diff --git a/src/check-published/index.ts b/src/check-published/index.ts
index c87c1ef..c143266 100644
--- a/src/check-published/index.ts
+++ b/src/check-published/index.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { promisify } from 'node:util';
 import { exec } from 'node:child_process';
 import { debug } from 'debug';
 
-import slackPost from './slack';
+import slackPost, { postErrorToSlack } from './slack';
 
 const execAsync = promisify(exec);
 
@@ -29,11 +29,28 @@ async function getVersionFromNPM(packageName: string): Promise<string> {
 
 export async function main(): Promise<void | boolean> {
   log('Action starting');
-  const mainPackageJson = await getLocalPackageJson('package.json');
+  let mainPackageJson: PackageJSON;
+  try {
+    mainPackageJson = await getLocalPackageJson('package.json');
+  } catch {
+    const errorMessage = 'Action failed - could not read package.json';
+    await postErrorToSlack(errorMessage);
+    log(errorMessage);
+    throw new Error(errorMessage);
+  }
+
   log(`Main package.json - name ${mainPackageJson.name} - version ${mainPackageJson.version}`);
 
   // run npm show to get the latest version published
-  const latestVersion = await getVersionFromNPM(mainPackageJson.name);
+  let latestVersion: string;
+  try {
+    latestVersion = await getVersionFromNPM(mainPackageJson.name);
+  } catch {
+    const errorMessage = `Action failed - could not get latest version from npm - name: ${mainPackageJson.name}`;
+    await postErrorToSlack(errorMessage);
+    throw new Error(errorMessage);
+  }
+
   log(`Latest version published - ${latestVersion}`);
 
   if (mainPackageJson.version !== latestVersion) {
diff --git a/src/check-published/slack.ts b/src/check-published/slack.ts
index c2a72e7..6505150 100644
--- a/src/check-published/slack.ts
+++ b/src/check-published/slack.ts
@@ -16,17 +16,7 @@ export interface SlackMessage {
   ];
 }
 
-export default async function (serviceName: string, mainVersion: string, npmVersion: string): Promise<void> {
-  const slackMessage: SlackMessage = {
-    text: `*${serviceName} - missing publish*`,
-    attachments: [
-      {
-        color: 'danger',
-        text: `*Details* \n - version in main: *${mainVersion}* \n - npm version published: *${npmVersion}*`,
-      },
-    ],
-  };
-
+async function postSlackMessage(slackMessage: SlackMessage): Promise<void> {
   try {
     const slackUrl = process.env['SLACK_PUBLISH_MISMATCH'];
     assert(slackUrl);
@@ -41,3 +31,29 @@ export default async function (serviceName: string, mainVersion: string, npmVers
     throw new Error(`slack HTTP POST Error: ${String(slackPostError)}`);
   }
 }
+
+export async function postErrorToSlack(errorMessage: string): Promise<void> {
+  const slackMessage: SlackMessage = {
+    text: `*Check Published Failure*`,
+    attachments: [
+      {
+        color: 'danger',
+        text: `*Details* \n - ${errorMessage}*`,
+      },
+    ],
+  };
+  await postSlackMessage(slackMessage);
+}
+
+export default async function (serviceName: string, mainVersion: string, npmVersion: string): Promise<void> {
+  const slackMessage: SlackMessage = {
+    text: `*${serviceName} - missing publish*`,
+    attachments: [
+      {
+        color: 'danger',
+        text: `*Details* \n - version in main: *${mainVersion}* \n - npm version published: *${npmVersion}*`,
+      },
+    ],
+  };
+  await postSlackMessage(slackMessage);
+}