Breakups are hard, but we don’t recognise just how devastating the end of a friendship can be - especially if you never know what happened.

Gwen lets us into her life and shows us a tableau of normal life - friends, drama, tiny acts of rebellion, work, marriage — but just a touch of absurdity, popping up amongst scenes of mundanity that gave it something so charming and fresh.

I adored watching how Gwen’s friendships had changed in forty years, both the beautiful comfort it can bring, the familiarity or the distance but it also gave me this strangely timeless, nostalgic feeling - a wistfulness about how much time can go without you really knowing.

Which of course, leads us to Gwen wondering about where her best friend could’ve been in the fifteen years since they last spoke — and a nervous, erratic energy starts to build as she starts to investigate, think, and conspire about where her friend could be and why she left. What starts as genuine curiosity becoming consuming, bordering obsessive as her life falls to the side and we see her tunnel vision form

I’ll admit, the reveal wasn’t the best for me - very tell no so how but there was just so many feelings that I still welled up a little. A love letter to friendship with a dramatic edge, this is a grow up version of paper towns for grown ups with criminal twist.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. This was an enjoyable read. Gwen was an engaging narrator, and this was a moving exploration of lost friendship with a bit of mystery thrown in. It was well-paced, with interesting characters, and Morrey really drew me into the characters' world.

A great mix of humour and mystery, I thoroughly enjoyed this and will be reading Beth’s other work! Thank you for the opportunity to read this prior to release

I first came across Beth Morrey’s books last year when I read Lucky Day, which I loved with all my heart and as a result I went on to read Beth’s two other books pretty much straight away, both of which I loved equally. So first point: if you haven’t read those books, honestly, do - they are sooo good! Reviews for each are on my grid if you want to see what they’re about. So knowing what you know now, you can totally imagine that when @harperfiction sent me the proof of Isabella’s Not Dead, Beth’s latest book, I was over the moon.

Gwen, a mum of three boys in her mid fifties, is happily married to Angus and life in general is pretty good even if she feels like she is drifting slightly. That age, when your kids don’t quite need you anymore and you’re not sure if the job you’re doing is quite as fulfilling as you’d like it to be. So when Gwen meets her school friends for a hockey team reunion, it makes her think of her then best friend: Isabella Harris. Isabella who she shared everything with, who knew her inside out and who suddenly, without any trace, disappeared fifteen years ago. Gwen knows she should have tried harder to find out what happened at the time but she was knee high in nappies and the kids were vying for her attention and she didn’t have the energy or the time. Unlike now! So Gwen decides she is going to find Isabella Harris because she is most definitely convinced that Isabella is not dead and she does miss her in her life. This quest will take her up and down the country, across to Italy, to Izzy’s old haunts but the question is will she find her? And if she does, will Izzy want to see her? For Gwen really doesn’t know why Izzy has never been in touch and why no one knows where she is. Or does she?

This is another great book by Beth. One that made me smile so many times once again. I love how much of real life Beth can incorporate into her books in a way that makes you feel you are definitely not alone in the things you do or feel and that is just lovely! Four out of four great books - Beth totally remains an auto buy author for me!

While playing with a Ouija board during a reunion trip with her high school pals, Gwen thinks of a name she hasn't considered in a while: Izzy. For the longest time, Gwen and Isabella were best friends, but Izzy abandoned Gwen fifteen years ago. She hasn't been heard from since. By asking around, going to her old haunts, and even travelling across Europe, Gwen resolves to try and locate her long-lost best friend. Gwen learns from this experience that she may be searching for herself as much as she is for Izzy. Isabella's Not Dead is a moving and captivating book that provided an insightful analysis of friendships, loss, and rediscovery.

This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it!

I loved the blend of humour and mystery - it had me very intrigued.

The ending did feel slightly rushed compared to the rest of the story however I was not expecting the reveal so enjoyed that!

This would make an ideal summer/vacation read!

Forty years after playing hockey together at school, a group of women hold a reunion. However, one of their number is missing, Isabella hasn't been seen or heard from in fifteen years. Lots of rumours swirl, from living abroad to being dead. Her best friend Gwen sets out to discover what really happened to Isabelle.

I've loved Beth Morrey's style of writing since I stumbled across the wonderful Saving Missy. Her books are filled with wonderful characters and a real sense of community, stories that lighten your heart and leave you with a smile on your face. In her last newsletter, the author said that her next book, Isabella's Not Dead would be a little different, so I was very keen to see how different.

There is a definite mystery element to the storyline. The get-together weekend ends up with some of the women using an Ouija board. As the board begins to spell out a name, I.....S.....A.....B, talk among the group turns to the missing Isabella. It becomes clear that none of them have had contact with Isabella in years, although there have been possible sightings in various towns and cities, even as far away as Italy and America. Isabella has simply fallen off everyone's radar and as a result, they begin to wonder if she's dead. Isabella's best friend, Gwen, is convinced she's still alive but is a spy, hence being incommunicado, and decides to track her down.

Gwen obviously feels guilty about letting a friendship slip away. There is lots of reminiscing as Gwen tries to focus her search, deciding where would be the best place to start her mission. Gwen realises that she has a lot to do with the friendship fizzling out, life got in the way and communication dried up. Before Gwen knew it a long time had passed and she felt too embarrassed to try and reconnect so didn't bother. I'm sure lots of us will know that feeling. What makes things different this time around is that Gwen is drifting. Having lost her job she's passing the time by making mosaics to sell on Etsy but feels very aimless. Tracking down Isabella gives her a goal, a purpose in life.

Trying to track down Isabella isn't easy, responses to Gwen's queries are vague at best, adding to the air of mystery. Even among all the questions and doubt, Beth Morrey's humour is evident. Gwen is all too well aware of the pecking order in her husband's affection (Mabel the Labrador comes first) and her mother-in-law is unbelievably contrary. The mother-in-law, Morag, provides some of the best scenes in the book; an over-the-top eighty-two-year-old with money to burn and absolutely no filter, comedy gold.

Through all the ups and downs of the search I kept willing Gwen on, I was fully invested in her quest. I had a vague inkling surrounding the whole disappearance and was eager to know if I was right. By the end, Gwen finds the answers she was looking for, although not necessarily the happy-ever-after she'd assumed would come with those answers. What she does find is a new sense of purpose and the realisation that life, like friendship, requires effort. Fans of the author won't be disappointed by this slight diversion in style.

I have enjoyed this author's past books, but not this one, so much so I didn't finish it (this is rare for me). I gave it a good go, but Gwen was irritating and I found the whole tone depressing. I didn't care what happened to Isabella. There was a lot of telling, about the past, which I found boring. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Beth Morrey's books, and I certainly enjoyed this one, a blend of humour and mystery with the main character Gwen trying to find her long-lost friend Isabella.
What starts off as a random idea becomes Gwen's summer obsession, and she goes slightly overboard, but is Isabella wanting to be found.
The books delves into friendship, past and present. How people lose contact over time and what happens as we get older and how we can get a bit stuck.
I loved following Gwen on her mission. There were some real laugh aloud moments.
The ending and reveal felt slightly rushed compared to the rest of the book, but I had no clue when the reveal did hit.
It is an enjoyable read and ideal for summer.

this was okay but was just quite long and slow, and i didn’t feel very invested in the story or the characters. the ending was nice though

thank you to netgalley and harper collins for this arc!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC. Gwen's hockey group from high school are together for a weekend away. It has been a while and a lot has changed for this group, including the fact that Isabella has fallen off the face of the earth. No one can find her on the socials and haven't heard from her in years. Gwen and Isabella used to be thick as thieves until they had a falling out and haven't spoken in years. Gwen makes it her personal quest to find her....but what if people don't want to be found? #IsabellasNotDead #BethMorrey #HarperCollinsUK #UKReleaseJune2025 #USReleaseAug2025

Actual rating 3.5.

I am a huge fan of Beth’s books, but must admit this one felt like quite a departure from her previous ones! Whilst it was still brilliantly engaging, with great characters and a lot of humour, it lacked the emotional punch I’ve come to expect, although the loss of a female friendship is certainly a refreshing topic for a novel. It just felt like it was done in more of a fun way rather than going as deep as it could’ve, but having said that I still couldn’t put it down and loved the ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for this ARC.

Gwen, 53, from Harrogate, is at a crossroads. With only a meagre income as a mosaic artist, with three boys to fly the nest and a husbands who's more interested in the dog, she suddenly latches on to the fact that she hasn't seen her BFF Isabella for 15 years. She asks around at her old school hockey team reunion, but no one knows anything although everyone has a different outlandish theory. Further enquiries reveal that Isabella has no online presence and seems to have not just ghosted Gwen, but everybody, having thoroughly disappeared. But like a Rottweiler, Gwen doesn't give up and even travels abroad on a lead. Will she find her and what will she discover?

I was quite annoyed with Isabella for ghosting her former friends like that but when I was finally told her story I understood completely. Stalking is a serious issue that nevertheless isn't taken seriously enough by many people including the police, and the topic is explored very well. I did think however that it was solved too quickly and harmlessly at the end, somewhat negating the drastic measures Isabella had taken.

Gwen with her egocentric outlook is not always likeable. She suddenly feels hard done by a friend she hasn't thought about for years. It often feels like Gwen undertakes this journey for herself and her primary concern is not for Isabella but for her own self-discovery and the indignity of having been ghosted. Sometimes people don't want to be found for very good reasons but Gwen selfishly feels like she should have been informed in detail what these reasons are.

Gwen has neglected Isabella's existence for 15 years but is suddenly aggrieved she's no longer her bestie. That and the stalker's actions are typical for strained and unresolved relationships that can become a huge topic in a mid-life crisis. Gwen does a lot of introspective navelgazing and gives inner monologues about her life.

There is a lot to love, it's well-written, funny and relatable and handles topics like long-term marriages, female friendships, middle aged boozing and misdirected nostalgia with aplomb. Some of the supporting characters like Min, Dippy and MIL Morag are hilarious.

As an aside, I was freaked out by the casual mentioning of menopause symptoms I have myself: "On Monday, after a standard night of regularly awaking with heart palpitations, drenched in sweat, I went to the office to do some work." Too on the nose for me, and why is she not more freaked out, heart palpitations are horribly uncomfortable!

Read if you like mysteries about middle-aged women and their introspective personal journeys to do with female friendships.

This was such a wild read which I truly loved loved the characters the mystery such a good book will be recommend for my book club

This is a touching and easy-to-read story about friendship and starting over.

Gwen is 53 and stuck in a rut. When a school reunion reminds her of Isabella, her once-inseparable best friend who vanished 15 years ago, Gwen sets out on a personal quest to find her.

Although Gwen is searching for Isabella, the real focus is Gwen’s personal journey. I found this to be a heartwarming and enjoyable read,

Gwen embarks on a quest to find her best friend, Isabella, who mysteriously vanished fifteen years ago. At fifty-three, facing an empty nest and a stalled career, Gwen turns detective, journeying across England and Europe. This adventure tests her marriage and unearths long-buried secrets, all while exploring themes of friendship, memory, and self-discovery.

Gwen is at a crossroads in her life. Shes 53 and doesn’t know what she’s doing with her life. Her kids have grown up and don’t need her so much, she’s been made redundant,& is trying to start a crafting business and she seems to be drifting apart from her husband and friends.

A school hockey team reunion reminds her of her old best friend who she hasn’t seen for at least 15 years, Isabella. No one has seen her for years and no idea where she might be. Gwen decides to try and track down Isabella , opening up her life in the process.

A brilliant snapshot of life in your 50s, Beth Morrey has a great knack for noticing tiny details of an everyday life.

Thank you so much for accepting my request for an early copy of this book. I really enjoy Beth Morrey’s writing style so I felt super excited to begin this one. The writing style had me hooked throughout and I really wanted to know what had actually happened to Isabella throughout this book and the mystery element of it had me on the edge of my seat.

I did feel really disappointed by the ending and felt that so much more could be done with the disappearance of Isabella. I also found that Gwen really irritated me from about 25% in and I just couldn’t shake that feeling. I am super sad that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted because I was really looking forward to it.

I would read something else by Beth Morrey as I really did love Saving Missy it just seems that this wasn’t for me

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.

Really good book that i will recommend to others.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.