"Known for its distinctive blend of dark humor and urban fantasy, 'A Dirty Job' stands as a beloved and critically lauded example of Christopher Moore's unique literary voice."