They say there are only two things you can count on. But that was before Death started pondering the existential. Of course, the last thing anyone needs is a squeamish Grim Reaper and soon his Discworld bosses have sent him off with best wishes and a well-earned gold watch. Now Death is having the time of his life, finding greener pastures where he can put his scythe to a whole new use.

But like every cutback in an important public service, Death's demise soon leads to chaos and unrest - literally, for those whose time was supposed to be up, like Windle Poons. The oldest geezer in the entire faculty of Unseen University - home of magic, wizardry, and big dinners - Windle was looking forward to a wonderful afterlife, not this boring been-there-done-that routine. To get the fresh start he deserves, Windle and the rest of Ankh-Morpork's undead and underemployed set off to find Death and save the world for the living (and everybody else, of course).