Rating: ★★★★.5
Audience: Mystery / Thriller
Length: 357 pages
Author: Tiffany Crum
Publisher: Flatiron
Release Date: March 10th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Benny Abbott and Joy Moore host one of the most beloved podcasts in the world. Each week, they delight listeners with a different “against all odds” survival story, gleefully finding the weird, life-affirming humor in near-death experiences. Since their first episode on Joy’s experience with severe narcolepsy, they’ve been the best friends everyone wants to befriend—and thanks to the meticulous management of Joy’s husband, Xander, they’ve built a lucrative empire.

The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander’s one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple’s disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy’s memoir. Benny will stop at nothing to find them, even as the police zero in on him as their prime suspect.

Millions of devoted listeners think they know the “real” Benny and Joy. But as the hours tick by, and the odds seem increasingly stacked against Joy and Xander being found alive, not even the most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets their favorite famous BFFs have hidden from the world—and from each other.

READ THE AUDIOBOOK.

This is another one of those thrillers where I feel like the whole experience is even better listening to the audio production. I loved the narrators and the added touches to the podcast moments and phone calls, etc. that really brought everything together.

I loved the writing and how easy it was to fall into this story. I was swept from the get go and listened much faster than I anticipated. I’m a notorious picky reader about thrillers but this delivered. I thought the plot rolled out in an interesting way that kept enough back while leaving crumbs that make you want to know what happens next.

My tiny little thing was that part of the plot was evident from the get-go for me. Besides that I thought the connections and hidden pieces were shocking. I loved the complicated dynamics that formed and how all of the side characters being met influenced the timeline.

And I think the ending solidified how much I loved this book. It was a much more complete ending than I have typical found in the genre which brought that sense of peace at closing that I tend to lean towards. I’m absolutely looking forward to this author’s next book!

Overall audience notes:

• Thriller / Mystery
• Language: mild
• Romance: closed door
• Violence: high
• Content warnings: domestic abuse, partner abuse, murder, physical altercations

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