A review by mikefromarkansas
The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig

4.0

I heard this is a loose retelling of Hamlet, but I did not read Hamlet so I cannot compare it to that. I just have liked everything I’ve read of Matt Haig and the audiobook was available on the Libby app so here we are. The story is told in first person by Philip who is eleven years old. His father is murdered. And comes back as a spirit and tells Philip he knows who murdered him and to kill the murderer. I could not tell if Philip was imagining his interactions with his deceased father or if it was real. Because the main character is eleven you may think this is a kid’s book but it is NOT. There is vulgar language and the boy sees his mother and the “supposed” murderer doing adult things in the bedroom. This is definitely for more mature audiences. The narrator, Andrew Dennis, is fantastic. He sounds like a young British boy. I enjoyed the novel and kept wondering if Philip had some mental issues going on. Even the ending kept me wondering.