Description
'A fresh new voice in crime fiction' - JANICE HALLETT 'A tragi-comic banger' - HARRIET TYCE 'Funny, sad, witty and very engaging' - EMMA CURTIS Everyone needs a hobby... Things haven't been going well for Beth. Her husband has left her for one of her friends. Her fellow school mums judge her for swearing too much and not shifting the baby weight. And now she's stuck in A&E after her son fell off the climbing wall on the first day of school. In fact, 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... 'Darkly funny and deftly plotted' - ALICE CLARK-PLATTS 'Riotously funny and searingly observed' - KATE SIMANTS 'A twisty-turny mystery that drew me in from the opening lines' - PHILIPPA EAST
The new gripping and witty thriller from the author of You'd Look Better as a Ghost, winner of the Crime Fiction Lover Best Debut Novel 2023.
About the Author
Joanna Wallace studied Law at Birmingham University before working as a commercial litigation solicitor in London. She now runs a family business and lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband, four children and dog. Her debut novel, You'd Look Better as a Ghost, was published by Viper in 2023.
Reviews
A compelling story of complex relationships, subterfuge and mystery... So intriguing I couldn't put it down * My Weekly *
Funny but heart-rending... Even at her most chaotic, Beth is lovely, and her methods of investigating Charlotte's death are wholly original * Literary Review *
Another superb blend of dark humour and intriguing mystery from Joanna Wallace... An atmosphere of tension and danger permeates The Dead Friend Project even as the gallows humour flows thick and fast * Crime Fiction Lover *
Well-written, ably-plotted... Works well as a novel, and fairly well as a mystery * Critic *
A tragic accident, a dead friend and a fresh new voice in crime fiction... This vivid, witty story is expertly told in mesmerising detail and with boundless energy, but there's a proper murder mystery at its heart. Joanna Wallace draws you into a deceptively ordinary world before she revels in the delicious horror beneath. Pure class -- Janice Hallett, author of THE APPEAL
I loved this. Some of my favourite themes (issues with booze, school gate dramas) brought together in a tragi-comic banger with some pitch-perfect passive aggression -- Harriet Tyce, author of BLOOD ORANGE
Motherland with murder! I haven't laughed so much in ages, then been struck speechless with horror... Funny, sad, wicked and very engaging -- Emma Curtis, author of ONE LITTLE MISTAKE
Joanna Wallace harnesses the inner monologue of every parent who's suffered at the hands of the unrelenting tiger mother. The Dead Friend Project is Fleabag meets Absolutely Fabulous and everything in between. Darkly hilarious and 2024's must-read -- Marion Todd, author of OLD BONES LIE
Had me rolling around with laughter on one page, and filled with empathy the next. The Dead Friend Project is hilariously brilliant, and Joanna Wallace is a rare talent -- J.M. Hewitt, author of THE LIFE SHE WANTS
Darkly funny and deftly plotted -- Alice Clark-Platts, author of THE FLOWER GIRLS
A twisty-turny mystery with a brilliantly-relatable protagonist, characters that leap of the page and a narrative voice that drew me in from the opening lines. This is a brilliantly-entertaining and engaging read -- Philippa East, author of LITTLE WHITE LIES
Supremely well plotted and often hilariously funny -- Leonora Nattrass, author of BLUE WATER
Come for the murder and stay for the errant labradors and the Sweaty Betty mums. The Dead Friend Project had me snorting out loud one moment then covering my mouth with my hands the next. Witty, smart and terrifyingly well-observed -- Sam Holland, author of THE ECHO MAN
Riotously funny, dark as anything, heartfelt and searingly observed -- Kate Simants, author of FREEZE
A brilliant romp of a murder mystery; fast-paced, darkly funny, and utterly captivating. Can't recommend this highly enough -- Sarah Bonner, author of HER PERFECT TWIN
An enthralling tale of secret obsessions and shocking revelations, shot through with Wallace's trademark dark humour. You'll never look at school gate parents the same way again -- D.V. Bishop, author of CITY OF VENGEANCE
Wallace may have invented a new genre. Not cosy crime or comic crime, but clever crime -- Abbie Frost, author of THE GUESTHOUSE
A cast of well-crafted characters, the blackest of humour and a mystery that twists and turns its way to a very satisfying ending -- Chris Frost, author of THE KILLER'S CHRISTMAS LIST
Brilliantly plotted, and dark and funny -- J.B. Mylet, author of THE HOMES
Darkly funny and touchingly observant, The Dead Friend Project is a page turner of an emotional thriller -- Alison Stockham, author of THE CUCKOO SISTER
A wonderful antidote for anyone who's suffered the Groundhog Day torture of the school run! Perfectly observed and brilliantly funny -- Alison Belsham, author of THE TATTOO THIEF
A perfectly paced and brilliantly executed murder mystery with a twist and a main character you can't help rooting for even at her most awful -- Sarah Lawton, author of ALL THE LITTLE THINGS
A wickedly funny thriller that kept me guessing to the last page -- Dan Malakin, author of THE BOX
I loved The Dead Friend Project for its brilliantly dark humour! School gate conflicts degenerate into murder in this hilarious and fast-moving thriller -- Guy Morpuss, author of FIVE MINDS
A beautifully written, darkly twisting mystery that manages to be both very funny and deeply moving. Highly recommended to readers who love clever thrillers -- Daniel Sellers, author of MURDER AT THE GALLOWGATE
Funny, dark and compelling. Beth's not giving up on her dead friend - for anything -- Jacqueline Sutherland, author of THE COFFIN CLUB
Tapping into the trauma of school runs, Wallace has skillfully weaved tragedy and dark comedy together to create a story that makes you laugh, makes you cry and makes you want to kill most of the PTA mums. A thoroughly entertaining read -- Joy Kluver, author of LAST SEEN
Joanna Wallace has a unique ability to conceal spiky social commentary and a sharp dose of empathy beneath her trademark cushion of laugh-out-loud humour. Will appeal to anyone who knows that parents often behave worse than their kids. The most original thriller you'll read this year -- Jo Furniss, author of ALL THE LITTLE CHILDREN
Book Information
ISBN 9781800811362
Author Joanna Wallace
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Viper
Publisher Profile Books Ltd
The new gripping and witty thriller from the author of You'd Look Better as a Ghost, winner of the Crime Fiction Lover Best Debut Novel 2023.
About the Author
Joanna Wallace studied Law at Birmingham University before working as a commercial litigation solicitor in London. She now runs a family business and lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband, four children and dog. Her debut novel, You'd Look Better as a Ghost, was published by Viper in 2023.
Reviews
A compelling story of complex relationships, subterfuge and mystery... So intriguing I couldn't put it down * My Weekly *
Funny but heart-rending... Even at her most chaotic, Beth is lovely, and her methods of investigating Charlotte's death are wholly original * Literary Review *
Another superb blend of dark humour and intriguing mystery from Joanna Wallace... An atmosphere of tension and danger permeates The Dead Friend Project even as the gallows humour flows thick and fast * Crime Fiction Lover *
Well-written, ably-plotted... Works well as a novel, and fairly well as a mystery * Critic *
A tragic accident, a dead friend and a fresh new voice in crime fiction... This vivid, witty story is expertly told in mesmerising detail and with boundless energy, but there's a proper murder mystery at its heart. Joanna Wallace draws you into a deceptively ordinary world before she revels in the delicious horror beneath. Pure class -- Janice Hallett, author of THE APPEAL
I loved this. Some of my favourite themes (issues with booze, school gate dramas) brought together in a tragi-comic banger with some pitch-perfect passive aggression -- Harriet Tyce, author of BLOOD ORANGE
Motherland with murder! I haven't laughed so much in ages, then been struck speechless with horror... Funny, sad, wicked and very engaging -- Emma Curtis, author of ONE LITTLE MISTAKE
Joanna Wallace harnesses the inner monologue of every parent who's suffered at the hands of the unrelenting tiger mother. The Dead Friend Project is Fleabag meets Absolutely Fabulous and everything in between. Darkly hilarious and 2024's must-read -- Marion Todd, author of OLD BONES LIE
Had me rolling around with laughter on one page, and filled with empathy the next. The Dead Friend Project is hilariously brilliant, and Joanna Wallace is a rare talent -- J.M. Hewitt, author of THE LIFE SHE WANTS
Darkly funny and deftly plotted -- Alice Clark-Platts, author of THE FLOWER GIRLS
A twisty-turny mystery with a brilliantly-relatable protagonist, characters that leap of the page and a narrative voice that drew me in from the opening lines. This is a brilliantly-entertaining and engaging read -- Philippa East, author of LITTLE WHITE LIES
Supremely well plotted and often hilariously funny -- Leonora Nattrass, author of BLUE WATER
Come for the murder and stay for the errant labradors and the Sweaty Betty mums. The Dead Friend Project had me snorting out loud one moment then covering my mouth with my hands the next. Witty, smart and terrifyingly well-observed -- Sam Holland, author of THE ECHO MAN
Riotously funny, dark as anything, heartfelt and searingly observed -- Kate Simants, author of FREEZE
A brilliant romp of a murder mystery; fast-paced, darkly funny, and utterly captivating. Can't recommend this highly enough -- Sarah Bonner, author of HER PERFECT TWIN
An enthralling tale of secret obsessions and shocking revelations, shot through with Wallace's trademark dark humour. You'll never look at school gate parents the same way again -- D.V. Bishop, author of CITY OF VENGEANCE
Wallace may have invented a new genre. Not cosy crime or comic crime, but clever crime -- Abbie Frost, author of THE GUESTHOUSE
A cast of well-crafted characters, the blackest of humour and a mystery that twists and turns its way to a very satisfying ending -- Chris Frost, author of THE KILLER'S CHRISTMAS LIST
Brilliantly plotted, and dark and funny -- J.B. Mylet, author of THE HOMES
Darkly funny and touchingly observant, The Dead Friend Project is a page turner of an emotional thriller -- Alison Stockham, author of THE CUCKOO SISTER
A wonderful antidote for anyone who's suffered the Groundhog Day torture of the school run! Perfectly observed and brilliantly funny -- Alison Belsham, author of THE TATTOO THIEF
A perfectly paced and brilliantly executed murder mystery with a twist and a main character you can't help rooting for even at her most awful -- Sarah Lawton, author of ALL THE LITTLE THINGS
A wickedly funny thriller that kept me guessing to the last page -- Dan Malakin, author of THE BOX
I loved The Dead Friend Project for its brilliantly dark humour! School gate conflicts degenerate into murder in this hilarious and fast-moving thriller -- Guy Morpuss, author of FIVE MINDS
A beautifully written, darkly twisting mystery that manages to be both very funny and deeply moving. Highly recommended to readers who love clever thrillers -- Daniel Sellers, author of MURDER AT THE GALLOWGATE
Funny, dark and compelling. Beth's not giving up on her dead friend - for anything -- Jacqueline Sutherland, author of THE COFFIN CLUB
Tapping into the trauma of school runs, Wallace has skillfully weaved tragedy and dark comedy together to create a story that makes you laugh, makes you cry and makes you want to kill most of the PTA mums. A thoroughly entertaining read -- Joy Kluver, author of LAST SEEN
Joanna Wallace has a unique ability to conceal spiky social commentary and a sharp dose of empathy beneath her trademark cushion of laugh-out-loud humour. Will appeal to anyone who knows that parents often behave worse than their kids. The most original thriller you'll read this year -- Jo Furniss, author of ALL THE LITTLE CHILDREN
Book Information
ISBN 9781800811362
Author Joanna Wallace
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Viper
Publisher Profile Books Ltd
