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.

3.25*

I had heard amazing things about Joanna Wallace's debut, You'd Look Better As a Ghost, so I knew, after seeing the premise of The Dead Friend Project, that I really wanted to read it. Overall, I'm glad I read it but I didn't love it like I hoped I would.

In this humour led, mystery style contemporary fiction story we meet Beth, a struggling mum of young children. Her husband left her for a close friend, she feels that she doesn't match up to the other mums on the school run, and her best friend - Charlotte, was killed in a road traffic accident with too many loose ends for it to have been accidental in Beth's alcohol addled mind.

What follows is a story of a woman spiralling ever downwards into alcoholism and despair whilst her friends and family watch on, unable (or unwilling) to help as she sets off on a single person mission to solve the mystery of Charlotte's death.

I'll admit, I'm not a mum so I've not encountered the school run types which make up the character tropes we see here and so they come across for most of the novel as unfunny and pretty one dimensional. That is aside of Ana, who I loved and Emily, who gets her redemption at the end! I also struggled Beth's issues with alcohol. I'm sure they were trying to be handled realistically and sensitively, especially towards the end, but they were repetitive and for the most part read like 'Wine Mom' memes that are all over social media, and the attempts to make them humorous felt a little uncomfortable to me. There was also generally a lack of empathy from other characters, not helped by how dramatic Beth is throughout the book which made for uncomfortable reading

The humour though, when it worked, worked well, and I'm sure for parents the exhausting merry go round of children, activities and play dates rings so true and adds to the experience of the story - The reveal for why one of the characters unfortunately died was awful and so funny at the same time that I can absolutely see it happening in many a home.

I was fortunate enough to get the eBook and Audiobook for this and despite my misgivings about elements of the story, found that it absolutely flew by and I basically read it in one sitting. The audiobook is well produced and Imogen Church makes for an incredibly effective narrator. I think that is what saved the reading experience for me. She truly captured the pace and style of the narrative and did so many different voices so well that each one had an identity and personality that came to life and she captured the breathless exuberance of youth brilliantly.

This is a fast paced story that fits the mania of Beth's mission and has almost cosy mystery elements to it. I identified in Beth traits I've seen in many other people who have substance use problems and so the ending, whilst frustrating in many ways also felt realistic.

Definitely a hit and miss book for me but it hasn't put me off trying Joanna Wallace's first book which I think may suit me better as I really enjoyed the humour when it landed and I did like the writing style. I just think the setting wasn't right for me but I think fans of Jane Fallon or those with children or who do the school run will delight in the character tropes, conversations and sense of identity seen in the characters here.

Thank you to NetGalley and Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books | Viper for a digital review copy of "The Dead Friend Project" and Profile Books Audio | Viper for a review copy of the Audiobook, both in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

I listened to this on audiobook. It’s not my normal read but I thought I’d give it a go. The story centers around Beth who has lost her husband to her friend following an affair and her best friend Charlotte who died the previous year having been knocked down by a car.

Beth has been in a slow decline since the loss of her best fiend, binge drinking and obsessing that her friends death wasn’t an accident. The story follows Beth through her newly single life, being a mum and a descent into becoming an alcoholic.

The book is very reminiscent of motherland in the playground cliques, bad play dates and cheesy social events. Some events made me cringe and not in a good way. Motherland made me laugh as I could see myself in some of the situations, I don’t feel that here.

What I liked about the book was its sense of humour and the unreliable narrators decent into a crisis. What I didn’t like were the cliches, a narrator who was overly dramatic and the fact I didn’t actually like a single character. There was a complete lack of empathy from any of the characters and I failed to find any redeeming features to like any of them. I also thought the male figures in the book were very much caricatures and 1 dimensional.

I’m afraid this one wasn’t for me.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 4*
Writing skill : 4*
Plot: 4*
Pace: 4*
Characters: 4*
Humor: 4*
Narrator: 4*

There are not many books I devour in a day, but as I had both the ebook and audio versions of this book I flew through it. Having read 'You'd Look Better as a Ghost' last year I knew I was going to like this book. The author creates great (yet maybe infuriating) characters in which she put them in comical situations. I tell you, if I ever come across a mum like Emily im not only moving schools but counties.

The narrator is great, having listened to her a few times before. She does accents impeccably and gives each character a unique quality.

A cozy mystery that will have you smiling and questioning all the main characters right until the very end. A super fun time.

Prepare to open the floodgates of your emotions, this one will tap into them all, and you'll enjoy every single moment. Imogen Church expertly delivers Beth's narrative in all its snarky glory, really bringing her to life.

I really enjoyed the narration of this book.
The book was the first one I have read by this author and the title intrigued me.
For me personally I found the characters a little grating throughout I was hoping it would develop a little more.
Overall I found it enjoyable and was curious how it would all play out.

At first I thought I knew what I was getting in to with Joanna Wallace's The Dead Friend Project - after all, the genre of the moment seems to be Bridget Jones-esq female-serial killers, thanks in large to Bella Mackie. But The Dead Friend Project actually heads in a different (and frankly darker) direction. Darker than murder? Yes.

Things haven't been going well for Beth since Charlotte died - her best friend, a favourite at the school pick-ups and the only person to ever run an interesting PTA meeting. But after being hit by a car while on an ill-timed evening jog, Charlotte is no longer there to help Beth pick up the pieces of her increasingly difficult life.

That is, until Beth discovers that Charlotte left her toddler alone in the house during that fatal run. The Charlotte she knew would never do something so irresponsible, and suddenly Beth is questioning whether Charlotte's death was really an accident. With a newfound purpose and a glass of wine in hand, it's time for Beth to uncover what really happened to her best friend. And what better place to start than the circle of chatty school mums, who can't be as perfect as they pretend. But which of them is hiding something? Beth's determined to find out. Once she's put the kids to bed, of course...

I dipped in and out of interest with this read. It didn't have me gripped all the way through, and there were certainly moments that I thought could have been waaaaaaay shorter, but unfortunately I also thought the ending was sloppily rushed. On the bright side, there were some brilliant twists and turns. I really liked the narrative voice, and Beth's internal monologues were very well written. It was very easy to feel sorry for Beth, and although I didn't agree with a lot of her choices, I found myself rooting for her.

I was let down by the ending, it just felt like a sad full circle moment and left Beth heading in exactly the same spiral once again. An enjoyable read, but not a incredible one - shame, because the plot could have been really great!

I LOVED this author’s first book and so I was eagerly anticipating the next book she wrote.
Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as her last book. There is a lot of second hand embarrassment generated by the main character and I found I was cringing too hard and too often that it detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
On the flip side, the author has absolutely nailed the school run crowd. If you have ever experienced a school run or play date , you will both laugh and relate so hard to that element of book.
This is also where the narrator shines. She does a brilliant job of providing a variety of voices and invokes the caricatures of each school mum perfectly.

5⭐️ for the narration
3⭐️ for the plot
1⭐️ for the ending.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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I found the ending really, really frustrating. Beth’s descent into alcoholism was always going to be uncomfortable to listen to, but I was so invested in the mystery of Charlotte’s death that a satisfactory ending and some answers would have really helped me enjoy the book more. I get that’s Beth’s obsession and alcoholism meant she was going to be an unreliable narrator but I really wanted it specified whether it was a) an accident or b) the woman with Munchausens by proxy or c) Beth herself with her big bird costume.

I loved the promotional blurb for the book The Dead Friend Project by Joanna Wallace and was excited to be getting an advance e-audiobook to review.

It felt a bit like some of the characters from ‘Motherland’ with a sprinkle of murder. I really wanted to love the audiobook, however I really struggled with the narration. I gave it a few goes, but unfortunately didn’t finish. That said, I will revisit the book but as a book. I do want to know what happened.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Profile Books Audio / Viper, for making the e-audiobook available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Unreliability and low-self esteem with the Yummy Mummy playground crowd. And murder.

Audiobook that quite cleverly played with my opinions of the characters with voices. We can all empathise with Beth - feeling judged for still being overweight after a baby. For feeling like an awful mum when a child falls off equipment at school and needs to be checked out at hospital. And especially when we learn that her husband has had an affair with one of her friends and now has a nice sparkly new life with her, and the kids like it round their house more. I'm not a drinker myself but her self-medication by alcohol is understandable, though clearly excessive.

Heartstrings are also tugged as we learn about her best friend Charlotte, doctor and supermum, hit and killed by a car last year on Halloween. Beth's brain fog is pierced when she learns randomly that Charlotte left her house for a run with a small child still there alone when she was struck by the vehicle... that just doesn't make sense. And thus her shambolic detective work begins, a purpose in her grief.

I couldn't fully 'like' Beth, the portrayal of her by the narrator is overkill at times, dramatic, too comedic. I empathised with her situation but could also see her insecurities and low self-esteem putting others on pedestals and being oh so rude to everyone around her. She is also almost without empathy herself at moments of high emotion/drama/upset.

Though as the story progressed, I actually felt the forethought and design coming into play (I won't say more than this). Some things I didn't like at the start about the narration made more sense come the last pages.

A wide range of 'Mums' (dads/men are voiced fairly poorly I thought, and only feature in a handful of scenes), with a few stereotypes (not always earned or fair on the characters) and a plot that does make you wonder what's going on. I can clearly see many of them on screen.

I liked the character development of Beth by the end, though I almost wish the last few lines hadn't been written, even though I still had questions myself.

A good whodunnit/parenting story, a cut above really.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample audio copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Profile Books Audio for the ARC

I really liked the narrators and found the story interesting. It was suspenseful and had several twists I didn't see coming. I did manage to guess some of the twists, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story

A witty thriller that I just flew through. I listened to this on audio and it had one of my fave narrators Imogen Church, She’s so good at making the story come alive.
I found a lot of the characters to be very interesting especially the circle of mums.
The reveals were done really well and even tho Beth didn’t make the best choices and was a little unreliable I really did root for her.

Charlotte is dead, killed by a car during her evening jog. A tragic accident. Until a few months later, a circle of moms gathers on the playground and it turns out that that night Charlotte was looking after her two-year-old son. And Beth knows that she would never have left him alone just to go for a run. Charlotte was the best friend of Beth, who had endured her husband's betrayal with another mom and, at 40, became a single mother of three. It is Beth who takes on the task of solving the mystery of Charlotte’s death.

This book, which I place somewhere between Liane Moriarty's novels and the domestic thrillers that triumphed a few years ago, combines a thriller with dark comedy (Beth constantly cracks jokes) and juicy moms’ drama, with the latter being the most satisfying genre here. The whole story takes place in the world of mothers of elementary school kids, torn by rivalries and class tensions typical of any peer group. Someone is the leader of the pack, someone is the tireless organizer, someone is the role model, someone stole another's husband, and someone else has no idea what they are doing among these women. There are lots of pretenses and posturing, but fortunately, the author is wiser than the pathologically suspicious Beth and doesn't solely play on the stereotype of women being mean to other women. Of course, there are conflicts, but there is also room for female solidarity.

Beth is an unreliable narrator – what initially is just an evening glass of wine to soothe her nerves quickly turns into an alcohol problem, which makes it seem like her investigation is progressing, but after sobering up, she remembers nothing of it. The book could have done without this subplot; all the "Girls on Transportation" have covered it a thousand ways, and in 2024 it simply feels dated and derails the crime plot to the extent that at some point, it's unclear if there is a crime plot at all. The ending is satisfying, but the resolution is unfortunately crammed into the last few paragraphs. Despite that, the book is worth reading for the mom-banter.

The audiobook version is so much fun, with the narrator using different voice for every character. Some of them were very pitchy and childlike, so I get it why some listeners might find it annoying.

Really REALLY good thriller, loved her first book, and this one is just as good. The cover is really eye catching, always love it when there’s a cover theme as they are easier to spot in book stores. The plot, premise and writing is great and will defo get the next book by this author, really hope there is one. Smashed it

Settle down with this quality perfectly narrated audio. The burb reads as if rhus us a cozy mystery against the backdrop of messy everyday life. This is full of fantastic side characters beautifully voiced and deeply complex Beth. This deals with complex issues in a dark humour kinda of ways and shows how big things like alcoholism, infidelity and tragedy can cloud your judgement. This was a fun listen which became a binge listen. I wanted the truth like Beth and this was cleverly executed to show sometimes there aren't any. This was really enjoyable with lots of laugh out loud and really moments. I was disappointed that things seemed unresolved but I think on reflection this was its aim. I would recommended this to anyone who likes an everyday mystery centred in the real world with real issues. This is a 4 star listen.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator

The plot of unfolds at a leisurely pace, which, though slower than my usual preference, effectively builds suspense and anticipation. Each turn of the page intensified my desire to uncover the outcome, making me eager to continue unraveling the story's layers.

This book offers so much: a twisty, complex plot intertwined with the dynamics of friendship groups, both new and old. The characters, full of flaws and true to life, practically jump off the page. The school playground mums are particularly relatable, and I’m confident readers will identify with these characters individually and collectively.

Woven into the narrative are explorations of tough topics like cheating, allergies, alcohol dependency, and mental health. These elements are not just there for shock value; they serve a purpose and are seamlessly integrated into the storyline. The dark humor and underlying mystery add depth and richness to the tale.

While the audiobook narration was initially too slow for my taste, adjusting the playback speed on my software resolved this issue. Some of the character voices were a bit cringe, but this didn’t significantly detract from my enjoyment of it.

Overall, this is a compelling and worthwhile read. I anticipate it being a popular book for the summer.

I 100% judged this book by its cover and thought it looked fun. I was delighted when I got the advanced audio version narrated by Imogen Church. I actually finished this in 2 days which is unheard of for me with an audiobook. It helped me with a lot of cleaning, tidying, food shopping and life admin this week.

The main character was Beth...a newly single mum of 3 after her husband left her for one of the school mums. Beth's friend Charlotte died in an accident which Beth believes wasn't really an accident...so she sets up the dead friend project to understand what really happened to Charlotte.
Based in the world of the school gate...this was very familiar to me 🤣the school mums reminded me a bit of the characters from motherland...we've all seen all of them (and am grateful that none of my school mum friends are like any of them to be honest!). It was very funny in places but also had some heavier stuff going on which kept me gripped. Beth made some sorry choices, but I think her heart was in the right place trying to come to terms with losing her best friend.

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

The Dead Friend Project
Joanna Wallace

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Wow!
This is one of those books that just looked so appealing and I knew from the title that it would be right up my street.
What I hadn't realised was just how completely hooked I'd become!

There was so much going on here - from the twisty, complex plot - to friendship group dynamics - new friends and old - characters with flaws galore and a narrative that will have you laughing, crying and nodding along as you relate to every single part of it!

Essentially, Beth has been having a hard time over the last year. Her husband had an affair and left her for one of her best friends and her other best friend died in an rta.
On returning to the school run after the holidays, she struggles to reacquaint with the old gang of school mums, feeling judged at every turn and just can't get out of her head, why Charlotte died!?

Now I can't go into any more plot as I hate giving spoilers and I honestly couldn't fit it all in!
This was completely packed with so much going on at every page turn - but as complex as it was, this was so well written that it just all flowed beautifully and made complete sense!

I followed Beth on her journey to hunt out the truth and on her journey deeper and deeper into her breakdown and was so completely immersed in everything, there was just no time to even make any assumptions or theories.....and I blooming loved it!

Although it's been a while, those school run days are forever seared into my brain and oh my gosh, if you have kids, you can't help but relate to every second of this.
The cliques, the PTA meetings, the comparisons and the judgement.
I remember it all like it was yesterday!

The diversity and dynamics of all the characters were literal perfection!
I could almost feel myself going completely mad with them all too!

Woven into all the crazy, we also explore some really tough topics - cheating, allergies, alcohol dependency, mental health and more - but these all serve a purpose and fit into the storyline brilliantly. They are dealt with sensitively and often followed with a touch of realism or humour to avoid this ever getting too dark or preachy.
However, there's definitely a huge lesson in here to always treat people with kindness as you really never know what they are dealing with!

Ok, I've gone off topic a bit - but this was a total masterpiece - with memorable characters, a unique and complex plot (with an ending you'll never see coming) and writing that will have you feeling every emotion under the sun - this is definitely a book I'll keep recommending and an author I can't wait to read more of!



💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

After seeing the reviews on Netgalley I was expecting more from this Audio book but to me it was just an average listen
I like a good psychological thriller and this is more of a black comedy so not my normal read
I struggled to finish this as the narrator screeched as some of the character's and it got on my nerves to be honest don't get me wrong I could definitely not do the number of voices Imogen Church does in this audio book but some of them just grated too much

‘The Dead Friend Project’ is a who-done-it murder mystery, following Beth as she tries to discover and investigate what happened the night her best friend Charlotte tragically died. Many sensitive subjects are woven into this storyline, but Wallace has handled these incredibly well.

The plot unravelled leisurely, a bit too slow for my preferences, but it only added to the suspense and anticipation. With each turn of the page, my desire to uncover the outcome grew stronger, making me eager to continue unravelling the layers of the story. My conclusion was amazingly wrong as the ending drew the story close.

The school playground mums are relatable, and I am confident that readers will identify with these characters individually and as a whole.

While the narration of this audiobook was too slow for my liking, increasing the playback speed on my software solved the issue. Some of the character voices were cringe-worthy, but not enough to ruin my enjoyment of this new release. I look forward to reading future releases by this author.

In conclusion, 'The Dead Friend Project' is definitely a worthwhile read, and I anticipate it being a popular summer book in 2024.

Pre-order a copy today in any format!