A review by thereadingrambler
An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

very month the members of the #SagaSaysCrew get to request books from a curated list. A few months back, there wasn’t anything on the list that I had heard of before/hadn’t already read, so I just picked the book that had the most interesting cover. And that happened to be An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris. I had absolutely no idea what to expect, particularly since the premise of this book is kinda wild. This takes place in an alternate history southwest United States. After the assassination of FDR shortly before he was supposed to take office, the United States collapses, splitting up into multiple countries. Lizabeth Rose lives in Texoma and makes a living helping former American citizens leave what is now Mexico due to the persecution the face there. After one particularly disastrous trip, she is trying to figure out how to get her life back on track when she is approached by two grigoris—Russian magicians—to be their bodyguard. This seemingly straightforward assignment becomes increasingly complicated particularly as it gets more interwoven with Lizbeth’s personal life. I had no idea how all of that was going to come together, but it really did in a fast-paced and well-constructed way. Lizabeth is such a realistic character; the choices she makes are logically and concretely informed by her past, her personality, and her current circumstances. She always felt like a real person, and she is the driving force of this book. Don’t get me wrong, the other characters, particularly her grigori employers, were also engaging and three-dimensional by Lizabeth is the heart and soul of the book. I will definitely be continuing the series, and I would recommend you pick this up if you are looking for something gritty and dark but the main character is quite likable and has a compelling narratorial style.