Erica’s Pick of the Week: This Story Might Save Your Life

These days, it’s rare for a book to keep me up late – in large part because I love sleep almost as much as I love reading. It takes a truly gripping title to disrupt bedtime. But thanks to its twisty plot, breakneck pacing, and appealing leads, Tiffany Crum’s debut, This Story Might Save Your Life did the trick. I read the book in one go, finishing around 3am…and I regret nothing.

Best friends Benny and Joy host a podcast about how to survive ludicrous, life-threatening situations. (Being swallowed by a whale, for example.) What started as a lark is now a lucrative multimedia empire, managed by Joy’s husband Xander. Sure, Benny and Joy don’t share everything about their lives with their fans. But their friendship is what keeps listeners tuning in, and that’s the one thing neither Benny nor Joy have ever had to fake. Now, with a book deal under their belt and an even bigger payday on the horizon, the duo are truly at the top of their game. 

That is, until Joy and Xander go missing, and the police think Benny is the culprit. To clear his name – and find his best friend – Benny must figure out the clues Joy has left behind. Their history is more complicated than he realized, but it’s also the key to uncovering the truth.

People who love smart, layered thrillers will find plenty to enjoy here – there are cliffhangers, red herrings and hidden motives galore. Everyone has secrets, and the real fun comes from trying to figure out the difference between characters’ public and private personas. It’s an intriguing, fast-paced puzzle that slowly ratchets up the tension as people’s facades begin to crumble.  

The puzzle works, in large part, because Benny and Joy are both delightful. These are not the unlikable, unreliable narrators you’re used to. They’re quirky, endearing best friends, and the beating heart of the story. Benny’s investigation, which unfolds in the present day, shows he’s genuinely worried for his favorite person in the world; Joy’s flashbacks to the duo’s origin story, recounted in her memoir chapters, gives a sense of how they’ve grown up over the years. Their affectionate banter makes the notion of a hit podcast entirely plausible and more importantly, keeps you invested in the outcome.

This Story Might Save Your Life breathes fresh life and genuine humor into a familiar genre – and if you can listen to the audiobook, with its bonus multimedia content and podcast-like narration, do. The story is well worth a read (or a listen) especially for fans of Louise Candlish, Lisa Jewell, or Amy Tintera.