Once again Kerryn Mayne has delivered a crime novel that relies on an offbeat protagonist to create quite the quirky mystery. Joy Moody is many things, but most of all she is an adoring mother to twin girls and those girls are about to turn 21, a milestone that’s not going to be marked in the usual way.

For starters, Joy Moody is the epitome of a controlling mother but she has taken it to the next level in her bid to protect her daughters. We pick up the story as the trio are sitting in their backyard waiting to be teleported to the year 2050, back to the future where Joy has convinced Cassie and Andie they have come from, having fled a war that was ravaging the world. The seemingly crazy story she has brainwashed her daughters into believing has held them in thrall for more than 10 years.

The story jumps from the present back to weeks earlier and then years earlier as we’re gradually filled in on how Joy and her girls have reached this momentous occasion.

We’re provided with hints and snippets of information designed to whet the appetite, so it’s possible to make educated guesses about the secrets that Joy has been keeping for nigh-on 21 years.

The questions that spring to mind immediately centre largely around the reason why Joy has felt the need to convince the girls they’re from the future. They’ve clearly been sequestered from the rest of the world with home-schooling, no internet, mobile phones or television and the . Plus, from early on there’s a name that pops up in Joy’s musings - Britney.

This is a story that is allowed to be drawn out very gradually to start before taking off with gusto in the second half. Cassie and Andy display strength and resilience that was a pleasure to witness as they slowly understand just how deep the deception they’d believed in for years actually ran.

There are many poignant moments in the book and the majority of the characters are strong, resilient and supportive of one another. It’s this aspect of the book that shines. It’s just a matter of overlooking all of Joy’s faults and, it turns out, there are many, and understand that her motives are pure.

With a suitably eclectic cast of characters who manage to chime in with well timed voices of reason when required, this is a well-designed story that hides a tragic event. Yes, there are crimes committed, the cops are involved, and while I wouldn’t exactly term them twists, there’s definitely an unexpected turn or two that are quite satisfactory.2024-release australian mystery18 s Craig / Phil1,651 86

Thank you Penguin for sending us a copy to read and review.
Kerryn Mayne’s sophomore release is a quirky, magnificent and highly entertaining read with a unique storyline and a joyous presence.
Joy Moody is the owner of Joyful Suds, a very pink and popular laundromat.
But on her twin daughters, Andie and Cassie’s 21st birthday, Joy is found dead.
Why?
That’s not the only most unfortunate thing that’s happened.
Joy has been telling the twins all their lives that they are from the future and when they turn 21 they will return to then.
She started this conversation to explain how they came to live with her.
This lie set off a chain of events that hides the truth.
With the amazing success of Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder, Kerryn’s debut and a book I absolutely adored, this one will match the sensation of the first.
Well written, a fascinating plot, a terrific cast of characters, a creative backdrop and a surprising ending.
There’s a scatter of a mystery amongst all the drama, action and comedy.
A book you will consume quickly and will leave an imprint on your heart and soul and a lasting impression on the mind.
Joy Moody Is Out Of Time is a clever, sharp, witty and humorous triumph.
6 s Aidan PrewettAuthor 4 books12

I just wanted to hug every character in this book! (Except one). They’re all just wonderful in their own way. I wondered how on earth anything could top LENNY MARKS but JOY MOODY has done it, it’s just astoundingly brilliant. A beautiful story about what it means to be family. There were actual tears.4 s2 comments Deborah1,295 104

For much of their lives, Joy has been telling Cassie and Andie one big, fat lie: that they are from the future, and that when they turn twenty-one they will travel back to the year 2050.

This story should be unfathomable. But we learn how Joy's isolated the girls and they've accepted what they've been told. Often frustrated by their mother, she's kept them safe and is obviously devoted to them. So this is a novel about family and love. And Mayne offers a great support cast (of fellow misfits in the small shopping strip) reminding us that family are sometimes those we choose. 

This is a book that could be baffling but it isn't. It's bittersweet and ultimately heartwarming. And another excellent offering by Mayne.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...2 s Nicole B38 1 follower

Great read, following in the footsteps of 'Lenny Marx gets away with murder', I was kept guessing throughout.

The characters are interesting and mostly predictable but that was reassuring.

Joy's questionable ethics bothered me, but as a depiction of motherhood in the suburbs who's to say we wouldn't all do the same! adult crime reading2 s Kathryn M89

I found this book quite disappointing in that after a strong start, it did not stick the landing. I really d the set-up and concept, and indeed the first third was strong and interesting. The characters of Joy, Andie, Cassie, and Monty in particular unfolded in intriguing ways. However, once the hinge event of the book takes place, I felt there was absolutely no narrative tension left, which made it all a bit vanilla. Mayne seems to have flirted with the possibility of doing some magic realism but then pulled back to a very straight realist lens, which I thought was a let-down and made the book a lot less than it could have been. I read it quickly and I can't fault the readability of the style (it's not at all a hard book) and I don't regret reading it, but I wouldn't see myself reading it again.australian contemporary2 s Katherine Cummings 38

I found the structure a bit odd and the lack of detail in the beginning frustrating. I was grateful I persevered though as the back half was worth it.2 s Paula McCulloch15

3.5 !!1 Jas14

Love!!! What a quirky book, so intriguing (admittedly was lost at the start) but absolutely loved it!! 1 Anushka37 46

Such an intriguing plot and setting! I listened to the audiobook version and loved it. 1 Rachel227 2

A bizzare cosy mystery that made me snigger, become teary and contemplate the reason behind the lies parents tells their children.1 DANNI JONES20

Hmmm… this was interesting. I really had to push myself to keep reading this one. I’m glad I did as all the threads of the story came together in a really interesting way, but it was touch and go for a while there.
I wish the rest of the book had the same pace and punch as end. 2.75 stars1 Belinda506 14

The book opens on the 21st birthday of a Joy Moody’s twin girls. The three women are waiting under a tree to be transported to the future, where Joy has told her daughters their real parents are waiting for them. Unsurprisingly, there is no time travel, and by the end of the day, Joy is dead.

We soon find out that Joy has been isolating her daughters from the world, not letting them watch TV, talk to strangers and have mobile phones or access to the internet. At the same time, Joy herself is slowly losing touch with reality, for reasons that are soon revealed but I won’t spoil here. This highlights my two major issues with this book. Firstly, I just simply did not buy that this would happen in suburban Melbourne. There is just no chance than two women who work in a shop (Joy’s laundry, which the three women live behind) dealing with the public every day would be as sheltered and isolated as they are portrayed in this book. (I am certain that the author received this feedback from other readers, because at one point one character gives a lengthy explanation of how even though it seems unly, it really could happen! But seriously, it just could not).

Secondly, Joy Moody is an abusive mother and I do not reading stories about child abusers.

I really wanted to love this book but the improbability of the story it tells just kept pulling me out of the narrative.1 Lynda711 8

A 3.5 really , 3 for the first part which dragged a bit and seemed somewhat incredible in the true sense of the word and a minimum of 4 for the last part where all the characters came together and the storyline felt more feasible. Joy is the nurturing mother of twins who are about to celebrate their 21st birthday but she is not the biological mother and therein hangs the tale. She has had to keep her children away from society so has spun a tale to them of them being time travellers. Her story is further complicated by her diagnosis with a brain tumour. There are wonderful subsidiary characters who probably should have been given more time to develop further. The denouement is very warm and enjoyable.
For me this fell well short of the wonderful Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder but it shares its quirkiness and unusual characters.1 Emilie (emiliesbookshelf)66 5

First Lenny Marks and now Joy Moody, Kerryn has this absolutely amazing ability to create leading female characters who you are immediately invested in from the first chapter.

Joy is clever, strong, vulnerable and caring. Her story is filled with many twists & turns, and you might almost n it to a rinse cycle
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