Sign Here

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Peyote was Evan Harrison, his “fourth Harrison.” He describes meeting himself from both perspectives in the opening and the epilogue (the dining table, the two cups of tea, knowing exactly what he wanted). BUT he sells his soul for something different each time. In the intro: that his family will never want for anything. The epilogue: that his daughter will not die of cancer. And who was his daughter? Philip and Silas don’t appear to have a sister. For someone so important to him that he accepted eternal damnation for her, she disappears completely. The intro makes a passing reference to Evan’s “debt-heavy sister,” whom I don’t think appears again, which adds another layer of confusion. A] darkly funny, deeply considered novel that kept me up well into the night as I sped through to the ending.” I thought it was an entertaining story and a promising debut. I’ll definitely be watching for Claudia Lux’s next book! Lux brilliantly combines satire, suspense, and pathos in her remarkably assured debut…Lux balances the whodunit plot and her antihero’s quest perfectly as the action builds to a surprisingly moving place. Readers of paranormal crime series such as Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files will be eager to see what Lux has up her sleeve next.” Speaking of her version of Hell... am I the only one who enjoys Jager? It's not that bad. Give me Jager over room temperature, cheap Vodka any day! Cheers to that 🍻

My first issue with this book was with the plots. No, you didn't read that wrong; this book had TWO plots that had almost nothing to do with one another. Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions. This is not an easy book to categorize, which is part of what makes it such a compulsive read. Claudia Lux has written an incredible novel that has a little bit of everything: thrilling twists, a fast-paced plot, lots of hidden agendas, dysfunctional family drama, and sharp, witty writing. Despite literally being set in Hell, this is not a bleak, heavy novel. It’s funny. And on top of everything else, it’s a moving story with a surprising amount of heart. In her debut novel, Sign Here, author Claudia Lux presents a modern vision of hell as a capitalist bureaucracy of the most inane, obnoxious variety. The only thing I wish was that this had been Claudia Lux's second or third published work instead of a debut. This reads like a debut. It felt like she had so many great ideas and was afraid of not getting another opportunity, so tossed them all into this book. With more experience, I think her work will soar. This needed a bit more editing and polishing. I just hate that it's already out there. She can't rewrite it. I liked this book a lot but it could have been 5 stars. Just some missed potential which is sad to see.It seems like you read two other stories: one of them is family’s drama and mystery’s unfolding. The other one is a trip to the hell, a place where pens, coffee machines are not working, It got really messy in the end and became almost impossible to keep storylines and characters in line. Berkley Publishing Group and Claudia Lux provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for October 25, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

What about the mighty, dysfunctional, estranged Harrisons? The family is all set to take a family vacation at their New Hampshire house! Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House and to NetGalleyfor providing me with an ARC of this book! Summary This is one of the rare moments where a book is completely original. I can't relate it to anything and that deserves high praise.

The mention of her father brings up a great deal more about the influence of her parents. “As the child of a nonfiction writer and a poet — Jean Kilbourne and Thomas Lux — I was taught from a very early age that words contain so much more than their meanings. From childhood, my mother’s pioneering work in media criticism and feminist activism taught me how to observe and interpret the world, to recognize not only what is being said between the lines, but also the power of the things left unsaid. My father’s prolific career gave me an early and deep love of poetry, and appreciation for all the things language itself has to offer. In one, we meet Peyote Trip. He works on the fifth floor of Hell. Meaning he has survived the worst. Now, he is one of those guys that offered you an out when things are bad as long as you sign your soul on the dotted line. He enjoys his trips to earth to get his marks. Pey has in his sights a big target: the Harrison family. Peyote needs a fifth-generation member to sign the contract and he knows he is close to achieving it when a new employee lands on fifth with him. Her name is Calamity and despite him knowing better, he can't seem to stop from wanting to help her. Among other issues I had with this book, I wasn't a fan of how the author made Cal have an argument with Peyote on the topic of sexism in Hell despite there being multiple female authority figures in power. I was expecting there to be more Hell-ish lore (the Devil, God, Heaven, more about the layers) as was promised, but only got paragraph after paragraph of various condiments spilling on important work papers, mildew-y towels, and a broken AC/heating unit. YAWN.