Death and Coffee by Lisa Acerbo follows Prudence Barlow, a young woman in 1661 whose life falls apart when her mother is wrongly put to death after being accused of being a witch. Feeling desperate, she is visited by Titus, who offers her a way forward. Prudence becomes a reaper, an immortal being who gathers souls and helps guide the dying into the afterlife. The story moves between centuries as she learns the rules of her new role, witnesses crucial historical events, and tries to survive the emotional cost of living forever. In modern New York, she works with other reapers, rides her demon horse, Goose, through the city, and tries to hold onto the pieces of her humanity. Her life changes again when she forms a forbidden bond with a human doctor, forcing her to decide what she’s willing to risk. But in a world ruled by Death itself, can one immortal woman ever reclaim her own future?

Death and Coffee by Lisa Acerbo blends dark fantasy, history, and a touch of romance in a way that is both unusual yet easy to follow. Acerbo writes with an engaging style, and the shifts between past and present make the story broad and filled with energetic movement. I liked how the book treats immortality not as a gift but as a long, tiring job filled with rules, pressure, and moral confusion. Prudence is written with a practical voice, and her slow change over the centuries gives the story a lived-in sense of time. The setting also blends real-world events with supernatural elements in a way that feels natural rather than complicated. Readers who enjoy books about reapers, afterlife systems, hidden magic, or long but not overly complex character journeys will love this book.

Prudence Barlow is seemingly just a twenty-eight-year-old college graduate working as an independent contractor for a marketing firm in the city. But this was far from the truth. Prudence is a reaper, responsible for ferrying souls to the afterlife—a fate she chose after the public execution of her mother, accused of being a witch, in 1661, in Hartford, Connecticut. In 2024, she falls in love with Daxtone, a soul she was supposed to send off to the afterworld, but instead saves. Consequently, the pair is banished to purgatory as punishment by Death, Prudence’s employer. However, Death recalls Prudence for a daunting mission. Three witches in Salem want to raise an immortal, an act that would disturb the balance of the universe forever. Prudence must stop them. Why Prudence? And will she succeed? Find out in Death and Coffee by Lisa Acerbo.

Once this page turner draws you in, it latches on unrelentingly, only loosening its grip after the final word. If you’re looking for a fast-paced fantasy flavored with drama, adventure, LGBTQ romance, suspense, sci-fi, and a gripping backstory, Death and Coffee by Lisa Acerbo is a must-read. Using a dual timeline, cinematic depictions, and dynamic, character-driven conversations with pop culture and literary references, Acerbo takes readers between the seventeenth century and the modern world, immersing them in the lives of a fascinating cast. The prose is dark and poignant, with a whimsical edge and witty, introspective commentary accompanying the narration. The supernatural and real worlds are integrated well. From Prudence’s internal monologues to her interactions with Death, portrayed as a corporate entity, with its underworld workers using twenty-first-century technology, and the living, I enjoyed many humorous moments. I loved this book.