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A Dead-End Job #1
Reaping By Numbers
“Death is God’s broom.”
–Swedish Proverb
Patrice took on the family business - reaping dead souls for the afterlife - and thought she knew it all. Until demons started moving in on her territory and threatened the ones she loved most.
Beyond the mortal plane, there is a struggle to control who deals death itself. A faction in Hell has decided to gentrify the city, and that further complicates things for Patrice.
–Swedish Proverb
Patrice took on the family business - reaping dead souls for the afterlife - and thought she knew it all. Until demons started moving in on her territory and threatened the ones she loved most.
Beyond the mortal plane, there is a struggle to control who deals death itself. A faction in Hell has decided to gentrify the city, and that further complicates things for Patrice.
Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2025
1 person is currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Givens Kurtz
72 books178 followersNicole Givens Kurtz is an author, editor, and educator. She's the recipient of the Ladies of Horror Grant (2021), the Horror Writers Association's Diversity Grant (2020) and the two-time Atomacon Palmetto Scribe Award Winner (2021 and 2022). She's also the editor of the groundbreaking anthology, SLAY: Stories of the Vampire Noire. She’s written for White Wolf, The Realm's The Vela: Salvation series, and Baen’s No Game for Knights and Straight Outta Tombstone. Nicole has over numerous short stories published as well as numerous novels and three active speculative mystery series. She enjoys reading scary stories and watching true crime.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 10, 2025
Nicole Givens Kurtz knows how to write mysteries set in unique settings or populated with unique characters. Her novel, Glitches and Stitches is set in the future where AI is so omnipresent that people have a hard time separating the orga from the mecha which complicates a murder investigation. Kill Three Birds is a murder mystery set in a world of anthropomorphic birds. Her latest Reaping By Numbers also has an interesting premise in which a murder is investigated by none other than the Grim Reaper, well a Grim Reaper anyway.
Note, I said a Grim Reaper, as in plural more than one. Kurtz’s take on Reapers is that it is a job like any other. They are mostly human but are led by demons who work for the original Grim Reaper, also known as G. They don't kill people or cause them to die so much as they are there at the point of death and escort them in the transition between life and lifelessness.
Patrice Williams is one such Reaper. Her reaping skills come naturally because they are inherited from her father who was an excellent Reaper in his day. Her latest assignment puts her right in the middle of a murder investigation, a turf war between various demonic factions, a meddlesome angel, and demonic possession. Patrice has to use all of her skills particularly when her own family is involved, especially her niece, Brianna, whose body inadvertently becomes the vessel of a very angry and violent demon.
In a strange way, Reaping By Numbers is the complete opposite of my previous book, Secrets at The Aviary Inn by Maryann Clarke. Secrets explores an ordinary conflict of a woman researching her family history but gives it some enchanting touches in setting and character that almost makes it seem like a Contemporary Fantasy. Reaping By Numbers takes an otherworldly fantastic situation of reapers guiding people after death and finds a dark humor by exploring the ordinary mundanity of the situation.
Patrice clocks in and out like everyone else, does her shift, takes her breaks, deals with co-workers and supervisors, some encouraging and others obnoxious, collects her earnings, and goes home. Okay she's dealing with the recently deceased but so do morgue attendants and funeral home workers. What's so strange about that? Alright, her bosses are demons that emerged from the darkest pits of Hell but aren't all of our bosses? Yes, she has to face some very unpleasant encounters with dark magic, soul sucking spirits, wrathful ghosts, and avenging angels but no job is perfect. The benefits are great, particularly when you are alive to enjoy them.
The way that her family is portrayed is that of a loving supportive foundation but are divided on various issues. Patrice's father is proud that his daughter is following in his footsteps. He is very encouraging as they talk shop though he also sternly warns her about some of the more dangerous aspects of the job.
Not all of her family is supportive, particularly her religious mother and intrusive sister. Her mother is concerned that her daughter is consorting with demons. Her sister is trying to live a normal life with her pastor husband and children and feels that Patrice's profession could bring unwanted trouble within their family circle. Her worst fears come true when her daughter is possessed by demons.
Brianna's possession is a central plot point in this book. Kurtz conveys the anguish and fear that her family has, particularly Patrice who has to actively remove the demon while dealing with her own guilt and uncertainty about her chosen path. Patrice's dialogue with Brianna is the strongest emotional core especially when the young girl shows some potential to be a Reaper herself.
Reaping By Numbers conveys a lot of dark humor but a lot of emotions in this book about a woman who considers hanging out with the dead as just another day at work.
Note, I said a Grim Reaper, as in plural more than one. Kurtz’s take on Reapers is that it is a job like any other. They are mostly human but are led by demons who work for the original Grim Reaper, also known as G. They don't kill people or cause them to die so much as they are there at the point of death and escort them in the transition between life and lifelessness.
Patrice Williams is one such Reaper. Her reaping skills come naturally because they are inherited from her father who was an excellent Reaper in his day. Her latest assignment puts her right in the middle of a murder investigation, a turf war between various demonic factions, a meddlesome angel, and demonic possession. Patrice has to use all of her skills particularly when her own family is involved, especially her niece, Brianna, whose body inadvertently becomes the vessel of a very angry and violent demon.
In a strange way, Reaping By Numbers is the complete opposite of my previous book, Secrets at The Aviary Inn by Maryann Clarke. Secrets explores an ordinary conflict of a woman researching her family history but gives it some enchanting touches in setting and character that almost makes it seem like a Contemporary Fantasy. Reaping By Numbers takes an otherworldly fantastic situation of reapers guiding people after death and finds a dark humor by exploring the ordinary mundanity of the situation.
Patrice clocks in and out like everyone else, does her shift, takes her breaks, deals with co-workers and supervisors, some encouraging and others obnoxious, collects her earnings, and goes home. Okay she's dealing with the recently deceased but so do morgue attendants and funeral home workers. What's so strange about that? Alright, her bosses are demons that emerged from the darkest pits of Hell but aren't all of our bosses? Yes, she has to face some very unpleasant encounters with dark magic, soul sucking spirits, wrathful ghosts, and avenging angels but no job is perfect. The benefits are great, particularly when you are alive to enjoy them.
The way that her family is portrayed is that of a loving supportive foundation but are divided on various issues. Patrice's father is proud that his daughter is following in his footsteps. He is very encouraging as they talk shop though he also sternly warns her about some of the more dangerous aspects of the job.
Not all of her family is supportive, particularly her religious mother and intrusive sister. Her mother is concerned that her daughter is consorting with demons. Her sister is trying to live a normal life with her pastor husband and children and feels that Patrice's profession could bring unwanted trouble within their family circle. Her worst fears come true when her daughter is possessed by demons.
Brianna's possession is a central plot point in this book. Kurtz conveys the anguish and fear that her family has, particularly Patrice who has to actively remove the demon while dealing with her own guilt and uncertainty about her chosen path. Patrice's dialogue with Brianna is the strongest emotional core especially when the young girl shows some potential to be a Reaper herself.
Reaping By Numbers conveys a lot of dark humor but a lot of emotions in this book about a woman who considers hanging out with the dead as just another day at work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2025
I was given an ARC to read and review, and y'all... this book is so good! Patrice, like all the characters, is a solid force of nature, and I can't wait to read more in the series.
The paranormal mystery genre is overrun these days with shifters, vampires, and the like, but this novel is a new twist - for me, at least. Patrice is a reaper, working for the Grim Reaper, and everything about that down to the vocabulary fascinated me.
But I read it twice because the twist at the end was so good and so unexpected, I wanted to see what I missed. Nothing!! The narrative is that tight, and the plot is so compelling. Grab this one when it comes out in April. You will be glad you did.
The paranormal mystery genre is overrun these days with shifters, vampires, and the like, but this novel is a new twist - for me, at least. Patrice is a reaper, working for the Grim Reaper, and everything about that down to the vocabulary fascinated me.
But I read it twice because the twist at the end was so good and so unexpected, I wanted to see what I missed. Nothing!! The narrative is that tight, and the plot is so compelling. Grab this one when it comes out in April. You will be glad you did.
May 9, 2025
*Spoiler-free review*
Patrice is a human who happens to work as a reaper of souls. Let that sink in. Lurking in dark shadows, Patrice and her trusty dagger get the work done for the Original Grim Reaper, or G, as she calls him. But things get more complex when Patrice is tasked with bringing in the soul of a young woman named Tameka. This assignment gives her pause. But when someone murders Tameka in the street, all bets are off, and Patrice needs to find out why it happened and…who is the other reaper infringing on her sector?
There is a lot of world-building in REAPING BY NUMBERS. Death is run like a corporation, and job titles do exist, which is so clever. She actually has a demon boss named Hazelwood. These details ground the story so that the more fanciful and horror elements can rise to the top. Patrice follows in her father’s footsteps, yet her mother and sister, aware of this ‘calling’, are both religious. The dichotomy happening in the family dynamics is a great subplot.
Nicole Givens Kurtz does a fantastic job of weaving elements of almost fantasy with horror and human drama. REAPING BY NUMBERS is a wonderful read with snappy dialogue and intriguing moral questions with a surprising ending.
Patrice is a human who happens to work as a reaper of souls. Let that sink in. Lurking in dark shadows, Patrice and her trusty dagger get the work done for the Original Grim Reaper, or G, as she calls him. But things get more complex when Patrice is tasked with bringing in the soul of a young woman named Tameka. This assignment gives her pause. But when someone murders Tameka in the street, all bets are off, and Patrice needs to find out why it happened and…who is the other reaper infringing on her sector?
There is a lot of world-building in REAPING BY NUMBERS. Death is run like a corporation, and job titles do exist, which is so clever. She actually has a demon boss named Hazelwood. These details ground the story so that the more fanciful and horror elements can rise to the top. Patrice follows in her father’s footsteps, yet her mother and sister, aware of this ‘calling’, are both religious. The dichotomy happening in the family dynamics is a great subplot.
Nicole Givens Kurtz does a fantastic job of weaving elements of almost fantasy with horror and human drama. REAPING BY NUMBERS is a wonderful read with snappy dialogue and intriguing moral questions with a surprising ending.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews