Joel Foster is a hapless twenty-something. His girlfriend, Beth Lewis, would likely have been a hapless twenty-something, too, had she not been obliterated by a very large cement truck.

Some time after Beth’s tragic death, Joel is still trying to juggle grief with the world of modern dating. And while he still feels like a widower, he has to find a new love before three years is up.

The catch? Just as Joel thinks he’s finally falling for someone, he starts getting haunted by Beth. It’s not a ghost story, it’s a love story. With ghosts.

Nearly Departed is novelist Lucas Oakeley's first work of fiction. When not writing novels, Lucas is a food journalist and book influencer tirelessly recommending books for boys and advocating for men in general to choose reading over watching YouTube Shorts, flirting with ChatGPT or disappearing down another Reddit hole.

Starting the new year over a gorgeous Ethiopian plate, he and Jack discuss men, love and modern book culture.

Lucas and Jack meet at Zeret Kitchen in Camberwell, South London.

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