ShortBookandScribes #BookReview – Isabella’s Not Dead by Beth Morrey
Isabella’s Not Dead by Beth Morrey is published by Harper Collins and is out now. My thanks to the publishers for the proof copy.
‘Isabella’s NOT dead.’
Every time someone asks Gwen about her best friend – you know, the one who ghosted them all fifteen years ago – this is what Gwen tells them.
But where is Isabella? Why did she leave, just when Gwen needed her the most?
Setting out to solve the mystery, in an adventure that takes Gwen across the country then across Europe; that tests her friendships and strains her marriage, Gwen searches for Isabella.
But Isabella’s not the only one who’s lost. Is Gwen also searching for… herself?
Sometimes you lose touch with friends and you don’t exactly know why. That’s what happened with Gwen and her best friend, Isabella. Fifteen years ago they went their separate ways at the end of an evening out and never spoke again. A school hockey team reunion makes Gwen wonder what happened to Isabella and why she ghosted Gwen all those years ago. She starts to make some enquiries and investigate but it’s not easy as Isabella seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth.
This is such a great read. It’s funny and light-hearted but it’s also a moving story of friendship and solidarity. Gwen has a calamitous air about her as she veers around Yorkshire, Edinburgh and Rome, crashing into people’s lives, questioning them and looking for clues. There’s a nice sense of a mystery unfolding and I didn’t guess the reason for the ghosting which was really quite unexpected as I was wondering what could be a good enough reason for the friends to lose touch. Gwen makes mosaics from shattered crockery and I thought this was a great metaphor for the shattered friendship, with Gwen desperately trying to put the shards back together.
Isabella’s Not Dead is a really lovely story, easy to read and written with humour and empathy, and I loved all the characters, some of whom were seriously wacky! I found it totally enjoyable from start to finish.
Previously Creative Director at RDF Television, Beth Morrey now writes full time. Her debut novel, Saving Missy, was a Sunday Times bestseller and longlisted for the Authors’ Club First Novel Award.
Beth lives in London with her husband, two sons and two poodles.