121. Moore, Christopher. A Dirty Job. 387 pages. 10.14.09.

A friend sent me Moore's "Death Merchant" book to take to the hospital for something light and funny to read. In A Dirty Job, second-hand dealer Charlie finds himself experiencing several life-changes after the birth of his daughter and subsequent death of his wife. He has unexpectedly become a Death Merchant, and is responsible for collecting the souls of the recently departed so they can be passed on to the soul-less - and if he fails there will be hell to pay.

What I found most amusing about Moore's novel were his descriptions of newborns/children and parenting. He captures the complete cluelessness of new parents perfectly, and presents a modern and eclectic style of parenting that is at once charmingly awkward and oddly realistic.

The novel as a whole is enjoyable, if painfully obvious. His presentation of the superstition is the most unimaginative part of the novel, and I found myself glossing over passages about the Morrigan to get back to his modern characters.

A Dirty Job is good for a light read and a chuckle.