Death Most Definite

Jamieson's debut urban fantasy puts an interesting bureaucratic spin on the afterlife. Recently divorced, Steven de Selby joins the family business, Mortmax, and becomes a "Pomp" who sends dead souls on to their final destination. Then a mysterious entity kills everyone in the Sydney and Melbourne offices of Mortmax, and the beautiful ghost of one of Steven's colleagues warns him that he and the other Brisbane Pomps are next. Not cut out to be a detective or fighter, Steven must dodge the killer while grieving for his murdered family members, handling their workload, fighting off zombie-like Stirrers wearing their bodies, and figuring out who's left that he can trust. Major plot developments are more archetypal than surprising, but they pack no less a wallop for being predictable, and the ending is satisfying while leaving room for further adventures. (Aug.)