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The Glorious Dead

Darkly humorous and riveting new novel from bestselling author

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The Glorious Dead

By: Justin Myers
Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
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Laurie Blount, the 'enfant terrible' of the West End, the voice of a generation, a shining star. Also: dead. Very, very dead.

Reeling at being left behind, his husband Jo, best friend Vivi, and goddaughter Rosy must step out from the shadows and begin a new life, at their own pace. But scattered chapters of Laurie's unpublished memoirs ensure that while he may be dead, he'll never leave them. Waspish, wicked, and witty, they reveal a side to Laurie nobody really knew - or would admit to knowing. But who's already had their eyes on them, and is it all really true? Who should his grieving loved ones believe to be the real Laurie - the lovable, arch comedian they knew, or the adulterous, somewhat tragic figure who comes alive on the page?

Jo is about to discover he has more in common with his dear departed husband than he ever imagined, and that comedy and tragedy are just the same mistakes, made under different lighting. Those we adore let us down, halos can dim, and pedestals are there to be toppled. If Jo is ever to find peace in the future, he must confront Laurie's past.

PRAISE FOR JUSTIN MYERS

'Funny, kind, insightful book, about those who get left behind' Russell T Davies

'The Fake-Up is everything I want from a rom com. It's warm, funny and whip smart. I feel like I know all the characters, they just leap off the page. I couldn't put it down' Laura Kay, author of THE SPLIT

'Justin Myers has done it again - a brilliantly funny reimagining of the romcom, full of helter-skelter twists' Adam Kay, author of THIS IS GOING TO HURT

'Myers uses his razor keen eye for observation, dialogue and character to the wittiest effect' Evening Standard©2025 Justin Myers Dark Humour Genre Fiction Humorous Literature & Fiction Suspense Thriller & Suspense Exciting Witty Tear-jerking Comedy
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Critic reviews

The Juicy Comedy in Grazia's 'Six Sensational Reads for Autumn'
This amusing, intriguing novel explores how well we can ever know even our nearest and dearest
Fabulously funny
I loved how witty, twisty and touching this was
Darkly funny page-turner . . . The Glorious Dead is great fun and packed with twists, while also deeply moving on grief and the things left unsaid between even the closest friends
I'm a longtime fan of Justin's writing, full of wit, perception and acute emotional honesty. He remains the only person I know who can casually break your heart in the detail of an Instagram caption. The Glorious Dead is his best novel yet, demonstrating he's one of the most exciting writers around. Immensely clever and moving, dark and mature, a reflection on loss, on our compartmentalised selves, delivered in a gripping mystery
I wolfed down this brilliant book. If I wasn't laughing it was only because I was gasping at the twists. Intricately plotted with gloriously grotesque characters who have stuck with me ever since
A deliciously dark departure for Justin Myers, full of twists and turns and plenty of laughs, too. So much fun. I devoured it
The Glorious Dead is deliciously dark, witty and devastatingly astute. It is a novel filled with idle gossip, life-ruining rumours, the shady underbelly of our lives that we know we shouldn't be engaging in but is impossible to resist. Myers writes his characters masterfully, his controlled and precise storytelling leading us down a path that feels more dangerous and thrilling with each step. What might we discover about ourselves, or worse, about the people closest to us? I didn't want it to end
A rarity, a novel so achingly beautiful but which packs the mightiest of punches. Prepare to have your heart ripped out and trampled upon. Full to the brim with pain, longing, regret, love and fresh hope, this is a masterfully told story
Myers does it again - crafting a moving mediation on art, love, loss and what it means to be happy in a world that has passed you by. The dialogue is deliciously catty. The prose precise and beautiful. You'll wish Laurie Blount was your friend. Until you very much don't
The Glorious Dead somehow manages to be both funny and devastating at the same time. With sharp wit and poignance alike, Justin Myers has written a moving meditation on how to live after loss in what is his best work yet
The whole thing is a masterclass in writing - and if Justin taught that class, I would be first in the queue to attend. He draws characters better than probably anyone else, and I know I'm going to be thinking about Laurie, Jo and Vivi for a long time to come. I was already a massive fan of Justin's writing, and now I'm officially a creep.
Witty, acerbic and waspish. There's a lot of Justin Myers in Laurie Blount. And that's a very good thing indeed
All stars
Most relevant
I think this is probably a great book. Unfortunately the narration is one paced and all the characters sound the same, making it hard to follow. The nuances of the characters are lost and it becomes a bit of a slog. Worth listening to but a bit of a missed opportunity.

With a narrator like Joe Jameson, who Justin Myers has used before, it could have been amazing.

Good book let down by mediocre narration

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Such a rich and full story with a believable world and characters. One of those books that you can’t wait to devour but just don’t want to get to the end of.

Justin’s best book yet

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This is a fantastic story and Justin Myers is the master of similes. Give it a listen, you won't be disappointed as the twists reveal themselves in subtle and clever ways.

What a ride!

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Ratter different to Justin's other novels, but no less compelling. Caustic and wonderfully arch with fully formed characters taking charge of a beautifully constructed story. Shades of Alan Bennett in some of Justin's trademark wit. If you've loved his earlier work you'll adore how this is still very much the same author, just darker. A truly grown up future classic.

Best yet

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