A debut novel perfect for fans of Jonathan Tropper, Dave Eggers, and Joshua Ferris.

Being an obituary writer is hard work. To succeed, the job requires a certain combination of courage and grace.

Gabe Gilfeather has neither.

After a humbling divorce and a string of career failures, Gabe finds himself writing about the dead for a newspaper in Florida. It's a grim way to make a living, but he has a young daughter to support and plenty of creative dreams to pursue.

One morning in 2008, Gabe awakes to discover that a publishing gaffe has created a storm of attention with him at the center. The fallout is fierce and threatens to tarnish his professional reputation. His friends, though, see an opportunity to convert the blunder into internet fame.

As Gabe hurtles toward an unknown future, his life circles back to the people, places, and pain from his youth. He's tried to run away from those memories, hoping to leave them behind for good, but some ghosts just refuse to be ignored.

It's the curse of an obituary writer. Looking ahead won't get the job done. The past is always full of more stories, dead but not dormant, still waiting for their turn to be told.