Charlie Asher is the pluperfect Beta Male: nerdy, neurotic, and possessed of too much imag­i­na­tion. But he is not imagining things when people start dropping dead around him, after his wife Rachel dies giving birth to Sophie. Gradually, he comes to realize that he has somehow been appointed a Death Merchant, a sort of Santa’s Helper to Death. His role is to facilitate the ascendance of souls.

Over the years, he tries to get on with his life, raising Sophie, running his second-hand store, grieving for Rachel, and collecting soul vessels. Strange, horrible voices whisper to him from the sewers of San Francisco. The voices belong to the Morrigan, a once-powerful three part goddess of death, trying to rein­car­nate and wreak havoc upon the world above. Eventually, Charlie and his friends must take the battle to the Morrigan.

Moore is very funny with a distinctly off-kilter sense of humor. Charlie is both endearing and ex­as­per­at­ing as he struggles to come to terms with his destiny.

Rec­om­mend­ed for Beta Males everywhere. (Alpha Males lead the world; Beta Males take care of running it.)