Myers’ writing has developed over the years from enjoyably snarky (his anonymous dating blog and guardian blind date reviews), to entertainingly romcom (a genre I don’t typically enjoy but Myers was an exception) and now to this - a much darker tale that looks at ageing and how we can drift apart, how we respond to death, and the little (or indeed massive) lies we tell ourselves and others. The Glorious Dead is superb, demonstrating a real maturity in tone and approach, whilst being captivating in what rapidly becomes its central mystery. I enjoyed the balance of character perspectives, including the memoir from the dead Laurie, so many opportunities for an unreliable narrator that even when the twist seems obvious it turns out you’ve missed the real clues as to what’s going on. Impressively enjoyable.

The book begins in the immediate aftermath of the playwright Laurie Blount dying in an accident at the age of 45, leaving his husband Jo and best friend Viv grief-stricken. There are poignant observations about the way Jo and Viv leave gaps in their conversations for Laurie to speak, and space for him when walking down the street, out of habit. There's a polite tension to this grief: "an understanding between them that neither will ever say out loud: that they both wish the other had died instead of Laurie."

As the story unfurls, it edges more into the style of a mystery, with a tangled web of relationships, resentments, secrets and lies surrounding the departed Laurie. It's an unusual structure, with something of Citizen Kane about it. Or perhaps Touch of Evil with that bitter line: "what does it matter what you say about people?" It's beautifully written, reminding me of Deborah Moggach's 'The Black Dress', with sharp and humorous descriptions of characters who are all too fallible.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I was really looking forward to this because I love Myers' writing and he was very excited about publishing something that's a bit more - complex? mature? perhaps, than his usual rom coms.

It's still very funny, and even romantic, but, maybe because it's about older characters (they're mostly in their forties) it does feel slightly more sophisticated and grown-up. I'm happy to read about young(er) people and their trials and tribulations but of course I'm more interested in people closer to my own age.

Jo and Laurie have been together for a long time, and perhaps not always entirely happily, but that doesn't make Laurie's unexpected death any less shocking, and the profoundly unsettling repercussions, not just for Jo but for Laurie's best friend, Vivi, are disconcerting. There are some really brilliant descriptions of what it feels like to grieve for a friend and also a friendship, the jokes and memories that can never be replicated.

I really did feel like Myers' writing has taken a huge leap forward with this, which is saying a lot as I already thought he was a great writer. This is an unexpectedly twisty and very satisfying story with lots of 'OMG' moments and suitably waspish humour from Laurie, who may be dead but is a vibrant presence nonetheless, though his writing.

I loved it.

The Glorious Dead is a sharply witty and emotionally charged exploration of grief, legacy, and the slipperiness of truth. When celebrated—and controversial—playwright Laurie Blount dies, those closest to him are left to navigate not only their loss but also the provocative, waspish memoir he leaves behind. Told with biting humour and a keen eye for human flaws, Myers blends mystery, dark comedy, and emotional depth, creating a story that’s as compulsively readable as it is poignant. It’s his most ambitious and mature work yet—intricately plotted, laced with unforgettable characters, and unafraid to ask: can we ever truly know someone, even in death?

Justin Myers' "The Glorious Dead" is a searing, scathing, and profoundly poignant investigation into loss and legacy. The book revolves around the aftermath of flamboyant West End performer Laurie Blount, who, in death, leaves not just his husband Jo, best friend Vivi, and goddaughter Rosy, but also a manuscript of unpublished, scandalous memoirs. Myers skillfully interweaves the contemporary struggles of the mourning trio with Laurie's acerbic, disclosing past.

The real mastermind behind the book is the dual narrative, through which Laurie's voice continues to be so full of life and alive even when he is dead. His memoirs also happen to be a source of conflict, both sad and funny, that makes his loved ones realize a part of him they never knew or maybe didn't want to know. The writer navigates this tricky balance of tragedy and comedy with aplomb, writing a tale that is as laugh-out-loud hilarious as it is deeply sad. "The Glorious Dead" is a triumphant first book that confirms the most long-lasting love tales are frequently the most complex.

Laurie Blount, award-winning playwright, is dead. After receiving the news, his husband and close friends navigate their grief in vastly different ways. When chapters of Laurie’s unpublished memoirs are read, those closest to him have to face up to that fact that maybe they didn’t know Laurie as well as they thought they did.

This story is told from multiple POV’s, mainly Jo’s (Laurie’s husband). There are also chapter of Laurie’s memoirs that provide insight into his thoughts and feelings throughout the years.

I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and the theatre industry through the eyes of different people, with different backgrounds and backstories.

I felt that the pacing for the first half was quite slow but the last 30% really made up for this. I liked the way everything tied up but also was left really ambiguous. It highlighted to me that you can never really know someone, despite how close you perceive to be to them.

Laurie Blount, renowned playwright and celebrity is dead, and with his death, the lives of those nearest and dearest to him are unravelled, not just in grief, but in a series of discoveries that call into question everything they knew about Laurie and their relationships with him. This is a deft and twisted unravelling of a life told in diary entries interspersed with flashbacks and scenes of the grieving process. It's dark and witty, making the most of a series of emotional depth charges that go off in surprising directions leaving you, the reader always one step behind.