Monica, a powerful business woman, tries everything in her will to continue the chain of success her father had started, while struggling to mend her private life. Meanwhile, her younger sister, Jess, yearns for a life in the arts but must, however, cling to Monica's demands out of fear for her (Monica). Aston and Shontel are also in fear of this autocratic figure. Monica refuses to employ Shontel, who has to settle for underemployment, adding to her already filled basket of troubles. Aston is elated as he embarks on a new life in the west, earning enough money to aid his ailing mother, and having enough time to pursue Jess. But everything seems somewhat chaotic when Monica's company, as well as her love life, starts spiraling down...when Shontel's ex returns from prison...when Aston's secret starts to unravel...when Jess and Monica have to deal with an aspect of their past that they never thought would be resurrected. And so we're puzzled with the question of deception which, for most of the story, goes unanswered resulting in an intriguing combination of emotional, physical, economical, and personal wars.
Geoff and Naomi are dead, and they're depressed, but when Geoff's cat Bernie dies as well, they embark on a wild journey to find it in the underworld.
*****
When Geoff dies, alongside his girlfriend Naomi, they end up sharing an apartment in the Underworld as skeletons. But after a few years, Geoff starts suffering a mid-death crisis. What's the purpose of going through the motions as a skeleton if you can't really live? Then he gets word that his cat, Bernie, just died and he can collect him and bring him home! Geoff and Naomi hurry to get Bernie only to discover that, due to a clerical error, their cat has been lost. With the hunt for Bernie giving new purpose to Geoff's un-life, he and Naomi begin a quest to get back their cat. Battling skeleton pirates, climbing the sky ladder and facing off against the villain who took Bernie, Geoff is determined to find his purpose - or die a second time trying!
[[2018 Wattys Winner - The Originals]]
[[word count: 30,000-40,000 words]]