If you read enough of Seanan McGuire's work (especially the long running series) you'll start to recognize patterns in the pacing. Aftermarket Afterlife was an event book, pushing the main plot forward and containing the resolution of some of the ongoing threads (or at least a resolution. In true Price family fashion there's always more drama to come). Installment Immortality is an aftermath book, where the family has to deal with the consequences of the Covenant attacks that killed two family members, as well as their own retaliatory attack on the Covenant headquarters. Our narrator this time is still Mary, back from six months in the ether and not quite sure where she fits in this new afterlife order. Of course this is right about when she gets a new mission from the Anima Mundi.

The Covenant isn't happy about the attack on their headquarters, and although they don't know exactly how it happened they do know that there was a ghost involved. As a response there is a Covenant team rounding up ghosts on the east coast, trapping them in jars, and turning them into weapons. It's Mary's job to stop this, by whatever means she can. Mary's first step is to find living allies who can help out, and after running down the list of available family members she ends up with Elsie (currently angry and lashing out at the entire world) and Arthur (who is also angry, still figuring himself out, and quite possibly losing what's left of his mind). The following road trip and quest solves a few problems while bringing others more into focus. I'm nervous to find out how things are going to end up with Arthur/Artie, since it isn't looking great at the moment.

It's nice to see Mary figure herself out a bit more, and good to spend some time with Elsie and Arthur/Artie, who are the family kids we've seen the least of so far. There are a few cameos from other family members, but overall they don't appear. I feel like after this book we're probably done hearing from Mary for awhile, and I imagine that next time we'll probably be back with Sarah, Elsie, or Arthur (though Seanan could always surprise me).

The story at the end of the book takes us back to Verity in New York as she continues to deal with losing Dominic. It was nice to check in with her and see her start moving a little ways back towards functionality. Maybe she'll be the first Price to end up dealing with the loss of a spouse in a healthy manner (we can always hope!).