Outside his office, the firm moved like a well-oiled machine, busy and self-sufficient without the need for significant input, just as Wallace liked.

Three years ago, someone had asked if they could move the dial up to seventy degrees. The shades on the windows to his office were pulled shut against the afternoon sun, the air conditioning blasting harshly, keeping him alert. He made a mental note to send out a memo to remind everyone that he had a sensitive nose, and he shouldn’t be expected to work in such conditions.

One of the night staff must have spilled something in his office, the scent thick and cloying. He folded his hands on his oak desk, his Arper Aston chair squeaking as he settled in for what he was sure was going to be a case of unfortunate histrionics, all while trying to keep his nostrils from flaring at the stench of bleach and Windex. “How did you know?” she said, her cheeks wet as she reached for the Kleenex box on his desk. By turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, this absorbing tale of grief and hope is told with Klune’s signature warmth, humor, and extraordinary empathy.Īnd here is a first look at the beautiful cover (from Red Nose Studio) for Under the Whispering Door…Īs promised, a sneak peek inside Under the Whispering Door… With Hugo’s help, he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life. But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, owned by a man named Hugo, who is just a regular tea shop owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over. Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead. Set to hit bookshelves in March of next year, Under the Whispering Door is the story of “a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with.” Check out the full synopsis below: We are very excited to have a proper first look at Lambda Literary award-winning author TJ Klune’s upcoming adult fantasy novel, Under the Whispering Door, which Klune has described as “a queer romantic comedy about ghosts in a tea shop.” So… that’s a place on our Most Anticipated Books of 2021 list secured.

The whispering door book