Published By: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 368
Released On: 12/03/2026
Benny and Joy like to say that they’ve been saving each other’s lives since the moment they met . . .
Until the day Joy disappears and Benny is accused of her murder.
Best friends Benny and Joy host a beloved ‘comedy survival’ podcast, gleefully finding life-affirming humour in near-death experiences.
When Benny arrives at Joy and her husband’s home one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house.
With Joy missing and the hours ticking by, not even their most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets they have hidden from the world – and from each other.
If Benny wants to find Joy in time, and clear his own name, he’ll have to solve the highest stakes survival story yet.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I had heard nothing but praise for this book and so I had high hopes, but it didn’t quite hit those.
It is a thriller, a mystery, and also a love story.
It wasn’t quite as good as I expected. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still good and I enjoyed it, but I was expecting something spectacular given the reviews I had been seeing, and it didn’t hit those heights for me.
It felt a bit haphazard at times. You’ve got the normal present-day narrative, and flashbacks, and podcast recordings, and book passages, and multiple POVs, and I found all that chopping and changing a bit difficult to get on top of, but I do understand the reasons why she’s chosen to write it that way.
I think it might actually be better as an audiobook, given that there is such a focus on the podcast side of the story. I’ve not listened to an audiobook so I can’t confirm, but I just had this feeling it would suit an audio version.
Joy and Benny are interesting protagonists, individually and as close friends. To steal a line from Shrek, they are “like onions”, so layered and fascinating to read about. You can really feel their relationship leap off the page. Also, as someone who has a chronic illness, it’s nice to read about a character who has an invisible chronic illness and it’s not just to tick the “inclusive” box but it really helps make her a deeper character.
It is very original. I read a lot of thrillers and they do start to merge after a while, but this felt very fresh. It is funny, tense, heartwarming, heart-breaking, loving, and sad.
I didn’t see the ending coming. I wouldn’t say it’s an out-and-out shocker, but there were definitely elements that I didn’t expect.
The pacing was a bit haphazard too. Overall I think it works, but there were some bits that felt too drawn out and some bits a bit rushed. Like I say, I think she’s just about it got it right overall, but I wish some bits had been a bit more concise or more focussed.
This is Tiffany’s debut I believe, and whilst it wasn’t perfect for me, it shows definite promise, particularly regarding her character creation and development.
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