There was a lot to like about this novel. I actually celebrated my 40th school reunion with eight friends on a long weekend away last year and we have a Facebook chat that's surprisingly active. So I could very much relate to Gwen's connection to her school friends, and most specifically Izzy - her former best friend and kindred spirit.

It was perhaps a little unlikely that Gwen was so surprised to realise it'd been 15 years since she heard from her, though we eventually learn that the last time the young women met they had words... something Gwen has put out of her mind.

I enjoyed Gwen's 'investigation' into Izzy's disappearance and, though later realises she was searching for her lost self as much as her former friend, she does jump to many MANY wrong conclusions along the way.

As for the 'why' Izzy disappeared, I was probably less convinced of the likelihood that [what was happening] led to such a strong series of actions. Indeed later, the person behind the actions even seems surprised at Izzy's over-reaction... though as Gwen realises, she can't know how Izzy felt.

This felt a bit longer than it needed to be and we probably could have skipped Gwen's hobby / job and the introduction of the couple of co-workers as well as the inclusion of the MIL-from-hell to focus a little more on the re-ignition of old friendships, which I very much enjoyed and found relatable.

3.5 stars

Isabella's Not Dead started off really well, I was drawn in quickly, and it kept my interest. The middle of the book was a slower pace, which I found a little boring in parts. The last third of the book picked up and had me hooked again.

I really liked Beth's writing style. Her characters were all interesting, charismatic, likable, and complex. Especially Gwen and Isabella.
Gwen was determined, loyal, strong, and relatable.

This is the first book I've read from Beth Morrey, and after reading this, I'm definitely interested in reading more from this talented author.

I highly recommend Isabella's Not Dead.

4 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, and Beth Morrey for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just amazing. Like nothing I have ever read. I love the author style of writing and I can't wait to read what's next from Beth. Highly recommend.

Enjoyed this book for the wit but found the story quite long winded. Could have been a faster paced story, with more seeds dropped earlier.

Did enjoy the writing and the main character though!

Gwen isn't sure where the past 15 years have gone, or what she's been doing, but a long overdue weekend away with her hockey pals has her asking the question "just what DID happen to Isabella Harris?". After all, they had been inseparable best friends. Until they weren't.

Isabella's Not Dead is a fun read. Easy to follow, just enough characters to keep you entertained and a plot that does have you wondering if Isabella might be dead after all.

No major twists, no unexpected turns, just a nice lilting read to carry you through a rainy weekend.

This book was packed full of mystery and suspense. It had me needing to know the truth behind the friendship fall out especially when it turns into a journey of self, secrets, and second chances.

Beth is fast becoming one of my favourite authors!

I really enjoyed Saving Missy but I really loved this book. It flowed really well, was well written and I just couldn't wait to read more.

The characters were really relatable, and I enjoyed reading about the lengths Gwen went to in order to find her long-lost old school friend.

Funny, moving and well written, I highly recommend it!

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed this book.

The story is about Gwen, when she attends a school reunion and meets her school friends, she finds that none of them know what happened to her friend Isabella, who has not been seen since 15 years ago.

She decides to find her and goes in search of her. The story follows is how Gwen views her life where having lost her job, and now her family don’t need her so much. I felt her character was relatable.

Her search for her friend impacts her personally and she begins to think of the ways in which she can change her life, and when she meets another friend, Min, this too has an affect on her.

I highly recommend this book.

I love books by this author. I race through them and am always desperate for the next one.
The characters are well crafted and there’s something warming story telling is always beautiful

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