Are Murder Attempts Supposed To Be This Funny?

By Lindsey Pfeffer, Columnist

All views expressed in the column are the author’s own.

“Booktok” has been infiltrated with authors recently, and Miranda Grant posted a TikTok ad about her new book, “Death Do Us Part.” I wasn’t too sure what I was getting into, as she had only posted a short excerpt of her book, but it pulled me in. I downloaded a sample and could not stop laughing at the main character, and quickly decided I needed to read the whole thing.

This book was one of the most enjoyable reads I’ve had in the last year.. The inner monolog, while raunchy, doesn’t take itself too seriously; most innuendos are quickly followed by the main character telling herself to stay focused. The dialogue and the dynamics between the characters are hilarious and written well, and almost feels like I’ve been dropped into a comedy.

Based in a kingdom where women typically ascend to the throne and are the dominant gender, the king is in a sticky spot. He needs a wife so he can have a queen sign off on amendments to laws, and Arienna has just found out her fiance cheated on her with her mother, and her sister.

In the fallout of her mother’s wedding, Arienna runs away to Raza, Richard’s kingdom, after setting wasps on her mother’s wedding guests. Drunk and trying to run away to the human world, Richard finds Arienna and decides she’s his best option to make queen. Because she has broken the law in trying to cross realms, he can make her queen, use her signature to change the laws, and have her killed for breaking the law.

The main characters are fairies, and the main conflict is trying to figure out who is going to kill who first: is King Richard, evil warmonger, going to kill Arienna before she gets the chance to do him in? Or will their marriage prove to be real, and end in true love?

Overall, it’s not a very complicated plot, but I feel that works to the story’s advantage. This is a story very much focused on its characters, not on advancing the plot. We the readers are looking to see if Richard and Arienna manage to fall in love, to see what happens with their best friends, to see if they can maybe help each other move on from things they’ve done in the past. 

Now, do be warned, this is a bit of a spicier novel. In my opinion, it’s not overly done or to the detriment of the story, like we saw with Sarah J. Mass’ “A Court of Silver Flames,” where spice and plot were fighting each other for stage time. 
If you’re looking for a fast burn and witty dialogue, this is definitely the book for you. Throw in fairies, giant animals, the best side characters I’ve ever come across, and political maneuverings, and you’ve got a 5/5 for me. About 350 pages with a quick pace, this is a great afternoon read.