This was a fun read- a mix of heartwarming relationships and murder! Look forward to the next one from Joanna Wallace and will be recommending to others!

When I read this book's blurb I was really keen to read it and immediately requested an ARC from Netgalley. I am hugely grateful to NetGalley and Audible for the opportunity to read this ARC. Unfortunately, however, from the start I found I didn't really enjoy this as an audiobook and I only continued out of stubborness. The narrator's voice just didn't work for me - the voices just didn't sound real, and some people just sounded 'slow'. I had hoped that it would be worth continuing for the content of the book but the main protagonist Beth and the way she described others annoyed me intensely and as she spiralled more and more out of control the book became more and more unbelievable. Apologies to the author for only giving this a 3* - I'm afraid this book just wasn't for me

Feminist serial killer books have become hugely popular in recent years and Eve Kellman has added another to the pile with How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways.

As with many others in this genre HTKAGITW centres around a deplorable yet somehow likeable female lead character who takes pleasure in killing not so wholesome men.

Does it work? Yes and no. It has plenty of those deeply dark yet hilarious gallows humour moments however it does run away with itself leading to a few eye rolls at the end.

I switched between kindle and audiobook and found the audiobook definitely increased my enjoyment. The narrators characterisation really brought the female lead to life.

Overall, an enjoyable pacey book which was let down slightly by its ending.

3.5/5

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This is a crime fiction novel which follows Beth, a single mom, who is convinced that the death of her best friend Charlotte wasn't an accident. This was the first book that I’ve read by this author and I have to say this will not be my last!
Beth is such a likeable character, yes she is a denial alcoholic but she has had a really tough year what with her husband leaving her for a friend and her best friend Charlotte dying. She learns something about the night that Charlotte died, which sets the wheels in motion for her uncovering much more about that fateful night. Beth is an unreliable narrator and she is all over the place at times, with her lifestyle choices but I did really feel sorry for her throughout most of the book

Being perfectly honest, I wasn't entirely sure if I was going to like this book but I ended up loving it! Beth is initially a character that I struggled to care about but I kept listening to the audiobook and I grew to love her and pity her disastrous life in equal measure. I sympathised with her obsession over Charlotte's death and how everyone around her thought it was the ramblings of an overly stressed and exhausted single mother of three - something which they came to regret. The characters were incredibly fun and well-developed and the narrator's accents were impeccable, making it feel like there were multiple speakers rather than one. The author also planted multiple red herrings and set me up to believe that character X was the killer, which initially irritated me because I kept thinking "surely it can't be that obvious" - until the grand reveal at the end where I realised "no, actually, it's not that obvious". I was completely blindsided by who the killer was until Beth herself started to get suspicious of them, and as someone who devours crime novels and can usually figure it out before the end, it was a wonderful relief to realise that there was, in fact, a plot twist!

I enjoyed the character dynamics in this one, it was a relatively unlikeable bunch with some complicated drama between them. I found the narrative of the story from Beth’s pov engaging and humorous and it was a really easy listen.

Whilst I loved listening to Beth’s hot mess of a life I found the mystery plot line of the book quite predictable from early on, so I have conflicted feelings about this one - I enjoyed it, it was a fun read, but I’d have preferred the puzzle to have been more of a challenge to solve.

Still one I’d recommend to fans of this genre though!

Jo Wallace brings us yet another brilliant comedy crime caper!

If you love an unreliable narrator then strap in for this one because Beth is kind of a mess 😂 I had no idea whether to trust her viewpoint on things given her fairly heavy dependence on alcohol and how overwhelmed she was with everything else going on in her life, but that only made it more fun trying to guess who killed Charlotte - if anyone did! 👀

This one definitely felt heavier on the comedy and parenting aspect than the crime element, so don’t expect an action packed thriller as it’s far more fun and entertaining than that! It was also surprisingly relatable as a mum of a young child and all the one-upmanship going on at the school gates etc, not to mention the pressure of a play date at YOUR house! 😱 The play date scene with the dog was possibly one of the most laugh out loud moments though, and Wilfred (I think, my memory is awful for names!) was one of my favourites obviously.

A brilliant read, and if you’re only just discovering Jo make sure you also pick up You’d Look Better As A Ghost as that’s one of my favourites!

This is a tough story. Beth is having a torrid time. Nearly a year ago her best friend tragically died in a random accident where she was hit by a car in the road outside her own house, Beth has trouble accepting this was an accident. Soon after her Charlotte’s death, Beth’s husband leaves her, for one of her other school mum friends.

These events lead Beth down the slippery slope into alcoholism a path she has trodden before.

The whole set of Mummy friends seem to be a horrible bunch of women, I can’t say I warmed to any of the characters. It was an ok read, but found it a little slow. It wasn’t particularly hard to solve the mystery. Not really one I would recommend, but passable. I give this 3/5.

I listened to the audiobook and Imogen Church is the most enthusiastic narrator out there- I loved every second of it! She made me laugh out loud several times and feel everything the author was expressing. The plot was interesting and the ending was unexpected. Highly recommend!

This wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't for me. The FMC has a drinking problem so might be paranoid or might have a sixth sense. I feel like this might be intended to be like a murder mystery maybe? Kinda felt like it was inspired by Girl On The Train. Ended on a bit of a cliff hanger. I feel like suburban moms with a bit of an inferiority complex might enjoy this one.

Unfortunately although I quite liked the plot of this book I really struggled to enjoy it. The characters seemed like charictures and I think that might have been in part because of the narrator making them sound a bit ridiculous.

Gritty, witty and full of heart!

Beth's husband left her for one of her friends, the other playground mums are all perfect (they're really not!) and Beth's close friend Charlotte died last year. Everything is a bit much at the moment and Beth is drinking way too much.

At the start of the new school year, Beth meets the family who have moved into Charlotte's old house and as the cliquey playground gossip starts up again, Beth overhears one of the other mums saying that Charlotte left her toddler son home alone the night she died. That changes everything. Beth knows that Charlotte would never have gone out and left her child alone, leading her to question what really happened.

Part murder mystery, part psychological thriller and definitely a big chunk of dry, sarcy, snippy humour, with fabulous characterisation, I loved it!

With narration by Imogen Church, my no.1 favourite narrator, this is an absolute winner!

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Joanna Wallace and Profile / Viper for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Beth is dealing with a lot right now. Still mourning her friend Charlotte who was killed in a car accident almost a year ago, shortly followed by her husband leaving her for another close friend, leaving her with 3 young children, it's been a tough year.

Back on the school run and the playground mums haven't changed much, making missing Charlotte even harder. But she still has the niggling feeling that something didn't make sense from the night if the accident, so taking advantage of some child-free time while they are with their dad, she starts investigating!

This was an entertaining read with Beth being a great character and easy to get behind while she tried to solve the mystery. The school mums were scarily accurate and if you have at any point done a school run, you will definitely be able to recognise most of them!

Beth’s life hasn't been the same ever since her husband has left her for her friend, on the same night her best friend died in an accident while out for a late night run. A year later and still not having recovered, Beth finds something out about the night her friend Charlotte died, and it sets her on a path to discover what actually happened to her.

This was such a fun, entertaining read. I listened to the audiobook, and I genuinely couldn't stop. The plot was captivating, and the characters were each so different and unique in their own ways, it made it all that much more fun. The narrator did an incredible job, and made the listening experience truly one of the best.

I had my ideas of where it was going, and I have never been so happy to be proven wrong before in my life. It really did surprise me in the best way, and I thought it was a really fun way to wrap it all up.

I really enjoyed Beth as a character as well, there was so unintentionally funny about her, no matter how unhinged her thoughts were. You could also really feel how lost she felt at moments, and you couldn't help but feel bad for her when things started going particularly wrong.

Many many thanks to Profile Books Audio & NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley, Joanna Wallace and Profile Books Audio | Viper for the audio Arc of The Dead Friend Project
Narrated by Imogen Church.

This is the first book by Joanna Wallace and I really enjoyed it. The MC, Beth, life is slowly falling apart since her best friend, Charlotte died after being hit by a car. Beth, even though consumed with grief, knows there's something not quite right because she knows that her fired wouldn't go out in the middle of the night to run. Charlotte was the only person that would accept Beth as a whole person. What would she do without her and what really happened that night?

This book is such a rollercoaster of a ride and I feel that many a reader will be able to relate to this book. Whether it's the Judgy Playground mum dynamics down to that all consuming grief. You will have some laugh out loud moments and some tears in the eyes moments,. The plot is very well balanced with the character building. My heart really went out to Beth, trying to do her best and fit in, thinking that everyone else is perfect and she isn't is very relatable which made her a very likeable character. Im wondering if we shall see more of Beth and her friends in any more of Joanna's books in the future. I hope so.

Imogen Church has a great dymanic voice for these characters in this book and they are all distinguishable. As always Imogen brings an already great book to life.

4.25 stars for Storygraph. 4 stars for other review websites.

OMG, Joanna Wallace has hit it out of the park again. Beth’s life is in free fall - her best friend Charlotte was killed a year ago and on the same night her husband left her for her other best friend Jade. With three small children and the ‘perfect’ playground mums to cope with Beth is struggling until she suddenly realises that Charlotte‘s death wasn’t an accident and Beths life suddenly has focus as she attempts to find out what happened. I just love this novel and couldn’t put it down. The characterisation is spot-on and I laughed so much at the authors dark humour. The playground politics are surely played out in many schools around the country and I certainly met mothers just like these. No more spoilers but just run out and buy this novel. I’ve also been fortunate enough to listen to the audio of the novel and the narrator. Imogen Church is just brilliant and her narration and characterisation brings the novel to life. I can’t wait for more from this author and recommend her previous novel. You’d look better as a Ghost. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced, copy and audio of this novel in return for an honest review.

The Dead Friend Project is the second novel by British author, Joana Wallace. The audio version is narrated by Imogen Church. Beth was hit hard when her best friend Charlotte died in a road accident almost a year ago. And when, soon after that, she discovered that her husband was having an affair with her friend, Jade, she withdrew.

Now, she’s back at the school gate for the start of the new school year, discovering it’s same old, same old with the competitive, judgemental school mums. She does meet a new mum whose attitude is more like her own. Ana, her husband and two daughters have moved into the house where Charlotte lived. But then a comment about how Charlotte died seems completely out of character for the friend she still misses so much.

She starts asking some questions of those who were around at the time, and each tidbit she learns increases her doubt about the accidental nature of Charlotte’s death: ”She was training for a marathon. In the dark? After she’d run ten miles earlier that same day? And she was drinking wine. Her toddler was in the house. Why would she suddenly leave him and go out for a run? It doesn’t make sense.”

One evening when her children are with their father and her ex-good-friend, she sets out what she knows, aided by quite a lot of wine, and comes up with theories about what might have happened. The school mums, though, aren’t persuaded. Meanwhile, Beth is leaning more and more heavily on alcohol, to the concern of her friends and her ex.

Then another mum dies, and Beth becomes convinced it’s linked to Charlotte’s death, and that both are revenge killings. Soon, her wild theories about possible witnesses and potential murderers, and her frank assessments of the school mums are alienating those who care most for her. But is she right?

The story is told over a dual timeline, with Beth occasionally recalling incidents in the lead-up to, and immediate aftermath of, Charlotte’s death. Beth’s inner monologue is often laugh-out-loud funny, although she can also be quite snarky. She claims to feel judged by other mums but, until it is pointed out, fails to recognise her many eyerolls as judgement of others. Her reliability as a narrator comes into question when the volume of her alcohol consumption is revealed.

Wallace’s depiction of the school-gate interactions radiates authenticity, and Beth’s and Ana’s questioning of their priorities is entirely valid: “everyone loves to judge the parent of a screaming child. You’ll be judged. Mostly by other parents. They love to judge, almost as much as they love to compete and everything becomes a competition once you have children.”

This is a tale with characters who will feel familiar to anyone with young children. There’s lots of dark humour, a plot with plenty of red herrings and a few twists, a major meltdown and an utterly wicked final chapter. Entertaining British crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Profile Books.

Once again Joanna Wallace has given us an incredible read. Quite how she manages to blend dark sinister elements and side splitting humour is just a talent. The mystery of Beth’s best friend Charlotte’s death is at the centre of this story. Everyone believes it was an accident except Beth. She can’t accept that Charlotte would have behaved the way everyone claims she did the night of her death. So Beth sets out to prove that there’s been some mistake and it wasn’t accidental. But Beth’s life isn’t easy either since her husband’s ran off with her other best friend Jade. Then there are the other mums, so perfect in Beth’s eyes, and the new family who moved into Charlotte’s house. Still, in spite of all this, Beth is determined to find out the truth and so begins her new project. The school mums are just brilliant: anyone who’s spent time in the school playground will recognise them. The school politics are just hilarious. The mystery of what happened kept me guessing throughout, and just when I’d think I’d worked it out, in would come another twist. Such a clever book! I can’t wait for more from Joanna.
What an absolutely brilliant audio book! Narrator, Imogen Church is simply incredible. She brings each character to life with her amazing voices, truly capturing the essence of them. I’ve loved listening to this book and literally laughed out loud many a time.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Serpent’s Tail, Viper Books for an arc in exchange for a review.

Wow, what a fantastic book this was- my first from Joanna Wallace and definitely won’t be my last. I absolutely loved Beth, she was so funny and the kind of school mum friend I would have loved to have when my boys were younger.

The book follows Beth as she navigates school run life after her friend Charlotte dies whilst also dealing with her husband leaving her for her best friend.

One day something is mentioned about Charlottes death on the playground which doesn’t add up to Beth. She then goes on a mission to find out what really happened to Charlotte with the help of wine, except she can’t quite work out what she has written under the influence.

This book will have you laughing and crying and also thinking you’ve worked out what’s happening to then be proved wrong!

Imogen Church’s narration of the audiobook version is just brilliant. Sometimes I find some narrators can sound quite cringey but she was just brilliant from start to finish.

Highly recommend both book and audiobook version!

At first I was so intrigued by the story of this book. The idea of the main character, Beth, trying to figure out if her best friends death was an accident or not really hooked me. However, I think this really fell flat for me. Some moments and chapters seemed to drag on which made me loose interest. Moments were also very repetitive.
I have read better mysteries and I am unsure if I would recommend this as it didn't keep my interest all the time.
Thank you for netgally for allowing me early access to this book.