When I Was Death

Brought to you by Penguin.

Final Destination meets House of Hollow in this haunting and lyrical speculative horror about a group of girls doing Death’s bidding in exchange for preserving their own lives.

Roslyn Volk isn’t herself any more. It’s been a year since her older sister, Adeline, was found dead in the woods under suspicious circumstances, and she’s still shackled by grief. When six mysterious girls appear in town one morning, Roslyn finds herself inexplicably drawn to them, soon learning that Adeline spent her last summer with the group.

Desperate to find out what really happened to her sister, Roslyn agrees to accompany the girls on their road trip. But this strange sisterhood share an inconceivable secret. All of them have been spared from Death’s clutches and now must pay for the privilege. Gifted with Death’s touch, the girls travel the country reaping souls in return for preserving their own lives.

As Roslyn becomes more entangled with the girls, in particular the group's leader Shiloh, and begins to kill on behalf of Death, she learns things that make her question her whole life. Did she ever truly know her sister? And how well does she know herself . . . ?

© Alexis Henderson 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026