What the Dead Can Do by Peter Rosch ~ a Review

by MK French

All of the people aboard a crashed flight die except for two-year-old Ethan, who is then entrusted to family friends Matthew and Nicole, according to his late parents' wishes. Tag and Amanda are in the afterlife, looking on them and watching their friends go through hardships, while the public intrudes on Ethan's welfare. Amanda's grief changes, and she is determined that no one else can raise Ethan. This means she must bring Ethan to the afterlife by any means possible, and only Tag stands in her way.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

August 2025; Crooked Lane Books; 979-8892421836
audio, ebook, print (336 pages); thriller

The book can understandably be a little difficult to get into. It opens with the crash, and we see snippets of the guide that all arrivals get when they come to the Second Plane. Amanda's drive to take Ethan back occurs pretty quickly, and we know what it means on a practical level. It's definitely a hard concept, and there are incredible amounts of grief and messy lives that we see on the page. 

I found it difficult to get into the story, especially in the first part; any real-life stress pulled me out quickly because I didn't like any of the characters. I wanted to know more about Ethan's fate, but the adults were not very likable and moved through events relatively slowly, even though they were important for the overall plot. Part two picked up in speed and interest, though I didn't enjoy the characters any better. Tension ratcheted up then, and again in part three. It's not a happy story, but it follows its own internal logic, and the ending fits the novel. 

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Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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