Isabellas Not Dead, Beth Morrey
Isabellas Not Dead, Beth Morrey
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Isabella's Not Dead

Author: Beth Morrey

Narrator: Gemma Whelan

Unabridged: 9 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 08/26/2025


Synopsis

A hilarious and thought-provoking murder mystery about the death of a friendship, and one woman’s quest to track down the best friend who disappeared, for fans of Where'd You Go, Bernadette.

Isabella’s NOT dead.

That’s what Gwen tells anyone who asks about the friend who ghosted them all fifteen years ago. But if Isabella’s not dead, then where is she? And why did she leave, just when Gwen needed her most?

Freshly fifty-three, out of a job, and with children who are starting to fly the nest, Gwen decides to turn detective. Setting out to solve the mystery, Gwen embarks on an adventure across England—then across Europe—that will test her marriage and put her on a collision course with reluctant acquaintances, a mother-in-law best described as eccentric, and a rabbit hole full of clues. But Isabella’s not the only one who’s lost.

A tale of deep, frayed friendship, fractured memories, and skewed perspectives, Isabella’s Not Dead is the story of one woman’s quest to reclaim her best friend—and herself.

About The Author

Beth Morrey's work has been published in The May Anthology of Oxford and Cambridge Poetry, and long-listed for the Authors' Club First Novel Award. She is the author of The Love Story of Missy Carmichael, Delphine Jones Takes a Chance, Clover Hendry’s Day Off, and Isabella's Not Dead. She lives in London with her family and dogs.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sheila on April 02, 2025

I received a free copy of, Isabella's Not Dead, by Beth Morrey, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Gwens best friend, has not been seen in fifteen years, where is Isabella? Wow what a wild read, so good.......more

Goodreads review by Rachel_loves_to_read on June 09, 2025

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 count......more

Goodreads review by Tilly on May 06, 2025

Actual rating 3.5.......more

Goodreads review by Elisa on February 23, 2025

Bring on AAALLLLL the middle-aged fmcs! Gwen is a classic: mother of teens, recently unemployed (after her job is snarfed up by a middle-aged white man), rudderless, and nostalgic, she goes on a quest to find out why her bestie ghosted her, fifteen years before. She gets way more than she bargains f......more

Goodreads review by Susan on April 15, 2025

After a weekend reunion of 5 high school friends Gwen sets off to find her friend Isabella, a friend who ghosted her 15 years ago. Gwen is in the middle of a mid life crisis and this is going to be just the adventure she needs to kick start her life. Decent premise but it just didn’t work for me. I......more


Quotes

"Smart, funny and life-affirming, Isabella's Not Dead is a beautifully written, hugely relatable story about friendship, family and finding oneself once the kids have flown the nest. Beth has such a sharp eye for the comedy of everyday life, I devoured the book in two sittings. An utter joy!" —Freya Sampson, USA Today bestselling author of The Last Library

Isabella's Not Dead by Beth Morrey is a darkly funny novel about friendship, reinvention, and the strange limbo of midlife... Morrey's wise writing is laced with a wry humor that captures the absurdities of aging, marriage, and memory... But what truly sets Isabella's Not Dead apart is Morrey's nuanced examination of how friendships can shift, fracture, and sometimes disappear entirely—and how that loss can shape people just as much as love.” —Shelf Awareness (starred)

"Morrey explores the common desire to recapture one’s youth in this tale of midlife misadventure ... Readers who liked Fran Littlewood’s Amazing Grace Adams will enjoy Gwen’s expedition to rekindle her lost friendship." —Booklist“Sharp, smart and relatable … A proper feel-good mystery.” —Samuel Burr, author of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers

“Sparkling … With its wild goose chase plot and quirky cast of characters … a rewarding tale of second chances.” —Publishers Weekly

"[An] exuberant, suspenseful, hilarious tale of female friendship and frustration. Isabella’s Not Dead is not only an addictive mystery, it’s also brilliant fun." —Jo Harkin, author of The Pretender

“I absolutely loved this book. A witty, wise, and compelling exploration of female friendship. I laughed, I cried, I nearly weed myself.” —Anna Mazzola, author of The Unseeing

"[Morrey's] best so far ... I inhaled this book, it's so funny and warm and sharp and witty and true." —Marianne Levy, author of Don't Forget to Scream