A Death in Toledo

By: Frank J Edler

Narrated by: Ron Gabaldon

Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Lawrence Nurdle fancies himself a Goth Edgelord. His girlfriend isn't impressed. To convince her he's the edgiest guy in Toledo, Ohio, he joins a coven of vampires. The vampires kill Lawrence.

Death just wants to enjoy a ballgame. But Death has a job to do and must collect the soul of Lawrence Nurdle. There's just one problem. Death can only collect the souls of the dead and Lawrence is now undead, like the rest of the vampires.

Death must fight the clock to convince Lawrence to slay himself and die all the way before time runs out and Death dies for failing to escort a soul to the Hereafter.

©2021 Frank J. Edler (P)2021 Frank J. Edler

An Edgy and Hilarious Journey

Let's chat about "A Death in Toledo" by Frank J. Edlar. This book is a wild ride, blending comedy and horror like you wouldn't believe. It's the sequel to "Death Gets a Book" and keeps up the fun and frights with Lawrence Nurdle, a wannabe Goth Edgelord turned vampire. But, when Death comes knocking, Lawrence isn't ready to roll over and die.

Edlar really knows how to successfully mix the bizarre with the eerie, and he gives us a fresh, new perspective on Death's daily grind. The story is a crazy whirl of supernatural shenanigans, hidden pop culture gems, and a dark sense of humor that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

Edlar's got a knack for tickling your funny bone. He's got a gift for making you giggle with witty one-liners and unexpected musical nods. The characters, from Lawrence who cares a little too much what people think so he goes into goth overload, to his hard-headed girlfriend Amber, and the punk lost boy vampires, add to the humor and keep the story lively.


Alright, some bits might feel a bit exaggerated, but that's the fun of "A Death in Toledo." Just roll with it and soak in the wild mix of laughs and edginess that Edlar's crafted.

For those who enjoy audiobooks, you're in for a bonus. Ron Gabaldon narrates the book and his voice really brings the characters to life, perfectly syncing with the book's comedic timing.

So, bottom line, "A Death in Toledo" is a great pick if you're looking for a clever, laugh-out-loud story that's not afraid to get a little weird. Edlar's unique storytelling and sharp wit make this book a standout. I'd give it a solid 4 1/2 stars - it's a fun, entertaining read that mixes comedy and horror in a really unique way.

Now, about the question, "Was there a little too much talk about baseball?" Maybe, just maybe. But was it edgy? You'll have to ask Lawrence for that one. As for me, I'm not scared of the Reaper anymore. Even after I finished the last chapter, I couldn't stop thinking about all those memorable bits. Plus, the tunes of The Great Rock Box of New Jersey are still playing in my head, making this comedic journey even more unforgettable.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, and the following review reflects my genuine opinion.

death and baseball

This is a silly mindless satire to just sit back and let the waves roll over you and enjoy. Don't try to make sense of it; just lrt it happen. The puking scene was especially humorous to me. I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest review. The narrator did a great job bringing it to life (or death) as the case may be.

Vampyre poser + music references

I think my husband (who was overhearing my book as we cooked a weekend meal) said it best: Most of this is dumb but the rest is pure genius. I bounced back and forth between rolling my eyes, groaning in response to the dad jokes and laughing out loud at the spot-on snark and well-placed music references. It did take me a little while to get into the story. It starts off with man-child Lawrence angry with his ex-girlfriend (who just broke up with him), threatening to kill her entire family in retribution. Amber (if I recall correctly) doesn’t believe him, but we all know f at least 1 real-world incident of some young man in this exact situation following through on his threats.

Anyhoo, after the vampires kill Lawrence, I really got into it. The vampires are a motley crew and their den is kind of like a messy frat house. They aren’t particularly organized and most of them lack any ambition at all. Yet they made me laugh and they were, for the most part, positive influences on Lawrence (who was pretty far down my list of likable characters and needed all the help he could get).

Then in walks Death. She’s got her hands full trying to collect her assigned souls and get them to the river Styx in a timely manner. Her current management isn’t too happy with her right now, so she needs to shine. These vampires aren’t making her life easy. But eventually she comes up with a plan for how to get Lawrence to cross over… yet nothing is going according to plan.

Full of pop culture and music references, there’s a lot to laugh at here. Sometimes the humor was spot on and had me chuckling and sometimes it was a total face-palm complete with groan. I didn’t get all of the music references but I got enough of them to appreciate their inclusion in the story. I also enjoyed how the story made fun of Lawrence and his petty, poser ways. Don’t be like Lawrence!

I would have liked a few more female characters and while Death was awesome, the guys often comment on her sexuality (or lack of it because she’s just bones in a robe). Amber is just a recalcitrant romantic interest. The story moves along at a good clip and it was a fun, easy read for a day of chores and cooking. It was cute. 3/5 stars.

The Narration: Ron Gabaldon has a fun voice. For the most part, I liked his narration. A few times, for a few of the characters, his voice was a little cartoony or over-done. Like Lawrence always sounds a bit exaggerated, but he’s also written that way. Still, if you don’t like Lawrence to begin with (and since he gets a lot of page time), Lawrence doesn’t need any more help being annoying. He had good female character voices and his pacing was perfect. There were no tech issues with this recording. 4/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own.

Clever and fun, but something is missing

I listened to this story, and almost from the start it felt like it was good, but something was missing. I think it felt like it needed a final editor to clean things up and just polish off some of the rough edges, and then it would be perfect. The concept, characters, and general story were great, and some of the ideas were absolute masterpieces. But is was just missing some finesse. I can't really explain it any other way. But is was so much fun that it still deserves a good rating.

My biggest nitpick with the story is that fact that somehow (hopefully not a spoiler alert) the author arranges things so that Death plays vampires in a baseball game, The Death team does not have enough players to load the bases, schoolyard rules, and not once did I hear the phrase "ghost on first." If this is not the perfect opportunity to use ghost rules, I don't know what is. Maybe the idea is just too obvious, but I was expecting it while I listened, and felt cheated when the author missed the opportunity.

Anyway, this is an enjoyable story, and well worth a credit.

I was given a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review.

Death chases vampires in Ohio

Another great offbeat story by Frank Edler. I loved the dialogue between Lawrence and Death when she was trying to take him - “what are you - my mother?”
Petulant teenage vampires! This book was a really fun listen because of the wonderful narration by Ron Gabaldon of all the different characters with unique voices. Definitely an enjoyable read and highly recommended.

A Satire with a Grim Reaper

This was a Satire where a young man believes he has Vampyre blood in his veins and wants to actually become a real Vampire. You have one of the Deaths (Grim Reaper) wearing a tattered
(Trade mark) Black robe with a Synth.
This personally was not my cup of tea, but generally funny. Narrator does a lovely job on this Story.

Okay Listening

This was a story that I enjoyed from beginning to end, it had great characters and story line, The narration by Ron Gabaldon was good... I would recommend this to others...I received this audiobook for free in a promotion, and I am giving my voluntary review.