‘There are a lot of lonely people in the world, Martin. Especially when you get to our age. This is the one place you can come where nobody judges. Besides, you don’t need to have known somebody personally to celebrate their life.’
Retired academic Martin Pottinger‘s romantic aspirations for the delectable head of his former university’s archaeology department, Professor Mary Blake, seem about to be realised. If only he could devise a plan to manage the demands of his eccentric elderly mother, Edwina.
Recently bereaved Grace Cavendish spends her days helping out at All Souls Church, making it her mission to drown out the Reverend Rod’s tone-deaf hymn-singing and give each funeral recipient a hearty send-off. Yet the peace she craves remains elusive despite the comforts offered by psychic medium Rhondda and her eight-year-old son, Hudson.
When Martin and Grace meet and bond at an All Souls service, they unwittingly set off a chain of events with far-reaching consequences. They become funeral crashers. But who could have predicted that crashing funerals might have such life-changing and life-affirming outcomes?
*****
Grace has been alone for a long time. She struggles to fill her days. When she meets a young boy named, Hudson, she can see he is someone who needs help.
Martin is getting a little impatient with his mother invading his space. He is distracting himself with a crush he has on colleague, Mary.
When a funeral brings Grace and Martin together, some luck comes their way. As they get to know each other, will their friendship blosson or will they have nothing in common?
This book was my introduction to Joanna Nell and I was eager to see what this novel was like.
The premise intrigued me. I mean, there are wedding crashers but funeral crashers?
It wasn’t hard to fall into this book. I was very engrossed from chapter one. Grace’s story was heart-breaking. I felt for her and wanted to give her a hug. She, like many people has found herself on her own. Grace wants to feel needed. Despite her attempts to help at the church, her offers are rebuffed. I wanted things to work out for her.
Martin felt a little stuffy when we first meet him. I wasn’t sure what to make of him. However, as the book goes on, I found him to be a wonderful, considerate, loyal man. He’s got a lot of layers and despite the inconvenience of losing his home space, he loves his mother.
Can I adopt Shirley Temple? What a brilliant name for a cat.
The supporting cast are a delightful mix of people. Hudson is adorable. Everyone has their own story and this book reminds us that everyone has sometihng going on behind the smiles.
The plot unfolds at a great pace with never a dull moment. There were times where the characters made me smile – Edwina and Felicity are funny together and other moments where I broke on behalf of the people in this novel.. The themes explored include grief/loss, loneliness, illness and the search for a sense of purpose.
The Funeral Crashers reminds us that life is short. It’s messy, has rollercoaster moments and that any happiness should be grabbed with both hands. This is a riot of a novel and a great companion to a holiday or a quiet night where you just want to escape into a good book.
About Joanna Nell –
Joanna Nell was born in the Midlands and graduated from Oxford University with a medical degree in 1991.
In 2003 she moved to Australia where she now works as a GP with a passion for women’s health and care of the elderly.
Joanna writes character-driven stories of self-discovery for women of a certain age, creating young-at-heart characters who break the rules and defy society’s expectations.
She lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with her husband and two children.
Say hello to Joanna on Instagram.
Her latest novel, The Funeral Crashers was released in 2025. The paperback edition is due for release by Hachette Australia in July 2026. Click to buy/pre-order on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon AU, Barnes and Noble, Readings and Waterstones.
Novel Kicks is a blog for story tellers and book lovers.
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