The Witness for the Dead

Thara Celehar is a witness for the dead, a sort of cleric who provides services for those who have died and for their families. A witness for the dead also has the ability to communicate with the deceased and is often asked to investigate, particularly if the death is suspicious. It’s not a particularly well-regarded or well-paid position but he is dedicated to doing his work as long as he is capable of continuing.

This story is a meandering story where we follow Celehar as he goes about his work. He never rushes and he takes meticulous care to do his job properly, whether he is investigating a death or performing a funeral. There are a series of jobs he performs within the course of the novel, several of which have a mystery of sorts to solve. A family has a dispute over the will of the deceased and Celehar communicates with the man to resolve it. A woman is fished out of the river, almost certainly dead by another’s hand and it’s necessary to identify the woman and find out who murdered her. There are ghouls causing problems in a town and he’s called in to assist. These are just a few of the stories we follow through this novel.

The story takes its time and the events unfold in real-time and anyone looking for a lot of drama and action might be disappointed. Several cases are being looked into at the same time, which I feel is closer to how an investigator normally works. Celehar is very particular about following procedure to the letter. There’s a reference to an incident in the past where he made errors that continue to haunt him and it seems this history drives him to be wary of the results of any actions he takes. It may all be meticulous but it leads to satisfactory resolutions by the end.

Celehar seems to be something of a loner, either by choice or circumstance. But he does meet quite a number of characters during the course of his work. It’s a bit like he’s a small universe unto himself and everyone and everything revolves around him. While he continues to retain a detachment with respect to his work., it’s obvious attachments are forming which have the potential to lead to a friendship in a couple of cases. Perhaps he is not so destined to be on his own as he thinks.

I really enjoyed the slow pace of this tale and liked how we came to meet so many others around Celehar. It’s a well-written book with some lovely story-telling that remains with you long after you read it.

I will reveal that I haven’t read “The Goblin Emperor” before but this book definitely works as a stand-alone. I give this four solid stars and a strong intent to follow up by reading the previous book. I would like to thank Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for sharing this advanced reader copy. This review was written freely and voluntarily.