The Dead Friend Project by Joanna Wallace

 

Beth has struggled to come to terms with the accidental death of her close friend Charlotte. A casual remark made by another mother at the school gates makes Beth wonder if the death was an accident.

The Dead Friend Project by Joanna Wallace is hilarious from beginning to end. The opening chapter, in which lead protagonist Beth goes to the primary school to collect her children, reminded me so much of the TV series “Motherland” and the “Why Mummy……” books. The young children have no filter, their chatter is incessant and they say the wrong thing at the worst possible time. The other mothers seem to fit the “yummy mummy” mould and their perfection is something Beth constantly measures herself against – and always comes up lacking.

The leader of the mummy mafia is Emily, she is condescending and judgemental, one of those people who make parenting a competition, and their child always has to be the best. Thankfully, Beth discovers that one of the new mothers has a similar sense of humour to her and forms a new friendship.

Friendship is what Beth needs having recently lost her two closest friends, Jade and Charlotte. Beth’s husband has left her and moved in with Jade, while Charlotte was knocked down by a car and killed outside her home. Depression and low self-esteem have left Beth hiding from the world, unable to fill the void left by her friends.

It’s a casual comment made by one of the mothers at the school gate that sets Beth’s mind racing. She begins to question if Charlotte’s death was truly an accident or was someone else involved. With her young children spending the night with their father, Beth begins her investigation. The problem is all her best thinking is done when she has a bottle of wine (or two, or three). Waking the following morning Beth feels very hungover, hasn’t a clue what happened the night before, and can’t make sense of her own notes, but as each day passes, she’s more and more convinced of her assumption.

Beth’s obsession has her lurching from one disaster to the next, leading to some comical situations. One scene in particular, featuring Wilfred the labrador, had me both cringing and laughing at the same time. I was making assumptions, just like Beth, as I read, thanks to lots of red herrings from Joanna Wallace.

As we near the truth, Beth has to deal with some personal demons. Help also comes from a surprising source, reminding her that appearances can be deceptive and situations manipulated.

The Dead Friend Project by Joanna Wallace will be published on 11^th July 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Viper Books for a review copy.

 

Author Details

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. She was partly inspired to write You'd Look Better as a Ghost, her debut, following her father's diagnosis of early onset dementia. Joanna's second novel, The Dead Friend Project, will be published in 2024.