This was such a wild read which I truly loved loved the characters the mystery such a good book will be recommend for my book club

This is a touching and easy-to-read story about friendship and starting over.

Gwen is 53 and stuck in a rut. When a school reunion reminds her of Isabella, her once-inseparable best friend who vanished 15 years ago, Gwen sets out on a personal quest to find her.

Although Gwen is searching for Isabella, the real focus is Gwen’s personal journey. I found this to be a heartwarming and enjoyable read,

Gwen embarks on a quest to find her best friend, Isabella, who mysteriously vanished fifteen years ago. At fifty-three, facing an empty nest and a stalled career, Gwen turns detective, journeying across England and Europe. This adventure tests her marriage and unearths long-buried secrets, all while exploring themes of friendship, memory, and self-discovery.

Gwen is at a crossroads in her life. Shes 53 and doesn’t know what she’s doing with her life. Her kids have grown up and don’t need her so much, she’s been made redundant,& is trying to start a crafting business and she seems to be drifting apart from her husband and friends.

A school hockey team reunion reminds her of her old best friend who she hasn’t seen for at least 15 years, Isabella. No one has seen her for years and no idea where she might be. Gwen decides to try and track down Isabella , opening up her life in the process.

A brilliant snapshot of life in your 50s, Beth Morrey has a great knack for noticing tiny details of an everyday life.

Thank you so much for accepting my request for an early copy of this book. I really enjoy Beth Morrey’s writing style so I felt super excited to begin this one. The writing style had me hooked throughout and I really wanted to know what had actually happened to Isabella throughout this book and the mystery element of it had me on the edge of my seat.

I did feel really disappointed by the ending and felt that so much more could be done with the disappearance of Isabella. I also found that Gwen really irritated me from about 25% in and I just couldn’t shake that feeling. I am super sad that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted because I was really looking forward to it.

I would read something else by Beth Morrey as I really did love Saving Missy it just seems that this wasn’t for me

I received a free copy of, Isabella's Not Dead, by Beth Morrey, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Gwens best friend, has not been seen in fifteen years, where is Isabella? Wow what a wild read, so good.

Really good book that i will recommend to others.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

Isabella’s Not Dead was a really enjoyable, funny and relatable read. After attending a reunion of her school hockey team, Gwen decides it’s time to track down her old school friend Isabella who she hasn’t seen for 15 years. Gwen is juggling life with three teenage sons, a husband who is more interested in their dog and trying to rebuild her career as a mosaic artist after redundancy. Her husband has no interest in her search for Isabella so she begins secretly contacting old friends, colleagues and a university tutor to try and find out what happened to her best friend. I loved the portrayal of Gwen and how she tries to find a space for herself in her chaotic life. Beth Morrey is excellent at portraying middle aged women with sensitivity, empathy and humour. I loved the cast of supporting characters from Gwen’s mother in law Morrag to her old school friend Min. It’s a well paced novel that I raced through, desperate to find out what happened to Isabella.
Recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I went into this book not knowing what to expect at all, and I finished it having loved every word. I’d love to read more from this author, as I’m new to her writing. I really liked the premise - 50-something protagonist curious about her estranged best friend and seeking excitement in her life after it becomes stagnant decides to solve the mystery of what happened to her friend and why she disappeared. I really loved the way this was written and how the mystery unfolded. A definite recommendation from me for when it is released in the summer.

Gwen, married mum to three teenagers and struggling mosaic artist, attends the reunion of her school hockey team. She leaves the weekend early because she feels overwhelmed by her own lack of achievement in comparison to her school mates. Her mind is also whirring about Isabella, who didn’t attend the get-together. She was Gwen’s best friend who hasn’t been seen by any of the women for at least fifteen years. For a long time, Gwen put their lack of contact down to a gradual drifting apart, brought on by Gwen’s preoccupation with work and motherhood. But now she wonders if there was a catalyst to the split. Did Gwen do something that caused Isabella to disappear completely, not even retaining a presence on social media? Gwen decides to track Isabella down and ask her.
Gwen’s family are not enthusiastic about her plan. As she visits Isabella’s old haunts across the UK and abroad, her timid parents, outlandish mother-in-law, steady husband and preoccupied sons offer their words of wisdom, often intended to put her off. But Gwen is on a quest in spite of them. She reminisces about school days, university and early adulthood. As she is a similar vintage to me, I was right back there with her and the well-chosen cultural references.
Although the tone is light and humorous, there’s a good sense of suspense and I was keen to turn the pages to find out what had happened to Isabella. The story is also poignant. Gwen’s quest reminded me of Harold Fry. Both protagonists are in search of a former friend, but, on their travels, they discover much about themselves.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

On publication, I will post my review on my blog, Amazon and GoodReads.

A fun unlikely middle age adventure story! I really enjoyed reading it and trying to figure out what really happened to Isabella. A wonderful read.

Beth Morrey has written another fab book. Hard to review without giving much away. An old friend vanishes and another friend try’s to find her 15 years later. Lots of twists . Not the ending I expected. I loved the main character sons all just needing her and that chapter was fab. Her mother in law was amazing . The hangover descriptions made me so glad I did not drink. You won’t be able to put this book down . Read it.

4.5* Isabella's Not Dead by Beth Morrey. An absolute must for 'women of a certain age'.

Gwen feels obliged to go to a reunion of her school hockey club, some 40 years after they first played but she can't wait to escape from the cottage that they have booked in the Lake District to get home. Home to her husband, 3 sons (one at University) and Mabel, the Labrador that only has eyes for Gwen's husband. Home to a 'stop-gap' job making mosaic knick-knacks to sell on Etsy. Home because Gwen has forgotten how to enjoy herself.

There is one lingering niggle from the weekend. Gwen's childhood best friend Isabella isn't at the reunion and no one, including Gwen has heard from her in 15 years. The friends swapped stories of where Isabella might be, but it is Gwen who secretly decides that she needs to find Isabella to revisit their friendship and find out what went wrong between them.

Isabella's Not Dead is, at one level, a fun (and often sharp and really funny) tale of looking for someone who has ghosted her previous friendship group. It is sufficiently mysterious to be a page turner as the trail of breadcrumbs which might lead to Izzy is so light, but several people clearly know exactly what has happened.

The characters are fantastic. As Gwen's quest takes her from a life that has narrowed as she has got older, it slowly builds to something much more fulfilling. The book is incredibly well written (the kind of prose that floats easily off the page but in a way that is a skill), it is warm, has a superb cast and zips along at pace. Despite a very busy week, I finished it in a couple of sittings. I was also thrilled that it was set in Harrogate, where I lived for a decade when I was younger and (ironically) went out after work, rather than coming home for an early night!

Having hugely enjoyed Saving Missy, one of Beth's previous books, I won't hesitate to get the next one.

Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for an ARC.

Book Review: Isabella’s Not Dead by Beth Morrey

Beth Morrey's Isabella’s Not Dead is a clever and heartfelt novel that masterfully blends mystery, adventure, and self-discovery. With her signature wit and insight, Morrey crafts a story that is both a page-turner and an emotional journey, perfect for readers who enjoy feel-good fiction with depth.

At the center of the story is Gwen, whose life has been overshadowed by the sudden disappearance of her best friend, Isabella, fifteen years ago. Whenever someone asks about Isabella, Gwen insists, “Isabella’s NOT dead,” but she’s never really known the truth. This uncertainty lingers, influencing Gwen’s relationships, marriage, and sense of self. When Gwen decides to finally confront the mystery, her quest leads her across the UK and Europe, uncovering not only clues about Isabella but also truths about herself.

Morrey’s narrative is both intriguing and layered. The mystery of Isabella’s disappearance is handled with skill, gradually unraveling through Gwen’s investigations. However, it is Gwen’s own story that truly captivates. Her journey is not just a physical one but a deep and often poignant exploration of friendship, identity, and the weight of unanswered questions. Gwen’s vulnerability, mixed with her determination, makes her a relatable and inspiring protagonist.

Supporting characters add richness to the story, each contributing to Gwen’s growth. Morrey has a talent for portraying the complexities of friendship—how it can uplift but also leave lingering wounds. The book also beautifully explores the impact of being ghosted, not just in the romantic sense but in the profound way a sudden loss of connection can haunt a life.

Isabella’s Not Dead is more than a mystery; it is a thoughtful reflection on how the stories we tell ourselves shape our reality. Morrey’s writing is warm and engaging, balancing humor with deeper moments of reflection. The novel’s pacing is perfect, with revelations unfolding at just the right moments to keep readers invested until the final page.

For anyone who has ever been ghosted or wondered about the “what ifs” of life, this book is a must-read. It’s a story about finding closure, but also about finding yourself along the way. Morrey once again proves why she is considered a queen of feel-good fiction, delivering a novel that is both comforting and thought-provoking.

This is a thoughtful read about fifty something Gwen who is prompted to track down her good friend Isabella after a school reunion during which she realised none of her old school friends knew where Isabella had disappeared to 15 years ago. Although this is about Gwens search for Isabella it’s actually a lot more about Gwen herself, if I’m honest I was t really that engaged in Isabella’s story however Gwen is a very relatable character with her family depending on her less and feeling lost after losing her job several years ago. It was interesting to see how the search for Isabella affected Gwen on a personal level and started altering her thinking about her life as well as the effect reconnecting with another school friend Min had on her. This is a great moving on story, I wish I’d felt better connected to the characters but that’s me, I think plenty will engage well and it is a very considered story.