The Dead Friend Project

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 tragicomic 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