The Funeral Crashers by Joanna Nell

‘At their age, there was no point in beating about the bush.’

I confess to being a big fan of Joanna Nell’s books. They are full of heart and empathy. She is particularly interested in revealing the interior lives of older characters, who are often overlooked in popular fiction.

Grace and Martin are two such characters. Grace has lost her only child, and Martin still lives with his domineering mother. When they discover their shared love of singing, they come up with an unusual plan: to gate-crash funerals at their beloved All Saints church and lead the singing. Who says you need to know the deceased to help celebrate their life?

Things get complicated when they are the only two people present at a funeral, and find themselves the beneficiaries of a very generous Will.

Nell gently tackles themes of grief, loneliness and ageing with positivity. As Martin is an archaeologist, the question of repatriation of museum artefacts is also raised. Martin hopes he has inspired his undergraduate students to be ‘part of the conversation about the ethics of foreign museums displaying the ‘finds’ of previous generations’.

Nell gently tackles themes of grief, loneliness and ageing with positivity. Her characters are flawed, but everyone deserves to love, and be loved.

Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Gaby Meares
Murder on a Monday Reading Group