Dead and Kicking
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Dead and Kicking
Wendy Roberts’s 2009 novel "Dead and Kicking" offers a gritty, ghost-laden take on the crime scene cleaner’s life. Sadie Novak’s profession is already a descent into the macabre, but Roberts adds the complication of a spectral father who refuses to pass on, a trope that, while familiar, is handled with a certain weary authenticity. The real hook, however, is the discovery of an infant’s mummified remains alongside an angry spirit, a potent symbol of unresolved trauma and lingering injustice. While the premise promises a potent brew of the supernatural and the grim, the narrative occasionally falters in pacing, particularly as it attempts to balance Sadie’s personal spectral entanglements with the unfolding mystery of the discovered remains. The depiction of the lying boyfriend feels somewhat underdeveloped, serving more as a plot device than a fully realized character. Nevertheless, Roberts succeeds in crafting an atmosphere where the physical detritus of death and the energetic residue of the spectral realm feel equally palpable. The strength lies in its unflinching portrayal of Sadie’s work and the unsettling nature of her spectral encounters.
"Dead and Kicking" is a competent exploration of a haunted profession, best suited for those who prefer their hauntings with a side of forensic grit.
📝 Description
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Wendy Roberts's 2009 novel, "Dead and Kicking," pairs crime scene cleanup with spectral hauntings.
Sadie Novak cleans up after violent deaths. Her job is grim, and her personal life is complicated by the ghost of her father, who has unfinished business. A romantic entanglement adds to her troubles. The narrative takes a sharp turn when a routine cleanup job uncovers mummified remains and a hostile spectral presence. This encounter forces Sadie to confront the lingering energies of the deceased and the psychological toll of her profession.
The novel emerged in 2009, a time when paranormal fiction and urban fantasy held broad appeal. Authors like Charlaine Harris and Jim Butcher had popularized stories featuring supernatural beings in everyday settings. "Dead and Kicking" fits this trend by grounding its supernatural elements in the visceral profession of crime scene remediation. Roberts's work offers a distinct perspective on the intersection of the mundane and the spectral.
Roberts's novel engages with the concept of residual hauntings, where intense emotional events or trauma leave energetic imprints on a location. It suggests that consciousness, or at least a powerful echo of it, can persist after physical death, tethered to specific places or unresolved issues. The book also touches upon the idea of spiritual entities capable of malevolence, interacting with the living world in tangible ways. This approach grounds esoteric ideas in the gritty reality of a profession that directly confronts the physical aftermath of death.
💡 Why Read This Book?
• Gain insight into the symbolic weight of mummified remains, as seen in "Dead and Kicking," which often represent arrested development and deeply buried secrets within esoteric traditions. • Experience the palpable atmosphere of a crime scene cleaner’s work, a unique lens through which Wendy Roberts explores the energetic residue of trauma, a concept echoed in psychometry. • Understand how unresolved familial ties, exemplified by Sadie's spectral father, can create energetic anchors that prevent spiritual passage, a theme frequently explored in mediumship practices.
⭐ Reader Reviews
Honest opinions from readers who have explored this book.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary profession of the protagonist in 'Dead and Kicking'?
The protagonist, Sadie Novak, is a crime scene cleaner. Her profession involves sanitizing locations where violent deaths have occurred, a role that puts her in direct contact with the physical aftermath of tragedy and, in the book's context, the spectral echoes of such events.
Who is the author of 'Dead and Kicking' and when was it first published?
The author is Wendy Roberts. 'Dead and Kicking' was first published in 2009, placing it within the surge of paranormal and urban fantasy literature of that decade.
What significant discovery does Sadie Novak make during a job in 'Dead and Kicking'?
During a job at a pack-rat mother's home, Sadie stumbles upon the mummified remains of an infant. This discovery is accompanied by the presence of an angry spirit, escalating the situation beyond a typical cleanup.
What personal supernatural complication does Sadie face in the book?
Sadie is dealing with the ghost of her father, who is reluctant to move on. This spectral presence adds a layer of personal haunting to her professional life and the other supernatural occurrences she encounters.
What is the genre of 'Dead and Kicking'?
The genre is best described as esoteric or supernatural thriller, blending elements of mystery, horror, and the paranormal with a focus on the lingering presence of the deceased and traumatic events.
What is the significance of the 'pack-rat mother' in the plot?
The 'pack-rat mother's' home is the location where Sadie is hired to work. The overwhelming clutter and the eventual discovery of the infant's remains within this environment highlight themes of neglect, hidden secrets, and the accumulation of stagnant energy.
🔮 Key Themes & Symbolism
Lingering Spirits and Unfinished Business
The narrative deeply explores the concept of spirits tethered to the earthly plane due to unresolved issues. Sadie's own father serves as a prime example, a ghost unwilling to depart. This theme draws parallels with spiritualist ideas about the persistence of consciousness and the energetic chains that bind souls, suggesting that emotional or karmic debts must be settled before true passage can occur. The angry spirit encountered at the pack-rat mother's house further emphasizes how potent negative emotions can manifest and persist, creating localized hauntings.
Trauma Imprints and Energetic Residue
Roberts vividly portrays how traumatic events leave indelible marks not just on people but on places. Sadie's job as a crime scene cleaner places her at the nexus of such residual energies. The discovery of the mummified infant is a potent symbol of buried trauma and a life violently interrupted, suggesting that such profound disruptions create strong energetic imprints. This concept aligns with theories in parapsychology and certain esoteric traditions that posit that locations can retain the emotional and psychic energy of past events.
The Liminality of Death Work
Sadie Novak occupies a unique position, constantly interacting with the immediate aftermath of death. Her profession forces a confrontation with mortality that most people avoid. This daily immersion in the physical decay and the potential for spectral remnants blurs the lines between the living and the dead, the material and the ethereal. The novel uses this perspective to explore the psychological and spiritual implications of dealing with the deceased, suggesting that such work can attune an individual to subtle energies and unseen presences.
Hidden Pasts and Familial Secrets
The plot is driven by the uncovering of a deeply disturbing secret—the mummified infant—within the seemingly mundane environment of a hoarder's home. This symbolizes how profound and horrific events can be concealed beneath layers of everyday life and personal denial. The presence of Sadie's own spectral father also points to the enduring nature of familial bonds and unresolved issues that can span across the veil of death, impacting the living.
💬 Memorable Quotes
“Sadie Novak deals with the ghost of her father, who is reluctant to move on.”
— This highlights the core personal haunting Sadie experiences, suggesting that familial ties and unresolved earthly connections can create powerful spectral anchors, preventing spirits from transitioning.
“She is hired to dig out the home of her lying boyfriend's former flame.”
— This points to the messy entanglements of Sadie's personal life intersecting with her professional duties, suggesting themes of deceit and the uncovering of hidden truths, both literal and metaphorical.
“The job gets messy when she stumbles upon an angry spirit and the mummified remains of an infant.”
— This encapsulates the central mystery and horror of the novel, linking a disturbing discovery with a hostile paranormal presence, symbolizing profound trauma and lingering spiritual disturbance.
“Roberts’s 2009 novel explores the grim realities of crime scene cleanup.”
— This emphasizes the grounded, visceral aspect of the narrative, grounding the supernatural elements in the tangible and often disturbing work of dealing with death's aftermath.
“The protagonist is tasked with sanitizing locations where violent deaths have occurred.”
— This defines Sadie's professional role, positioning her as someone who regularly confronts the physical manifestations of violent endings, making her uniquely susceptible to their lingering energetic imprints.
🌙 Esoteric Significance
Tradition
While not explicitly tied to a single esoteric lineage like Hermeticism or Gnosticism, "Dead and Kicking" resonates with themes common in modern spiritualism and parapsychology. It explores the persistence of consciousness after death and the idea that spirits can remain earthbound due to unresolved issues, a core tenet of many spiritualist movements that gained traction in the 19th century. The novel also touches upon concepts akin to psychometry and energetic imprints, where places and objects retain psychic residue from intense events or emotions, a notion explored in various occult and New Age practices.
Symbolism
The mummified infant is a potent symbol of arrested development, a life cut short and trapped in a state of perpetual infancy or potential. It signifies a profound, deeply buried trauma and a violation of natural order. The spectral father represents unresolved familial ties and the lingering influence of the past on the present, acting as an anchor that prevents spiritual transition. The 'angry spirit' embodies pure, unreleased negative energy, a manifestation of rage or pain tied to the location and the discovered remains.
Modern Relevance
Contemporary explorations of hauntings often draw on the psychological impact of trauma, mirroring the novel's focus on energetic residue. Thinkers and practitioners in fields like ghost hunting, energy healing, and even some therapeutic approaches that address generational trauma might find resonance in Roberts's depiction of how past events and unresolved emotions can manifest physically and energetically in the present. The novel contributes to a modern understanding of hauntings as potentially linked to psychic imprints rather than solely supernatural interventions.
👥 Who Should Read This Book
• Individuals interested in supernatural thrillers that ground spectral phenomena in gritty, realistic professions, offering a unique perspective on death and its aftermath. • Readers who appreciate narratives exploring the psychological and energetic impact of trauma, particularly how intense events can leave lasting impressions on places and people. • Fans of stories featuring reluctant psychics or sensitives who must confront the unseen, especially those dealing with personal connections to the spirit world.
📜 Historical Context
Published in 2009, Wendy Roberts's "Dead and Kicking" emerged within a vibrant landscape of paranormal fiction and urban fantasy. This period saw authors like Charlaine Harris achieving massive success with her Sookie Stackhouse series (starting in 2001), which similarly featured supernatural elements interacting with everyday life and professions. The genre was exploring darker, more grounded approaches to the supernatural, moving beyond traditional Gothic tropes to incorporate contemporary issues and settings. "Dead and Kicking" fits this trend by grounding its spectral encounters in the often-unseen, grim profession of crime scene remediation. While not directly engaging with academic occultism, the novel tapped into a broader cultural fascination with ghosts, hauntings, and the persistence of consciousness after death, a fascination that had seen resurgences throughout the 20th century, notably with the rise of spiritualism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The reception of such works often involved discussions about their psychological realism and their exploration of societal anxieties surrounding death and the unknown.
📔 Journal Prompts
Sadie Novak's spectral father and his reluctance to move on.
The mummified infant as a symbol of arrested development.
The energetic residue left by violent events in crime scenes.
The concept of a 'lying boyfriend's former flame' as a narrative device.
The profession of crime scene cleanup and its connection to the ethereal.
🗂️ Glossary
Crime Scene Cleaner
A professional who sanitizes and restores locations where violent deaths or traumatic events have occurred. This role often involves confronting the physical remnants of death and decay.
Spectral Father
Refers to the ghost of Sadie Novak's deceased father, who remains tethered to the living world due to unresolved issues or a reluctance to pass on.
Mummified Remains of an Infant
A disturbing discovery made by Sadie Novak, symbolizing profound trauma, a life prematurely ended, and potentially hidden secrets within a domestic environment.
Angry Spirit
A hostile supernatural entity encountered at a crime scene, likely a manifestation of intense negative emotion or unresolved trauma associated with the location.
Pack-rat Mother
The owner of the house where Sadie is hired to work; her hoarding is indicative of psychological distress and potentially conceals the central mystery of the infant's remains.
Energetic Imprint
The idea, explored in the novel, that places can retain psychic or emotional energy from past events, influencing the atmosphere and potentially manifesting as hauntings.
Reluctant to Move On
Describes spirits, like Sadie's father, who remain earthbound due to unfinished business, emotional attachments, or an unwillingness to accept their transition from the physical world.
