This story is about Joy Moody, the lies she has told her twins, Cassie and Andie, and the fallout when those lies are revealed. The premise is unique and intriguing, and I found Mayne's writing engaging. She has an excellent ability to write with detail. I loved how we get inside the heads of the characters; they're all very well-developed, and I enjoyed reading about how they each deal with their struggles. It was relatable to a certain extent, as we've all had "growing pains" when transitioning from childhood to adulthood.

I found the pacing of the story a little out of whack. Some parts of the book felt rushed, while others just dragged on. The plot twists were predictable, and I didn't find myself reading with as much anticipation as I had hoped. And, as complex as the character of Joy was meant to be, she felt one-dimensional at best. I wish there was more to her personality.

I liked what the author was trying to do with the theme of family, but the story could have used a less heavy-handed approach. Overall, this was just an okay read that showed promise but was flawed in its execution. Please note that three stars isn't a bad book by any stretch of the imagination, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

I have read a previous Mayne book, Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder, and loved it. Her latest book is no different. Such a twisty, fantastical premise!

Joy Moody is ready to take her twin daughters back to the year 2050 when the time is right. But after the appointed time comes and goes with no effect, Joy is puzzled. What happened? The reader learns about the Moody family through each member's POV as well as that of the detective who comes to investigate a death on-site. The sheltered twins are just beginning to realize their mom has quite possibly been lying to them their entire lives and has not prepared them for anything that is to come. Did Joy really believe all the lies she was feeding her daughters?

Loved this novel and how original it is. Although the premise is wild, the Moody family and all their neighbors are relatable and readers will see bits of their own family and friends in the dynamics. I was pulled in, a sucker for every new twist and turn!

#JoyMoodyIsOutOfTime. I enjoyed this book and thought the character development was extraordinary, especially with Joy and her “daughters”. I struggled a bit to keep interested in the “future” storyline at times but the book redeemed itself in how it wrapped up at the end.

Joy Moody Is Out of Time by Kerryn Mayne is another excellent character driven, quirky domestic drama integrated with a crime novel. It is very highly recommended, unique, and not formulaic.

Bayside’s bright pink laundromat, Joyful Suds, has been home to Joy Moody and her twin daughters, Cassiopeia (Cassie) and Andromeda (Andie). They run it, own it, and live behind Joyful Suds. All of that is about to change because the twins are turning twenty-one. For their whole lives, Joy has been keeping the girls safe from The People, protected, and isolated. She has told them that they are really from the future and now that they are twenty-one they will be transported to the year 2050, where they will fight as daughters of the revolution against The People.

Joy always meant to eventually tell them the truth, but her circumstances have changed. She has a brain tumor she hasn't told anyone about and is now struggling to know the truth from the lies. Andie has figured out it is a story and even knows the books Joy's fanciful tales were based on, but Cassie believes. The morning after their birthday and failure to transport, Joy is found dead. The girls are now facing circumstances and the real world Joy never prepared them for, but they do eventually find their support system.

The narrative is divided into four parts, Life in a Laundromat, Death in a Laundromat, Dear Customer, and Under New Management, with an epilogue. Their are chapters that explain how Joy came to be the mum of the twins and the reason she has kept them isolated, homeschooled, away from all devices, and told them the fanciful tale of how they are really from the future. For all her care to protect the girls, isolating them from real life was a mistake. It is good their neighbors and friends are there to watch out for them.

The writing is exceptional. I was immediately engrossed in the story and cared about these characters and what happened next. Just when it seems it's going to take a science fiction turn, the plot quickly moves back into reality and a crime novel. Joy's death is initially thought to be suspicious, so the police are involved. This involvement expands as the plot becomes even more complicated later in the novel, due to a note Joy sent before her death.

This is a character driven story and all of them come to life as fully realized, believable individuals with strengths and weaknesses, including the two antagonists. There are several morally dubious actions, but, that too is realistic as sometimes circumstances lead to bad decisions for a good reason. (And homeschooling done right is not isolating.)

Joy Moody Is Out of Time is a perfect choice for everyone who loved Mayne's excellent debut novel, Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Joy has raised twins Cassie and Andie and run a laundry business by herself. She's always told the girls that they were from the future and she was not their real Mom but eventually they would travel to 2050 and be reunited and fight The People who are trying to take over the world. Over the years they believed it and led a sheltered life because of it -- homeschool, few friends, no tv or social media or driving. On their 21st birthday they are to time travel but plans go awry and their lives unravel as the police ask tough questions and Joy's brother comes in the picture to make a claim on the laundromat. It took me a bit to get into this one but in the end it was heartwarming and emotional story of a mother's love with multiple twists and turns and mystery that pulled all the strings together of this quirky and magical story. 3.5 stars for me!

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

⏰ T I C K T O C K T H U R S D A Y review ⏰ featuring “Joy Moody is Out of Time” by Kerryn Mayne.

Joy Moody has raised her twin daughters Cassie and Andie in a sheltered way, but for a good reason. Joy has been preparing them for their lives in the future because on their 21st birthdays they will time travel to the year 2050 and help to save the world. The twins grew up getting homeschooled and were not allowed to watch tv or go on the internet in order to keep them safe.

However, Joy Moody is out of time and on the twin’s 21st birthdays, Joy is found dead. Now the twins must face the real world without their mother and the secrets of her past!

💭 A cool concept, but I had a hard time getting into this one to be honest. A quirky and unique read for sure, but very emotional and dragged out at times. I enjoyed the author’s last book, but was not in the right mood or mindset maybe for this one.

Thank you kindly to @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on August 19, 2025!

I loved Maynes debut novel and I thought I would really enjoy this one, unfortunately it fell short for me. I found it to be very slow and ended up DNFing it.

I had a really difficult time getting into this book. Took me a while to finish it. I’m sure this book would be great for some, but it fell flat for me.

Joy Moody and her twin daughters, Andie and Cassie, are well known in their bayside town of Bonbeach, Australia. As the owners and operators of Joyful Suds, the area's premier laundromat, they're easily recognized in the shop's signature pink polos. As the twins' 21st birthday approaches, all three women know that everything is about to change—but none of them knows just how right they are.

Joy has always wanted to be a mother, and she fiercely protects the girls who have become her everything. To keep them safe, Joy has raised Andie and Cassie to believe that they are time travelers from the year 2050. She tells the girls that their biological parents slipped them into the past to be in Joy's care until their 21st birthday. As the supermoon rises, they will wait by the peppercorn tree in their yard for their parents to claim them and escort them back to their rightful time to fight for the future of the world.

Andie and Cassie believe this to be true... right up to the moment when nothing happens and everything changes.

As Kerryn Mayne's second novel unfolds, readers learn about the unusual circumstances that led to Andie and Cassie becoming Joy's daughters. All three characters narrate the story, each presenting a piece of the plot puzzle in their own distinct voice. I was surprised by how the second half of this story unfolded—it's a compelling read with unique characters, genuine motivations, and an intriguing plot that add up to a memorable story from a talented emerging author.

Joy Moody Is Out of Time by Kerryn Mayne is another story full of quirky characters.

"Joy Moody is the owner of Joyful Suds, a laundromat where she works and lives with her twin daughters - Cassie and Andie. Their whole lives Joy has told them they are vital for the future and will time travel on their 21st birthday to fight. Joy just wanted to keep her daughters safe and the lies are getting harder to tell from the truth. On their birthday, Joy is found dead and the girls are not prepared for the world they have to face."

Joy has her reasons for lying to her daughters. Mayne slowly tells the story of where the girls came from and why Joy hasn't shared the truth with them. A Detective Betts keeps digging into Joy's death, determined to solve her first homicide (if it is a homicide) The girls' story about being time travelers makes no sense to her. Joy's brother, Uncle Grant, shows up. You see just how muchof a snake he is. You might even yell at him a little. Lots of people rally around the girls. It's great to see people care for each other.

This book is about a mother's love and what she will do for her family. It's about truth and found family. I loved the ending. A great new story from Kerryn Mayne.

The plot and non-developed characters made it very difficult to stay interested in this novel. Finishing it was a feat.

Kerryn Mayne is back with Joy Moody Is Out Of Time. You might remember her from her wonderful debut, Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder. This story focuses on the Moody family: Joy (mom) and Cassie and Andie (identical 21 year old twins). What started out as a little lie when the girls were young, Joy has convinced her daughters that on their 21st birthday they will time travel to the future and be leaders to a revolution. But on their birthday a series of events occurs that no one saw coming. This story, like Lenny Marks, was a mix of good hearted characters who sometimes take a wrong turn. Being a mom to twin girls I really loved this story. My girls aren't always the best of friends and the dynamic between Cassie and Andie was very relatable. I also liked how different the girls were as people always assume twins are alike in every way. This story also hit home to me because I've seen first hand a similar illness that Joy had and how it can affect the lives of people around you. I flew through this audiobook, beautifully narrated by Annie Maynard, and didn't want it to end. I switched to the e-book at the end because my driving and errands were done and I just had to know how it ended! This novel has so much I love in stories, eccentric characters that will melt your heart, a little mystery, and found family who always has your back. Thank you so much Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the gifted copies in exchange for an honest view. Joy Moody is Out of Time is hitting shelves August 19th.

I loved the premise of this book from the first moment I saw it. Time travel is one of my favourite genres so even knowing there probably wouldn't be time travel, I was hooked. From there, the three different points of view go from Joy, who can no longer remember fact from fiction, Cassie, who full on believes she is from the future, and Andie, who is starting to believe her mother is lying to her in more ways than one.

As the story progresses, Cassie and Andie are left trying to sort out if anything Joy told them is true. All in all, it made for a very entertaining read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the gifted ARC!

I absolutely loved Kerryn Mayne's debut book, Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder for it's weirdness and shock factor and I couldn't wait to read her new one! I'm happy to say that the weirdness and shock factor were both strong with this one as well! HEAVY on the weird (it's a compliment)!

Joy Moody spends her life running her laundromat, Joyful Suds (cutest name ever) and looking after her twin daughters who are just about to turn 21. She has spent their whole lives telling them that they are from the future...yes, you heard that correctly.

This story was extremely quirky and unique and when the truth was revealed I was SHOCKED. In the same way that Lenny Marks had my eyes bugging out of my head at that one part (IYKYK), this book had a very similarly *WHAT* moment!

I can't wait to keep seeing what Kerryn Mayne puts out!

3.5

My thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this book.

I loved Australian writer Kerryn Mayne ´s debut novel, Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder, published barely a year ago. I’m delighted that she was able to follow it up with a new one so quickly, especially considering that this one is equally good.

The first thing I’ll note is that, in terms of characterization and plot, there are certain distinct qualities that also made the earlier novel stand out. Joy Moody is, to put it mildly, eccentric, as are her twin daughters, Cassiopeia (Cassie) and Andromeda (Andie), and not in name only. As the story begins, the girls are making last minute preparations to join their biological parents nearly a half century into the future. Sweet and amenable Cassie wants to stay in their small town in 2015. While the girls were home-schooled and have no friends their own age, she is an anxious type who enjoys working in her mother’s laundry, Joyful Suds, and just being with her mother and sister in the cosy cottage behind it. She is very insecure and doesn’t believe that her drawings show real talent. Andie , the older twin, has her mother’s fearless take-charge personality. More important, unlike Cassie, she no longer believes in their mother’s story that the twins are warrior princesses given into Joy’s care in infancy until they come of age and can help save their own planet, mired in endless war.

It’s a great start, but I’m glad that the author quickly introduces Andie’s skepticism. Because Joy Moody really is out of time, and the girls have no idea that their sci-fi life story is just that—an imaginative tale by a frightened woman who thought she could keep herself, and above all her cherished twins, safe and protected. It is not giving anything away to note that Joy dies very early in a novel whose title suggests the story is centred on her. It is. But joy’s story is told mostly in flashbacks and through the twins’ painstaking, and frequently painful, attempts to piece together the true story. They had long known they were adopted but Joy was remarkably careful in keeping up their futuristic origin story, which she insisted had to be a complete secret. ‘The People,’ their parents’ adversaries, were everywhere on the lookout for them.

What I thought was going to be a humorous, feminist piece of speculative fiction is actually a very realistic recounting of what happens to children, to their social workers, to biological and foster parents, in a social system that likes the rhetoric of child rescue but not the funds needed to make it work. It is no comfort to know that Australia has the same problems as Canada where child welfare is concerned. Be prepared to shake your head in disgust and to cry for the fate of those ´in the system.’

This book manages to shine a light on some very serious social issues—the author is a police officer—but it is not dark and hopeless. As with Lenny Marks, Mayne does not make everyone good or bad, villain or victim. There are a lot of funny moments depicted with wit and irony. It is one of the best books I’ve read since Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder!

Joy Moody Is Out of Time unfolds in such an interesting way. I loved learning about their lives through out. Getting to see the different characters perspectives made me understand the motivations and why things happened as they did. I was captivated the entire time.

very well done and very quirky murder mystery crime novel with some interesting and, honestly, rather peculiar vibes, but that's part of its charm. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug. 19, 2025
“Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder” author Kerryn Mayne returns with “Joy Moody is Out of Time”, an exceptionally heartbreaking, yet quirky, crime novel.
Andromeda and Cassiopeia Moody are identical twins, raised by Joy Moody, the woman they call mother. Joy runs a laundromat and, for the most part, keeps to herself, spending time with her twins and a few of their close neighbours, but no one knows Joy’s biggest secrets. Since they were ten, Andie and Cassie were told by Joy that, on their twentieth birthday, they would be sent to the year 2050, where they would be important members in starting a Revolution. When their twentieth birthday comes and goes, and the twins are still alive in 2023, Joy figures she’s made a miscalculation and the girls will be taken next year, when they turn twenty-one. Andie starts to disbelieve the stories Joy tells her but Cassie fully supports her mother’s views and prepares to leave life as she knows it behind. But on the night of their twenty-first birthday, Joy is found dead in her living room and the girls are faced with a long life without the only mother they ever knew and both must face Joy’s secrets head-on.
“Joy” is an utter delight. Sharp, witty and unique, the dual timeline, multi-protagonist novel is set, for the most part, in 2023, but there are a few chapters that take place during the year the girls were born. Cassie, Andie and Joy narrate, primarily, but there are a few other characters that we get to hear from, such as Holliday, the lead investigative officer who looks into Joy’s death. All of the characters are next-level quirky, especially Joy and her twins, who have been living in relative seclusion for the twins’ entire life.
Right away, we hear what Joy believes to be true- that the girls will be taken to the future to help save the world. Joy believes it and, initially, Cassie and Andie believe it, too, until readers are informed of the horrible truth about Joy and the reasons for why she thinks this is true. Then, the story veers from the sci-fi to the mysterious, as she struggles to keep her adult daughters in the dark. At the end of the novel, the truth is revealed and readers have all of the information they need to fill all in the blank spots in Joy’s life, and the story could not have had a better ending (albeit a bittersweet one).
The characters in the novel were extremely likable (or extremely detestable- like the girls’ uncle) and, although the girls had lived in relative isolation their whole life due to their mother’s beliefs, there was a lot of sympathy to be had for Callie, Andie, and even Joy herself.
“Joy” is the heartwarming story of a mother who would do anything to protect her daughters, a woman who has told so many lies to so many people she starts to believe them to be true, encouraged by an illness that cements her beliefs. Kerryn Mayne’s creative character-driven novels continue to charm and delight me. I loved “Lenny Marks” and I am so glad that Mayne introduced “Joy Moody” to the world. I can’t wait to see what Mayne creates next.

Joy Moody Is Out of Time by Kerryn Mayne was a surprisingly fresh and engaging read. I enjoyed how the story blends humor with a deeper look at life’s unexpected challenges. Joy’s voice felt genuine and relatable, which made the whole experience feel personal. It’s the kind of book that stuck with me long after I finished.

When I heard Kerryn Mayne had another great crime novel, I stopped everything and grabbed it. Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder was amazing. It is such a wonderful blend of criminality and straight-out quirkiness. But when I started reading Joy Moody is Out of Time, I went full stop. What is Kerryn Mayne doing writing a sci fi? Stay in your lane, lady! It took me a few chapters to figure out that her driving is fine, this is a crime novel, just with a little quirky twist that makes Mayne famous.

Joy Moody has 21-year-old twin girls, and she has been lying to them for a long time. She has fed them this fantasy story about their prominent roles in a future revolution. She has convinced them that on their birthday, they will time-travel to 2050 to save the world. Well, convinced is a strong word. Cassie basically believes her mother, but Andie has some strong doubts about this far-fetched story.

Joy is full of secrets. The time-travel story is supposed to explain why the twins came to live with her. She is also hiding secrets about her health. Joy has a terminal brain tumor. This condition also exacerbates her wild tale.

The setting takes place in a Bayside laundromat called Joyful Suds. Joy and the twins live out back. Joy homeschools the girls, which helps maintain her outlandish story. Brilliantly crafted, this novel is certainly a fun ride!

Will Joy ever tell the truth about the time-traveling trip and her cancer? How will the girls survive in a world built around their mother once she is gone? Will the truth set them free? This is one book you won’t want to miss!

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review will be posted in Goodreads, Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin on August 2, 2025. The links have been added to the NetGalley template.