Death and Other Inconveniences by Lesley Crewe

I was excited to read Death and Other Inconveniences by National Bestselling Author Lesley Crewe, without knowing anything about this book ahead of time. The Spoon Stealer is a favourite of mine and I wondered if Lesley Crewe could capture me with her new title as she had done previously. The very first page is an obituary for the main character’s second husband, Dick. Margo and Dick were together for ten years, and she had no idea she would be facing widowhood at the “tender age of sixty-two”. The reader very soon learns that Dick is a bit player in this tale where his death kicks off a chain of events that Lesley Crewe handles in her own unique style of humour laced with heart.

Margo is a fish out of water in her new environment, newly single and never having had to fend for herself, even though she is a woman of a certain age who does not take out the garbage without donning her false eyelashes. Margo, retired from the Shoppers Drug Mart cosmetic counter, could be spotted applying an extra coat of lipstick while stopped at a red light in downtown Fredericton, much to the horror of her accountant daughter, Julia. Julia is married with two little girls and has a brother, Mike, who works from home in a sparsely furnished and messy townhouse, similar to a teen’s bedroom. Margo immediately contacts Julia with the news of Dick’s passing, who then lets her brother know of the turn of events in which their mother now finds herself.

Margo was a wizard with beauty products and makeup. She’d been manager of the Shoppers Drug Mart cosmetic counter forever. Makeup was not only her job but also her hobby. … Margo was searching for the bottle of nail polish she’d left in the den when she walked in front of their blaring sixty-five-inch television and discovered Dick slumped in his chair, his face a horrible shade of dead.

With a cast of characters right out of the delightful mind of Lesley Crewe, I found myself being entertained far more than one ought to be when there’s been a death in the family. Crewe has a brand of humour that gets to the heart of the issue, with snappy dialogue throughout, well-formed characters, and plenty of cringe-worthy scenes that could only be garnered from real-life scenarios. All this makes Death and Other Inconveniences a highly relatable, entertaining, page-turner. I found myself smiling often, even chuckling, and nodding my head while gasping, at equal turns. The story was not predictable, and just when I thought it was winding down, Crewe hit me again.

Death and Other Inconveniences is an adult coming-of-age tale of a sixty-two-year-old woman who finds herself in deep and troubled water. I was rooting for Margo and loved being her sidekick from beginning to end. Lesley Crewe and her quirky brand of storytelling made me feel like age isn’t a factor in growing up, but living your life on your own terms certainly is! I had a lot of fun with this book. Even though it begins with a death, it continues with lively attention to what is at the heart of a person’s life, and how much independence really means. Death and Other Inconveniences is a wonderful companion to The Spoon Stealer, for a double-header of reading pleasure, although the books are completely separate stories. Crewe’s characters are so dearly shaped and beautifully rendered, I know one thing for sure. Margo will pop into my mind from time to time and I will be happily transported to her world once again. Pick up a copy of Death and Other Inconveniences by Lesley Crewe and get ready for a fast-paced ride into adulthood!

Lesley Crewe is the author of several novels, including Mary, Mary, Amazing Grace, Chloe Sparrow, Kin, and Relative Happiness, which has been adapted into a feature film. Previously a columnist and freelance writer, Lesley lives in Homeville, Nova Scotia. Visit her at lesleycrewe.com.

Publisher: Nimbus Publishing (June 18, 2024)
Paperback 9.25″ x 6″ | 280 pages
ISBN: 9781774712795

Carrie Stanton

Managing Editor

TMR’s Managing Editor Carrie Stanton has a BA in Political Science from the University of Calgary. She is the author of The Jewel and Beast Bot, and picture books, Emmie and the Fierce Dragon and The Gardener. Carrie loves to write stories that grow wings and transport readers everywhere. She reads and enjoys stories from every genre.